Review: Jamaican Mango & Lime

Rasta Locks Twist Jamaican Mango & lime Protein Conditioner, Whew! That's a mouth full.
I ran into this product during one of my many "window shopping product searches".  Of course it was tucked away in the row or plethora of natural hair products.  Honestly, I never even heard of this line so I was extremely pleased and mesmerized to stumble upon this rare gem.

First what I loved about this product, I loved the color of the bottle.  I know that seems so elementary but this was the main reason that I even noticed it in the sea of so called natural hair product.  The bottle was vibrant, the bottle was fun, for goodness sake the bottle was yellow! Jamaican Mango & lime is packaged with easy to read ingredients and easy to read was enough for me to pick it up and finally purchase it with its easy on the pocket cost, ranging from $4.89 to $5.99. I must say it was a steal.

So it's true, I purchased this only because of the package and not to mention the intense and I do mean INTENSE fragrance!  I had to take a whiff of this stuff on my way to purchase it! The smell was heavenly.  It has a tropical or Island scent of lemon, lime and mango fused together.  I absolutely love scents.  It doesn't matter what scent it is as long as it smells good and this fragrance is heavenly.

The consistency is perfect.  Not to thick not to thin just right.  Now for the technical parts.  I often co-wash my hair.  This means I often forgo the shampoo stage and use conditioner instead of shampoo.  My hair is currently not Locked!  This product is for those whose hair is in a natural loc or often twist state.  That does not mean that it cannot be used on loose naturals it just means that my hair isn't loc'd and I may not have been able to receive the fulleness of what the product was meant to do.

It states that it

• strengthens locks
• prevents breakage
• moisturizes
• natural conditioner

My favorite of the 4 proclaimed actions that I expected and what it actually did for my naturally loose tresses was prevent breakage.  I found less strands after as little as 3 co-washes and I also perceived that my strands were strengthened.  I give this product a score of a 79%. 

Here's why:

• The smell was phenomenal.  If you are someone who does not like strong scents I would suggest steering clear from this product line.  Their products pack a punch and I love it.  It's an awesome change to the normal vanilla, cocoa butter scents that many product have. 20%

 

• The packaging caught my I.  Many times I find the packaging to be a mimic of another line that could be easily confused (pink lotion and pin motions are the same except the wording is in a different color) Their package is vibrant beautiful easy to distinguish and most importantly easy to read.)  20%

 

• Directions and ingredients.  Not all the ingredients are organic but I that is not an issue for me considering that more than half of the ingredients are.  They are also extremely easy to read and follow directions in both English and French so for me that's another 15%

 

• Here's where the points are deducted.  The actual efficiency of what the product proclaims to do.  It is supposed to do4 things two of which would be to be a natural conditioner and moisturize your hair.  it definitely fell short in these areas for me however I take in account that I am a loose natural given my final score in this area 10%

 

• I know that this score is mediocre but let's keep in mind that we need our products to actually do all or close to all of the main areas that we want out of them so for the idea of being a Protein conditioner I give  it a 14%

 

My final opinion on Rasta Locks Twist Jamaican Mango & lime Protein Conditioner, I would buy this again.  It does clean your hair and give a refreshing cleansed smell.  I liked the consistency however desired a little more thickness because I am a loose natural.  The slick or ease during detangling was average.  But the scent and ability to strengthen my strands was what won me over.

 

What are some of your thoughts on this product?  What id you like or dislike and what did I forget to mention.

Hair, Already Here!!

Let's move from the theatrics of saying all the wonderful benefits that natural hair can offer and get straight to the root of the situation!  Nurtured, loved and grown, where do we grow from here! I couldn't resist the pun in that one.  I have been natural for 2 years and 10 mths. and I am quite fascinated with the phases that my hair has journeyed  through.  I am loving the fact that I can pull it into a flawless puff, or allow the curls to cascade down my shoulders.  However, I  am wondering what phase comes next or at all?  Is all the hair that to be adorned on my crown already HERE!!

Will my hair continue this exciting journey or have I been plagued to be one of the many that have reached  my terminal length.  I am actually still reluctant to believe there is one but I digress.  Let's face it one of the many benefits of being natural is the remarkable state that our tresses can grow.  The healthy state that we can cultivate them  to  maintain. 

Fully understanding terminal length has me questioning if our counterpart of naturally locked brothers and sister excluded from this so called terminal length merely because there shed hair just continues on in their lock OR could it be that our hair if uninterrupted just really keeps growing and growing and growing.  After all when put into protective styles in effort to be away from the elements our hair flourishes and grows.

So my question to myself am I okay with the  here that is currently fixated on my head  or do I yearn for more?  Is my hair at the terminal length that even if I continue protective styling or nurturing it would get no longer???  We have all learned and have some level of understanding of the phases of growth that goes in and out of dormancy BUT does our hair really have a final destination! What's your take on it?

