You made me salivate in 08 Part 2

I started my very first post Dec. 2007 so this is my one year blogoversary and I am excited. I went from zero people reading this blog, to a handful, and now to all of you. I appreciate all of you who comment and those of you who don't. I know that many of you are reading through your google readers or other readers and I thank you all. For those who send me emails Thank You.
I have exciting things planned for 2009, I really do, but I have so much on my plate now that I don't know when my blog changes will be implemented.
A few months ago I received blogging awards from PBW, another blogger whose name escapes me (sorry) and an honorable mention from Amina thanks to you all.
Special thanks to TAM TAM for the great video that you created and especially for including me!
I posted over 330 times in 2008 so thanks for riding with me......
Thanks so much for your support, encouragement and EVERYTHING!

The IT LIST
I knew this list would be the longest so I really put in time to only list my must have products.

Shampoo/ Conditioner

• Aveda damage remedy this product is a protein based poo and conditioner
• Aveda Dry Remedy - no protein, very moisturizing, leave my hair silky.
• My Honey Child HoneyLemon Conditioner - FABULOUS
• HPO Spa Treatments conditioner
• My Honey Child Jamaican Island conditioner and cleanser (poo and conditioner) & MY HONEY CHILD HONEY HAIR MASK (scroll down)
• She Scent It Banana Brulee- moisturizing conditioner
• NEW-Hairveda Amla Cream Rinse- SUPER gentle shampoo (it's not really called a shampoo though) that cleans your hair without stripping anything out. You will get really nice slip from this one.
• NEW-Hairveda Sitrinilla moisturizing conditioner- FAB if my hair is dry I can slap this on it and I know I will get moisturized hair.
• NEW-Hairveda Moisture 24/7 this conditioner can be used as a leave in but it is too heavy for me to use as a leave in. However this product man oh man does it make my hair soft. This product is also great for pre pooing.

The last three hairveda products have not been officially reviewed yet but I have been using them all for months and ordering more, I just didn't get around to an official review. I will review them soon (probably all in one post) to give you the pricing information. The products mentioned can be seen in the picture posted here.

Moisturizer

• Juices and Berries by OYIN - THIS IS MY FAVORITE (scroll down)
• My Honey Child Aloe Vera Leave in - good stuff wonderful as a back up moisturizer, never leaves my hair crunch which I appreciate.
• Qhemet Biologics Burdock root moisturizer (scroll down in the post)
• Jane Carter hair nourishing cream - I had forgotten about this product but recently rediscovered it...it works well and smells good too!

Hair Extras

• Honeyquat- it does make my hair extra soft but i hate the scent..grrrrrr

I dont use silk amino acids nearly as often as I should so I can't really give an update on that.

Hair growth

• BeeMine- greasy as I don't know what but I think it works. I have been tracking my hair growth with the product, I will post the results soon. You will tell me if you think it worked. Whether it works or not, I will move on to another hair growth product and we will see which works best.

Oils

• Hairveda Vatika Frosting- great for pre poos
• Coconut oil
• NEW Bhringaraj Oil - I didn't formally review this yet but I use it in my pre poo and it is a nice oil. This oil is light but not too light and it is used to promote healthy hair growth.

Hair Grease

• She Scent It Hair Butter
• Hairveda Almond Glaze

Nails

• Sally Hansen - dries my nails QUICKLY
• Avon instant manicure
• Any instant nail polish but the Maybelline product dries fast

Lip products

• Essence of Beauty-cheapie lip gloss that works well
• BING (cult of cherry collection) or Cyber from MAC
• Illusions lipgloss Seriously this company beats MAC in my book.
• MaryKay lip gloss- low-mid range product but good reuslts.

Mascara

The ultimate mascara would be an oscillating Givenchy phenomen wand that is coupled with a less clumping Lancome Oscillating mascara formula but alas such a product does not exist.
So I will have to go for high end and low end mascaras that I like.

HIGH END

• Lancome Oscillating mascara
• Givenchy Phenomen Eyes mascara (mainly because of the wand)

LOW END

• Revlon Fantasy Lashes
• Maybelline Colossal mascara

Makeup Remover

• Illusions Cosmetics Makeup remover

Feet

• The PED egg this will smooth out any rough patches!

Legs

• Brown Sugar- If I have to wear stockings, this is what I am rolling with.

You made me salivate in 08 Part 1

This is theIT list of products that I will be sure to carry into 2009. Well this is almost IT, because this is Part 1. Part 2 will focus on hair and makeup. If there is a category I am missing please let me know.
All of the links take you to my posts on the product.
Exfoliate
Hands-The Super Hand Scrub by Sephora this is probably the best hand scrub that I have used and I love it.

Body- Carols Daughter Brown Sugar Scrub this scrub is more on the expensive side but it is effective.

I also like the 100% Pure body scrub which kicks the bad ingredients to the curb while leaving in all the natural goodness.

Finally I can't leave out the Giovanni scrub which is cheaper but equally delicious.

Face- The MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator is a great scrub which can actually double as a body scrub, but I used it mainly for my face.

Lips- The Smashbox Emulsion lip exfoliant good stuff but if you dont want to pay for this product I mention a "make it yourself" version in the post.

I certainly posted on other good scrubs but I put these particular items on the list because they rank at the top of my list.

Bath & My Body

Body Wash

• 100% pure
• Caress Tahitian Renewal
• Various Softsoap body washes
• Giovanni Raspberry Body Wash
• HOP Spa Treatments body bar non drying lovely bathing bar

Body Lotions

• Eucerin
• Grace
• Royal jelly
• Kazam
• Clinical Therapy (the caveat is that this one has a paraben)
• HPO Spa Treatments Body lotion (with the butter drops)
• CVS body gel (this is a dead ringer for teh Vaseline cocoa butter body gel but it's 2 bucks cheaper)
• Dylans Candy Bar -the lotion, it's a littler loose but it smells good, it's moisturizing and paraben free.

Anti Aging/ Sunscreen

• Vitamin C powder
• Aveeno
• Lancaster sunscreen

Facial Masks

• Origins

Facial Cleanser

• Rx for Brown skin gentle cleanser

Facial moisturizer

• Aveda this is now my go to moisturizer, very light and moisturizing on my combination skin.
• DDF this is another good moisturizer. The version that has spf doesn't quite give me the same glow but it's nice. The regular version which I linked to is awesome.

