tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91042460042809492942024-03-14T04:21:54.666-04:00Girl with CurlGirl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-26209725079521121592012-01-20T14:19:00.024-05:002012-01-20T15:40:57.078-05:00Cleaning up the cob webs...Hello..helllooooooooo!!! Anyone still out there?? Yes, it's been awhile...a very long while. Many things have changed since I've last written such as:<br /><br />1. The boyfriend was ugpraded to the fiance and finally promoted to the HUSBAND! We got married back in September 2011.<span style="font-size:180%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"> FIANCE</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8Mbt5WfEtCHJG_FjJBSvisklwrzmJxKey62sH-RGq59wD3PhlGxPR8NMBLm-wroJ0PpUWrLSNlXsAppQdbMlrGdS_DbAHxVCHon5aHgtTZbr8lbMmAPizXDcfElnwjdACW53pVGmTO0/s1600/engagement1.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8Mbt5WfEtCHJG_FjJBSvisklwrzmJxKey62sH-RGq59wD3PhlGxPR8NMBLm-wroJ0PpUWrLSNlXsAppQdbMlrGdS_DbAHxVCHon5aHgtTZbr8lbMmAPizXDcfElnwjdACW53pVGmTO0/s320/engagement1.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699815140737854850" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size:180%;">HUSBAND</span><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLsklJyDeRQbFqDlsHgVQ4S6ehzVacDZGQioNEQJJuOTZvNg7OeTa9FF7PBPHA-BUAtBsCXUcjxzh56MbV4jmFzmN8wExGmvSbofCCuKSEuk96yy4RGgzN8x-exkCVt4HuVZqHGOegEc/s1600/wedding.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLsklJyDeRQbFqDlsHgVQ4S6ehzVacDZGQioNEQJJuOTZvNg7OeTa9FF7PBPHA-BUAtBsCXUcjxzh56MbV4jmFzmN8wExGmvSbofCCuKSEuk96yy4RGgzN8x-exkCVt4HuVZqHGOegEc/s320/wedding.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699815049301288322" border="0" /></a><br />(I just learned that fiancé is a man engaged to be married and fiancee is a woman engaged to be married. The whole time I thought they were the same thing and you used the double "e" when you didn't make the acute accent. I just found this out and that the accent mark above fiancé is called acute accent. I google everything)<br /><br /><br />2. The husband and I have happily expanded our family. Introducing "The Baby". Names may have been changed to protect the identity of those who can't hold their head up or stay awake long enough to protest. I may be biased but, he's pretty intelligent. Just the other day I promise he said my first name. Even some grown people have a hard time pronouncing my first name.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBPJ63A5rLMr6hyphenhyphenVWTwtuh7ktv9-sNhKIFDwFVDFH3-wibTlQbwzzy6B7j3NcevZE_nl4TeH6qJuPoLSBJzuucwkTj6ceKcC1wueX-wMkhgZxuOqnor0yrUL375h0p0YIFXrXq8hRImA/s1600/tongue+sticking+out_blacked+out.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBPJ63A5rLMr6hyphenhyphenVWTwtuh7ktv9-sNhKIFDwFVDFH3-wibTlQbwzzy6B7j3NcevZE_nl4TeH6qJuPoLSBJzuucwkTj6ceKcC1wueX-wMkhgZxuOqnor0yrUL375h0p0YIFXrXq8hRImA/s200/tongue+sticking+out_blacked+out.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699804488650767266" border="0" /></a><br />3. Our family did not expand by just plus one. Introducing...Mochi. (She has agreed to use her real name.) I forgot how crazy the puppy stage is. Mochi turned 1 this past Christmas. I'm hoping she'll calm down soon. I don't know how much more Korina, her older sister, can take. Mochi is a full bred maltese. I have the papers to prove it. Korina on the other hand - I'm slowly doubting each day that she's a full bred maltese. I don't think malteses are supposed to get as big as cocker spaniels.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh83iCoq9UGlXDdyQerovI1d7kf37WGHPF17DEMyjclOhON8XTpvtQVgsEInkxJkzS3shCwC9n-3jfnmjhqb9kLNgWWun75blUQrUuH5PBP2o-1VmIxcfxitxYD3doBSzk3un8UW1R_9E/s1600/photo+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh83iCoq9UGlXDdyQerovI1d7kf37WGHPF17DEMyjclOhON8XTpvtQVgsEInkxJkzS3shCwC9n-3jfnmjhqb9kLNgWWun75blUQrUuH5PBP2o-1VmIxcfxitxYD3doBSzk3un8UW1R_9E/s320/photo+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699815354933823522" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14ascwM5yLU1Ded3HJj689czEazx60ugz7m1QDMzaFM5rVvu0xVlYmLWc0NocGH_3z5Yx357dk-hoFlOem_haSwuvDkLP-Kj9ruHdWpTGqGVhZmt39rrNfAHN4qGrMGPEmPI0bIW-03o/s1600/photo+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14ascwM5yLU1Ded3HJj689czEazx60ugz7m1QDMzaFM5rVvu0xVlYmLWc0NocGH_3z5Yx357dk-hoFlOem_haSwuvDkLP-Kj9ruHdWpTGqGVhZmt39rrNfAHN4qGrMGPEmPI0bIW-03o/s320/photo+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699815236693857922" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span>And then there are some things that have not changed such as:<br /><br />- my makeup obsession and growing collection as a result of this obsession<br />- quest for long HEALTHY NICE hair (just because it's long doesn't mean it's nice)<br />- my battle to become fit<br /><br />I'll have some upcoming posts related to these.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Engagement and wedding images courtesy of Scott Hayne photography.</span>Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-4612377594902442772009-05-21T13:06:00.009-04:002009-05-21T14:05:57.567-04:00Curl Junkie ProductsI had the opportunity to test out a variety of <a href="http://curljunkie.com/">Curl Junkie</a> products. Once again, I started off with the smell test. It's always the first thing I do with a new product. Two thumbs up for the scents, especially the Coffee Coco Curl Creme and Hibiscus and Banana deep fix - moisturizing conditioner. I already had the Sulfate Free Gentle Shampoo and Curl Assurance Daily Hair Conditioner which came with a <a href="http://myprettypinkbox.com/">My Pretty Pink Box</a> I had ordered a couple weeks ago. Marsha, of Curl Junkie Hair Products, was nice enough to send me Curl Theory Moisturizing Hair conditioner, Hibiscus and Banana deep fix - moisturizing conditioner, Coffee Coco Curl Creme, Curl Assurance Aloe Fix Hair Styling gel, and Curl Assurance smoothing gellie.<br /><br />Whenever I review products, I try to keep and open mind even if I've already read reviews on those products but, I still can't help but have certain expectations for products that have a lot of positive reviews. I figured I would test out three different combinations of styling products, each time using the the Sulfate Free Gentle Shampoo and Curl Assurance Daily Hair Conditioner.