When to get PROFESSIONAL HAIR HELP!



bglhonline.com

So your on this journey with me.  I have to assume this considering after all your reading a "natural hair blog." Or maybe you are considering leaving the white Crisco alternative alone.  Either way let me warn all of you back of the house, in your bathroom late at night COSMOTOLOGISTS!  Yes, COSMOTOLOGIST.  Eh hum,  SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP WHEN TRIMMING, DUSTING, OR CUTTING YOUR HAIR. 

Yes, I am yelling because, yes it is that serious.  I have been natural for 11 months eagerly educated myself and researched and cross canceled...You get the picture I studied, every technique known yet I made the reckless mistake of UNEVENLY  big chopping.  Now this was not a problem at all in my earlier phases but I tell you Bob, or Karen or you, I hate that I now embark on my 1 year anniversary after have retained a bit of length yet in my 11th month noticed that I will at some point have to ...cut a CHUNK to even it. 


Now I know that this doesn't have to be done now I can just let it go slowly but my point being I could have avoided this had I not Big Chopped at 2am in the morning after watching endless hours of my fellow Youtubers!  As a whole I am pleased with my length retention and a great deal of it has to with protective style as well as my 6 month transitioning.  I have to say a piece of me sure wishes that the whole of my head was as long as the piece that effortlessly touches the collar bone of my neck.  Sigh, lesson has been learned so YOU don't have to. 

The Simple Love of My Natural Hair

Okay, I am Natural no shock or surprise.  It's quite obvious when you take a glance at the texture of my hair.   I love the freedom that I have with my hair.  I love the way that there's no stress if my hair gets wet.  I love the way that my hair responds when I pamper it.  I love the fact that I can actually eat my products, meaning that the cost of beauty supplies has greatly decreased.

 I must admit that I miss the days of literally washing and literally going.  Those were the days of foundation.  I used those initial day's to spoil, show off and spoil my curls.  That maybe the reason they respond so obediently.  I miss the day's of just wrapping my hair and going to bed.  Finding new styles in my new length and allowing my hair to welcome a friendly conversation is so refreshing.

I realize that the word transition is not isolated to transitioning from perm to natural.  I find myself constantly transitioning from length to length, regimen to regimen and product to product.  Each phase demanding to be recognized for it's new texture and specialized need for care.

 I know that I have options and I know that this is a journey but for now I am enjoying the simplicity of my hair and truly enjoying the journey.  No matter the length, the new Scientology, or the in product, I sincerely am loving the simple nature of my hair.

Embrace The Stage your in...Even The TWA

Embrace The stage your in...Even if it’s the TWA

So you big chopped now what? You have mastered the all too familiar wash and go and now your bored. You can barely wait to adorn those strands with two strand twist or seductive twist outs and coils that have major hang time. But I warn you not to rush. After all longer hair natural’s envy you in this million degree weather. Embrace the stage that your in and learn from it.

I recently just graduated from what seemed to be an endless time of co wash, apply product and then off to enjoy the cares of life. It couldn't get any better. I was amused by the ease and the liberty that accompanied this new low maintenance style. Yet, 3 months of that and the amusement of how simple it was, was gone! I searched and researched the Internet endlessly trying to find new cute ideas and accessories all while trying to figure out when my first “real” puff would arrive. I knew that only patience would bring what I longed for so I waited, and waited, and waited.

4 months out of my 7 month transition my “growth” came. “ Oh, wow, your hair looks really good and it is growing beautifully!” There, I had the growth that I needed. Let me be clear my hair hadn't gotten any longer than the 3 inches of curls that I had, but the growth came in my maturity. No it wasn't that I lacked confidence because my mind was made up to endure the process once I chopped. The growth came when I learned how to embrace the stage I was in. 

Each stage of my journey from the initial thought has been amazing. My transition allowed me to see that straight hair was not the only way to keep my hair manageable, my big chop allowed me to see that long hair was not the Utopia of beauty, and as my coils and kink’s grow I am learning new hairstyles and how to build health through each stage. Now, I view the stage that I am in as a blessing. I envy the Big chopped girls because after all we are in the dead of summer and let’s face it they have the perfect swimming, and get up and go be fierce hair, and yet I envy the longer haired girls because they have the perfect updo sassy hair. Yet I embrace the stage I am in after all both girls wanna be where us TA’s are LOL. We have the ease of manipulating longer styles to fit our length yet it’s short enough not to work to hard to rock it and becoming overheated. So, as we embrace our stages let’s treat it as we do life. Learn from it, Laugh at it and embrace the stage that we are in.

Although, infancy is the place we all long for in hindsight it’s maturity once reached that we wish we had when we look back.