Natural Hair Spotlight Month: Meet Keith and Travis!

Hey everyone!

We are continuing with Natural Hair Spotlight month this week and focusing on the guys! I have 2 naturalistos (I just made that up) who I interviewed for this week's post! One of them is my brother-in-law, Keith, and the other is my love, Travis! I hope y'all enjoy reading their interviews and learn some valuable things! :) Lets get started!

Meet Keith!

Name: Keith Butler Jr.
Age: 25
How long have you been natural: Forever!
What made you decide to return to your natural hair: I didn't want to look like Katt Williams!
How did your friends/significant other/family react to your decision: *I'll answer this as if you're asking about my decision to start/grow my locs* My family didn't really like the idea of me having locs. They all thought locs were nasty. Krystal (my wife) was the most supportive. She was only hesitant because she liked my short hair.
How do they feel now: My family approves! I guess they see that locs are great when they're taken care of properly.
How is your hair viewed in the workplace/at school/among friends: It seems as if my friends/coworkers/peers don't view my hair any differently than before I had locs. They ask more questions, but that's about it. I think being a musician helps. A different/creative style is what most people expect from creatives.
What is your style of choice: I prefer to have the locs down. I don't really like putting them up in a hair band. Gotta let them breathe!
What led to that decision: I'm not really sure. I like to let my hair do what it does if that make sense. I don't really like letting environments (business, professional, etc) determine what I do with my hair, so I try to go with the flow.
Did you experiment with any other styles before sticking with your current style:I tried one of those braided loc styles, but I'll try it again when my hair is longer.
If you could do whatever you wanted to your hair, what would you do (funky cut, color, etc.): I would cut the locs off the sides of my hair and only have locs up top. Basquiat-esque!
What are your must-have staple products/oils: Water and any kind of oil. I've been using the African black castor oil (coconut scent) recently.
What is the biggest learning curve you have encountered with taking care of your natural hair: Product is bad for retwisting! It only causes buildup. And I can't wash my hair like everyone else. Regular shampoo doesn't clean my locs good enough. I used lemon dish soap last time because it also acts as a degreaser.
What is the biggest life lesson you have learned on your natural hair journey: Our hair is very important. Sacred if you will. Especially these locs. I feel lik they represent bigger things like my commitment to my wife. I'm commited to these locs through the good and the bad hair days. Just like marriage!
If you could change one thing about your journey thus far, what would you change: I would never have used product. It's terrible!
What has been your biggest personal gain since the start of your journey: Just learning how to care for what I've been entrusted with in this life. It takes a lot of TLC to maintain this hair.
Do you think you have inspired any guy friends to go natural or to take better care of their hair: Hmmm. I hope so!
Any advice for anyone considering taking the leap into living a natural hair lifestyle: Go for it! Don't let societal pressures determine how your heart feels. Do it!
Business/blog/social media inquiry info:
Twitter: @killabeets
Tumblr: Keith Butler Jr.
Facebook: " "

Meet Travis!

Name: Travis Eaton
Age: 22
Describe your “pre-natural hair” (damaged, dry, etc.): I had waves before, but due to using unhealthy chemicals that were in the products I was using, my hair was thinner in some areas of my head than others.
How long have you been natural:1 year and 1 month
What made you decide to return to your natural hair:I just wanted to have healthier hair.
How did your friends/significant other/family react to your decision:My friends and family tell me that the short hair look is fine so they were neutral. However, my girlfriend, who is the wonderful creator of this blog, was very very supportive of my decision!
How do they feel now:Everyone is happy now. My hair has come back healthier and wavier than ever.
How is your hair viewed in the workplace/at school/among friends:When I go somewhere, one of the first things someone tells me normally is that I have nice hair.

What is your style of choice: My hairstyle of choice is either a low taper or a fade.
What led to that decision: The 2 hair styles I alternate between are just very clean and professional, but at the same time, they still allow me have my waves.
Did you experiment with any other styles before sticking with your current style: No I did not
If you could do whatever you wanted to your hair, what would you do (funky cut, color, etc.): I would think about getting a part again, but that’s about it.
What are your must-have staple products/oils: Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
What is the biggest learning curve you have encountered with taking care of your natural hair: Just how often I should wash my hair and how to properly wash my hair.
What is the biggest life lesson you have learned on your natural hair journey: Honestly, the biggest lesson I learned was how hard women have it if they decide to do a big chop. The world judges them and at times it is very hard, but you have to remind yourself that it is a process.
If you could change one thing about your journey thus far, what would you change: Nothing. I wouldn’t change my journey at all!
What has been your biggest personal gain since the start of your journey: Just more confidence and being more comfortable in my skin.
Do you think you have inspired any guy friends to go natural or to take better care of their hair: Yes. A few of my friends have decided to follow my lead. They have started using Shea Moisture, and they ask me for tips here and there.
Any advice for anyone considering taking the leap into living a natural hair lifestyle: Do it! The journey is more than worth it! Besides growing healthier hair, the journey will force you to gain more confidence, so it is a win-win!