<br /><br />I really like the Sulfate Free Gentle Shampoo. Its consistency, which is similar to just plain water, is kind of unusual for a shampoo. I usually expect shampoos to be thick and creamy. I was pleasantly surprised to see that you still get a lot of sudsing action even though the shampoo is not thick at all. As for the Daily and Moisturizing hair conditioners, both did condition my hair, but the results were average and typical of other conditioners I have tried.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Test#1 - Hibiscus and Banana deep fix - moisturizing conditioner + Curl Assurance Aloe Fix Hair Styling gel</span><br /><br />This combination didn't really do much for my hair. I didn't get good clumps and using a gel to hold the non-clumping just left me with limp semi-wavy hair. It also made the more straighter sections of my hair even straighter. I might have to try this combination again but, use different amounts of each product and see if my results differ.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwR_BTva0pMfB5xARJGogjs2qxL_w_duYRDh9zQ6K-FZQ0rHnboFjN8SmYjQadkguvB3F9C8c2l6tD6fJPhecW1S7LupKadVJELXOMn_KMwQQoDhtnGh9x1JcUrXcrjc1okPy0_n2icg/s1600-h/cj_hc_aloeg_front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwR_BTva0pMfB5xARJGogjs2qxL_w_duYRDh9zQ6K-FZQ0rHnboFjN8SmYjQadkguvB3F9C8c2l6tD6fJPhecW1S7LupKadVJELXOMn_KMwQQoDhtnGh9x1JcUrXcrjc1okPy0_n2icg/s200/cj_hc_aloeg_front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338338209150656466" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yE4l9hJQJMOvlCENv6_5IOv8SCE7hlkEJNz1wS1Qz5NulCHeotNyVLdtY5xYvqROeTppGa14A2wUzSqrjJn-YH6pmSAM8VvNlXKS182egKDu1WBGmjf7cgEUTwvTVY9Oy-LBpM_ZcI0/s1600-h/cj_hc_aloeg_side.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yE4l9hJQJMOvlCENv6_5IOv8SCE7hlkEJNz1wS1Qz5NulCHeotNyVLdtY5xYvqROeTppGa14A2wUzSqrjJn-YH6pmSAM8VvNlXKS182egKDu1WBGmjf7cgEUTwvTVY9Oy-LBpM_ZcI0/s200/cj_hc_aloeg_side.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338338452247036002" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Test #2 - Coffee Coco Curl Creme by itself</span><br /><br />I was expecting this to be my favorite of the bunch because of how heavily it's been discussed on naturallycurly.com. It's also supposed to do the job of both a leave-in conditioner and a gel which I love because it cuts down on the amount of products I have to buy and apply. The Coffee Coco Curl Creme moisturized my hair and gave me good clumping, but the clumps were falling towards the end of the day. I think next time I'll have to use more product. I used a light hand this time thinking too much would weigh my hair down.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWG7n1AM0D8KpYot9sGjUrKmaahdKbB-jbqTh22f7Vhj2G-ypHTVYaFT7wRl2BuPOzPt6wTEz5Hx1g_PT-FkfJxE5a8HSgM6jPi-O2GoV3g7cYMLkl4E3d5euotsMnpWl1ZkKdPAILsSc/s1600-h/cj_ccc_side_front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWG7n1AM0D8KpYot9sGjUrKmaahdKbB-jbqTh22f7Vhj2G-ypHTVYaFT7wRl2BuPOzPt6wTEz5Hx1g_PT-FkfJxE5a8HSgM6jPi-O2GoV3g7cYMLkl4E3d5euotsMnpWl1ZkKdPAILsSc/s200/cj_ccc_side_front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338338104757176370" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRp1tx_jQKPSVG6QaH9ClyoQWJhOLd2hP1_9scgwjNZxwVED_D__esc-MheCB2IWCD9glFQAEoyCGgqIFPEYn5n_HZgIWeOcY-U-u__yaS7qXrDHF8xs5IiR6GMGwgxdLpdHMA3Fc_x1I/s1600-h/cj_ccc_side.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRp1tx_jQKPSVG6QaH9ClyoQWJhOLd2hP1_9scgwjNZxwVED_D__esc-MheCB2IWCD9glFQAEoyCGgqIFPEYn5n_HZgIWeOcY-U-u__yaS7qXrDHF8xs5IiR6GMGwgxdLpdHMA3Fc_x1I/s200/cj_ccc_side.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338338363976273730" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);">Test#3 - Hibiscus and Banana deep fix - moisturizing conditioner + Curl Assurance smoothing gellie</span><br /><br />This was my favorite combination of the three I tried. It gave me lot of clumps and good hold without the crunchiness. I even tried it out at a birthday party picnic with high humidity and temperatures close to 90 degF. By the end of the day, I did have some friziness but, this combination still responded better to the humidity than other products I've tried. I'm still searching for a product that totally protects my hair-do from humidity.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBy5XIwtlQFFArFGEccTiOBIc8gPzZwS6GwalmK9b7a_0GAKNzD2xTY8xwraEfuePRKM5VwmVSTF-nljJaL15toYk7We5dyAr5NHAn0Lq-AeanhXs_3HZ-VqsHjDGJssoRg7e5lCgA2s/s1600-h/cj_hc_gellie_front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBy5XIwtlQFFArFGEccTiOBIc8gPzZwS6GwalmK9b7a_0GAKNzD2xTY8xwraEfuePRKM5VwmVSTF-nljJaL15toYk7We5dyAr5NHAn0Lq-AeanhXs_3HZ-VqsHjDGJssoRg7e5lCgA2s/s200/cj_hc_gellie_front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338338273902044114" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCsRQEXGLw3taAlzRBxEr0e0m0Qf8e0VcjqkJZXBXB_ad0uax2hZMvn5ausvKG9D7G1wkPEp7I0lOi099_LWqrFo-q2_BhlHoi1HKYitUBixAaiuu-GbrsQD_j8NhJ3qPJb_iU2T8vmE/s1600-h/cj_hc_gellie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCsRQEXGLw3taAlzRBxEr0e0m0Qf8e0VcjqkJZXBXB_ad0uax2hZMvn5ausvKG9D7G1wkPEp7I0lOi099_LWqrFo-q2_BhlHoi1HKYitUBixAaiuu-GbrsQD_j8NhJ3qPJb_iU2T8vmE/s200/cj_hc_gellie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338338518823742754" border="0" /></a>Sooo..in order from my most favorite combo to my least favorite combo..I would have to go with Hibiscus and Banana deep fix - moisturizing conditioner + Curl Assurance smoothing gellie, Coffee Coco Curl Creme by itself, and finally Hibiscus and Banana deep fix - moisturizing conditioner + Curl Assurance Aloe Fix Hair Styling gel.<br /><br />I spoke to Marsha of Curl Junkie about the results I got (she's really great about discussing issues you might have with Curl Junkie products and giving recommendations) and she said she normally doesn't recomend the Hibiscus and Banana deep fix - moisturizing conditioner as a leave-in for people with my hair texture because it's usually too heavy but she's happy it worked for me. She also suggested trying the Curl Assurance Aloe Fix Hair Styling gel alone on wet hair or Coffee Coco Curl Creme + Curl Assurance Aloe Fix Hair Styling gel. If you have these products and you aren't getting the results you want, you might want to try Marsha's recommendations.