What are you sure to carry into 2009?

Enhance that Smile

There is nothing that accents a lovely smile better than white teeth. I think my teeth are in pretty good shape but I want them to be so white you have to put shades on when you are around me. Too much? maybe but anyway that's waht I want. I told you all that I have so many products that things get pushed around and some things I just never get to use in a timely fashion. Such is the case with my two in one teeth whitening system by Tarte. This product has been sitting on my dresser for months so I just hope the teeth whitening juices have not dried up..lol
One side of the tube is the Tarte super fruit lipgloss consists of goji, acai, maracuja, acerola, and pomegranate. It is also sulfate, paraben and preservative free! To me it is a regular lipgloss, smooth application but nothing to write home about. With that said the teeth whitening section better work like a gem otherwise this $26 purchase would be close to worthless.
I will be taking a pic at the beginning of my journey to whiter teeth and then and ending photo! I hope it works.
I am too scared to have it professionally done by a dentist because I am told some people experience extreme sensitivity to the process and end up in pain, I am almost certain I would be one of those people.
Has anyone tried this? What is the best teeth whitening system that you have used?

Hair grease

Happy Friday Everyone ( will add the picture later my camera is going crazy)
Today I will review yet another hair product. I know, I know, I have been posted on so much hair stuff this week and that is because I have tons of it and I think most readers are snoozing so I better sneak these in and then bring the variety back next week. lol
So good old fashioned hair grease, how many of us still use it? I am not into slathering grease on my scalp but there is a hairveda grease that I really like.
The $7.99 Almond Glaze grease is a sweet scented natural grease that can really get my hair to stay put. It is not a pomade but I do use it from time to time on my sides to keep the hair in place and it works. This product is also designed to soften new growth for those who are stretching between relaxers.
Here are the ingredients:Sweet Almond Butter, Sweet Almond oil, Ricinus communis Seed oil, Beeswax, L. Laurate, Copernica Cerifera Wax, Fragrance. 4oz. And it's paraben free.

I think I will use this grease to seal after I moisturize. Do any of you use grease to seal in the moisture or just straight oils?
Thanks for reading.
PJD

Body, Hair, My Disaster & The Winner is

Hi Everyone - I am so happy that you all are reading. YAY

First up today I is another body product from Soft and Beautiful from their new line Soft & Beautiful Skin. This is the Body Oil Gel, which is much like the Vaseline body gel that I talked about some months ago. I would say that this product does leave my skin feeling moisturized and it makes my skin glow. For 5.5 oz you will pay $5.59 which isn't bad. This is a fragranced product with mineral oil listed as the first ingredient, but it also contains fruit oil, coconut and aloe leaf extracts. I asked some people to try out the product and they enjoyed the scent as well as the hydrated skin that they attributed to their use of the product. This is a paraben free body gel.

Hair

I tried the saran wrap method last night and it was such a disaster..lol I washed my hair with the Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle shampoo. I have reviewed neither the Aubrey Organics shampoo nor the conditioner but it they have a great scent like honey and roses, and I don't even like the smell of roses. Anyway here is the deal on the shampoo, it cleans my hair like any good shampoo does but it doesn't give me any "slip". When you think of slip think of the ability to glide your comb through your hair because it's so slippery and silky. This $10.00 all natural shampoo is ok but I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase it again. It promises to leave your hair manageable and soft but I think so many other products leave my hair much softer than that so I was not impressed with this shampoo in that regard. If you are buying it to clean your hair, then great because this is a tough shampoo that can clean your hair without making it feel stripped. I say it is a tough shampoo because it can cut through all of the oils that I may have on my hair from my pre poo yet it doesn’t make me feel like my hair has been stripped clean, which is a good thing. I will not throw this shampoo into the skip it files because it does clean my hair well but I just think it needs to work on the claim that it makes your hair manageable.

The conditioner , which I didn't use last night is a good product, designed for dry and brittle hair just like the shampoo. I feel that it makes my hair smell wonderful but I always feel the need to follow up with a moisturizer because it makes my hair feel a bit tough. If I don’t follow up with a moisturizer when it dries my hair is soft but during that period when it is wet I can not easily get a comb through my hair. This conditioner is also priced at $10.00.However the shampoo and conditioner ingredients are amazing , they include organic shea butter, honeysuckle oil, organic aloe etc. They are both all natural and paraben free. The shampoo does not contain a single sulfate.

Lovely Conditioner

The conditioner that I did use on my hair last night was the My Honey Child HoneyLemon conditioner. WHOA talk about a great product, this conditioner instantly softened my hair. After that Aubrey Organics shampoo I needed something to separate my strands and this was perfect. My hair was really soft and well scented after I used this product. I must order the 16 oz next time, now that I have finally used this conditioner. This conditioner is marketed as a detangling, moisturizing conditioner for very dry or damaged hair. It will now become one of my go to staple conditioners that I will use whenever I need to soften my hair.

Check out the ingredients: Coconut Butter, Coconut Milk, Raw Honey, Lemon Zest, Lemon Essential Oil And Purified Water- that’s it nothing else is included, isn’t that awesome! The 8oz bottle costs $10.00. I should also note that the customer service from this company is great I can order my products early in the week and they arrive the same week!

My Disaster

Once I finished washing my hair I put it in rollers and allowed it to air dry then I took out the roller, wrapped my hair and then I did something totally new. I tried the saran wrap method for the very first time. I have seen so many women rave about the saran wrap method which involves wrapping your hair around your head then covering it with saran wrap to reveal silky bouncy wrapped hair.My results Only the hair around my face was wrapped but the rest, especially the longer sections looked a mess. it was bouncy and shiny though so at least the method didn't disappoint in that area. I may try it again in the future just to see if I can find success with this process. I think the main problem is that I was sweating like a pig under the saran wrap. Here is the pic of my head wrapped:

I ended up throwing in rollers and calling it a night.

The Winner is….

The winner of the Vaseline Clinical Therapy lotion contest is Ashley. Please email me your address and I will send out your product.

Random

Why do I find myself singing the song Lovebug by the Jonas brothers? Oh dear....

If you have not listened to the Raphael Saadiq cd please give it a listen. He has presented some quality music that makes you think of old Mowtown hits.

Be safe everyone

PJD

Are you out there & Do you bantu? & Please help me!

Are you out there?