:)

Thank you so much for reading! If you have any questions for these guys or any of the ladies I have interviewed in the past few weeks, leave your comment or question in the comment section of their interview post and I will send the question/comment their way and reply to your comment with their response! Thank you again so much for your support! It means the world to me!

Don't miss next week! It is the last Natural Hair Spotlight month post and I have interviews from 3 lovely ladies to share with y'all! And as always, be sure to cast your vote on my monthly poll located on the left under "The Purpose"! The winning choice will be announced on the first post of every month! Again, thank you for the support and I'll see y'all on the next post!

UPDATE! Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Styling Lotion

Hey y'all and Happy September!

As promised, I'm back with an update on the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Styling Lotion. If you read my product review I posted last month about this new collection, you will recall that I LOVED the masque, but I wasn't a huge fan of the styling lotion. It smelled great, and I loved the consistency of it, but I wasn't loving how it made my hair feel or the result I got from styling with it. But because I love the Shea Moisture line so much, I couldn't give up on it quite yet. With this being said, I tried the Styling Lotion out again last week, and this time, I loved the results I got! So here is my updated review on the Jamaican Black Castor Oil Styling Lotion.

This new collection from Shea Moisture is for natural, chemically processed, color treated, or heat styled hair. The lotion has a special blend of oils at its base that restores moisture and shine to dull, damaged, or chemically processed hair. The Jamaican Black Castor oil, organic Shea Butter, and Peppermint all aid in healthy and strong hair growth by working together to protect hair from the damaging effects of heat styling and increasing the hair's resistance to breakage.

Day 1 curls

For styling, I decided to try my go-to curly girl style...a twistout! I co-washed my hair using the Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Conditioner (will review in 2 weeks). After rinsing out the conditioner, I finger detangled and applied the Styling Lotion to my hair. I wanted to see how well this product worked on its own, so I did not use any oils or any other products on my hair for styling! After applying the Lotion, I twisted my hair into two strand twists. I had a total of about 20-25 twists when I was all done. I allowed my twists to air dry, which took about 6 hours total. I was wanted to take them out, but because I wasn't going anywhere for the day and I didn't want to waste a style day, I left them in overnight! So that night I applied a little bit of the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Reconstructive Finishing Elixir to my twists. Because this product is used for styling, it has a slight hold to it to ensure lasting styles. With that hold comes a slight crunch, and because I like soft, loose twistouts, I used the elixir to get rid of some of that crunch. The next morning, I took the twists out, separated, fluffed, and styled!

Day 2 curls

I have to say, I liked this product MUCH better this time around! My hair was extremely hydrated, soft, and my twistout was very defined, but still full, which I loved!! The only thing I didn't necessarily love was that the product left a slight residue that made my hair feel a little like how your hands feel after you play with Play-Doh. I felt it most on my roots while my hair was drying, and then while I wore my twistout, each day that residue feeling became more and more prominent. It was never unbearable or out of control, it just didn't allow my hair to shine as much as I expected. It was almost like there was a powdery matte finish on my hair, and I wasn't a fan of that.

Day 3 curls

Either way, this product gave me great hold! My twistout lasted for 4 days, which, literally, has never ever happened before!! My twistouts usually frizz up, are way out of control and beyond tangled by the end of day one! But this product gave me such a great hold that I didn't have to touch my hair for 4 days, which was amazing! At night, all I did was put my hair into a loose ponytail at the tip top of my head (a pineapple) and slept on my satin pillowcase.
 
    In sum, I would give this product a 9/10. I loved the lasting effect of the Lotion, the consistency of it, the smell, and the hydration I got! What I didn't love was the emerging powdery residue it left behind. However, this isn't something that will keep me from purchasing this product again. There is a serum that is also a part of this collection that I would love to try! I think it may help with the residue feeling and even the crunch that came up while my twists were drying. Overall, I definitely think this product does what it says, so I'm happy with it!

:)

Have you tried any of the products from this collection?! Love them or hate them? Leave your story in the comments along with any questions you have for me! I'd love to hear them! And as always, thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog!

For a walk through on how I do my twistouts, check out my blog post on the review for Cantu for Natural Hair Define & Shine Custard here!








ON THE BLOG NEXT WEEK: I'm trying out the Curly Girl Method (CG Method)!!! Find out why, learn more about it, and see what I think so far!

*Photo from Google images

Product Review: Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Treatment Masque and Styling Lotion

Hey y'all!

So as I have mentioned before, I am a HUGE fan of Shea Moisture products. They have done wonders for my hair and skin and have allowed my hair to grow and to be as healthy and strong as it is now. When I found out that Shea Moisture was releasing a new Jamaican Black Castor Oil collection, I was so excited! Once it was out, I went to CVS to get some as soon as a I could! Not surprisingly, there were very little products left to choose from by the time I got to them. It seems that everyone was just as determined to get their hands on this new collection as I was! However, I did manage to pick up a jar of the Treatment Masque and Styling Lotion so that I could review it for y'all!

