Thoughts on Curly Q's for Target on Day 3

Day 3 hair is a little less controlled, but Day 3 regimen was a little different, too. No Mimosa Elixir. I'm starting to suspect that the Mimosa Elixir might be the key to both the bounce and shine--and the "dry" feeling. It's not that the hair is actually "dry," I can't really describe it, but I will say this, the online elixir contains beeswax, a perplexing choice for a moisturizing hair product in my opinion. I've used Moisture Max (Mega Moist) hair lotion for the very reason that it didn't contain beeswax, which does tend to weigh the hair down, coat the strand, and keep moisture out.

When I checked online, the Curly Q Custard contained beeswax also. The Curly Q's for Target products do not contain beeswax, but there is no in-store equivalent to the elixir in the Curly Q's line. think I may actually check to see if the Curls (adult products) for Target Elixir has beeswax. There is no in-store equivalent in the Curly Q's If not, I may replace the Mimosa Elixir with the store brand. I have to say G's hair is looking better using these products than it has in quite a while: shiny, bouncy, individual coils that last several days after the wash. All we've been doing is moisturizing at night with la la meringue with the elixir or alone and braiding. In the a.m., we refresh with the la la meringue and/or the red velvet curl cream or the elixir.

The a.m. refresh results are not as controlled when using the curl cream without the elixir, but it's still a very good result. The best thing is that all this shine and bounce is achieved without ANY greasy feel. The products go on a little slick (and yes, you'll need to wash hands afterwards), but they dry down to a nice, soft, healthy-looking shine. I hope these products will catch on so they'll be around a long time!

Sta-Sof-Fro Rub-on Hair Conditioner Results

I couldn't leave out my littlest fro-baby! Yes, process is a little simpler: wet hair and rub on the Rub-on--but his hair still looks great! (If I do say so myself)! This product is really a dark horse in the hair product race. An oldie but a goodie, I'd suggest to Soft Sheen Carson that they re-package and re-market the stuff (just don't change the formula!!!) to the curly market.

Wet hair, no product

After applying the conditioner

After a long day at daycare

Even the back still looks good after car seat hair, high chair hair and naptime (no pun intended :D)

Curly Q's Review - 2nd Day Hair Pics

Annnd, since it's for science, just wanted to show how G's hair did the next day without washing, only moisturizing with la la meringue curl moisturizer and mimosa elixir. Caution--these products do have a bit of build-up, unlike the online version which was practically weightless. On balance, though, I'd rather have the weight and control, than the weightlessness and frizzy poof after 4 hours. At the end of the second day, the hair felt a little dry, but I think this may be due to the increased hold in the red velvet curl cream, because the curls were still well-formed and shiny, and easy to detangle (with la la meringue)

Results Pics - Curly Q's for Target

OK, so I will try to post these pics in order but since I'm a novice blogger, who knows how they will come up on the page??? One way to find out! I liked these products, but I do have some observations on follow-up. Right now, these are just the visuals:

Pic #1 - After Curlycakes shampoo--amazing shine!

Pic #2 - Deep Conditioning (keeping Cupcakes n' Cream conditioner w/ a little Mimosa Elixir on her head in a plastic cap for as long as she could stand (15 minutes, maybe???)

Pic #3 - After the conditioning treatment -- effortless detangling

Someone got tired of being a hair model:

Moisturized with la la meringue curl moisturizer and red velvet curl cream with Mimosa Elixir, Braids overnight, then in the a.m.--shrinkage!

Taking braids out

Finished product - refreshed with la la meringue and Mimosa Elixir
The next three pics are the end of the day hair--always an issue with the online Curly Q products. I snapped the first two right after school (meaning after naptime and what I call "car seat hair"), before we went to the playground, because well, you know how it is after a good romp in the park! But the last pic shows her hair after the park, and it held up pretty well through it all! What the pics can't show is that the curls were soft, separated and bouncy!

Now for Something New!

Hot off the shelves, it's Curly Q's for Target, the newest edition from Curls.biz. Curls introduced their Curls for Target brand to the masses in 2010, to mixed reviews. I haven't tried those, but was quite happy to see the children's version, Curly Q's for Target in stores recently.

Much like the online products, different people get different results on varying hair types. I've been a fan of Curly Q's for my daughter due to the moisture regimen that seemed to result in pretty healthy hair and growth for my fro-baby, even if it couldn't keep the frizzies at bay for more than a few hours.

With the advent of Curly Q's for Target, I think I may have found a new regimen for my original Fro-baby! She's now 3 years old--all three years of it, and has the attitude and preferences to go with it! My "little princess" likes wearing her hair "tall" which means "up in a curly ponytail." No side pony puffs, or braids for this young lady. Every now and then, I can get her to sit still for "princess twists," but that's a good one-hour affair! So, these products really needed to stand up to not only slicking back all the "sunshine" (broken hairs around the front caused primarily by hair elastics) and making a pretty, high ponytail, but also the inevitable wash and goes that we'll need to do this summer to counteract the ponytail damage.

So, the first two products to be reviewed are the La Meringue Curl Moisturizer (in-store version of Moist Curls) and the Red Velvet Curl Cream (something altogether different from the custard and the milkshake). OK. I like these products. I liked the online versions, but the price point is a little high, and with shipping handling, I was looking for a convenient, lower cost alternative. The Target products seem to be heavier than the online versions, but that's ok with me.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that while the online product lines seem more geared toward the biracial, looser curl types, the Target version's got just a little more weight for more of those 4-range curl types. If this makes no sense to you, I'd love to provide you with a link on curl typing, but this can take you down a rabbit hole of being more confused, as there's no uniform system or definition for the multitude of hair types/textures that exist in the known universe.

