Naturalla Beauty

I'm always game to try out new #curlygirl hair products, so when I spotted Everyone's small hair styling line at a local health food store for a super inexpensive $5.99 each, I decided to pick up all three products to test out.  Everyone is a budget-friendly offshoot of EO Products, specifically designed for younger consumers, large families, and others who might have less money to spend on quality, natural products.  The products are made for "every budget" -- something you know really resonates with me -- and contain no GMO's, parabens, sulfates, synthethic fragrances, gluten, or synthetic polymers.  The hair styling products are also phenoxyethanol-free.  

I've been testing this hair trio out since the summer -- keep reading for my thoughts on each product!





The Bottom Line
I'd pass on the Volume Serum -- I just haven't found a good use for it -- but I really like the Hair Cream and Hair Gel.   Both give light to medium hold, offer good curl definition, and do well at controlling frizz and flyaways. The ingredients are also great and Everyone's inexpensive prices really can't be beat!

Before I jump into today's post, I want to thank you all for such a great response to my last blog post.  I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm really glad it resonated with so many of you and I appreciate all the lovely comments and support that I've gotten, both on the blog post itself and over on Instagram. 

Moving on to today's actual topic -- I want to introduce Clean Kiss Organics, a fantastic handcrafted Ontario line that I've had the pleasure of trying out over the last few months.  I met Jodie Pappas, Clean Kiss's founder, at the Holistic Beauty Expo in May and was immediately drawn in by both Jodie's cheerful enthusiasm and Clean Kiss's impressive product range.  (Not to mention by just how good everything at her table smelled!)

Jodie offered me the chance to try out a couple products from her line and I easily decided on the Kiss Me Clean Facial Cleansing Oil* and Kiss My Curls Nourishing Hair Oil Spray*.  Choosing was a bit of a no-brainer for me -- I mean, if there are two things I'm always game to try out, it's a good oil cleanser and new curly girl hair products!  Keep reading for my thoughts on both...



Kiss My Curls Nourishing Hair Oil Spray
Jodie is a fellow curly girl, so I was excited to try out Kiss My Curls ($18 for 236 ml), one of two recent hair additions to the Clean Kiss Organics range.  Made with a mix of rose water, marula, argan, and jojoba oils, and peppermint, rosemary, and lavender essential oils, Kiss My Curls is a unique intermediate between an oil and a milky leave-in conditioner spray.  The spray has minimal ingredients and no emulsifier to hold the rosewater and oils together, so you do have to shake it before each use to recombine everything.  Once shaken, it has a watery consistency, perfect for misting out of a spray bottle, but offers the feel and nourishment of a lightweight oil.  The spray is recommended for use on both damp, freshly washed hair, and on dry, second-day hair as a curl refresher.  

Curly hair is notorious for loving moisture, and while my hair needs some moisture, it's also a bit of a curl oddity in that it starts to feel greasy very easily and can't always handle ultra-moisturizing products.  As a result, I like using Kiss My Curls on damp hair, but it's not ideal for me as a second-day curl refresher.  I use it on freshly washed hair much like I would any other hair oil -- misting a small amount through the ends and length of my hair, but mostly avoiding the scalp.  As a second-day product, it's just a little too oil-like for me.  I imagine it could work really well for those with drier hair, but I just tend to prefer more watery products for this purpose.  I do also enjoy misting a small amount onto my fingers and running them through dry hair to tame frizz and flyaways.  The Nourishing Oil Spray has a mild sweet/minty scent.

Kiss Me Clean Facial Cleansing Oil
I always use an oil cleanser to take off my makeup and Kiss Me Clean ($20 for 118 ml) has jumped right to the top of my list!  With a short ingredient list consisting of just grapeseed, castor seed, jojoba, and chia seed oils, plus calendula and essentials oils, it's a simple formula that really works.  The cleansing oil is gentle, but easily melts off all my makeup and wipes away cleanly.  The oil is pretty lightweight and has good slip to it, making it perfect for massaging into the skin and really breaking down even hard to remove products like sunscreen and eyeliner.  The consistency also means that a little oil goes a long way and you really don't need to use much -- one full pump is enough to completely remove all my face and eye makeup.  I'm a fan of double cleansing, so I usually follow up with a second cleanser, but it's not absolutely necessary since Kiss Me Clean wipes away easily and doesn't leave behind much residue at all.