HI Everyone I am just trying to gather a little information from you. I can continue to post if you all will continue reading or I can take a little break. Do you think you will be reading over the next couple of days or just laying low with the computers off? Please let me know, I may end up posting anyway..lol who knows.

Do you Bantu?

Sometimes I want to switch up my do and other times I am just plain lazy and I don't feel like rolling my hair. When such times arise I can easily turn to the good old bantu. Normally If I create bantu knots in my hair I don't unravel them and wear them in public. Instead I usually throw my hair into a banana clip and rock the tiny coils in the back of my head.
This woman on youtube, clearly demonstrates the process that I follow when I create bantu knots.

I will also post pics below to show you what my knots looked like. I should have created far more knots than I did for a fuller look but I was totally not in the mood so whatever..lol. I also secured my knots with the metal clips but I usually do it just like the woman in the video and they actually stay put all night long. Here are my pics:

Although it looks like it's tight it really isn't.

Bantu knots can also alow you to make your hair look a little shorter depending on how secure you make the knots.

Here is what my hair looked like after I unraveled the knots.

Next I just fingered through my hair to expand the curls a bit. You can keep doing that until you get your desired look. What I do like is that I somewhat pulled off a curly look without roller! I still need more bantu practice, but I'm getting there.

Please help

I NEED the nail polish that Michelle Williams is wearing in this picture. Any ideas? (pic courtesy of Essence.com) It almost looks like a dusty brown with gray undertones, or maybe I'm just making that up..lol Any colors that you know of that will give me that desired color?

Natural Hair Rinse & Coming Soon

I have so many hair products to talk to you about, but today I am going to focus on what I did over the weekend. I have never added color to my hair in my life, not a rinse, not a dye, not even the homemade kool aid dye treatment. So I decided to go the natural route when I saw My Honey Child's Natural Tea Rinse. You select your rinse based on your hair color, because the product is designed to merely highlight your natural tones. The MHC owner explains that you will not see dramatic results, because everything is natural. I selected reddish brown because believe it or not my hair is actually reddish brown. Only in the summertime or when I'm under really good lighting can a person tell that my hair is reddish brown. Anyway I purchased the tea which really is natural check out the ingredients-calendula, catnip leaves, hibiscus, lavender, chamomile flowers, red clover and lemon balm.

When I poured out a little of the rinse it didn't even look as deep in color as watered down red kool aid, I mean it was LIGHT. Look at this pic:

The instructions state that you must shampoo your hair, remove the excess water and then apply the rinse. Once the rinse is on your hair, you will have to leave it on your head for 30 minutes while under a plastic cap. I sat there for 30 minutes as a tiny pool of tea rinse formed at the bottom of the shower cap. After the 30 minutes you have to LIGHTLY rinse out your hair and then style as usual. I must say that I thought my hair would not feel or look great because I couldn't follow up with conditioner but no sir, my hair was SMOOTH and silky. Perhaps all the good ingredients in the tea rinse also helped to keep my hair feeling great.
So how about the color eh? I was all prepared to come on this blog and tell you all that it did absolutely nothing to highlight the color of my hair, but then I watched the video I made. You can decide for yourself but I think the reddish sections stand out even more. I didn't even use half of the bottle so maybe if I do it again and use more of the product the results would be a little better.
Here is the video:

I'm not sure how much regular rinse costs but for $12.00 I didn't feel cheated, and I have enough for a second application.

Have you tried the My Honey Child color rinse or any other natural rinse? What were your results?
Coming soon
Don’t think I forgot, I need to start the Bee Mine Hair growth program. Let's see what happens to my hair. Will it grow or not? I will apply Bee Mine twice a day to my scalp.
I will also soon post my end of the year list. This list will consist of everything worthy of tagging along in 2009. I mean the best of the best from what I have reviewed from 2008 and maybe a few new entries as well. I will touch on everything from hair to makeup and whatever comes in between.

You can still win & Over the weekend

Hi Everyone
I do have a real post today but I think I will wait until tomorrow to post it. I posted late on Friday so I am not sure that everyone got a chance to see that I am giving soemthing away!
Over the weekend
I saw Seven Pounds staring Will Smith. Some critics say the plot is too tricky to follow but I disagree. I enjoyed the movie. Did you see Seven Pounds this weekend?
If you did, please tell me what you think, but we can't give details since we don't want to spoil it for everyone. :-)
PJD

I'm no doctor

I am no doctor but I have a prescription for dry skin! Vaseline has developed a prescription strength lotion, Vaseline Clinical Therapy, that works hard to smooth over rough dry skin. My mother uses some harsh chemicals while cleaning the house and she doesn't always use gloves so her fingers will have a little rough feeling to it if she doesn't moisturize really well. I prescribed this product to my mom and her hands, including her fingers, feel 10 times better. My sister is another "prescribe the nation" vaseline user and she believes this lotion has made her smooth skin even silkier.

I always thought my hands were pretty smooth already so I wasnt expecting much of a difference but the more I used this product the softer my hands seemed to become. If you were blindfolded I would double dare you to identify the skin of a new born baby after touching the baby's skin then toughing my hands. I think I would give that baby a run for his money!

The product comes in "light &fresh fragrance" and unfragranced but even the unfragranced version has a smell to it, in my humble opinion. The scent isnt bad, its just not the fruity or nutty scent that I usually gravitate toward. I used it for about a week and I must say that I like this lotion, which includes soybeans.

I would be remiss in my pjd duties if I didn't mention that two parabens are listed in the ingredients.

From Vaseline

If you go to prescribethenation.com you can enter the Prescribe the Nation Sweepstakes, which will give you an opportunity to win an 8-day trip to Alaska for four! Additionally, five people will win 2 $100 Spafinders gift certificates weekly! Thats not all-the first 45,000 to enter will receive 2 free samples of Vaseline Clinical Therapy lotion.

PJD's gift

I can't send you to Alaska, but I can send you a full size bottle of this lotion. The 10th person to send me an emial about their dry skin will get the Vaseline Clinical Therapy lotion. In the email please let me know if you want scented or unscented. The winner will be posted as soon as I get the 10th email..lol

another post to follow......