The main 3 ingredients included in the masque and lotion are:

-Organic Shea Butter: deeply moisturizes while conditioning hair and scalp
-Jamaican Black Castor Oil: loaded with reparative omegas that promote healthy hair growth
-Peppermint: stimulates the scalp (improves circulation of blood in the scalp)

The reason I was so excited to try this collection was because of the castor oil and the peppermint. I have read so many great things about castor oil and its ability to thicken hair and allow for healthy hair growth and I love the smell and cool feel of peppermint!

Before I give my review, here are the steps I took in washing, deep conditioning and styling:

1.) Shampooed with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention shampoo (lather, rinse, repeat)
2.) Sectioned hair into 6 parts and applied Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Treatment Masque to each section while detangling with a wide tooth comb. Covered hair in plastic cap for 30-45 minutes and rinsed out with cool water
3.) Applied a small amount of grapeseed oil to each section and detangled
4.) Parted hair for twists and applied Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Styling Lotion to each section for twisting.
5.) Added a perm rod to the end of each twist to secure to ends

    

While trying out these products, I was pleasantly surprised by a few things! As I added in my previous post, I am a big fan of the Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque, so a lot of the comparisons I made were to this product. So here's what I thought of the products I tried from the new Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil collection:

Strengthen, Grow & Restore Treatment Masque:

Smell: 9/10 - Very light, mature scent. Similar to the African Black Soap scent, but more subtle and warm. It kind of reminds me of a warm vanilla and brown sugar smell. I really like it!

Texture/Consistency: 10/10 - Thin and spreadable. Once I applied this product to my hair, it was immediately soaked up due to its silky nature. I actually prefer a thin, silky deep conditioner because it allows me to detangle much easier, so there is less tug and pull on my hair. As I mentioned in my last post, I always add extra virgin olive oil and honey to my Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque so that it will be thinner and spread easier. I was happy that I didn't have to do this with the Black Castor Oil Masque. This product glided through my hair so easily. Also, because it spread so well, I didn't have to use a whole lot of product in order to deep condition.  I have barely made a dent in the amount of product in the jar, which is very surprising. I have a lot of hair and the 12 oz jars usually give me about 3 deep conditions. Because of the silky consistency of the Black Castor Oil Masque, I can see this lasting for about 5 or 6 deep conditions, which makes me very happy! I did feel a subtle cooling sensation on my scalp from the peppermint. Though it wasn't as much as I was hoping for, it most certainly wasn't a deal breaker.

Hair's Reaction: I definitely think my hair loved this product. After I rinsed the masque out after 30 minutes, my hair was left feeling super soft, extremely bouncy, hydrated, and light. I think this product is amazing and I can definitely see it becoming a staple of mine!

Strengthen, Grow & Restore Styling Lotion:

Smell: 10/10 - It smells just like the Treatment Masque, except for the fact that it is a little warmer. It has more of a vanilla smell to it, which makes it a little more pleasant and sweeter to me.

Texture/Consistency: 10/10 - It definitely has the feel and texture of a hair lotion. It is silky in the way that it is very smooth, yet thick in the way that it doesn't absorb directly into your hair. I liked having to smooth it in and work it in myself. Because I had to do this, it made this product great to use for detangling. Also, it was easy to style with. It didn't cause any knots or tangles, and my hair didn't clump together at all!

Hair's Reaction: I think my hair liked this lotion a lot! I wouldn't say that my hair fell in love with this product, but I definitely think it that it was really, really good! Like i said, I love the consistency of this product. The lotion is very, very light, which I love! My hair wasn't weighed down at all, which is something I always check for first and foremost. Something I did notice was that my hair wasn't very soft after it finally dried. It wasn't unbearably dry or crispy, but it didn't have the bouncy and soft feel that prefer. As far as styling goes, I tried doing flat twists all around my head using this lotion, and sadly, it turned out to be very unsuccessful. However, I don't blame the lotion and this didn't alter my view of it either. The style didn't work out partly because I did the twists on wet hair and my hair doesn't do well when I try to style when it is wet. Also, not all of the twists were fully dry when I took them out which was also a big no-no haha! With that being said, I know this product could be beyond amazing, so I'm going to keep trying it out and finding the ways to use it that will make it work best for me. I am a big fan of hair lotions, so I am looking for new ways to try to incorporate this one into my hair routine. When I find success with a certain technique/style, I will surely let y'all know!

:)

Overall, I'm actually very satisfied with this new collection. The two products I used were very light and smelled yummy! I definitely think that this collection has promise and will not disappoint. Like I said before, Shea Moisture has continuously worked wonders on my hair, so I have faith that I will be able to find a way to make the Styling Lotion work for me. I really would like to be able to get the Leave-in Conditioner, because I think that it will work well with the Styling Lotion and maybe allow for more successful styles. However, they were sold out of it when I went to CVS. I will try to go back soon to see if they have re-stocked it. Rest assured that when I get my hands on some, I will post about it! 

As always, thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog and product review! I hope you found it helpful! If not, feel free to leave any questions you have! I am always happy to answer them!

*image from Google Images