The product description highlights lemon, tea tree, orange, and bergamot essential oils, and the oil has a mild, fresh/herbal scent.  It doesn't scream citrus to me and, in fact, before rereading the description yesterday, my nose had me convinced there was lavender in there too!  Either way, it's a neutral scent that's pleasant but not overwhelming.  The cleansing oil leaves my skin feeling clean and soft and looking bright and healthy -- it's a product I could see myself buying again and again.

 

The Bottom Line
Great company, great products, great price point.  Clean Kiss Organics was one of my favorite new discoveries at the Holistic Beauty Expo and trying these products only reaffirmed that my first impressions were spot on.  I'm especially head over heels for the Kiss Me Clean Cleansing Oil, a gentle oil cleanser that breaks down makeup like a dream and would suit a variety of skin types.  Kiss My Curls Nourishing Hair Oil Spray didn't work out as a second-day curl product for me, but I do think dryer hair types would appreciate it in this capacity.  Either way, it's a great lightweight oil for curly and non-curly hair alike!  

Have you tried Clean Kiss Organics?

I've been test-driving a bunch of new hair products the last few months, so I figured it was well past time I sat down and started writing about them!  For those of you who don't already know, I have naturally curly hair that appreciates moisture, but also quickly gets oily from products that are too rich.  My hair also has a tendency towards frizziness, so it's definitely a fine balance!



Bröö Malted Mint Invigorating Shampoo // Conditioner
Water makes up the bulk of many products, shampoo and conditioner included, and Bröö, true to their name, replaces the water in their formulas with all-malt freshly hopped craft beer.  It's a little gimmicky, but it's not just a gimmick, since the beer brewing process releases B vitamins, minerals, and proteins that nourish and strengthen hair.  Ever heard of people using beer as a hair rinse?  The idea is the same, only the benefits are already built into Bröö's products.  

I'm already on my second tube of the Invigorating Shampoo, a gentle and somewhat creamy wash that cleanses hair without stripping away its natural oils.  The conditioner is surprisingly rich and luxurious, and I only need a small amount to sufficiently hydrate my curls.  The invigorating duo is marketed as a "daily detox for hair and scalp," and the formula, which is boosted with caffeine and peppermint essential oil, is intended to stimulate the follicles and encourage hair growth.  I can't speak to any definite effects at this point, but the conditioner in particular does generate a refreshing minty tingle on the scalp.

The company claims that Bröö products have no beer scent, but I don't find that completely true with this pair.  To my nose, the beer scent is mild but still noticeable in both products, along with a nice minty/herbal aroma.  It's completely non-offensive and any beer scent is gone by the time hair dries, so there's no chance you'll be walking around smelling like a brewery.   For me, the scent is a major improvement over the old Bröö formulas -- the ones in plastic bottles, not tubes -- which had much stronger, sweet scents that I couldn't tolerate.  

Original Sprout Natural Hair Gel
Original Sprout is a hair stylist-created line of vegan hair and body products designed to be allergen-free and safe for the whole family.  The Natural Hair Gel, labelled for "babies & up," is a great gentle hair gel that I love using for lightweight curl definition.  Made without added fragrance or essential oils, the gel has just a mild sweet scent and offers medium-hold without any gross sticky or tacky feeling.  It can get a little crunchy if you use a lot, but it's nothing that can't be scrunched out with your fingers.  I started my second tube this week and I also just picked up the company's Miracle Detangler to try out next.  

Beautiful Curls Curl Enhancing Shampoo
The Curl Enhancing Shampoo, specifically formulated to maximize waves and curls, sounded like it'd be perfect for me, and since I've enjoyed other Beautiful Curls products, I had high hopes going in.  Unfortunately, it ended up being a complete dud for me.  The shampoo is rich in shea butter and coconut oil and has a creamy consistency that you'd think would be moisturizing, but no matter what conditioner I paired it with -- both traditional rinse out options and leave-ins, it consistently left my hair dry, frizzy, and feeling stripped of moisture.  The shampoo hardly lathers and after a few washes, it started building up on my scalp, feeling gummy, and not actually getting anything clean.  I'm sure this product works for somebody, but it definitely wasn't me.  