Hair

I don't know how many of you read the comment section after you have posted a comment but I have an ongoing conversation with some readers, like Lauren and we go on and on about all things hair..lol
I told Lauren that my hair does not grow out evenly, my right side is always longer than the left side. My stylist told me that such a difference in growth is very common . She even asked me if I tend to sleep on the left side of my head, which I do. The back left side of my hair is always the section that is most difficult to comb through becuase of the very tight coils that emurge.
I placed some metal clips in my hair to keep my twists secure and close to my head so you can see a real length check and the difference between the right and left side.
I haven't trimmed in a bit because I am sooooo not ready to trim...lol
Here is my freshly permed scalp shot:
























Next I parted my hair right behind my ears and made twists. This shot is to show the difference in length between the left and right side.

I put a litte black line at the bottom of my hair to show you the difference.

The crossover

Whether it is a singer trying to breathe new life into a stagnant career or a company reaching out for more sales, the crossover is a very difficult maneuver to pull off successfully. If you are really good in one arena, it does not guarantee that you will find success in other areas, so crossing over can be a challenge. I have always been a little skeptical of companies that try to branch out, so when I saw that Soft & Beautiful, a famous hair care line, developed a skincare line I was thinking it would be a total disaster. Then I was flipping through Essence mag, and I saw the ads with beautiful glowing skin and I knew I had to try the products. Thus far I have used the SKIN MoistureSoft Exfoliating Body Polish and it is a really nice scrub. It is not one of those scrubs with sugar crystals swimming in a vat of oil, instead it is a very grainy scrub that exfoliates well. I was really impressed with this $6.99 scrub and it is a purchase I would be willing to make in the future. It consists of sugar crystals and sunflower oil. It is gentle yet effective.Oh and it’s paraben free!
Would you be willing to try this scrub?

Not your momma's pink lotion

When I was younger I used Lusters Pink Hair Lotion and it ended in disaster. It causes hair death and of that I am convinced. I never used the pink hair lotion in my adult life and I never will because it made my hair very dry and brittle. Motions has their own version of the "pink hair lotion" and I quickly made the Luster pink hair lotion association. I sat looking at that Motions pink hair product for days without touching it until my curiosity got the best of me. Perhaps a pink lotion produced by another company could work well, so I gave it a shot.
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the sweet fragrance of the light hair lotion. It left my hair feeling soft and shiny. For a drugstore brand I was shocked that it worked as well as it did on my hair. Another shocker is that no parabens are listed in the ingredients so that was another bonus. The label does however list mineral oil which caused me a measure of sadness.
This product is supposed to prevent frizzy hair, and combat dryness. I have to say that so far this product delivers on it's promise. For roughly $5.00 this product can be a part of your beauty arsenal.
Have you tried any Motions products? If so what was your experience.
P.S. I used to love using the CPR hair treatment with rosemary because I felt like it really helped to prevent breakage.
*Edit- Check out what the Anti Hiar Slave had to say about this product.

Masks

By now you know that I have great affection for products but what makes me even giddier is when I get those products on sale. Origins is having a 25% off sale and you may have also received a discount card with a value of $25 sent to your home. What made me extra happy is that the $25 discount card is not conditional, so you don’t have to spend 100 bucks or 50 bucks to get your $25 discount. Trust meI was searching high and low for a 26 dollar product, but to no avail..lol. Anyway I eventually decided to shop smart and to get what I really wanted to try and that worked out well. I purchased one of my oldies but goodies, the cloth mask, and used my $25 off discount card which made this $35 mask $11 after taxes. WHOOOOA. Unfortunately, I could not hit Origins with a double whammy by combining the 25% off discount so I used that on a mask I never tried before called Drink Up.
Drink up is a hydrating mask and using it was a unique mask wearing experience for me. This particular mask never gets hard, and the consistency is like lotion. You apply the white mask and after 10 minutes the mask is no longer white, it’s clear! It contains algae extracts and apricot oil, both which should keep the skin feeling soft and supple. Yes, after removing the mask my skin was very smooth. I like this $21.00 mask but I think the tube need to be a whole lot bigger for $21.00, you only get 3.4 oz.
Any masks rocking your boat lately?

Drugstore Brand, Nails and The Hair Expert Answers Your Question

I decided to say HELLO to a drugstore item that had caught my eye a while back because of their colorful bottles and well scented products. Herbal Essences hair conditioners were staring back at me as I walked down the CVS aisle. I purchased the Hello Hydration Conditioner and Breaks Over strengthening conditioner they were priced at $4.69. Hello Hydration is a moisturizing conditioner that contains coconut milk while the Breaks Over conditioner has a special anti breakage formula. I can not say that the ingredients were wonderful because I didn't know what most of them were, but I purchased them anyway since they were paraben free. I was a little hesitant to just use this as my "go to" conditioner so I used it to pre poo with and I thought it worked out just fine, however I will not be leaving My Honey child and other products alone. It is good to know that reasonable store brands exist. I have to research those ingredients though.

Anyone out there using Herbel Essences products?

Nails

The nail color that I have on in the picture is the color Crimson by Maybelline Express 60 second finish. Maybelline has both 60 second and 50 second express finish polishes, and they really do dry that quickly. It is so helpful when I want a fresh coat of polish as I am heading out of the door.

Hair Questions
Hair Length- For those of you who do length checks on your hair what do you count as your real hair length- your hair when it is dry or when it is wet??????

Fellow blogger T asked for a dry scalp remedy and the Soft & Beautiful hair expert, Roslyn answered. If I recall T is a natural so that latter part of her response is probably what you need.

Here is her response:

“The most important element to a healthy scalp is keeping it clean and free of excess oil that would clog the pores. The scalp is most seriously affected by relaxers. Relaxers can leave a build up of calcium on the hair and scalp.. The Soft & Beautiful Relaxer with Triple Hydration Oil infuses moisture, conditioners and nutrients into the relaxer process to reduce calcium build up on the hair and scalp, as it straightens. The Soft & Beautiful Relaxer kit also contains a Decalcifying Shampoo which further removes calcium deposits as it gently cleanses the hair and scalp.”

Another great product is the Soft & Beautiful Botanicals 3-N-1 Dry Scalp Treatment, which is currently sold at Target. The product is formulated with aloe vera and menthol, so it both hydrates and soothes and irritated scalp."

Thanks Roslyn.

I posted my response under the topic "winterize your tresses" but please feel free to post your solutions here.

Seasonal Lotion???