<br /><br />Another thing I really like about these products, other than the scents, is that some of them are multi-purpose. For example, the Hibiscus and Banana deep fix - moisturizing conditioner can be used as a rinse-out, deep or leave-in conditioner. I'm definitely one for saving money and getting the most out of a product.<br /><br />I also mentioned to her that a lot of people, including me, dislike buying products online because of shipping costs. She said she's "slowly but surely" adding retail locations where Curl Junkie products can be purchased. Currently, they can be purchased at Back to the Lands Natural Foods in Brooklyn, NY, Lin's Beauty Supply in Little Elm, TX, and Honeyfig in Ontario, Canada but, be on the lookout for a retail location close to you in the near future.Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-49210772432126566912009-05-08T13:50:00.011-04:002009-05-08T14:35:45.072-04:00AG Hair ProductsI had the opportunity to test out AG Hair products. I have heard of them before because many of the members of naturallycurly.com use and love the Re:coil Curl Activating Balm. I was sent the Re:coil Curl Activating Shampoo, Re:coil Curl Activating Conditioner, and Re:coil Curl Activating Balm to review. The shampoo is sulfate-free. The conditioner contains some of the heavy silicones such as cyclopentasiloxane and dimethicone. It also contains Amodimethicone which is a slightly water soluble silicone. The balm does not contain silicones. Because the conditioner contained silicones I wanted to test out the balm by itself then test all three together.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Experiment #1</span> was the Re:coil Curl Activating Balm by itself. I cowashed with Suave Naturals conditioner then conditioned with Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner. The way this balm works is similar to how Kinky Curly Curling Custard works which made me think the Re:coil balm would work better if I had applied a leave-in conditioner before the Re:coil balm.<br /><br />The reason I say that the Re:coil balm works similar to Kinky Curly Curling Custard is because as it dried it seemed like it would dry crunchy but, once it was fully dry you were left with defined, NOT crunchy waves. However, I still thought it would have been better layered with a leave-in conditioner.<br /><br />In this picture, my hair wasn't 100% dry but fairly dry. I get too lazy to blowdry my hair and I figure the warmer weather is perfect for air drying my hair.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5O7abcDQrpM3FwvXvHr2DDlZlsnUzZbkwEvgBfl8fRo0AnBW2fpyH3Y1wmB4t-9KJv01KP-Y7VZ1Ijj9oMlzWjHxQezJ98_lveFE_awh7ayUyzDsDOE7iPdIuPZ7la7Umn28h_FYzT0/s1600-h/AGrecoil_alone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5O7abcDQrpM3FwvXvHr2DDlZlsnUzZbkwEvgBfl8fRo0AnBW2fpyH3Y1wmB4t-9KJv01KP-Y7VZ1Ijj9oMlzWjHxQezJ98_lveFE_awh7ayUyzDsDOE7iPdIuPZ7la7Umn28h_FYzT0/s200/AGrecoil_alone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333518713261304866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Experiment #2.</span> In the next pictures, I used Kinky Curly Knot Today leave-in before applying Re:coil Curl Activating Balm. I figured since Kinky Curly Curling Custard works well with Knot Today leave-in conditioner and is similar to Re:coil balm then the Re:coil balm would work well with Knot Today leave-in. I actually prefer this combination to just using the Re:coil balm alone.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRQklnVO0bB6bQ9Lwoatibp3CCaqW_wSDfPVlXeE0VtfAGE2z6tVVUjtif6X4fLhuQc2gLZbjnPBmW_Fef9Cda0msPZzBW5Pge-ObudiBNS7ZCE3KaMFgVl0U7o4JijVjEi1em3WJjcY/s1600-h/IMG_0708.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRQklnVO0bB6bQ9Lwoatibp3CCaqW_wSDfPVlXeE0VtfAGE2z6tVVUjtif6X4fLhuQc2gLZbjnPBmW_Fef9Cda0msPZzBW5Pge-ObudiBNS7ZCE3KaMFgVl0U7o4JijVjEi1em3WJjcY/s200/IMG_0708.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333519606126581682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5F42jhuLkvIVwSMk86D6ccwvXmOHnvrqS22_U7Pccctjk0ui0dzdMHw8ZkbaDTldMeqwSHo4zu2FyxsOkRzqEw2tIMOnncsHDsI0QUhStLfoXgfS406y8s55iFtjAHlu0Hd3SZDoDRfQ/s1600-h/AGrecoilside.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5F42jhuLkvIVwSMk86D6ccwvXmOHnvrqS22_U7Pccctjk0ui0dzdMHw8ZkbaDTldMeqwSHo4zu2FyxsOkRzqEw2tIMOnncsHDsI0QUhStLfoXgfS406y8s55iFtjAHlu0Hd3SZDoDRfQ/s200/AGrecoilside.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333519775239967538" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Experiment #3.</span> This time I used the shampoo, conditioner, and balm together. I also used the Kinky Curly Knot Today leave-in. I liked this combination also but, it wouldn't work for those who are strictly following the Curly Girl method because the conditioner does contain silicones as I mentioned above.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6AInlhIiuUhyTU3gQnyQlX_ZQGB7j0q69oml65zkY5M4EVmAydhTfXHoG69-EkWLk6Pn6oUmtGCSCV8MhFrEilH7vHXjShbn4AN0v1fNWwG7gPJ2f6o7Kpezo-0pV4MZygT7jQcThCI/s1600-h/agrecoil_withshampoocond_leavein.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6AInlhIiuUhyTU3gQnyQlX_ZQGB7j0q69oml65zkY5M4EVmAydhTfXHoG69-EkWLk6Pn6oUmtGCSCV8MhFrEilH7vHXjShbn4AN0v1fNWwG7gPJ2f6o7Kpezo-0pV4MZygT7jQcThCI/s200/agrecoil_withshampoocond_leavein.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333520978381924674" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYR6LsfSjMJPX_QjSCINNf2q3nvwZ4l5ftTwKpb84HRmyeqVChyqv-O2IPmAFY4_N4RvXy03SWF5Zk8sIq4aVHu9bLt6al3M9X22wE1O8flNBonDieHEOdJFAPKB4Yde7RXUb9ViLu_To/s1600-h/agrecoil_withshampoocond_leavein_back.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYR6LsfSjMJPX_QjSCINNf2q3nvwZ4l5ftTwKpb84HRmyeqVChyqv-O2IPmAFY4_N4RvXy03SWF5Zk8sIq4aVHu9bLt6al3M9X22wE1O8flNBonDieHEOdJFAPKB4Yde7RXUb9ViLu_To/s200/agrecoil_withshampoocond_leavein_back.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333521069907416338" border="0" /></a>In summary, the AG Hair products worked well with my hair but, I also needed a separate leave-in conditioner in order to achieve the results I wanted. The Re:coil balm alone just didn't give me the defintion that I was looking for but, once you added a leave-in conditioner, it worked really well. It worked as well as Kinky Curly Curling Custard which is a favorite among the wavies and curlies. The shampoo is sulfate-free which is a definite plus. For those of you who don't fear the silicone, the conditioner also works great.Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-68871260730674371582009-05-08T13:44:00.002-04:002009-05-08T13:47:58.364-04:00Nine Naturals Giveaway winnerCongratulations to <a href="http://courtneygettinghealthy.blogspot.com/">Courtney Yarberry</a> - winner of the Nine Naturals giveaway which includes a Nine Naturals set of shampoo and conditioner! Thank you Courtney and everyone who participated. I have another giveaway lined up and this time it may possibly have multiple winners so stay tuned.Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-30452867810010890622009-05-01T09:12:00.009-04:002009-05-08T13:31:52.606-04:00I smell a giveaway...<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">Contest is now closed. Winner will be announced shortly. Thank you to everyone that participated.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOn4UsgiKk4f11zjmR1UY9JdXn8nUgGnkWf5ehuXU9B9184KUMA5oAm9hUAbCPdJhuwFLjMUe9ZivTPXCpgxiAUuoNxNs6qaWktsL3dq8JWMbIrW2pT6ilhWTILj1J6anKm1bEhJ_Btc/s1600-h/ninenaturals_logo.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 147px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOn4UsgiKk4f11zjmR1UY9JdXn8nUgGnkWf5ehuXU9B9184KUMA5oAm9hUAbCPdJhuwFLjMUe9ZivTPXCpgxiAUuoNxNs6qaWktsL3dq8JWMbIrW2pT6ilhWTILj1J6anKm1bEhJ_Btc/s200/ninenaturals_logo.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330848722012628866" border="0" /></a><br />The founder of Nine Naturals hair care line, Nicole Shariat, has generously offered to give away a Nine Naturals set of shampoo and conditioner. Her products are tailored towards moms-to-be but, if you look closely, many of her products are what most of you are looking for - products that DO NOT contain pthalates, parabens, sulfates and DEA. All Nine Naturals products contain nine or fewer truly natural ingredients, not "psuedo-natural" products that try to hide their chemicals behind words such as botanical, natural and organic. All Nine Naturals products are also certified vegan.<br /><br />You don't have to be expecting a baby to enter this give away. You just have to want hair care products that are 100% natural that DO NOT contain harsh or harmful ingredients and chemicals.<br /><br />Check out the <a href="http://ninenaturals.com/">Nine Naturals</a> website for more information.<br /><br />Contest rules:<br />1. Any reader that posts a comment AND sends me an email with the subject line saying "Nine Naturals giveaway - [insert name that you used to leave a comment here]" This allows me to track down the winner easier. My email address is mamendoz@gmail.com.<br />2. Contest is open to US and Canadian readers.<br />3. Winner will be chosen randomly.<br />4. Contest ends at 12:00 PM EST on Friday, May 8, 2009.Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-20788326293520842252009-04-28T13:57:00.030-04:002009-04-28T16:16:36.802-04:00Let me break out the Pledge...And dust off my blog. I have so many posts in my head that just need to get written down. I have some product reviews, including AG hair products (most known for AG recoil), Curl Junkie products and Arrojo products, that I have to get around to. I have the products, tested them out, taken the pictures but, I just need to sit down and actually write it out. I also have another giveaway coming either the end of this week or beginning of next week.<br /><br />Blended Beauty sent me a cute sample bag which contained most of their popular products. One of the first things I do when I receive products is smell them. I'm very sensitive too smells. Blended Beauty products have that natural, woodsy scent going on a la Carol's Daughter's and Ojon products. The scent is strong and will linger in your hair the whole day. I categorize scents as perfumey, fruity, natural, and food-like (usually products that smell like desserts such as cake). There are probably scents that I haven't encountered yet that don't fit those categories but, a majority of the products I've smelled do fall in those 4 catgeories.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JH9ks_njas0R8R716U5OAFA09gsX0n8t-ECHGgEzPerivl68KPiXN7RJt_WCPl09syztPnmlCnvjWqcaMDPpIANPjZZlqNoQcMUUSyG2aOcw9oeLF6x6CbzXyHwPSOvqCP6h-_6Aq34/s1600-h/IMG_0777.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JH9ks_njas0R8R716U5OAFA09gsX0n8t-ECHGgEzPerivl68KPiXN7RJt_WCPl09syztPnmlCnvjWqcaMDPpIANPjZZlqNoQcMUUSyG2aOcw9oeLF6x6CbzXyHwPSOvqCP6h-_6Aq34/s200/IMG_0777.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329806337625308034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZraQSGwu0b_8Iv0O5IczebWWP5ZIVn2qN4MFqOCLfbLXeWuE19BUspVgauNvwDfGQn1RPfGnzRENlCIVhP2Ctp6-ke1IEfs04EzOj9RngHUuetZgMz-O6uuXjChfA44-BaKX_fZ4okQo/s1600-h/IMG_0779.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZraQSGwu0b_8Iv0O5IczebWWP5ZIVn2qN4MFqOCLfbLXeWuE19BUspVgauNvwDfGQn1RPfGnzRENlCIVhP2Ctp6-ke1IEfs04EzOj9RngHUuetZgMz-O6uuXjChfA44-BaKX_fZ4okQo/s200/IMG_0779.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329806415663306850" border="0" /></a><br />In my sample bag I received the Soy Cream Shampoo, Curl Quenching Conditioner, Light Styling Lotion, Kicks for Curls, Silkshake, Curly Frizz Pudding and an instruction booklet. I haven't had a chance to try some of the products because some of them are used on 2nd day hair and I usually wash my hair everyday. I cowashed with Suave Naturals, conditioned with Curl Quenching conditioner, and styled with the light styling lotion and Curly Frizz Pudding.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqGRzC6Ue3rWzqbfvVPbQODbtxED4ghigmMFpBHH-xLL7QUIe7hoeWifIiLzG5JARTAXe6m-yaTweaLE4ijZeWy1ERFB1OFIqTSzPjrx1WQaod4h3bk6asmra_c9mQCw9KmMCON-ainE/s1600-h/IMG_0662.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 84px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqGRzC6Ue3rWzqbfvVPbQODbtxED4ghigmMFpBHH-xLL7QUIe7hoeWifIiLzG5JARTAXe6m-yaTweaLE4ijZeWy1ERFB1OFIqTSzPjrx1WQaod4h3bk6asmra_c9mQCw9KmMCON-ainE/s200/IMG_0662.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329808791895697314" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGI6rxJSDPm10eaxVevskAaT5dE1ugxdzcBi5I73mnOVS9TMV4f9ghf7T0Th43rmIMhNZrW0wPvkf_xKtioELMpxrKlQO6Lq5-oxDFVjl0xovip9vAIn3Hrbm_BTgbYLky08jXrG0HJw/s1600-h/IMG_0663.