DIY Healthy Scalp + Hair Growth Oil
I've gotten into a constant cycle of pulling my hair back into tight ponytails, loosing hair at the temples, re-growing it, and then repeating the entire awful cycle over again.  I'm back in the growth stage now and trying to speed things up with a homemade blend of hair and scalp-friendly essential oils -- namely rosemary, peppermint, lavender, cedarwood, and tea tree.  The blend does double duty -- I massage it directly into a clean scalp after washing my hair, and it can also be added into hair treatments and masks. 

Along with these five, I've also been experimenting with henna the last few months, but I think that deserves its own dedicated post.  Have you discovered any exciting hair products recently?

Andalou Naturals is one of my favorite brands for affordable skincare, but I haven't branched out much into their hair products.  A couple months ago, I finally took the plunge when I found the Argan & Sweet Orange Shampoo and Conditioner on sale at a local health food store.  The bottles had tear-off coupons attached, which combined with the already discounted prices, brought these down to $5.99 each.  Healthy hair care doesn't often come that cheap - especially here in Canada, land of the eternal price markup - so I was quick to take advantage of such a great deal!


The Argan & Sweet Orange line is Andalou's moisturizing hair range, specifically targeted at curly, dry, and color-treated hair.  According to the bottles, sweet orange revitalizes hair follicles and encourages healthy circulation, while argan oil minimizes frizz, adds luster, and nourishes hair, restoring moisture, elasticity and strength.  

The shampoo has a thick gel consistency and lathers up really nicely.  It's great at getting rid of product buildup and thoroughly cleans the scalp without drying out or stripping hair.  

The conditioner is also very thick in texture, though not as ultra-rich or moisturizing as such a thick consistency might initially suggest.  It does a good job softening and detangling hair, but it doesn't tame frizz or flyaways very well unless I use a copious amount of product.  A generous application does a fine job controlling frizz and gives decent curl definition, but I feel like I'm burning through the bottle very quickly.  I may try the Argan Oil Plus+ Deep Conditioner next time, as I'm curious if it would suit my curly hair needs better.

Both products have a candy-like orange scent.  It's very sweet, but not cloying or sickly.  The smell also lingers in the hair, so if you're someone that misses that residual scent left behind from conventional hair products, these might be just the thing.  I catch whiffs of the sweet orange scent right up until my next wash.

The Bottom Line
A good option if you're looking for inexpensive and easily accessible hair products.  Despite the marketing, curly or extra dry hair types may not find the conditioner hydrating enough, but I think it would suit just about everyone else.  

I've struggled for years to tame my curly mane, but I think I've finally figured out what really works.  For a point of reference, my hair does really well air drying, but it needs the right products or else controlled curls can quickly turn into a frizzy mess.  I've tried a lot of products - and I especially feel like I've tried a lot this past year - so I think it's about time I put together my "best of" list for curly hair products.  I've included both a budget and high end option for each category.



Shampoo and Conditioner
I always keep Acure's  Argan + Argan Stem Cell Shampoo and Conditioner well stocked, and if money was no object, I would definitely rotate in John Masters Honey & Hibiscus Shampoo and Reconstructor.  Both duos provide a lot of moisture, but they don't weigh down my hair.  

Hair Oil
I've tried a lot of different oils, both singles and blends, but I always come back to using a pure, 100% argan oil.  I use a few drops on damp hair after washing - mainly focused on the ends - to control frizz and keep hair strong and healthy.  I'm a big fan of Acure's Argan Oil - it's certified organic, sustainably harvested, affordable, and good quality - but if you're open to spending a little more, Olie Biologique's Argan Oil - again organic, and also cold pressed - has a richer, nuttier scent and feels that little bit more luxurious.  

Hair Gel
I've probably tried more gels than any other hair product and it's the one category where I still feel like I'm searching for that ever elusive perfect product.  I like a product with hold, but I can't stand anything that leaves my hair feeling crunchy or sticky.  My favorite to date is Intelligent Nutrients' Organic Styling Gel, which smells fresh and minty and doesn't require a lot of product to get the light hold I'm after.  On the more budget-friendly side, I also really like Kinky Curly's Spiral Spritz.  It's a lighter hold product than the Intelligent Nutrients, but it nicely defines curls without leaving any kind of coating on the hair.  

