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Kinky Curly Curl Defining Collection

Posted by Cie Marquise |

I was first introduced to the Kinky Curly line after years of searching for a great curly hair styler. Kinky Curly brand is ever expanding but has the basic shampoo, leave-in, and styling products of many other lines. Kinky Curly website recommends their products not be used with sulfates or oils and therefore use of their complete system will give the best results.  With that being said, I do not own the Kinky Curly Come Clean shampoo so maybe my results could improve. (Take it with a grain of salt, I like the Johnson’s baby shampoo.) Nevertheless, I do own the Knot Today Leave-In/Detangler, the Curling Custard, and the Spiral Spritz curl refresher. I like that these products are all organic.

Knot Today, as previously stated is a Leave-In conditioner and Detangler. It has a jelly like texture and is very thick. It does remove the tangles and provide an easy comb out. It has a tropical fragrance (that seems to be an ongoing theme in my products) and has minimal residue left after applying to hair. However, I do not feel this product is a sufficient moisturizer. I find that after a few days of using the Kinky Curly system, my hair is dry and in desperate need an oil treatment or conditioning balm. The collection does not have a daily conditioner that isn’t a leave in which kinda sucks. This is not my favorite leave in and in fact I only continue to purchase because I like the way it interacts with the Curling Custard.

The infamous Curling Custard has become a cult classic for curly haired girls. This styling gel is very concentrated and has the consistency of actual custard. They definitely gave it the right name. This product does not have the coconut/tropical fragrance of its detangling counterpart. In fact, I can’t really describe the scent of the gel. It by no means smells bad; rather it’s a smell I can’t necessarily identify. Let’s just say that it smells organic.  I love this styling gel. I loved the fact that my hair didn’t shrink, BIG points for that. I also loved that my curls were soft and moving, although I must admit, it took me a long time to determine how much was just enough to balance the hold I wanted with the softness I craved. It applies smooth into the hair, yet I find it leaves a film on my hands after applying. I also recommend placing a towel around your neck to prevent the wet hair from transferring product to your skin. Because this product is so concentrated, soaking wet hair is necessary, especially if you forgo the Knot Today (another reason for the dryness). I find that it takes my hair hours to air dry which can create a problem on cold winter mornings. Welp good thing for me, I’m definitely not a morning person =). I tried this product without the Knot Today (back in 2010) and I noticed my hair had a lot more volume and less definition.

Lastly, I have the curl reviver, Spiral Spritz. To be honest I haven’t really found a true purpose for this product yet. It has a lemon scent that reminds me of Whole Foods, not bad just different for a hair product. It is also a gel but it does not leave behind any residue. It comes in an unnecessary spray bottle. I say unnecessary because this product is too thick to spray rather it just squirts all over the place. There is little control over product placement if you use it straight from the bottle. A pump would have definitely worked better. In fact, I actually squirt this product in my hands and then work it into second day curls. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. However, I don’t blame the inconsistency on the product rather my before bed laziness that causes frizzy, unmanaged curls. I do like this product as a curl refresher for my nights out on the town after a long day of work or school. When used along with a spray bottle, I believe this product is worth it.

Here's my wet hair with freshly applied product


Notice the length
Here my completely dried hair 


Still has great length


At the end of the day, I highly enjoy the results from these products. I would repurchase each of these, but I before I settle for another Knot Today, I’d like to use the Curling Custard over some other leave ins, particularly the Shea Moisture Curl and Style Milk.

Kinky Curly Knot Today and the Spiral Spritz are both available in an 8oz bottles for $12.00 each. Kinky Curly Curling Custard is available in two sizes with the smallest being 8 ounces for $17. The products are available here, Target, and Whole Foods Stores

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Posted by Cie Marquise

Styling Just a General Overview!