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGI6rxJSDPm10eaxVevskAaT5dE1ugxdzcBi5I73mnOVS9TMV4f9ghf7T0Th43rmIMhNZrW0wPvkf_xKtioELMpxrKlQO6Lq5-oxDFVjl0xovip9vAIn3Hrbm_BTgbYLky08jXrG0HJw/s200/IMG_0663.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329809083312588610" border="0" /></a>My hair was a bit tangly when I took this picture. The day I tested out some of the products was the day of my friend's "winging" for the Navy. Keep in mind this picture was taken at night. I think my hair held up pretty well for a warm day where I was sweating and running around (the room where they held the ceremony was kind of warm) and I also had my windows down when I was driving.<br /><br />Blended Beauty products are very moisturizing. They don't have a lot of hold but, do give me some definition. I wouldn't call it heavy clumping though. If you want to style your waves or curls but, want them to have looser definition, these products would work for you.<br /><br />Since I last blogged, I've past two milestones in my life. One being my 29th birthday and the other completing a half-marathon.<br /><br />I felt like I celebrated my birthday all week. It might be the most I've ever celebrated my birthday. I celebrated at work twice (once actually at work and once at a hibachi restaurant), at Cheesecake Factory, at my boyfriend's mom's house, and at a bar and club on the weekend. I even had two birthday cakes. I'm not writing to brag about how much I celebrated my birthday but, to talk about how much all of that meant to me. I don't like to talk about my personal life that much on public sites but, some days, especially during holidays or special occasions, I feel kind of alone. I have a really big family but, my parents, brother, aunties, uncles and cousins are all out of state and not really at driveable locations either. I'm not close to the family that I do have nearby because of drama that I won't get into. When I say "not close", it's pretty much like we're strangers. My grandparents are close by also but their favorite past time is staying at home. I've been lucky enough to basically be "adopted" by one of my best friend's family and my boyfriend's family. My best friend's family is my 2nd family and her parents have always been there for me like my own parents have. My boyfriend's family is forever feeding me. If you see how much I eat, you know that can be costly. I have a couple close friends nearby but, again as life does to everyone, most of my close friends are miles and states away. I can't seem to find the words to end this rambling but, basically my Facebook status that I had posted up during my birthday week should sum it up, "[I'm] grateful for all the blessings that God has given me but most grateful for all the people He has brought into my life." I can't express how happy and thankful I was for everything that was done for my birthday. Thank you to everyone who celebrated and made me feel that I do have family here. Thank you to my family, who are some of the nicest people you'll meet, my boyfriend, who never ceases to make me happy, all my friends - new and old, both sides of my boyfriend's family who are always taking care of me, and my coworkers. Let me end this with some birthday pictures before someone offers me some cheese with that whine.<br /><br />Celebrating at work. Yes, I know I'm dressed like a mechanic and No, I can't fix your car. The other day, someone in my neighborhood asked me if I was a professional dog sitter because I was always walking my dog at the same time dressed in my work uniform.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmI-amSVHjC5o-Z8JQfJy4LP1pd-QSpF4XBwmPqhdMLtTXW0U8M8bL2fXO2T7zbu30XVQGqxhKX2uFZaqUwo38ifg0SSVpUnv5C3KiE8EnljFxfWJghiARSI7Anz6e6ICUMvKbJjqJg8U/s1600-h/IMG_0730.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmI-amSVHjC5o-Z8JQfJy4LP1pd-QSpF4XBwmPqhdMLtTXW0U8M8bL2fXO2T7zbu30XVQGqxhKX2uFZaqUwo38ifg0SSVpUnv5C3KiE8EnljFxfWJghiARSI7Anz6e6ICUMvKbJjqJg8U/s200/IMG_0730.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329823788096927794" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5GRwBTxbkgYyA9y34o5PHJKCHh28HtIQ6JGep2h_YZQhwvB73AO0D0_NQKFc2KtXxz5xBB34hp9JMRnf1QbgG8tDAnttFElyZd9kg1-RnYBBYSLUpEc3QXDxhOREkz0W4E7hBbrkxSo/s1600-h/workbdaycake_edit.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5GRwBTxbkgYyA9y34o5PHJKCHh28HtIQ6JGep2h_YZQhwvB73AO0D0_NQKFc2KtXxz5xBB34hp9JMRnf1QbgG8tDAnttFElyZd9kg1-RnYBBYSLUpEc3QXDxhOREkz0W4E7hBbrkxSo/s200/workbdaycake_edit.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329823874156010498" border="0" /></a>Celebrating at my boyfriend's mom's house. We had no idea she was planning anything. My boyfriend even took me out to dinner to Cheesecake Factory and his mom just told us to stop by. When we got to her house, there was all this food. I wish I could have eaten more because everything was so good but, we had gotten an appetizer, main meal and dessert at Cheesecake Factory.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPUVxVPpxndjONGcUEPzJ9ARAOl0vZGcaxi0D9dVCS9m9jbPFUnosv-AIQVzbe8FWiRjWsNoOFpM2zDUTWXUhvGX7_W1g5Qzp7WV7iyR6O1oPK0Yu-8qbtlIM66f5J0kCDf7WhoaBzoU/s1600-h/IMG_0741.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPUVxVPpxndjONGcUEPzJ9ARAOl0vZGcaxi0D9dVCS9m9jbPFUnosv-AIQVzbe8FWiRjWsNoOFpM2zDUTWXUhvGX7_W1g5Qzp7WV7iyR6O1oPK0Yu-8qbtlIM66f5J0kCDf7WhoaBzoU/s200/IMG_0741.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329825444229060594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsbMAF5Bk7I5aMB9etYQHWItijO9xDmTyGYa6exzdl0H7QCHRV9aZQqRUXy7mJJrQ6yuD6Fl379emVdpqxa4TDMLL8Fm-GVPkDplUWX5zVRK2FQinlVKW38CX7eMlu7rn7fYl1DZpC4c/s1600-h/IMG_0743.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsbMAF5Bk7I5aMB9etYQHWItijO9xDmTyGYa6exzdl0H7QCHRV9aZQqRUXy7mJJrQ6yuD6Fl379emVdpqxa4TDMLL8Fm-GVPkDplUWX5zVRK2FQinlVKW38CX7eMlu7rn7fYl1DZpC4c/s200/IMG_0743.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329824892675216098" border="0" /></a>My final celebration which happened to be the same day as the half marathon. I had to take a nap before we left that night. Blowing out my "candle" that was actually a steak knife.