TheManeBliss hair butter review

       A couple of days ago, I had the opportunity to purchase homemade natural hair butter from one of my friends, Sequoia aka CeCe; she is the owner of her business; TheManeBliss, where she also sales homemade body butters; you may more information about each product in the link below along with the Facebook fan page link.  So I had purchased the 6 oz. container, which had cost $10 without shipping and handling; which I found very reasonable for the amount of customization I was able to do; when placing my order I was able to decide on a natural scent, after careful considerations, I decided to go with the midsummer night scent; which I must say smells heavenly. The main ingredients in the butter are Shea Butter-Mango Butter-Castor Oil-Coconut Oil-Wheat Germ Oil-Vegetable Glycerin-Aloe Vera Gel-Tea Tree-Arrowroot-Fragrance; they definitely worked very well considering how nicely it melts and spreads throughout my hair; a little really does go a long with this mixtures because that is all it truly takes to properly seal in the moisture while I was preparing to style.  This butter is very versatile and works phenomenally as a sealant for braids, wash n go's, stretch outs, braid outs, and twists; I am even considering using it as a pre-poo and deep treatment as well; if you are located in the Dallas, Fort Worth area and you are thinking about trying out some new hair butter definitely give TheManeBliss a try; you will not be disappointed; I have listed the information and links below along with the links my photos after using the product.

TheManeBliss-main website

and

TheManeBliss-Facebook fanpage   

and

My hair shots :)

My Daily Anti-Itch Spray for Protective Styles

If you are like me and love low maintenance hairstyling, but hate the constant itch and mild flaking that occurs after a couple days; this formula is perfect for you.

1.  a 4 oz spray bottle.

2.  10 drops of tea tree essential oil

3.  10 drops of peppermint essential oil

4.  2 drops of any conditioner (optional)

5.  2.5 oz of water

6. 1 oz of a carrier oil (olive, castor, soybean, vitamin E, etc)

Once you have added all of the ingredients into your spritz bottle; you do not have to fill up the bottle entirely because you need to leave enough room for it to mix, reattach the nozzle and shake until everything has mixed together.  Be sure to shake before each use in order to ensure all of the ingredients are being sprayed into your scalp, after all desired areas have been moisturized, gently pat down and massage entire head, then cover your hair with a satin scarf or du-rag.  In addition to relieving itch, this formula is also great  for removing bad odors,  providing an amazing scent, intensifying sheen, and revitalizing the scalp. 

Blue Magic Coconut Oil Hair Conditioner

Ingredients:  Petrolatum, Coconut (Cocos Nucifera) Oil, Fragrance.

Price:  $2.50

Place of purchase:  Wal-Mart, CVS, any beauty supply store

Overall Recap:  Now I know what everyone is possibly thinking with this being a petrolatum based product; however I mainly use this to lubricate my strands as I cornrow, set, or flat twist my hair.  Using it as a sealant, I also discovered this product works great as a detangler, most knots completely unraveled and made my hair very pliable.  This grease also gave my hair great shine, definition, and balance; if you are looking for something affordable to style your protective styles with, I would definitely recommend this product.  Just remember to only use this product on moisturized hair, do not apply directly to the scalp, and only use small amounts for each section.

Trader Joe's Refresh Citrus Conditioner with Vitamin C

Ingredients:  Botanical water, Extracts of chamomile, comfrey, lemon peel, sage and yarrow, Cetyl alcohol, ceteareth-20, Citric acid, Jojoba oil, Essential oil of sweet orange, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Ascorbyl palmitate (Vitamin C), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Retinyl palmitate (Vitamin A), Essential oil of grapefruit, Essential oil of tangerine, sodium hydroxide, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Fragrance.

Price: $2.99

Place of purchase:  Trader Joe's

Overall recap:  Although this condition is mostly all natural and very affordable; it had very little slip; which is not the best for detangling coarse textured hair.  The results I would get from co washes were not that great either; however it did work well as an additive to spray bottle mixes as well as deep treatments.  Even though 3 bucks is a great deal for the ingredients that you are getting, unfortunately I will not be purchasing this product again. 

