Ready to Style?

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Now that I have completed the shampoo, protein treatment, deep conditioner, conditioner, and L.O.C. method, what do I do?

Each time I have to decide whether I am going to do a perm rod set, twist out, or braid out.  Honestly, that's all I know how to do right now.  I've never been real big on doing a lot to my hair so those styles work well enough for me.
Plus if something doesn't come out right then I am able to pin them up or to the side, create a mohawk, or a curly puff.  I'll be sure to give more details about those styles in later posts.

If I decide that I'm only going to do a twist or braid out then I choose from one of the styling cremes below or I simply use a moisturizer that's listed in my previous post.

Stylers

• Jireh Juicy Curls - This is an item that I came across on IG.  One of the naturalistas that I follow always talked about it.  When I went to Jireh's page, I saw nothing but good reviews so what does that mean?  I had to try it.  It really does leave my twists all plump and juicy, which means this product adds even more moisture to my hair.  It has a nice smell to it.  It's also lightweight and non-greasy.  That's always a plus for me. Oh, it leaves my twists super soft.
• Jireh Twist Cream - This product is a little thicker than the one mentioned above so a little goes a long way.  It doesn't add as much moisture to my hair but it does leave my hair more defined and it has a great hold to it.
• tgin Twist & Define Cream - I think I love all the hair products this company has!  It only takes a little and it leaves my hair with great hold and definition.  If you haven't gotten it yet, moisture, hold, & definition are very important to me when it comes to my hair.  But this cream also does really well when I do a perm rod set.
• Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Styling Pudding - This was the first styling creme that I used and clearly it must have had something good about it.  One thing I learned quickly was that it can make my hair very greasy and oily if I used too much.  It's not super thick, but thick enough that only a little is needed.  That little bit adds so much moisture to my hair!  The hold that it provides is also enough for my hair style to last several days (that's if I tie my hair up at night like I am supposed to).
• Camille Rose Almond Jai Twisting Butter - I haven't used this one much.  It's thick so using too much will leave my hair heavy.  I think I did a twist out with this and it worked well.
• Camille Rose Curl Maker - I was dying to try this product so I finally broke down and bought it.  It looks more like a gel but it definitely didn't leave my hair feeling crunchy like most gels do.  I use about 1-2 pumps per section and then twist my hair.  My twists are always super moisturized.

Hair Gels

I have ever been a fan of any type of hair gel; not even when I had relaxed hair.  When I hear gel, I always think back to when I was in elementary or middle school and some of the girls would do their own hair.  They would have that stinky black or brown gel caked on their edges and it would be all crusty and flakes would be everywhere.  Don't let them get sweaty in PE...that shit would be running down the side of their face.  Ugh!  But hair gel has come a long way from that.  The first gel I tried when I first started messing around with my natural hair was the Eco Styling Gel.  I just really didn't like it.  It left my hair stiff and it just didn't add anything to my hair.  Now I've seen plenty of people that this gel has worked for.  It's just not for me.

If I decide to do a perm rod set then I will use a moisturizer and/or one of the cremes listed above and one of the gels listed below.  I don't put the gel all over my hair.  I only use it on the ends of my hair to smooth that part around the perm rod (I do this when I don't use any foam or mousse).

• The Mane Choice Crystal Orchid Biotin Infused Styling Gel - I really like this gel because it contains biotin, which is needed in order for your hair to grow and retain length.  I think it was a genius idea to add biotin to a hair gel.  It also doesn't leave the end of my hair crusty and my hair never flakes.  Once the gel dries, my hair is still soft and full of moisture.  I also use it so smooth my edge down if I decide to put my hair in a mohawk or a high puff.  Finally a gel that's actually good for your hair!
• Mielle Organics Honey & Ginger Styling Gel - This is a new product by Mielle Organics.  When they introduce a product they always have a great sale and of course I am a sucker for a good sale.  This gel is also one that does not leave your hair hard or crunchy.  I actually tried a perm rod set using only this gel and a moisturizer and my hair was extremely soft the next day. It also provided an excellent hold and my curls lasted for about a week.
• tgin Curl Bomb Moisturizing Styling Gel - This product is new to tgin.  I ordered it about 2 weeks ago and I actually haven't really used it much yet.  I used a little to smooth down my edges and it worked well.  The hold this product provided was great and my hair was still soft.  I'm looking forward to using this when I do my next perm rod set.

Mousse

When I think about foam or mousse I think about a good ol' wrap.  Wraps were my favorite style when I had relaxed hair.  They were simple and easy to maintain.  Some nights I miss them when I have to spend 30 minutes to and hour doing a perm rod set.  Most mousses can make your hair hard when dried but the ones listed below are the complete opposite.  Sometimes I coat an entire section of hair with the foam and sometimes I only use it to smooth my ends around the perm rod.

• Mielle Organics Brazilian Curly Cocktail Mousse - This along with the curl cream (mentioned in the last post) makes the curly cocktail.  I'm not too crazy about using the two together.  It doesn't really give me a wow factor; it's just kind of blah.  Sometimes it takes more mousse to really smooth my hair as I wrap it around the perm rods.  My hair is still soft after using this product.  Maybe I'll try a few other hair product combinations to see if that will increase my love for this product.
• Lottabody Wrap Me Foaming Mousse - MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!  I can use any type of moisturizer with this mousse and my hair turns out soft every single time.  But when I use the Lottabody Moisturize Me Curl & Style Milk (mentioned in the last post) with this mousse...oh man!  I love the way these products together make my hair so soft and bouncy.  My curls are so fluffy when I separate them.  The hold and definition give me life.  You can't tell me shit when I use these products together!  Lottabody is one of the cheaper brands that I use, but they are some of the products that work the best for my hair.

Edge Control

I don't know about ya'll but my edges can be the devil.  They won't do right and don't let the humidity be too high.  I can hang up trying to be cute.  I've gone through so many different edge control and finally I have found two (yes I know I list three below) that can help tame my edges.  I usually spray my edges with a little water, apply a little of The Mane Choice's gel, and then apply some edge control.  After doing all that, I smooth my hair with an edge brush or my old school Avon hard bristle brush.  Some use a tooth brush, but that didn't work for me.

• The Mane Choice Laid Back Effortlessly Growth Stimulating Edge Control - This has to be my favorite.  Not only does it tame my edges but it helps to promotes growth and stimulates dormant hair follicles to grow.  It doesn't leave my edges stiff.  If I want to style my hair a different way, all I have to do is add a little water to reactivate the edge control.
• Mielle Organics Honey & Ginger Edge Gel - I initially though that I liked this edge control for my hair but I've had a change of heart.  I'm not sure if my hair texture is different or something is different with the edge gel but it doesn't work as well as it used to.  It takes A LOT of this gel to get my edges to lay smoothly and I hate using a lot of any product.  However, I used this on my daughter's edges occasionally and I love the way it works for her hair.  I won't use anything else on her edges.  It leaves her hair so soft and it isn't stiff as I style her hair the next day.
• Lottabody Control Me Edge Gel - This is becoming one of my favorites.  It feels like a regular gel but it lays my hair down and keeps it down smoothly.  It's enriched with coconut and shea oils so it helps to hydrate the hair.  What's even better is that they have a small travel size tub that you can carry with you on the go.  During the summer this will come in handy for me.

I tried to make this post as short as I could!  Please feel free to leave me some feedback and let me know what are your favorite stylers.  Check back later for my next post! 😘