How Pantene ProV Co wash Cleansing Conditioner converted me

Posted on June 12, 2013 by bajanbeautyblogger — 2 Comments ↓

I’ve never been a fan of the term co-washing. It’s a term that I encountered on online hair community. Essentially one attempts to cleanse the hair using only conditioner and no shampoos. There are many persons who love this method. I’ve never been one of them.

I tried it multiple times and came to the conclusion that no conditioner was going to clean my problematic scalp. Attempting to co-wash often just resulted in an itchy gunky scalp for me. So I stuck with my shampoos happily.

When I received Pantenes new Truly Natural Co-Wash Cleanser, I raised my eye brow and held my tongue. I really had my doubts whether it would work for me.

I was wrong. So very wrong.

The Co- Wash did refresh my hair and scalp and did not aggravate or make my scalp itchy. More over I was able to detangle with the cowash in the shower as I would a normal conditioner. Un top of this it removed the product I had inmy hair effectively (curling custard and shine serum). A total winner.

Since it’s labeled as labeled as a cleansing conditioner,after rinsing I didn’t do any masks or rinse out conditioners I went straight to my leave in conditioners and styling products. Some thing I would NEVER normally do.

However again the Co-Wash surprised me. I was able to style and manipulate my hair with the curling custard with minimal breakage.

The Co wash cleansing conditioner has minimal to zero lather, which can be a little disconcerting for a person like me who enjoys shampoo lather. I’ll admit that on my first use I piled on way too much product in hopes of getting lather but to no avail. The plus side is that even with way too much product in my hair, I still didn’t manage to strip my hair and it still felt cottony soft to the touch.

I really didn’t have high expectations for this product, but I was very pleasantly surprised. It’s nice to see that Pantene has plugged in to the natural hair community and they are trying to provide what we need.

I have been converted. I am now a co-washer.

Have you tried this product?

What were your thoughts?

Are you a habitual co washer?

Until next time.

Kim

Posted in Barbados, Beauty, Hair care

Review – Pantene Pro-v Truly Natural – Not what I expected

Posted on June 10, 2013 by bajanbeautyblogger — 1 Comment ↓

If you follow the Facebook page then you would have seen on Friday that I posted this photo.

Recently I received the entire line of the new Pantene Pro-V Truly Natural Line by the Barbados distributor and I was asked to try them and share my thoughts with some of potential retailers at the launch of the product in Barbados.

The Pantene Pro-V Truly Natural Line includes the Clarifying Shampoo, Deep Conditioner, Curl Defining Custard, Co Wash Cleansing Conditioner, Defining Curls Custard, and Shine Serum with Argan Oil.

Pantene now has a truly natural and a truly relaxed line so when they say truly natural they mean it’s for natural hair NOT that it only has natural ingredients. That isn’t a big deal for me but I know for some persons it is a deal breaker, I prefer to focus on whether I get the desired results from the products.

Shampoo

The shampoo includes two types of sulfates and is described as a clarifying shampoo. Oddly this shampoo did not leave my hair feeling stripped it cleansed my hair thoroughly without leaving that squeaky clean, stripped feeling that one often gets with clarifying shampoos.

What also surprised me about this shampoo is that it wasn’t the translucent almost transparent colour one typically gets with clarifying shampoos. For me that’s a very good thing. My hair is already intrinsically dry due to its tight coils so a clarifying shampoo that cleans my hair without making it feel like a dry haystack is welcome.

Verdict: A good cleanser that cleans hair gently.

Deep Conditioner

The deep conditioner was creamy and thick without being the almost solid texture that can sometimes be found with some hair masks. It spread easily through my hair and allowed me to detangle my hair easily. After rinsing it left my hair feeling soft, strong with no greasy build up.

Verdict: A good deep conditioner that helps in detangling my 4b/4c tightly coiled hair.

To say I enjoyed having the opportunity to share my opinion on hair care products with other is an understatement and one of the main reasons this blog exists today. So having the chance to share it with the distributor Brydens Stokes and their retailers was a very cool moment for me.