Curl Refresher / Leave-in Conditioner
On days when I don't wash my hair, I like to use something to freshen up my curls and make them look bouncy and (almost) new again.  Beautiful Curls' Curl Reviving Tonic is the first natural product I've found that's actually intended for this purpose and it's pretty amazing.  Yarok's Feed Your Ends also works well, and it can do double duty as a heat protectant on the rare occasions that I heat style my hair.

Honorable Mentions
Yarok's Feed Your Roots was the first natural hair product I fell in love with, so I couldn't make this list without including it!  Some days I'll use the mousse in place of a gel, and it also works well to add volume at the roots.  

Intelligent Nutrients' Hair Shine is a bit of a cheat, as I haven't quite worked out how to best use it with curls, but it's amazing on those rare days that I straighten my hair.  It's not greasy at all and it tames frizz and flyaways like nothing else, all while leaving behind the most gorgeous, glossy, hair commercial-worthy shine.

Clearly I like trying hair products, so if there are any great ones I've missed, let me know in the comments.  I'd love to know your favorites!

I've written about my love of Intelligent Nutrients' Organic Styling Gel numerous times before, but after cringing over the price one repurchase too many, I decided it was time to hunt out a more budget friendly option. 

For a little background, my hair is curly, but not coarse or super thick.  Those people who talk about curly hair needing moisture and rich styling products?  So not me.  My hair does best with hydrating shampoos and conditioners, yes, but lighter leave-ins and styling products.  Anything too rich or creamy just leave my hair feeling heavy and weighed down.

Let's get to today's contenders:


Kinky Curly Spiral Spritz
I emptied my first bottle of this a couple months ago and the speed with which I rushed to replenish my supply is pretty telling.  The Spiral Spritz, which is a hybrid between a gel and a serum, feels very much like straight aloe vera gel, though it also contains lavender water, extracts of horsetail, nettle, and sage, glycerin, and Vitamin B-5.  In terms of hold, it's pretty light.  It feels soft on the hair and is not crunchy, but it still gives some control and definition.   It's by no means a strong hold and it can struggle in intense humidity, but overall I'm pretty happy with it.  It's not a scented product, but it does have a slight scent from the natural ingredients. 

Andalou Naturals Sunflower & Citrus Medium Hold Styling Gel
Like the Kinky Curly, Andalou's gel is aloe based, but that's where the similarities end.  Andalou has gotten a good amount of hype in the green blogging/vlogging world recently and I had pretty high expectations for this product.  Sadly, it did not deliver.  At all.  First off, the gel feels incredibly sticky as you apply it, which makes it a challenge to work through the hair.  Then, it dries super crunchy.  And, if that's not bad enough, after a few hours, it progresses from crunchy to just dirty.  As in, I don't want to touch my hair because it feels so disgustingly dirty and grotty.  It isn't greasy - if anything the opposite - like my hair has some kind of dusty/sooty coating.   About the only nice thing I can think of to say about this product is that it smells good - fresh and citrusy.

Innersense Quiet Calm Curl Control
I'm a lot more used to gels than curling creams, so the consistency of this one took a little getting used to.  It's a cream, but not overly heavy - basically the consistency of a light conditioner.  The scent is a mild citrus with a hint of something medicinal - it reminds me of chewable Vitamin C tablets.  The cream does a good job defining my curls and helps control frizz, but unfortunately, it was still a little heavy for my hair.

It does, however, work great as a rinse out product.  If you saw my June empties, it won't come as a surprise that I completed depleted my supply of conditioner and was left scrambling for something to use.  After remembering my first impressions of this guy (read: conditioner-like), I gave it a whirl in the shower.  Because of how light it is, I need to use more product than I would with a richer conditioner, but nonetheless, it works well.  The ingredients are actually pretty similar to a regular conditioner, so I guess it makes sense.