My post today will unfortunately be a super quickie because time is of the essence. In short, I like this HOP Spa Treatments body lotions. It has a super light feeling, almost like I have nothing on after it is applied. I like the light scent of lemons and it has natural ingredients, no parabens etc. I think this lotion works best for me in the summer because it is so cold now that my skin seems to get dry faster so those glue like thick lotions seem to do the trick for a longer period of time. However, the make of this product has a solution, she suggests adding in a few drops of her butter drop oil (I reviewed this gem before, Iwill post the link later) and it will make your lotion last a whole lot longer. I can say that she is absolutely correct. I like this $11.00 lotion but the butter drops make it suitable for the winter months.

Good Genes or Awesome Products?

When I saw this pic of Jada and her mom yesterday I was floored. I need to know what moisturizer her mom is using because they certainly look more like sisters.lol

I will respond to all of the comments that I didn't respond to yet over the weekend, I apologize for the delay.

Have a great weekend.

Tips from an Expert-Winterize Your Tresses

Hello Everyone- I am so happy to let you all know that Ms. Roslyn Baker, the hair expert from Soft & Beautiful, has so graciously offered her winter hair care tips. She even lists some of her Soft & Beautiful recommendations. Do you use anything from Soft & Beautiful? If so, what has been your experience?
Roslyn Baker explains, “During the colder weather, people tend to become less active, which means the scalp is prone to producing less sebum, an oil produced by glands that naturally protects and lubricates skin and hair. The end result is dry hair.”
Below are tips from Baker on how to moisturize and revitalize weathered strands while achieving dazzling hair for every occasion.
Nix The Alcohol
“Heavy alcohol-based products can further dry hair, making it prone to damage,” says Baker. Soft & Beautiful Oil Sheen & Conditioning Spray (SRP: $3.09) is specially formulated with jojoba and almond oils to infuse hair with moisture while keeping it nourished and styled. Baker adds, “This featherweight spray is the product of choice for women who wear soft, flowing styles. It doesn’t weigh hair down, and it smoothes frizzy fly-aways by adding a sheer layer of protection.”
Beauty Sleep
Get gorgeous locks overnight by simply switching your pillowcase. Sleeping on a cotton pillowcase can further dry out your hair during the cold season since the fabric absorbs hair’s natural oils, advises Baker. To maintain your luscious locks, sleep with a satin or silk pillowcase.
Condition Your Tresses
Soft & Beautiful Extra Light Crème Moisturizer (SRP: $3.19) is a must-have for the blistering winter, says Baker. The formula, with aloe vera, adds softness and manageability, nourishing the hair and soothing split ends. Baker explains, “This crème is perfect for finishing a style. When gathering hair into a ponytail or up-do, liberally apply on the hair at the nape of your neck and hairline, smoothing throughwith a small bristle brush.” To keep your hair shimmering through the seasons, Baker also advises usinga hot oil treatment once a month.
Another post is below-have a great day everyone!

Prescribe The Nation

I am happy to announce that I will be taking part in the Vaseline campaign: "Prescribe The Nation". One woman in Alaska tested the prescription strength Vaseline lotion and began recommending it to her friends. Over time almost everyone in the town was using the product. Below is a video of a woman in that town who has a good reason to use the prescription strength lotion. I will take the plunge and let you know if I would prescribe it to all of you. Stay tuned for that review.

Lips & Skincare

Perfect Pout

I am happy with my lips. I didn't need a product that would plump them up but it was free so Thanks Sephora. First order of business I have to tell you that this Buxom lips plumping lip gloss by Bare Escentuals stings like the Dickens! Even after removing this gloss, my lips were still tingling...kind of freaky is you ask me..lol. As you may have guessed no plumping occurred in my opinion. Here is a before (left side) and after (right side), do you see a difference? Actually, I think I adjusted the image size too much but trust me there is no difference....lol

Another Scrub

I told you that I would start reviewing some of the many samples that I have, so here we go with another scrub. When I first tried the gentle facial scrub by Nude Skincare I thought " oh this is pretty gentle, yet my skin feels like it was exfoliated." Then I went to Sephora to get the full size tube and I saw that the jar was priced at $52 and my immediate reaction was "it wasn't that good" , so on the shelf it remained. I would not pay $52 bucks for this product but I guess it has that price tag because it has rose quartz and other rare ingredients. Honestly if it were priced at $16 MAYBE $20 I would get it, otherwise I have seen better.

Retinol

Retinol is essentially good old vitamin A. It is credited with the ability to improve the skin after it has been damaged by the sun or even acne. It is also supposed to improve the elasticity of the skin so you can easily find it as an active ingredient in anti- wrinkle products.

I picked up a sample of the Philosophy booster caps. This tiny capsule is filled with a thick retinol based solution that must be mixed with your night- time facial moisturizer. I applied the product to my face and my skin felt so smooth. I don't have wrinkles, I don't think it's time for that yet so I won't be purchasing this $50 product which will get you 60 capsules. However this product is also supposed to improve the uneven skin, so that is a good point that captured my attention. I would need to get more samples to see how my skin responds to this product over time but for one time use, it felt pretty nice against my skin.

Pores pores go away

I heard Justme talk about a Clinique pore minimizing product and I had to get it because she liked it so such. When I eventually went to Sephora to pick up a box I wasnt even thinking about complextion but apparently this product comes in two colors "invisible light" and invisible deep. Thankfully, I picked up the invisible deep and it matched my skin perfectly. The product is to be placed under or over makeup and I can tell you that it is SUPER light and blends beautifully. No one would be able to tell that you have anything on and that area of your face will just feel silky. (get a sample from sephora). Now I don't think my pores are really visible, you would have to be way too close for comfort to see them- so why did I get this product you ask? I dunno..lol but it's cool to have I guess. The pores that I tested this on, I almost feel like I can still see them I don't think it made them any less visible but I could be wrong. I tried taking pics but they came out all wrong..lol. I don't think I will get this product again but it feels nice. The product costs $17.50.

Scrub
I've been telling you that I am in need of a new facial scrub and I still have yet to make a purchase but Sephora has been very gracious by giving me scrub samples. I haven't even asked for them but recently this is what I have been receiving upon checkout. Today for the first time I used the Clinique 7 day creamy scrub which is supposed to remove any flakes or rough patches to reveal beautifully glowing skin. The full size tube will cost you 17.50 which isnt horrible.