Posted by Cie Marquise | Labels: ,

So it occurred to me that maybe I should give a little bit more detail about how exactly I place the product in my hair. I split my hair down the middle and apply a quarter sized amount of leave in conditioner. I go in-between this section, not just on the outer layers, to ensure the product is dispersed to all strands. As previously stated, I split my hair into one inch sections, but I understand that’s a little vague. I split my hair from one side to the other left to right. The one inch thickness refers to my my roots, as they are a lot thicker (i.e. fluffier) than the ends. There’s that ethnicity again =). Anyway, I apply three fingertips worth of products from the roots to tip and scrunch the ends. I usually use a spray bottle filled with water to dilute if I put too much product in my hair. I focus more product about half an inch from my roots and drag the extra down. I estimate that I use less than 1 tablespoon worth of styling products for fresh curls. I apply a tad bit more product in the middle of my head than other sections since it tends to plump (that’s a nice way of putting it) if not tamed well with product.  I try to avoid the crunchy feel, but it doesn't drive me bonkers to have some stiff curls. I try to get my hair as sleek as possible while wet because it typically dries with plenty of volume. So I love my hair’s natural volume but I like to tame it. I hate products that add extra body to my hair.
Leave In Conditioner, one dollop per side
~1 inch section of roots, notice the thin ends though


3 fingertips of product that I rub in my hands then put in my hair


Also I am not a big fan of second day curls. I don’t prep my hair well at night to benefit from second day curls; usually just sleep with a loose ponytail. However, I also don’t prep my straight hair, I just go to sleep. Laziness, yeah I know but hey, it works for me *Kanye shrug*. That being said I typically won’t comment on second day curls unless I’m thoroughly impressed and found a way to work it. I do often sprits my hair with water (until it’s wet but not soaked) and reapply the leave in conditioner of choice. I restyle any unruly curls with light touches of the styling gel. If this doesn’t work, I usually put my hair in a pony tail or neat bun. For a messy bun, I don’t wet my hair as much and usually just use this style when I have no umph and it’s a jeans and sweatshirt type of day but still decent enough to leave the house.

Lastly, I do NOT believe in co-washing. *big gasp* For those of you who don’t know, co- washing is using a conditioner to “wash” your hair between regular shampoo washes. I really don’t see a point in this process but to each their own. I talked to my stylist and we’ve agreed that you wouldn’t wash your body with lotion, so why would you wash your hair with conditioner. People say that the conditioner isn’t as drying, but I feel like they are just using the wrong shampoos. And water is the drying agent more than anything- want proof? Put your hand in warm water without soap for 15 minutes then let it air dry, I guarantee you will reach for a body lotion or butter if you do this daily. Again that’s just my spiel.

I don’t have a perm, never had a perm, and therefore I am not transitioning. I understand that transitioning hair requires a lot more love and care, so please modify my styling processes to benefit your hair and leave me tips on more constructive styling. 

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Posted by Cie Marquise

Shea Moisture Curl & Style Milk and Curling Souffle Review

Posted by Cie Marquise | Labels: ,




I came across Shea Moisture products one day while cruising the aisles in my local Walgreens. I was taken aback by this “new” (at least to me) organic product line dedicated to refining “thick, curly hair”. But like a true conscious shopper, I turned to youtube for some review research. As always, I didn’t find anyone with my hair type that could fully convince me that I should spend the money for these new products. Then my favorite beauty bargain blogger G from Nouveau Cheap did a review. She described each product so completely, that I was once again on the fence about buying Shea Moisture. And low and behold the very next week Walgreens was running an amazing sale where each product was $9.99 AND they were all Buy One Get One Half Off. It was like the universe was telling me to buy something from Shea Moisture product line.

From G and others I realized the naming of the Shea Moisture products can create a bit of confusion.  I purchased from the Coconut & Hibiscus line (the orange one). There are two products that seemed to create the bulk of the questioning—Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Curly Soufflé. The product named Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie is a creamy texture and is recommended by the website as their styling product. There’s also the Shea Moisture Curling Soufflé, which is more gel like and also promotes moisture and definition.

Ok so onto the products and their effects on my hair. So I bought the Shea Moisture Curl and Style Milk, which is a leave in conditioner that acts as a “no-rinse protective styling cream”. It is a white cream with a delightful coconut scent. It is non-greasy and left my hair soft well moisturized. I especially enjoyed the smoothness of this product. It really reminded me of body lotion, but for my hair.


