As promised, photos of my henna + indigo + BKT'ed hair

As promised, although the lighting is not the best in my kitchen, after a final exam, at midnight. I just BKT'ed, so my hair is straight (ish). The photos make my hair appear redder than it is. I swear, it's a mahogany brown!

MANY more after the cut!

Hair security alert, level orange! Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Conditoner now contains dimethicone.

It's a sad, sad day in the neighborhood. Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Balance Moisturizing Conditioner has gotten a makeover. Apart from its snazzy new design, it has swapped its parabens for silicones, but TJ's is banking on its consumer base preferring one unnatural substance over another. It's all greek yogurt to me, but here's TJ's informal response to the outrage, via NaturallyCurly.com:

(photo from Lacocobella.com)

Boing! Deva Curl B'Leave In review

Here it is! My long awaited B'Leave In review. Am I a B'Leave - er? Will you have to suffer through a million puns? Read on to find out.

About DevaCurl B'Leave-In:

What it is:
Deva Curl (via Sephora) says B'Leave In is "a leave in curl booster."

Yeah, I guess so. I mean, you don't rinse it out. But this is not a leave in conditioner, and I certainly don't saturate my hair with it. So, minus one point, Deva Chan, for your strange and misleading product naming.

What it does:
Deva Curl (via Sephora) says "This botanically enriched curl volumizer enhances fullness and strength and is ideal for fine delicate curls."

Yeah, I guess so. At least they give some hint as to what the product is, but they're still being vague.

Read on for my review!

Like that extra glass of wine...L'Oreal Oleo Therapy Deep Recovery Mask Review

Here is what L'Oreal has to say about the deep recovery mask:

"Oleo Therapy Deep Recovery Mask is a sensorial restorative treatment formulated with a 6 flower oil blend. This new nourishing balm revives lifeless locks and restores hair's natural radiance. Leaves hair nourished and smoother."

If that statement alerts the bullshit policeman in you, don't fret. L'Oreal is a big liar, but so are all mass market beauty producers. We all know that the "6 flower oils" do nothing, and that hair cannot be "restored" with any permanence after damage. I try to look past the glossy advertising and fancy packaging that is sure to be reminiscent of Kerastase, a high end hair care brand also manufactured by L'Oreal. It's actually pretty genius advertising. The mask I bought looks very similar to a Kerastase Oleo Curl Masque I used eons ago:

Am I right?

I felt like I bought this product with an open mind. I did give it a fair shot. I used it three showers in a row (so, for about a week and a half). Still, there was something nagging me while I tried to write my "impartial" review:
Read on for my disclaimer, and a review!

The great obfuscation: those sneaky sulfates. Let's talk Sodium Coco-Sulfate.

I welcome you to a new series in my hair blogging/crime solving franchise: the great obfuscation.
This segment is brought to you by the West Flanders Brewery in Boulder, Colorado. They are responsible for expanding my vocabulary, as well as getting me tipsy. On we go.

To obfuscate is to intentionally blur the truth. From the free online dictionary:
ob·fus·cate
1. To make so confused or opaque as to be difficult to perceive or understand: "A great effort was made . . . to obscure or obfuscate the truth" (Robert Conquest).
2. To render indistinct or dim; darken: The fog obfuscated the shore.

I recently purchased an "Affirmation to root vegetables" product (shampoo) that claimed to be sulfate free. Very foamy. Very harsh. Very sulfate-y. When I googled Sodium Coco Sulfate, the primary surfactant, here is the first displayed result, from the Honest Company. Dare I say it, but I feel as though they might consider a rebranding. I'm no good at marketing, but a few names come to mind: the Not Exactly Lying Company? the Sort Of Glazing Over The Truth Company?

Read on to see what surfactant they're using!