Updates
Hyperpigmentation is an unpleasant experience for many women. If I burst a pimple incorrectly, I am sure to get a nice dark mark which will take weeks to go away. I was so pleased that my skin had been doing really well for months. Normally my skin isn't horrible but I would get the occasional breakout but the dark spots would take longer to go away. Since I posted on the Booster C which is pure vitamin C by Philosophy, I have been using it daily. I honestly must say that it is responsible for making my hyperpigmented areas clear up much faster. After attempting to pop a pimple, I just knew that area would gets darker and it certainly did. I continued using the booster and it's much lighter than it would have been if I had not been using the product. I think it is cutting my period of hyperpigmentation in half. This is just my observation. The next time I get a dark spot, I will take a photograph and we will track how fast it goes away.
Hair
I got my relaxer last Friday and I think it came out well. I will post pics soon. I got a wrap which I haven't had in a long time (years) so it feels weird having my hair so straight. In the morning I generally pop in a few rollers before heading out the door just to give my hair a little bump.
QUESTION- For ladies who use magnetic rollers (if you click the link, the pic of the rollers is at the end) how do you know when it's time to move on to the next roller size? How many rolls is enough to say ok I need to move on to the red, or purple etc? lol
Possible Purchase- I think I need the Caruso steam rollers.

Today

Sorry I am too tired to post today :-(.
I will return tomorrow with a good review.
Have a wonderful day.
PJD

Precious Oil & Random

I think the coast is clear and the dust has settled from yesterdays post. Let's all exhale and then give a nice big virtual bloggers hug on 3 ok? 1....2....3 YAY.
Today I will kick things off with a product review of a special oil. When Motions released their most recent creation everyone was grabbing it from store shelves because it contained marual oil. I had honestly never heard of the oil, so I wanted to learn more. Marula oil is apparently from the nut of the marual fruit and it is indigenous to Africa. I guess that is why people when crazy for Motions when Marula oil was used in the product because it is not as accessible as some other oils.
The oil is very rich in antioxidents and oleic acid which is an Omega 9 fatty acid. I purchased 2 oz of this oil from lotion crafters and I used it to seal the moisture in my hair after I moisturized and I love it. Normally I am horrible at the whole moisturize then seal process because some oils make my hair crunchy if I don't use the right amount of oil. Marual oil however sealed and remained silky I really liked this light oil. I use the past tense because after falling in love with Oyin Juices and berries, I have again fallen off of the “moisturize then seal” bandwagon. 2oz of this precious oil will cost you $9.95.
**For those who are not familiar with the process I basically mean you moisturize your hair and then lock in or "seal" that moisture with an oil.**
My camera is still going crazy and not functioning and it isn't even 1 year old, Im so annoyed. So here is a video showing the oil. I will resolve this issue soon.

Random
I love this new Brandy song. I think she looks amazing in this video.

Random

I can't post today. My camera was going crazy and now Youtube! Is the electronic world against me? Here is something I have been meaning to say to you all.
Earlier in the week I was on my way home from work and I was disturbed by what I saw. A mother was on mass transit with her child, a boy probably around age 2, and he was all over the nasty floor. She then allowed him eat cherrios and other snacks which he forcefully flung out of his mouth when he had enough. He proceeded to do a ton of other yucky baby things that made me sick to my stomach, yet I couldn't turn away. I wanted to make sure she wouldn’t wobble over to me with his crumb ridden hands but that’s another story.The point is the mom looked frazzled beyond belief. I could almost envision her as a vibrant young lady but now she had a messy mop of hair sitting atop her head, her eyes were surrounded by dark circles and she just looked tired. Do chic mommas still exist? I don't have any kids yet but when I do, I plan on being the mom who zips around the city in stilettos (or any other cute shoe) with my baby in tow. Is this realistic? How do you mommas keep it chic and comfortable? Although you want to devote your time and attention to your little one, where does beauty fit into the picture?

Side note -Over the summer I saw another mom who allowed her daughter who looked about 4 years old, to sit on the NYC sidewalk. People passing by couldn't stop looking because it was just weird. They were waiting for the bus to arrive but in the meantime, momma handed the kid a sandwich. I watched as the kids hands went from the ground to the sandwich and back again.
Honestly I do love kids but they gross me out as well. However I recognize that the parents are to blame as when they allow young ones to touch and eat any and everything.....
Random
I googled myself today...is that lame? LOL Oh well it was fun anyway.

Nails and Nene's New Drama

Last Friday I strolled into Rite Aide and picked up two new nail polish colors from Maybelline. They were priced at $3.99 each but there was a little manufacturer's coupon on the display for $1.00 off. I decided to take a coupon for each bottle of polish and the cashier did not give me a problem so I was pretty happy.
The colors are "Jewels N Berries" and the other color is "Ruby Luster". The express finish polish is supposed to dry in 50 seconds and I would have to say it works. I am always on the go so I need a polish that can be dry in under 1 minute.
The battery on my camera died and I didn't have enough time to juice it up so here is a little video just showing off the colors. I can upload pics later.
The first color shown in the video is "Jewels N Berries".

Housewives Of Atlanta- the DRAMA continues
I heard about this story recently but I didn't want to mention it since I could not confirm any details, (not like it's my business anyway). However Essence magazine, a trusted and reliable source in my opinion, has mentioned Nene's recent financial woes so I will post it.
Although I didn't really see Nene buy anything crazy during the show, she did have a makeup artist come to her home to get her ready for a party. Perhaps that is just one example of living beyond your means. It is always important to prepare for a rainy day. What do you think about all of this?

New Lashes????

Here is the post I have been holding since last week- The Lancome Oscillating Mascara!


Do you own it? Do you want it? Will you pay $34 for it?????????

Hair
I did not rave enough about the Oyin Juices and Berries because it is really moisturizing my hair. It gives my hair a shine, it makes it soft and it smells like fresh berries. I love this paraben free product.

Helping your pockets

Everyone seems to be talking about the economy and the cost of everything, so in this post I wanted to briefly discuss the power of "the samples". In these hard economic times make use of product samples wherever possible. Samples can help you to differentiate between what you need to have in your home and what should remain on the store shelves without a dime leaving your pocket.
Many moons ago I reviewed the Phyto 9 hair moisturizer and I was less than impressed with it's moisturizing capabilities. When the new "Phyto 7 Gold Or" moisturizer, complete with gold box and shiny tube, hit the market I was intrigued but not willing to spend another $26 on what could have been a dud. Sephora handed out a sample that was more than enough to help me to see that this product did not have to enter my home. Much like the phtyo 9 product, this moisturizer is packed with good ingredients but it still fails to deliver moisture to dry hair. I will say that it is better than the other versions but the moisture it does provide is gone in an instant.