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUx_8WlkCjPMMCok7oKLHOBiAEQA_EdNEVRjgmU6R3pzwtHrDFAnVDkwuL5W_Yx0zeDqoSBxsh8-DCMso4OMYpBNHCEprMyPnAoTdBzA7IaOYivKauG_IABV8knbY3UiNerw20-_Fqzoc/s1600-h/DSCF1961+%28mmendoza+v1%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUx_8WlkCjPMMCok7oKLHOBiAEQA_EdNEVRjgmU6R3pzwtHrDFAnVDkwuL5W_Yx0zeDqoSBxsh8-DCMso4OMYpBNHCEprMyPnAoTdBzA7IaOYivKauG_IABV8knbY3UiNerw20-_Fqzoc/s200/DSCF1961+%28mmendoza+v1%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329825938074878162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkSjPmos32PvRyRHkUke-tgAtsG4uhmdB1KJs3BeYqcAY-KpUk3-O8_EwjxilYX9NdJEX0yhGzcfqDeBOaKS5N9oWLgUf0zoeU8HmNSKhHOr3Sj3f13l4tqrWyTyNce1-YPJI1QVCLCU/s1600-h/blowingcake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkSjPmos32PvRyRHkUke-tgAtsG4uhmdB1KJs3BeYqcAY-KpUk3-O8_EwjxilYX9NdJEX0yhGzcfqDeBOaKS5N9oWLgUf0zoeU8HmNSKhHOr3Sj3f13l4tqrWyTyNce1-YPJI1QVCLCU/s200/blowingcake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329826788774644338" border="0" /></a>Look at the size of this carrot cake that the restaurant gives out for birthdays.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EkZnL3swcub0D-WOIMVWa813sllYeZnE0DseByVhw9SAxiFtBD4fmH0A0P8vsbGFHyx3utOOS5rKq5kU3HjE_YjVprT2HkTwv9Ow0JLPwv7pmnmpdIPuFjXKGIQeRA7FLPPV1aV0PJI/s1600-h/DSCF1953+%28mmendoza+v1%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EkZnL3swcub0D-WOIMVWa813sllYeZnE0DseByVhw9SAxiFtBD4fmH0A0P8vsbGFHyx3utOOS5rKq5kU3HjE_YjVprT2HkTwv9Ow0JLPwv7pmnmpdIPuFjXKGIQeRA7FLPPV1aV0PJI/s200/DSCF1953+%28mmendoza+v1%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329827002076599922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7jBPy_RHXoTRIAfWlBRk-HLTZxBNlfr-TgcvlaIpG3er0_cqT5A9l2AqKui6_Ob-8M_-8OlLfCBmFQwwSH7nQv0mJJXT5GR_hxZzeV7u4l52u1bZ9Hi3Y7KZJ_CUiO_WNSwRETuxMwg/s1600-h/avantis.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7jBPy_RHXoTRIAfWlBRk-HLTZxBNlfr-TgcvlaIpG3er0_cqT5A9l2AqKui6_Ob-8M_-8OlLfCBmFQwwSH7nQv0mJJXT5GR_hxZzeV7u4l52u1bZ9Hi3Y7KZJ_CUiO_WNSwRETuxMwg/s200/avantis.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329827083685558642" border="0" /></a>The ladies. I was cracking up hard in the first picture.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1jq75TXpiJD8bjvTBbeNWf4E9AhxoTmVltATenlwCwStlGyNlmKFVvNgAsPMuUUkCiN7k6ZSohqErymneTxdK1biMsxXbFJSNHh4k-DXbA2tEZyYG1Lt0ScQSnYyo0zaOsOgVC1FJSA/s1600-h/DSCF1966.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1jq75TXpiJD8bjvTBbeNWf4E9AhxoTmVltATenlwCwStlGyNlmKFVvNgAsPMuUUkCiN7k6ZSohqErymneTxdK1biMsxXbFJSNHh4k-DXbA2tEZyYG1Lt0ScQSnYyo0zaOsOgVC1FJSA/s200/DSCF1966.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329827431565269938" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8DYfXvDzAurB71ruBHcpM4xfeKqVsX47q1Z77jfRzEfV3DtpWlh0wewZqrU8WEqyduzuDa6gB-u8FWfm3s98RPSfix8fcgTIxUdPdKiYk1QYOBLN3yvGJzgcl7Hcp9U1jJptWnRqwx0/s1600-h/DSCF1969.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8DYfXvDzAurB71ruBHcpM4xfeKqVsX47q1Z77jfRzEfV3DtpWlh0wewZqrU8WEqyduzuDa6gB-u8FWfm3s98RPSfix8fcgTIxUdPdKiYk1QYOBLN3yvGJzgcl7Hcp9U1jJptWnRqwx0/s200/DSCF1969.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329826098675008994" border="0" /></a>I had fun that night but, took me a long time to recover.<br /><br />Like I said above, I completed my half marathon earlier that day. That's the longest distance I've run so far - 13.2 miles. I started struggling at mile 10. It was also the first time I ran with an Ipod. The night before I had just dumped a bunch of songs on a playlist that I thought would be good for running. I might have to reevaluate my playlist though. Stay by Lisa Loeb doesn't hype you up as much as you think it would when all you feel like doing is rolling yourself into a ball and resting for a bit on the side of the road.<br /><br />Here's a pic of me and my boyfriend at the halfway point, between miles 6 and 7. I look rough.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQhPe5GGVmuayfNO0ptorjFXEDjlaTHxP1c50gq0udIE7uzmKBfAUoNRC2sVhPmPQ_3Z1H9sdsxZPagU8Vbo3Tu2osM-HPu0s7kWePOxbJ9QPH_dv3AOY3ubBoIhQ2E3wK4qil1euUt8/s1600-h/babe3_dismal09.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQhPe5GGVmuayfNO0ptorjFXEDjlaTHxP1c50gq0udIE7uzmKBfAUoNRC2sVhPmPQ_3Z1H9sdsxZPagU8Vbo3Tu2osM-HPu0s7kWePOxbJ9QPH_dv3AOY3ubBoIhQ2E3wK4qil1euUt8/s200/babe3_dismal09.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329828788436604002" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUI6StfEACUSYKpB84VmTMROf5QwYowmqRIYLWCJjo3pqiRvgcoTT0vQ3r9z8oAss2PpdUipxvcVD6G-yVn1656jHUiZxl1xo1Z5ot2Y_LWtXCwiXFxFvibIG6QJm_8JS-zxI36cn8aI/s1600-h/me2_dismal09.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUI6StfEACUSYKpB84VmTMROf5QwYowmqRIYLWCJjo3pqiRvgcoTT0vQ3r9z8oAss2PpdUipxvcVD6G-yVn1656jHUiZxl1xo1Z5ot2Y_LWtXCwiXFxFvibIG6QJm_8JS-zxI36cn8aI/s200/me2_dismal09.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329829011199354386" border="0" /></a>I think my pose for my next race will be one of these two.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_Wpa3iIHM3y0djis2FTfuMyWFFZgEoTFMwYY_nrithp4yX4fOED37LETpQiJnXx5NJ9pDlTQE2rtNQZfQBKnlwfQ43yYqqkIQwZEede2s-EQAzZKpeQp5wbe8mCowkTdi0ECsCT_cFw/s1600-h/austin_powers_mike_myers_as_dr_evil.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_Wpa3iIHM3y0djis2FTfuMyWFFZgEoTFMwYY_nrithp4yX4fOED37LETpQiJnXx5NJ9pDlTQE2rtNQZfQBKnlwfQ43yYqqkIQwZEede2s-EQAzZKpeQp5wbe8mCowkTdi0ECsCT_cFw/s200/austin_powers_mike_myers_as_dr_evil.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329830368127290402" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBA3aktdMPcTMz3_B3j62TG5ORfG_bTyY49l9zpRLsvTejI4s5x_lYLfmBW4L5YRS2WrNvni9DUQkka5bf11b0rM8KIlJzGyFkyjQfJOogOlblBOcmu9j5KWwBnaPwjAPXlj4gL8R3GM/s1600-h/Austin+Powers+shagadelic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBA3aktdMPcTMz3_B3j62TG5ORfG_bTyY49l9zpRLsvTejI4s5x_lYLfmBW4L5YRS2WrNvni9DUQkka5bf11b0rM8KIlJzGyFkyjQfJOogOlblBOcmu9j5KWwBnaPwjAPXlj4gL8R3GM/s200/Austin+Powers+shagadelic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329830452131491042" border="0" /></a>Now that I've completed the half marathon, I've come to realize that I went about my training the wrong way. Forget building up your endurance and speed and increasing your mileage by 10% each week. All you need to do is keep your adrenaline up the whole race. That rush will enable you to complete your fastest mile EVER. Take for instance what happened to me. I'm running the half marathon, staying on the side of the road closest to the trees. Of course, because you are close to the woods, they are required to put up signs warning you about surrounding wildife, including bears. I'm getting in the groove, listening to my T.I., reggaeton and occasional soft rock songs, when out of nowhere this bear comes out of the woods ready to attack me.