Nubian Heritage Repair & Extend Hair Butter EVOO & Moringa

Ingredients:  Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Olus Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed OiI, Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado), Beeswax, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Jojoba Esters, Lawsonia Inermis Leaf Powder (Henna), Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B-5), Proprietary Essential Oil Blend, Chenopodium Quinoa Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare Extract (Fennel), Panthenol (Vitamin B-5), Bambusa Vulgaris Extract (Bamboo), Tiare Flower (Gardenia Tahitensis), Allium Sativum Extract (Garlic), Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

Price:  usually around $15.00, but was on sale for $6.00 and sometimes $3.75

Place of Purchase:  Walgreen's
 
Overall recap:  With having thick coarse hair, I should have known that hair custard may not be the best option for me even when mostly using it for protective styling.  This butter was the perfect 10; it worked a lot better than the custard; especially when used for stretching my hair for cornrows or flat twists; the ingredients are spectacular; although I still had to deal with the same overpowering scent, but that eventually wears off.  It has great hold without making the strands brittle and is packed full of essential oils; which only takes a dime size for each section, it does not leave behind any flakes, and it is perfect for sealing in moisture.  When I see this product on sale another time; it will definitely be in my shopping cart again.

Nubian Heritage Repair & Extend Styling Custard EVOO & Moringa

  

Ingredients:  Deionized water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive), Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut), cetearyl alcohol, Vegetable glycerin, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cetrimonium Chloride, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax, Lawsonia Inermis Leaf Powder (Henna), Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B-5), Proprietary Essential Oil Blend, Chenopodium Quinoa Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare Extract (Fennel), Lonicera Caprifolium Flower (Honeysuckle), Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract (Japanese Honeysuckle), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Lauric Acid

Price: Usually over 15 dollars, but was on sale for $3.74

Place of Purchase: Walgreens

Overall recap:  Ever heard the saying too much of a good thing can be bad; well this custard definitely takes the cake on that one; aside from having good ingredients; the scent is a bit over powering, causing my eyes to water every so often; thankfully it eventually wears off.  However when styling my hair, the product did provide a decent amount of stretch and kept my hair pretty tamed when wearing protective styles.  Also when allowed to set overnight it created a very beautiful, hydrated twist out with a mild appearance of flakes; overall I would give this product a score of 5 out of 10 simply because normally this product would cost over about 15 buck which in my book is a bit too pricey.

Are you in your Happy Place with Yourself????

In this world of the “ideal” figure, long silky hair, muscle tonnage, and beautiful clear youthful skin; it is easy to believe that you are lacking something and eventually will desire to search for some “quick fix antidote”.  Whether you are on a weight loss journey, hair journey, road to clearer skin regimen, or trying to gain muscles in certain areas of the body; it may seem that at certain times when you look in the mirror it look as if all of your efforts are hopeless.  You may feel or look bloated, your hair seems like it is not growing or starting to break, your skin appears like it is not clearing up and wrinkles are everywhere, and your body feels as if you have not gained any muscles or seen any changes in your weight.  Well I also have felt this way from time to time about my own body and skin, but one thing I have realized that helped me was to stop spending so much time weighing myself, measuring my hair every week, picking at my skin every day, and trying to witness the change in my muscles every time I did a new workout; instead I only looked in the mirror with the intent of smiling back at myself, encouraging my progress as I continue do the things I love to keep my body in shape.  I have learned that my weight is not always going to be a direct correlation to what I am trying to build up, my skin is going to have horrible days no matter what I eat or products I put on it, my hair will always have minor setbacks as far as its overall growth and condition; however all that matters is that through it all I am happy with myself, healthy, maintaining my diet by eating nutritional foods daily, loving my hair while taking care of it with minor trims and unique fun regimens, keeping my skin supple and moisturized, and finally enjoying my guilty pleasures in moderations and not admiration.  Because I now know that 160 pounds does not look the same on everybody, long hair is not always healthy hair, smooth “looking” skin is not always natural, and big muscles does not always equal endurance and strength and for my college students good grades does not always mean good students or over all intelligence.  So do not let a diet, skin regimen, hair maintenance, or commitment to the gym stress you out to the bitter end, go out and eat a pizza or hamburger, go swimming and get your hair wet, laugh, cry, go dancing, and eat dark chocolate; just have fun and keep the heart and muscles racing with the excitement of being happy with yourself.