Just know that most "afro" type hair is in the 4 category. G's hair, for frame of reference is a Type 3c/4a mix for those who care to type. You can see her pics two posts down to determine if her hair is comparable to your fro-babies. My son's hair will be shown in future pics, so you can see a true Type 4 with the smallest curl pattern 4(c).

Back to the review. Now that G is older, she can start giving you her own feedback, so here goes. When I sprayed her dry hair with the La Meringue, she commented about how soft her hair felt. This product feels a little more moisturizing than the moist curls, and gives a little more slip, so detangling was not a problem. It said to follow with a "dollop" of red velvet curl cream--which was a mistake on my part. This product is THICK! And a little sticky. Not in a problematic way, but you have to know how to "work it!" So, after applying way too much to the crown of her head, I was able to work it through the rest of her hair--with some effort.

Lesson learned, emulsify in hands first, then spread through hair. And a little goes a long way! I have to say, the results were beautiful. The hair that was pulled back looked so pretty. It retained a little wave as aopposed to the straight slick look. The curls were perfect, although you could see where I missed a spot here and there. A quick spritz of the la meringue and the dry spots were history! When she caught a glimpse of her rreflection, she oohed and ahhed over her hair. Something I can honestly say she's never really done before.

The next day, we barely needed either product. Her hair was soft, moisturized and only needed a light application of moist curls and a sheen of the Red Velvet Curl Cream. As a daily moisture regimen, these products worked great for my little one. It got too late to try out the shampoo and conditioner (Curly Cakes Shampoo and Cupcakes n' Cream Conditioner) the night before, so stay tuned for the review of the full product line and regimen! (and pics!)

Something Old, Something New

Sorry for the long hiatus! Having two 'fro's to maintain keeps a mom busy! But we're back! Today I'm reviewing two products/product lines, one for each of my fro-babies. So we'll start with the "Something Old."

As I've mentioned before, the littlest fro-baby has a different head of hair than the "princess." He is also now 1 year old. I pled for clemency for his hair, and my request was granted, so he gets to rock the 'fro a little longer (literally and figuratively). His fro, however, was getting drier and drier by the day. While the little 3c baby ringlets are still on the ends of his hair, the rest of his hair is coming in as a solid 4c 'fro: well-defined tiny little coils--extra cute! But also extra dry!

So (cue Scooby Doo-style flashback)...I thought back to the baby hair advice of old regarding using curl activator...yes curl activator once the baby outgrows that "baby hair." While not ready to go there just yet, it did trigger another memory about a product from the 80's that still lurks in drugstores today: "Soft Sheen Sta-Soft-Fro Rub On Hair and scalp Conditioner - Extra Dry." This product also comes in a spray version that I believe is just for "dry" hair (which I have not tried).

Now before you laugh ("you may already be reciting the 1980's commercial with the little girls jumping rope "Sta Sof Fro has a soft, soft shine, Sta Sof Fro is right on time! For curls, for braids, for natural hair, from the people who know your hair and care!"), this product is awesome! Not only have they toned down the "Manly afro scent" to something quite light and not at all offensive, this glycerine-based leave-in conditioner brought a softness to my boy's fro that has not been matched by any number of "curly hair" products.

His 'fro is--well, soft! And the curls are very well-defined. I will work on getting pics, it's just tough because when I see him in the a.m., his hair is still wet and the curls are not in yet. Then, when he comes home from daycare, let's just say his hair has been "through some things." But usually even at the end of the day, both the softness and curl are maintained--without greasiness or oiliness.

So whether this was your older brother/uncle/dad's doo rag cream or your hair braider's moisturizer of choice before she threaded the beads on your cornrows, this product deserves a second look! If you've never tried it and are looking for a non-greasy, effective moisturizer for very dry hair, you may not know what you're missing. Don't be embarassed! Reach down to the bottom shelf of that 3-foot wide "ethnic product section" of your local drug store and pick up some Sta-Sof-Fro! It may be the best $2.79 you've ever spent!

Since this post is a little long, I'll review the next product, Curly Q's for Target, in a separate review...coming right up!

As Requested

So, I noticed in the comments that someone wanted before and after photos. Of COURSE! What is a hair blog with no pics??? So I had to do some wrangling (of a two year old) but these are some pics for points of reference.

This is G's hair at the end of a day, taken out of braids, no products:





Here is G's hair in it's most natural state (all day out, no products)


This is G's hair (freshly done) using Curly Q's Moist Curls and Curly Custard overnight in braids, refreshed with Curly Milkshake in the a.m. for Picture Day!


Here is G's hair in double-strand twists using jane carter solution revitalizing leave-in conditioner and hair nourishing creme


And finally, here is an "after" picture with G's new "toy" (Mommy's new toy) the Tangle Teezer. What a great find! Smooth detangling in half the time. This pic was taken the same day as the free-flying "before" pic. Yes, it looks and feels like a dog brush, but it is a great brush that detangling quickly and painlessly--even Ty gets his hair brushed without a whimper these days. I'll post my review right after this:


So, that's a pretty good cross-section of her regimens. I also have a old review (with before and after pics) of the "It's a Curl" products on longhaircareforum.com from when G was about 1 year old at

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/childrens-hair-care/390066-review-its-curl-babies-curls-pics-inside.html

Hope this helps!