I’m going to review the Co-Wash cleanser and the Curling custard in a separate posts. They definitely deserve their own space. I have a lot to say on the idea of co- washing and what a curling custard is supposed to do if you have tightly coiled hair like I do or more curly natural hair type.

Have you seen these products in store as yet?

Have you tried them? What are your thoughts.

Until next time.

Kim

Tagged with: Barbados, Brydens, clarifying shampoo, Hair, Hair Care, Natural hair, Pantene Pro V, Truly Natural, twists
Posted in Barbados, Beauty, Hair care, Random

What to wear to a meeting with creative folk Part 2

Posted on June 8, 2013 by nubienne — Leave a comment ↓

Dressing for meetings can be a challenge if your job is filled with all types of clients, some days I can wear jeans to work and some days I have to look like I work at Vogue, most days it is something in between. Here is a look at what I wear when heading into a client meeting with conservative clients who want a bit of creative edge. I live in a very conservative society so breaking out the orange pants was a huge deal! I also wanted to show you guys that there is good shopping in Bridgetown and for reasonable prices too!

Forever 21 white button down shirt $85- Marcelle Decaille Boutique, Carlisle House Bridgetown

Orange wide legged, high-waisted pants – $110 Marcelle Decaille Boutique

Coconut shell necklace- $35 Shemane Jewellery, Canary Mall Bridgetown

Ring- polished coconut shell Om ring -Shemane Jewellery

Bag- Marcelle Decaille convertible clutch Limited Edition

Thanks to Adrian Charles for the photos!

Risée

*edit: I had the waist of the pants taken in (no tacky darts please) because I have the standard Caribbean girl issue; what fits my hips and thighs leaves me swimming at the waistline.

Tagged with: African skin, Barbados, Beauty, Black, Caribbean, Fashion, Hair, kinky hair, Risée Chaderton, Woman, Women
Posted in Barbados, Fashion

Caribbean Girl Problem Solving volume 1, issue #3

Posted on June 8, 2013 by nubienne — 2 Comments ↓

Caribbean Girl Body issue no.3: “Does this bodycon dress make my belly look big?”

Cons: Well you’ve got a bit of a tummy

Pros: The rest of you is sexy as all get out, see #2 Thighs.

Dear Goddess, just because bodycon dresses have been hailed as the sexiest outfit EVER by teenaged boys doesn’t mean that a) every third outfit should be a bodycon dress or b) that your body will look good in one.

Try shift dresses or A-line dresses, anything short to show off your assets but flowy enough in the tummy area to conceal the bulge. I know your man said it was sexy but trust me, save it for his personal peep show at home.

Until net week!

Risée

Tagged with: Barbados, Beauty, Caribbean, Risée Chaderton, Woman, Women
Posted in Barbados, Beauty, Fashion, Random

Random Hot gyal!

Posted on June 3, 2013 by nubienne — 1 Comment ↓

I love it when I run across a stylishly dressed lady on her way into the office. This was such a change from the chronically dull mid length skirts, boot-cut pants and polyester blouses that I almost did a happy dance in the parking lot. I will apologise for my crappy cel phone pictures but I loved this outfit and I had to share the awesomeness.

Peplum detailed skirt suit with faux bustle. Oooh and the hot shoes are killing me! This is how you do conservative but stylish. Get styling folks!

Risée

Tagged with: Caribbean, Fashion, Risée Chaderton, Style, Woman, Women
Posted in Barbados, Fashion, Random

Problem Solving for caribbean Girls Vol.1 Issue #2

Posted on May 31, 2013 by nubienne — Leave a comment ↓

Caribbean Girl Body issue no.2: Thick thighs… and how to show them off.

In other cultures thick thighs are a problem but as all Caribbean goddesses are aware, in our world thick thighs are the reason Adam and Eve got an eviction notice, there was no apple, just Eve’s thighs.