(This evening I will post the actual picture of the sample so you can get an idea of the size.)

When appropriate, please ask for samples....it helps!

Do you ask for samples?

GONE SHOPPING!!!!!!!

Hairveda is having a Black Friday sale.
What are you buying today?

Is your scalp happy?

I'm a little hesitant to blog today because I don't know if anyone will be reading? Are you out there? LOL

Well I have a new product that I want to scream about from the mountain tops but I think I will wait until I have your full and undivided attention...lol

So for today, yes, I will be posting about a product, a hair product to be exact.

Last night was the first time that I prepooed overnight. I was just too exhausted to wash it all out so I threw a scarf over my shower cap and went to bed. I still haven't washed it out but I am expecting EXTRA soft hair. I am in part pre pooing with Happy Scalp by HPO Spa Treatments., priced at $11.00. This product is basically a bunch of great oils like spearmint, and olive oil which can revive a tired unhappy scalp. You are encouraged to massage the oils on your scalp and then wash it out when you shampoo. Perhaps it's the spearmint but I really get that tingly feeling on my scalp and it feels great.

On my own I have used rosemary oil on my scalp to achieve the same feeling and to stimulate my scalp.

Well I guess I will end here since no one is reading anyway..lol

I don't know if I will post tomorrow yet, so many stores to shop so little time.....

Don't be tardy to the party

Housewives of Atlanta

I usually kick things off with a product review but the Housewives of ATL must take the front seat today. Although Sheree tried to behave like she was above all the drama, the only one who really kept her nose clean was Deshawn. Deshawn appears to have a great support system through her family and her husband in particular. I like how Deshawn was staring down Sherree like "sucker please I'm not going to reach out to you so get over it".

Sheree in one word -pathetic....and I hate the way she pronounces the word "fabulous", it always sounds like she is saying "fabless".
It was confirmed that Lisa was the blabber mouth who spilled the beans about Nene's limo performance but I don't think any of us had doubts about that one.
Did you notice that Kim did not readily take on Lisa, it seemed like she didn't want to mess with Mrs. Wu- Hartwell.
Kim said that her hair was falling out, she lost 25 pounds and her friend who is a doctor said he was "90% sure that she had cancer". Ummm did he just look at her weight and hair loss and make that diagnosis? Kim also tried to play it off like Nene new she had cancer, but Nene quickly cleared that up. Oh yeah and KIM NEVER HAD CANCER-she is so SHADY. She also blamed her heavy makeup as the reason why she doesnt look 29 years old. I think she doesn't look 29 simply becuase she hasn't been 29 in years.

I think Lisa began to detest Deshawn when D said " your money isn't guaranteed"...lol pouring salt on the wound.
Dwight's weave...no comment..lol For me, his comment of the season was - " who was this wonderful person who had a fashion show with no fashions? Dreadful"
I like Nene's new hair style by the way.

Check out Antithesis' minute by minute recap...lol and Meandering Memorandum.

Here is Lisa's most recent chat with Essence.

What are your thoughts on the reunion?

What's on the tube?
While I enjoyed the reunion I was more entertained by hit BET show Brother to Brutha. Those poor guys are in so much pain but they sure can sing. When their father apologized to Poppa it seemed somewhat sincere until he said "I don't want to be shut out, when you all blow up I don't want to be on the outside" (something like that was said which basically made him sound like he just didn't want to be cut out of the cash flow).

Why did the oldest brother, I think his name is Gary/Grady, feel the need to tell his young daughter (she appeared to be about 7) that he didn't want her to go to jail or get involved with boys. He also explained that he was a womanizer which is why he isn't with the child's mother. Way too much information for the little girl who I think just wanted to use the swings at the park....

Are you watching this show?

YouTube
I know that the world seems to be on Youtube but when I caught wind of Shanice (the singer of I like your smile) singing Beyonce's "If I were a Boy" I thought this it was a great way for her to let people know she's still singing and sounds great. However, when I saw the video of Shanice cleaning up her kitchen I was puzzled. Despite this youtube craze, some people need to know when enough is enough..lol No I didnt watch the full video of Shanice cleaning the dishes. lol Here shes is sining the Beyonce tune. What do you think?

Music

I LOVE Ne-yo's new song and video, even though I figured out the end long before the closing of the video. Click here

Product Time

So it finally arrived, my $9.00 Oyin Juice and Berries leave-in herbal hair moisturizer. I am not exaggerating when I say that this Starburst candy scented hair product smells amazing. It combines organic aloe, orange oil, chamomile and other ingredients to form this light weight liquid moisturizer. After spraying it on my hair, it felt so soft.

I will continue to buy this product from Oyin because it is working really well so far. It is supposed to grab moisture from the air to keep your hair moisturized. I'm not exactly sure how it is pulling that off, but I know that my hair feels great after using it. The products are all handmade so it takes a while to receive your shipment but it is so worth the wait. I will use the conditioners tonight and post a review maybe in the next two to three weeks after I have used it a few times.

Do you use any Oyin product?