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44_INgVC8SoGBWMRicxrGnm0Igac9YPLrzafN9TJZ0ZAW6lOrdCoiBcOKIla62M_4xpE8hiVU61GAqvSmFa2RXlX2kRMrCL_Eo3SVDcA55YTu_4m58QYCQx3m2ceV07yoPtan4d9XwBE/s1600-h/bear_halfmarathon.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44_INgVC8SoGBWMRicxrGnm0Igac9YPLrzafN9TJZ0ZAW6lOrdCoiBcOKIla62M_4xpE8hiVU61GAqvSmFa2RXlX2kRMrCL_Eo3SVDcA55YTu_4m58QYCQx3m2ceV07yoPtan4d9XwBE/s200/bear_halfmarathon.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329832128793281330" border="0" /></a>I jumped, said "Holy Crap, Oh shoot", and sprinted with the quickness only to find the other people running next to me were laughing. (I like to think with me not at me). That's when I realized the bear was actually a very realistic, very life-like statue. I really think I'm on to something here. Imagine if you're running a race where you are constantly fearing for your life. Don't you think you'd end up with your best race times?<br /><br />My goal was to a.) Finish the half marathon without having to be carried over the finish line and b.) Complete it within 2.5 hours.<br /><br />Here are the details of my race sent to me by the race officials.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Your time 2:23:29.06 gave you a 10:57 pace per mile.</span> <p><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Your 3M time was 32:06.57 for a pace of 10:42 per mile</span><br /><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Your 6M time was 1:02:16.25 for a pace of 10:03 per mile</span><br /><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Your 10M time was 1:46:10.59 for a pace of 10:59 per mile</span> </p>They really aren't impressive times especially considering when I was at 3.5 miles the winners of the race were on the way back to the finish line but, it was just a personal goal I can finally check off my list and I'm happy to have completed it without hurting myself. The boyfriend and I are planning on running a full marathon this year. I will definitely have to train for that.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Images courtesy of:<br />http://kara.allthingsd.com/files/2008/06/austin_powers_mike_myers_as_dr_evil.jpg<br />http://events.clowningaround.com/images/Lookalike%20Photos/Austin%20Powers%20shagadelic.jpg</span>Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-11674560987764091332009-04-17T16:09:00.005-04:002009-04-17T16:14:39.990-04:00I don't mean to brag but....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga11KV7GDeIuNbiK6DCerlFUlWDGQn2CSNzOj2Jl5hP5dYj2cp8cPSQGJwe8Nz5IHB41cVLmRX-ZwuP_H6vkzlhL9osolXwWIMHcCsf6nvN2rgKbPt1QPo3CbLBJBUT_B-F0A91UZow_E/s1600-h/scramble+002.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga11KV7GDeIuNbiK6DCerlFUlWDGQn2CSNzOj2Jl5hP5dYj2cp8cPSQGJwe8Nz5IHB41cVLmRX-ZwuP_H6vkzlhL9osolXwWIMHcCsf6nvN2rgKbPt1QPo3CbLBJBUT_B-F0A91UZow_E/s200/scramble+002.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325756319107317314" border="0" /></a>I'm addicted to the Scramble game app. I just recently discovered that you could play against other players online. I have a somewhat competitive streak in me. Something just comes over me when it comes to games - kickball, baby shower games, tetris, my company volleyball game, dodgeball, buffet eating, etc. It doesn't even have to be against other people. I'm always trying to beat my own score at most games.Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-81038237251560302342009-04-16T08:20:00.000-04:002009-04-16T08:21:44.497-04:00In Memoriam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rlk4El_QgYvG9EpYhDnzV4KirtLRI2hERrLAzQ-uKrMqlt3_B0mSR6_S8k_ZoaeU2iLmaeLWc7YaLp7S4HZl3hgsz7PJU3IYR2nfvH619ARzeHGOd6eU92BEWGjxyX292q5im1aJ3A8/s1600-h/Hokies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rlk4El_QgYvG9EpYhDnzV4KirtLRI2hERrLAzQ-uKrMqlt3_B0mSR6_S8k_ZoaeU2iLmaeLWc7YaLp7S4HZl3hgsz7PJU3IYR2nfvH619ARzeHGOd6eU92BEWGjxyX292q5im1aJ3A8/s200/Hokies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325015189823404850" border="0" /></a>I just wanted to take a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives during one of Virginia Tech's most tragic days two years ago on this date.<br /><br />Please take time to read the biographies of our 32 fallen Hokies <a href="http://www.vt.edu/remember/biographies/index.html">here</a>.<br /><br />When I read these biographies, all I could think was how sad, senseless and selfish an action it was that took away someone's father, brother, sister, cousin, friend, classmate, etc.<br /><br />My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to those who have been affected.<br /><br />We will always remember. WE ARE VIRGINIA TECH!Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-68384172856015860402009-04-15T13:39:00.005-04:002009-04-15T13:50:18.847-04:00And the Blended Beauty winner is......<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Congratulations to <a href="http://confessionsofaproductjunkie.blogspot.com/">Jess</a>! She is now the lucky owner of 3 Blended Beauty products of her choice. Congrats again and hope you enjoy your products.<br /><br />I chose my winner a little bit more technologically advanced than last time. I made a numbered list of everyone's name and used a <a href="http://andrew.hedges.name/experiments/random/">random number generator</a> to choose a number which in turn was my winner.</span><br /></span>Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-17145492761769064352009-04-15T09:25:00.002-04:002009-04-15T09:33:41.023-04:00Huuurcuut!I did end up getting my haircut yesterday but, didn't go for the short cut. The picture I showed the hair stylist was a picture of someone with long hair, long layers and shorter layers in the front. I just couldn't part with the hair. On the same page of the haircut I liked was a picture of a really short cut and the stylist thought at first that was the cut that I wanted. She said in her head she was like uh oh she's gonna chop of all that hair.