Cons: Many pants aren’t cut to fit our thighs

Pros: We have thighs, who needs pants?

Shorts that fit are a necessity, try, try until you get it right, not too short or you’ll give yourself a wedgie but not too long either or you’ll look like a hip granny. The perfect length will cover your butt properly and not be tight in the crotch, you may have to invest in some expert tailoring —I don’t mean a tacky dart, I mean removal of the waistband and taken in—to get the waist and the hips to fit the way they should. Low riding, tight pants are best avoided by those of us with BOSS (Backsides Of Significant Size) Also note that if you are wearing shorts do camouflage any problem areas on top with a loose fitting top, doing so will bring balance to your outfit and keep the focus on your super sexy legs. If, like me, you’d like to hide a few “issues” at the back of your thighs an asymmetrical top will give you the best of both worlds, sexy shorts visible at the front and all issues hidden by the length of the shirt at the back. See photo.

Where to wear them: Everyday, all day, wherever, whenever, ok maybe not to the office.

Drop us a note on Facebook if there is a body issue you like me to address.

Until next week!

Risée

Tagged with: Barbados, Beauty, best of both worlds, Caribbean, caribbean girl, clothing, Fashion, Risée Chaderton, Style, thick thighs, Woman, Women
Posted in Barbados, Beauty, Fashion

Retaining Length/ Growing hair – Relaxed or Natural or Transitioning

Posted on May 30, 2013 by bajanbeautyblogger — Leave a comment ↓

I’m in this weird place right now where I don’t know if I want to continue growing out my hair or just keep at its current length or slightly shorter.

Here is a recent photo of my hair stretched with a no heat blow out.

focus on the hair..

It looks like a good set of hair right? However when it’s shrunken I can feel positively bald headed. I told you about that here.

In any case if I do make the decision to keep growing it out I know that to retain the maximum length there are some things I’m not doing now that I need to do. It’s really simple stuff.

1. Stop playing in my hair frequently. Ideally keeping my hair in a style for two or more weeks at a time would be ideal for my length retention goals. I have tendency to restyle midweek or at least once a week. Restyling equals manipulation of hair which then leads to losing more hair.

2. Keep my ends trimmed. When my ends get raggedy they tangle more and that increases breakage. when I am really on top of my hair care I dust (trim minutely) my ends around every 8 weeks.

3. Stop wearing my hair loose so regularly. I’ll be wearing my hair like the one in the photo a lot less regularly. Having hair exposed can lead to tangles and again this leads to breakage and I’m trying to hold on to all my hair, right?

4. Routine cleansing and conditioning of the hair is a must. This is one part of my hair retention routine I think I have covered. Moisturisers, oils, leave in conditioners and rinse out conditioner and hair masks are all essential to conditioning hair. Hair needs to be made strong and kept lubricated to avoid dryness and brittle follicles cause….breakage.

5. Avoid direct heat. I don’t flat iron my hair but I have been known to show a lot of love to my blow dryer but air drying hair is really best for length retention. Abuse of direct heat can cause breakage and brittle hair and fried ends.

I really do love to wear my hair out quite regularly and I love to play in it so doing this is a real challenge.

When I did do this last year though I really saw great results quickly.

Maybe I’ll start.. next week.

Are you growing out your hair, thinking about getting a cut or colour? What are your plans?

Until next post.

Kim

Posted in Barbados, Beauty, Hair care, Random

Hair dysmorphia – are you a sufferer..

Posted on May 30, 2013 by bajanbeautyblogger — 2 Comments ↓

Do you constantly wish you had more hair?

Do friends family remark on how thick your hair is and you respond in shock that they MUST be blind because you are bald-headed.

Do you take photos like this and wonder where the hair came from because it obviously isn’t on your head?

Then you maybe suffering from hair- dysmorphia.

