Hiya,
How's everyone doing? Hope well. I am soooo excited to first announce Savvy & Chic Hair/Beauty Hub's move to a bigger more spacious space off Awolowo road-
It's situated at 30 Norman Williams st, Ikoyi off Awolowo rd...you can call 0809061335 to book an appointment if you want your hair done. Read all about how I transformed the space from what it was to how it is now soon on my Interior Decor with Dabs page.
In the mean time lets get right to it....the 'Diamond in the rough' series is a series I started a few years ago to showcase and review made in Nigeria products, sharing if they were great finds or no good(in my humble opinion)...in this post I will be reviewing 3 products from 3 Nigerian brands which I support and love to work with, this review is honest and straight to the point...
First up is African Naturalistas Moisturising & Detangling Conditioner.
Claims; Conditions your hair and helps rid of tangles...our conditioner is manufactured to help you achieve the goal of softer hair in a short time...it is sure to leave your hair feeling smooth and soft.
Ingredients (will write mostly on ingredients I recognize and leave out the chemicals);
AN Ingredients-Aqueous, Cteryl alcohol, Coconut oil, Glycerin, Stinging nettle...
My Review-I LOVE the consistency on this product....It is so watery and the perfect detangler because it has so much slip! However I generally prefer my detanglers in spray bottles like mane and tail detangler so I can control the product without wasting it because I tell you I used this product through out December and it kept my hair very moist and soft during the harmattan and finished before I'd have liked it to :(....Back to how moist my hair was, it was sooo moist, I can see this product being great for Naturalistas/Hairlistas with thick coarse manes as my hair is quite coarse...but those with finer textures or thinner hair might find this product overwhelming...my advice is to use very little at a time and build up as you deem fit.
The smell is alright, a bit medicinal which I don't mind, though when I saw it contained coconut oil I was hoping more of the coconut oil smell will come through...it's got bits in it which I am guessing is from the stinging nettle but to my pleasant surprise, the bits don't get stuck in your hair like say flakes of unrefined henna, they just vanish when I applied I guess.
My verdict: I loveeee this detangler...what it did for my hair during the harmattan over in Abonnema Village I would have needed a full bottle of mane and tail detangler plus my water/glycerin mix plus a moisturizer like Elasta QP to get my hair to be that moist and stay that moist! AN you guys have a winning formula with this one, please stick to it!
Next up, Natural Nigerian Moisture & Shine Detangling Leave in Conditioner-.
Claims- Can be used to detangle as well as improve the general manageability of your hair, it contains plant derived active ingredients...which nourish your hair, protects it from heat and helps retain a vibrant color.
Ingredients- Aloe leaf extract, coconut oil, glycerin, hydrogenated olive oil, Parthenon, keratin, hydrolized keratin, hydrolized quinoa, hydrolized corn starch, coconut alcohol, Beet root extract, Shea butter, olive oil, lecithin, orange peel oil...
My Review- as you can see from the list above with me even leaving out the chemicals, that this product is PACKED!! Out of the three this was the first I tried out...like the AN one, the consistency is delightfully very light weight and liquid feeling, you won't believe it has all that stuff inside....it struck me more as a nice moisturizing sealant than a detangler though as you can see from the ingredients that it doesn't contain water, the glycerin in the bottle settles when the bottle sits for a while and you can see a separation, the aloe Vera and glycerin are the moisturizing factors making the slip great but from the ingredient list and the way my hair felt, it also has protein qualities of strengthening which are contained in the keratin and all the hydrolized orishirishi, so its perfect if your hair is breaking but also means it should be used with caution to avoid protein overload, I'd recommend maybe every few days instead of everyday use.
My Verdict- Love it!!! The smell, the feel, the slip....everything! Just wish it was bigger in quantity.
Finally, the last diamond in a rough is from a company I have featured in distant past- Namaste Organics, this is their Avocado and Coconut extra moisturizing leave in conditioner.
Claims...it is excellent for keeping your Afro locs, weaves, braids and curls in excellent condition, soothes dry itchy scalps, keeps hair soft and helps to retain shine.
Ingredients- Aqua, Aloe Vera, shea butter, coconut oil, boabab oil, olive oil, neem oil, avocado oil, almond oil, rosemary oil, ylang ylang oil, peppermint oil, petah ol, Vit E oil, Glycerin, Rosewater....
My Review- Can we Say PACKED?!! This product is very very packed with essential oils and you can tell, it is the thickest of the three making it better as a butter type moisturizer than a detangler/conditioner, it smells very zingy and fulfills it's claim of soothing the scalp thanks to I presume the peppermint oil and rosemary oil it contains. I used this more like a sealant and if I want to classify where it falls under in the LOC(Liquid, Oil and Cream) method, I would say it falls under C- cream while the other two for me fall under L- Liquid.
I also love the shine it leaves on my hair as it left the most shine of the three again I'm guessing because it contains so many oils and Shea butter. It also contains pro-vitamins( Pathenol) which I have read is great for the hair as it conditions the hair and makes it more manageable.
My verdict- Great product, I can imagine how much shine it will leave on natural locks, I definitely recommend it as a moisturizing sealant.
With that my dear readers, I will conclude by saying, these diamonds in a rough are worth keeping!!
Well done to my Nigerian brands, keep the flag flying...I dream of a time when The Savvy & Chic Hub and hair/beauty stores will be filled with mainly Proudly Naija products that are at par with international brands, from packaging to feel to the results they deliver....that time is slowly but surely coming!!
But in the mean time, the first IMPORT WINDOW of the year opened on the 1st of February and will close on the 7th so please feel free to send in your orders to Daboju@yahoo.com.
Xxx
Dabs
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