I also purchased the Shea Moisture Curling Soufflé because I feel gel textured styling products work better for me. There is a light hibiscus fragrance with small hints of coconut. The smell is not as strong as the Curl and Style Milk. I definitely enjoyed the non-chemical fragrance of this product. Also while the Soufflé is concentrated, it isn’t stiff and moves around easily in the jar. It really reminds me of jello. Yet when rubbed together in my hands it liquefied to a product that was easy to distribute from root to end. I liked that my hair did not stiffen with this product. As a down side, I did notice some shrinkage, but not enough to discourage me from future purchases. 

Both have the same label
Heres my wet hair, with product distributed in 1 inch thick sections from root to tip.




Here's my hair dried hair (same day just changed shirts)





Both of these products are definitely going in the keeper pile!


These products at ~$10 each and can be found at select Target and Walgreens. 

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Posted by Cie Marquise

The Absolutely Best Black Nail Polish EVER!!!

Posted by Cie Marquise | Labels:

So I love to keep my nails fresh and well manicured. I especially love the gel nail polishes, but I am a bit skeptical of the constant UV lights on my hands. Also, while better than acrylic, I still believe that gel nails can do a small amount of damage to your natural nails. Recently, I decided to take a break from the two-week manicure and go back to polishing my natural nails. Here's the problem: They chip too soon! There's nothing worse than a nail with exposed tips.

Well up until recently, I strayed away from black polishes because they chips so easily and it was very noticeable (at least to me). Then comes this gem, Sinful Colors Black on Black.



All I can say is that this polish is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! It applies rather opaque and I actually only needed one coat. Yeap, one coat for perfectly covered black nails. That's unheard of. However, because I am the person that I am, I decided to go with two coats of this color, just for a little added intensity. (I really didn't notice a difference, but it made me happy to try.) I did notice that the color took a while to dry completely (i.e. no scratches or smudges deep down) but I was perfectly content watching a movie so it really didn't matter.

I have washed dishes in bleach, taken long, soaking baths, even washed my hair and this black stayed stuck to my nails for a minimum of 4 days. Maybe it doesn't seem like a lot, but I'm very rough on my hands and 4 days is outrageous. Even "14 day no-chip" gel manicures only get about 6 days on my nails. I did apply the Sinful Colors Nail harder as a base and a Sally Hansen Hard as Nails as a top coat for shine.



This IS absolutely the best black nail polish EVER!

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Miss Jessie's Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo

Posted by Cie Marquise | Labels:




Confession time: I did my hair on Monday and wore it in a messy bun Tuesday and Wednesday. So that means I didn't comb it at all *runs and hides in corner*. Don't judge me, it was finals week. Needless to say I thought there might be dredlocks forming somewhere back there, so instead of combing my hair dry, I decided to give Miss Jessie's Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo a go and see how well the detangling formula really works lol.

Here's the product claims:
The Best Darn Detangling Shampoo. Period. The First Lady of Curls has more goodies in her bag. Gotta have suds? Miss Jessie's is giving it to you with her triple slip, extra detangling moisturizing formula. After popular demand Miss Jessie's™ is excited to introduce her new ultra soft detangling shampoo, Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo™! This soft, lathering shampoo is excellent for every type of hair in need of a good super moisturizing cleansing! Whether you're naturally curly hair, kinky, wavy, straight, relaxed, color processed or chemically treated Miss Jessie's™ Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo™ was made especially for you. Excellent for our non-sulfate curlies who use Crème de la Curl and want a sudsy option from time to time. Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo™ a super concentrated formula adds shine and manageability to hair without weighing it down or leaving behind residue. It removes product build-up and dirt while detangling knots and leaving hair slickety, slippery smooth and shiny!! It also restores a healthy balance to the scalp—essential for encouraging hair growth and vitality. The enticing green apple scent makes it a yummy addition to your daily shower regimen!


I absolutely loved this shampoo. It left my hair super, super soft with minimal tangles. I must warn you, it is not a natural shampoo and does contain sulfates, which is a downer since sulfates tend to dry my scalp and aren't recommended for people with colored hair. However, the sulfates do add that big lather from just a small amount of product, so if you're a lather person go for it. I did notice that my hair felt clean with only one lather but I noticed my scalp needed a few more lathers to be clean to my standards. So after three wash a repeat cycles, I was happy!

I would definitely recommend this product. It has a great clean fragrance (not sure if I would call it apple though) and I absolutely loved it. I am now excited to try the Miss Jessie's Creme De La Creme leave in conditioner after using this product.