I’m not sure when it really happened. I just know that one day I was having a conversation with a loved one who commented on how thick my hair is and my only urge was to ask if he was blind. Bless his soul, he understands that I am a little hair obsessed. Right at that moment I realised that maybe I did have a slight case of hair-dysmorphia.

One major reason for my hair-dysmorphia is Instagram and Facebook. Everyday there are more and more photos of gorgeous lush natural hair and I want it all.

Its ok, though, I don’t plan on going for treatment anytime soon. I still want hair that is going to block out the sun and throw shade on everyone and until that happens I’ll depend on friends on family to give me a little perspective.

Do you suffer from hair-dysmorphia? Do your friends and family tell you your hair is long or thick and you stare in disbelief?

Am I the only one?

Until next post.

Posted in Barbados, Hair care, Random

Sample culture a message to cosmetics retailers in Barbados

Posted on May 30, 2013 by bajanbeautyblogger — 2 Comments ↓

One of the most frustrating things about shopping for cosmetics in Barbados is the lack of availability of samples.

I’m not sure why more retailers don’t provide samples to customers. There are several mutual benefits that both customers and retailers can benefit from.

1. Customers buying foundation and skin care are often more confident making a purchase of higher value when they have had a chance to get a real feel for the product over a number of days. I’ve heard women say so many times that they have had buyers regret over buying the wrong shade of foundation or a foundation that breaks them out. That can be solved by allowing the customer to get a sample and try at their leisure in the situations they would normally use it rather than a rushed in store jaw line test. There is a certain Cave of shopping on the Broadest Street in Bridgetown that never seems to provide samples unless there is a gift with purchase promotion.

2. Samples build customer loyalty. If customers get samples to try it increases their confidence that their sales assistant isn’t simply trying to push a sale but really trying to find the right fit for the customer. Customers will come back because they have developed a level of trust.

3. The potential to increase sales of new products. When ever my sales person slips in a sample of a new product and says ‘Try this I think you would love it’. Invariably I end up going back to the store and the sales assistant for the same product because I did love it or to report back on my thoughts and moreover that often results in another purchase.

I’m sure retailers must have their reasons for not providing samples more often but I really believe the benefits out weigh the costs. Stores that allow proper in store trials and samples will continue to have my loyalty.

Until next post.

Kim

Posted in Barbados, Hair care, Nails, Random, Skin Care

Problem solving for Caribbean Girls vol. 1 issue #1

Posted on May 25, 2013 by nubienne — Leave a comment ↓

Caribbean Girl Body issue no.1 The mystery of the vanishing booty

You once had a booty — when you were five— but as you hit adolescence somehow Kim Kardashian up and stole your birthright and now you, my Caribbean goddess, are forced to exist in an upside down world where formerly super-slender, Trini-Indian Nicky Minaj and Armenian/ American Kim Kardashian have more booty than you. How do you fix this slight by the hand of God? Well, you don’t, not unless you are pulling out the Booty Pop panties and I don’t have to tell you how ridiculous those are do I?

Cons: Well girl, you don’t have a booty.

Pros: Those super-short cut-up-to-your-waist shorts won’t give you a wedgie, won’t leave your backside dangerously exposed, in fact, they’ll look super on you!

Where to wear them: Any pre-Carnival, or Crop Over, or other festival event , wear them to go sailing, to hang out with your honey at the beach, get several pairs and wear them to every single rally event on the calendar.

What to pair them with: Light long sleeved shirts with the sleeves rolled up. Sexy sandals or funky wedges are perfect with this look but avoid flip flops if you want to look a wee bit more stylish than a 14 year-old at Accra. Keep the top simple and covered if you are going that bare on the bottom otherwise you run the risk of looking underdressed. A statement necklace wouldn’t go amiss here either.

Next week, Thighs and what to do about them.

Risée

Tagged with: Barbados, Booty Pop, Caribbean, Fashion, Kim Kardashian, Nicky Minaj, Rally, Rally Barbados, Risée Chaderton, short shorts, Style, Woman, Women
Posted in Barbados, Beauty, Fashion

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