Kill those lines & Other News

Today I will resuscitate a series on this blog which I thought would never see the light of day again. “You said it” is where you the reader get an opportunity to post your personal review on a product. I can’t try everything out there, although I am trying very hard, so I appreciate your reviews.
Yesterday I received an all to common email from a woman who now has stretch marks after giving birth to her child. Reader L is looking for a way to reduce the appearance of her marks without laser surgery which can be very costly. Without a moment to spare, Just Wondering sent me a review of the Ambi Soft & Even Stretch Mark Diminishing Body Oil. Here is what she had to say about this $7.99 stretch mark reduction product:
“As I walked through the aisles at Walmart to pick up my Ambi Exfoliating Face Wash , I stumbled upon a new product from their collection called Ambi Soft and Even Stretch Mark Diminishing Body Oil. Now I have to admit that I do in fact have stretch marks, however they are not horrible and not as visible on my dark skin. The real reason why I picked up this product was because it had a great list of natural oils on the label. My eyes lit up when I read Soybean Oil - Glycine Soja , Sweet Almond Oil - Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis , Wheat Germ Oil - Triticum Vulgare , Sunflower Seed Oil - Helianthus Annus , Fragrance , Bisabolol , Rosa Canina Fruit Extract , Black Currant Fruit Extract - Ribes Nigrum , Shea Butter - Butyrospermum Parkii , Olive Oil. I was also prompted to buy it because I loved the fact that I could spray the mixture of oils right onto my body and it wasn’t super greasy when I tried some on my hand in the store. The product promised to minimize the appearance of stretch marks and it’s a fast absorbing formula that locks in moisture. It also states that it will improve the firmness and the elasticity of your skin leaving it softer and smoother. After reading all that on the label, I figured why not pick up a bottle. So the next morning I sprayed it on my entire body and like I stated before ITS SO NOT GREASY and it really just seeped into my skin and I noticed it was softer. The only down side to this body oil is the smell! I’d have to say that it really smelled like almonds above all else, which I’m really not into but I love how my skin feels. The weather in NY has become very bitter and cold and my aim is to really keep my skin moisturize. This product does meet up to all the expectations advertised on the bottle. I just don’t really know how well it works on the stretch marks since that isn’t a great concern of mine. So if you want soft skin pick up Ambi’s Body Oil. Just spray on some perfume or body splash to mask the smell if you don’t want to smell like almonds for an hour or so lol
Thanks for the opportunity to let be share my thoughts Product Junkie Diva!”
PJD speaks- I had an opportunity to communicate with Just Wondering regarding the specific results or lack thereof, that she received regarding the appearance of her stretch marks.
Just Wondering-“ To be honest the more I think about it I don’t think the Ambi product works for stretch marks." She used the product as directed for 4 weeks and has not seen a change in the appearance. However she credits pure cocoa butter (Not Palmers cocoa butter) with diminishing the appearance of her marks and the stretch marks of her friend.
PJD- I have to weigh in just to say that I too have sniffed the Ambi Soft and Even product and I think it stinks and smells nothing like almonds..lol I just had to throw that in the mix.

Please note that over time the skin on our bodies will gradually shed which will also diminish the appearance of any marks. Generally, the older the skin, the less visible the marks become.
Other products-
1)Strivectin was introduced to the market as a stretch mark cream designed to reduce the appearance of both old and new stretch marks. The cream was later credited as a wrinkle reduction product in addition to stretch mark killer. Here is a review that I found online of a woman who compared Strivectin to another stretch mark product I don’t know this woman at all so there is no way for me to verify whether or not her statements are true.

Strivectin is priced at $135.00

2)Mederma

3)Cocoa / Shea butter.

4)Carols Daughter scar butter which is suppsoed to help with cell regeneration $12.00

5)Carols Daughter Sexy Belly- $17
Even though reader L is avoiding laser surgery to remove her marks, for those of you considering the procedure please be careful. Laser surgery can lead to scarring if the dermatologist is not well versed in treating skin with a darker pigment. In essence you could be trading once scar for another.
Keep the stretch mark areas well moisturized, try to not gain or lose weight too quickly and drink plenty of water to keep your body and skin hydrated. A stretch mark is a literal tear in your skin, so look for products that claim to aid in the regeneration of cells. However, check the ingredients to see if anything listed actually helps in cell regeneration.
Please everyone who can help in this area, weigh in and post your experience with products that either worked or just didn’t deliver.
Thanks and I hope this is helpful reader L.

Other News

Housewives of Atlanta reunion tonght at 9:00 not 10:00.

There is a new blogger in the blogosphere, let's welcome Miss Young Fashion.

I relapsed & Fashion

Over the weekend I sat in bed filled with righteous indignation as I watched former stars bemoan their now wrecked lives on Celebrity Rehab. Almost as quickly as I passed judgment, I realized that I too need rehab. Having made a decision to move toward a more mature scent I found myself opening up my new "cake batter " scented scrub and lotion by Dylan's Candy Bar. The scent I consciously avoided a few weeks ago was now being smeared over my hands. While in the store I thought about not making the purchase, but my urges were too strong so I bought it. Surprisingly Sephora didn't have a "try me" sample available so I just purchased without smelling the scent. I vaguely remember smelling it in another Sephora, but that was about two weeks ago, now the joke is on me. The cake batter is nothing like the Jacqua butter cream frosting or some of the other cake scented treats that I have tried in the past. Initially it smelled like batter but now it just makes me want to vomit.

While I may not be fond of the scent Dylan's Candy Bar has produced more "paraben free products that last long and really moisturize the skin. The "candy butter cream", priced at $20.00, is thicker than the lotion I posted on previously and it works well, keeping your hands smooth and silky. It includes jojoba, glycerin, shea butter and while excluding sulfates,parabens and propylene glycol.

**Note- propylene glycol comes in different strengths but it has been connected to brain, liver and kidney damage in mice, when experiments were conducted.**

The scrub is brown, that just threw me for a loop but anyway it is a light scrub. It is pretty creamy but it includes some sugar grains to give you light exfoliation. Priced at $20.00

American Music Awards

Loved Alicia Keys' blue dress and the outfit that she performed in.

Does Mariah always need the wind blowing through her hair when she performs? lol

Rihanna always chic and fab even though I wasn't fond of the cream colored frock she dawned during the ceremony. However, her peep toe Christian Louboutin heels rocked.

Justin Timberlake's white shoes= YUCK

How do you know you are officially mainstream? When Beyonce has middle aged women in the audience waving their hands to "put a ring on it"..lol

When I saw Toccara, I immedialy thought about Dukes of Hazards for some reason. I just couldn't get with this dress, but she wears it well.

Did you notice the weight Queen Latifah has dropped? She looked great.

Which outfits did you like or dislike?

Pictures courtesy of brown sister.com

Giving Back

You are looking at a new gift set from Aveda. I already blogged about the Aveda hand relief lotion but I have yet to discuss the wonderful foot relief lotion. The foot relief lotion is great to smooth out your skin and keep your feet in tip top condition through these cold winter months.

The key ingredients include castor oil, fruit acids, jojoba oil, lavender oil, and rosemary oil.

This new gift set features the hand and foot relief creams in both the regular and travel sizes. These gift sets are sold at Aveda for $40, but it is how Aveda is giving back that caught my attention. In the picture you may notice the beautifully crafted paper with embellishments alongside the Aveda logo. Aveda has been working with the people of Nepal to create these gift boxes in an attempt to sustain some of the families in Nepal.

The gift boxes are so cute that I am pretty sure I will reuse them :-).

Have a great weekend everyone.

How are you giving back or how would you like to give back in the future?