You can purchase the Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo here with 8oz for $14.00. All Miss Jessie's products are Buy One Get One free through December 31.

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Miss Jessie's Product Review- Curly Meringue

Posted by Cie Marquise | Labels:

 After attending a party in Hollywood, Miss Jessie's products were given out in gift bags. The bags contained a full size Curly Meringue and Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo. It also had samples of the Curly Pudding, Baby Buttercreme, and Super Sweetback treatment.

I have never used these products before so this is a first impressions review. I visited Miss Jessie's website looking for specific directions to get the best results, but I found everything rather vague. Considering the reputation of Miss Jessie's, I must say I was a little underwhelmed by the before and after photos on the site. However all biases aside, I will review these products with an open mind and lots of curly, frizzy hair. =)

Here's my hair with only a Motions Leave-In Conditioner. I have let it air dry and combed through any tangles:
Yeap, that's a lot to handle

I wet my hair and let the natural curls reform. To start, I wasn't sure if I should used the Curly Meringue or the Curly Pudding since the packages have the exact same description. I decided to use the Meringue based off the fact I had more of it and the website's description:
"Wanna boost? This potent emulsion packs the punch you need for pogo stick oingy boingy curls. MEDIUM HOLD STYLING CREME. Instructions for use: Apply a palm full of Curly Meringue to damp freshly shampooed and conditioned hair. Rake through large sections and air dry. Great for: Fingerstyling, 2 Strand Twists, Spiral Rod Sets, Relaxed Hair seeking curly styling and Transitioners, Silkeners and Texturizers. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT CHEMICALLY ALTERING The must have maintenance product, Baby Buttercreme and Curly Buttercreme, add to hair the day after styling." 

The Curly Meringue has a creamy texture and a strong coconut smell (I don't mind, I actually like when my hair reminds me of a tropical island). This product isn't very sticky, which leads me to believe soaking wet hair isn't necessary like with other concentrated curl enhancers. Although it wasn't sticky, it was thick and did need slightly more than towel dried dampness. Here's my immediate results using towel dried hair and a spray bottle for extra water was needed (basically all over):

I was talking to my Mommy lol 

I went through my hair in 1 inch sections and applied the product. I knew that large sections of hair wouldn't work for my thickness. I like my curly styles to have lots of definition (I HATE FRIZZ) and little volume. My face is sort of small, width wise, so too much body sort of takes over my face. With that said, I feel like Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue didn't do much for my hair. After an hour and near dryness, I could not tell there was any definer product in my hair, it literally looked as if I had let it air dry alone (without combing), aka 1980's perm, not my favorite look. Notice the shrinkage as well, I am not a fan of using a blow dryer to stretch my curls. I do like that my neck and back do not feel sticky from left over product. Also my hair is soft and moves freely. The strong coconut smell has faded and a light scent is left.

Before (Wet)

After (dry)
Overall: I would not purchase this product for myself. It did not give me the styling definition I'd hoped for. However, I would recommend this product for people who want lots of volume, a la Diana Ross. This product reminds me of something that would work for biracial people looking for light curl definition.

Note: Since this was my first impression, I will try this product a few more times before officially ranking it in my list of curl defining products.

Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue can be purchased here for $7.00-$38.00. 

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Posted by Cie Marquise

At Home Hair Washing

Posted by Cie Marquise | Labels: , , , , , ,


As mentioned before, I tend to go to a salon to get my hair washed and straightened. It just takes so much to do my own hair; I swear washing alone takes half an hour. Ok maybe that was an exaggeration but really by the time I’m done I just want to sit down and chill out. But because that would be too easy, I still have to detangle and style for the day. 

Here's my hair before washing:

I have added pure organic coconut oil as a pre-shampoo treatment. I find it loosens any dirt and conditions my scalp. I usually leave the coconut oil in my hair for at least 15 minutes and sometimes overnight since I hate going to sleep with wet hair. 
I washed my hair with Johnsons Natural Baby Shampoo. Yes baby shampoo. I will do a future post with my full review but so far I am enjoying this cleanser. I also condition with Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm and finish off with Motions Nourish Leave-in Conditioner.
Here's my wet hair with only the Motions Leave In:


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