Silk Naturals Make Waves Curling Hair Gel
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this one, but clearly I'm a sucker for products that are specifically targeted to us curly girls.  Xantham gum gives a soft hold, while argan and avocado oils offer a touch of moisture.  On application, the gel feels a little tacky, which, after the disaster that was the Andalou, had me worrieded, but happily it dries fine, without any sticky feeling.  If you use a lot of product, it can leave your hair feeling a little crunchy, but nothing too bad.  It has no scent and really shines in humidity.  Great definition and frizz control, no matter how humid it is. 

It's happening: hair gel swatches

The Bottom Line
A bit of a mixed bag and if I'm completely honest, I'm not sure any of these quite live up to the awesomeness that is the Intelligent Nutrients gel.  I'm on my second bottle of Kinky Curly and I'm sticking with it for now, as while I probably like the Silk Naturals Curling Hair Gel slightly more, it's more expensive and less accessible.  It just isn't a big enough difference to justify the extra cost and effort of keeping it on hand.  I will, however, make a point to pick up a bottle next spring, since it works so well in humidity.  The Innersense will get used up - because who needs more so-so products just hanging around - but not repurchased.   And, I fear the Andalou is destined to gather dust until my next big declutter.

Have you used any of these?  What are your favorite styling products?

I generally wash my hair every other day, and while I don't have problems with my hair getting greasy, it can be a challenge keeping my curls looking fresh and bouncy after they've been slept on.  I've been searching for something that will refresh second day curls with minimal effort, and believe me, I've tried a good bunch of things!  This is the most recent batch - I think of these as non-hairspray hair sprays (thus the title) since they're spray-type hair products, but none of them provide the hold of a traditional hairspray.  Instead, they're light, leave-in products that give variable amounts of hydration.  None of them are heavy or greasy.  


Acure Organics Argan Oil + Argan Stem Cell Leave-In Conditioner
I did a full review of this product a few months ago, and my opinion has basically stayed the same.  I love the way it works, but I struggle with how it smells.  It smells like lemongrass, but it's heavier and more herbal than the lemongrass scents I'm used to, and unfortunately, the scent is one that really sticks in your hair.  If Acure were to come out with another scent, I'd be all over it, but as it is now, the smell wears on me enough throughout the day that I won't be buying this one again, regardless of how well it works.

Yarok Feed Your Ends Leave-In Conditioner
Yarok's Feed Your Roots Mousse has been a firm favorite of mine, so naturally I had to try their leave-in.  It smells the same as the mousse - sweet, fresh, and lemony - and it does a great job too.  It's one of the lightest of the bunch, so I can really go to town spraying this one and not have to worry about my hair ending up greasy or sticky.  As an added bonus, it also does double duty as a heat protectant.  

Rahua Voluminous Hairspray
Rahua's is the only one of the bunch that's sold as an actual hairspray - soft, flexible hold - but I really thing it would be better marketed as a leave-in conditioner.  As a curl refresher, it works fine initially, but after just an hour or two everything falls flat again and I'm back where I started.  If I'd bought it intending to use it as a regular hairspray, I think I would have been even more disappointed.  I've read positive reviews, but on my hair, it gives virtually no hold.  

Beautiful Curls Shea Butter Curl Reviving Tonic
It shouldn't come as any great surprise that the sole product of the bunch that's actually marketed as a curl reviving product does the best job reviving my curls.  I was initially concerned about how I'd fare with the mango-vanilla scent and eyed this product for months before finally taking the plunge and buying it.  I was worried it would be overly sweet or fake smelling, but it's actually fairly light and not overpowering or sickly.  The product itself performs exactly how I want it to.  Several sprays and some scrunching easily take my deflated curls from sad and slept on to bouncy and fresh once again.

The Bottom Line
All things considered, the Beautiful Curls is the clear winner here and the only one that I'm confident I'll be repurchasing.  (In fact, I kind of already have.  I let my mom try it and ended up having to buy her her own bottle just so I could get mine back!)  The Yarok is also quite lovely and I could see myself buying it as an occasional splurge, but for an everyday product that gets used up fairly quickly, I can't justify spending more when the Beautiful Curls is equally or more effective and a third of the price.  I think the Rahua and Acure could potentially suit different hair types and noses, respectively, but neither were winners for me.

Am I the only one who struggles with second day hair?  Have you tried any of these?