<br /><br />The stylist did a wet cut as opposed to the dry curly cut. I told her I do style my hair different ways and want that option to switch between curly, wavy and straight styles. It didn't look like she took off that much but, my hair feels different when I run my hands through it. My boyfriend was able to tell a difference.<br /><br />I'll post up pics of it wavy the next time I fix my hair.<br /><br />Yes, yes I know the angry face again but, it's the only decent hair shot I could take. I should have taken a picture of the back so you could see more of the layering.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_fZ4DNVOIJxvklm_11VGxDP-S2b3cnbojXKyJXTWasVLocvL1Zlpgdp73NZ4GlieVbDeJaVPBABF4dxaqNdYMInJ0_x_ircgJ8dQv0GrftgLcg-dGYW3XR4xtk3B_h-T63Dz_yhd_MA/s1600-h/Haircut41409.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_fZ4DNVOIJxvklm_11VGxDP-S2b3cnbojXKyJXTWasVLocvL1Zlpgdp73NZ4GlieVbDeJaVPBABF4dxaqNdYMInJ0_x_ircgJ8dQv0GrftgLcg-dGYW3XR4xtk3B_h-T63Dz_yhd_MA/s200/Haircut41409.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324910561852472882" border="0" /></a>Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-17187593465566053332009-04-10T11:41:00.015-04:002009-04-10T12:07:17.661-04:00Now is the time to get Curl Junkie Products and Possible HaircutsIf you've been wanting to try Curl Junkie products but, didn't want to spend a whole lot on shipping, Curl Junkie is currently doing a $5 USPS Priority mail/$6 UPS Ground flat rate shipping special on all orders. Don't forget to check out all the goodies on sale under the "sales & trial set" link.<br /><br />I may possibly be getting my haircut soon. I probably won't be getting a "curly haircut". This will be a good experiment. I know there have been a couple questions about whether or not a "straight haircut" would look just as good once you styled your hair curly. I'll be finding out the question to this soon. When I go to the hair salon, I'll probably go there with my hair curly, which I don't usually do, and mention that I'm trying to wear my hair curly more often.<br /><br />I'm really contemplating bangs and a haircut because it's almost my birthday (I usually like to get my haircut near my birthday), it's been a while since I got a cut, and because these two pictures influenced me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAvyeZnURxSPskTRsd_p-cUPGu3c2hPKZC1e6Sm3B9iBf0l5z2B1P8rvkRV1tA8g1mn3ixTWO-5n-ty63mgAifNkpMhNk4PYj2xpv7ivn3c0uShW-ldMl79CbqNogJY-6iWznO9Dg2aw/s1600-h/side_ph.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 153px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAvyeZnURxSPskTRsd_p-cUPGu3c2hPKZC1e6Sm3B9iBf0l5z2B1P8rvkRV1tA8g1mn3ixTWO-5n-ty63mgAifNkpMhNk4PYj2xpv7ivn3c0uShW-ldMl79CbqNogJY-6iWznO9Dg2aw/s200/side_ph.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323090298073485682" border="0" /></a>The first picture is a wig sold by a Japanese company called <a href="http://www.mods-style.jp/index.html">Mod's Hair</a>. You can read more about this on <a href="http://jillipoo.blogspot.com/2009/04/weird-product-wednesday-japanese-hair_08.html">Jillipoo's blog</a>. I don't think I would get my hair cut as short as the wig but, I just thought it was a cute cut and I liked the bangs.<br /><br />The second picture is of course Rihanna who I love so this may be <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qBahIXfbJOcQ6oLmhpknw_0IJXzFb_166NFnicmFXlm1ylMgjYPi1Y5KcoBkZanhO6iQuI3AblTfGnHikyPY_pPCliZg9jzKAMr-Cw2zjaeJh1ApCFzdLEXVnQJWM1_wR_68Ec_8HCE/s1600-h/rihanna_bob.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qBahIXfbJOcQ6oLmhpknw_0IJXzFb_166NFnicmFXlm1ylMgjYPi1Y5KcoBkZanhO6iQuI3AblTfGnHikyPY_pPCliZg9jzKAMr-Cw2zjaeJh1ApCFzdLEXVnQJWM1_wR_68Ec_8HCE/s200/rihanna_bob.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323090416738670530" border="0" /></a>making me biased towards the haircut. I showed one of my friends though and she liked it a lot too. This cut isn't too too short but, will still be taking a lot of length off my current hair length. And even if I ended up liking the cut a whole lot, I'd probably still regret it. I have a weird attachment to my hair when it comes to change. I always like getting my hair done but, at the same time I usually end up regretting changes other than minor ones.<br /><br />I'm planning on getting it cut either this weekend or my birthday next week.<br /><br />Hope everyone has a great weekend and wonderful Easter!Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-71851483824920574602009-04-08T10:50:00.001-04:002009-04-15T13:34:45.798-04:00Hear Ye! Hear Ye!<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Contest is now closed. Winner will be announced shortly. Thanks to all who participated.</span></span><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11qJFoK8KLsjKRaGGUdw9uT0cMMzupZ3cKU27ajN7rE02XMZY3Afu3-jzQ1G3Okvsu4-e0sG8iVUgYeJX8ifS5H1Rx01oTWO7xeflhlM-hRjTTUeqo5JnEc6t4t46g5_4Gs3k7a5ZM6o/s1600-h/blendedbeautycomb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11qJFoK8KLsjKRaGGUdw9uT0cMMzupZ3cKU27ajN7rE02XMZY3Afu3-jzQ1G3Okvsu4-e0sG8iVUgYeJX8ifS5H1Rx01oTWO7xeflhlM-hRjTTUeqo5JnEc6t4t46g5_4Gs3k7a5ZM6o/s200/blendedbeautycomb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322311017236993906" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blended Beauty</span></span><br /></div><br />The nice folks at Blended Beauty have graciously donated any 3 items that one of you fine readers will pick from their website http://blendedbeauty.com/.<br /><br />Blended Beauty hair care products were designed specifically for the needs of those with dry, wavy, curly, kinky, and relaxed or heat-straightened hair.<br /><br />Their main goal is to provide superior quality products that beautify the look of the hair but also nourish the hair from the inside out, promoting healthy growth and diminishing breakage. All our products are formulated with naturally derived ingredients and are between 98%-99% natural.<br /><br />Their mission is to encourage those with curly hair, to realize its beauty and embrace it. Whatever your hair type is, you can wear it natural and love it. Chemicals, petroleum, mineral oil, and relaxing can be a thing of the past, on a Blended Beauty regimen. Our suggestions for promoting great hair have been laid out on the hair tips page for the benefit of our customers.<br /><br />Some of the natural hair care ingredients included in their products are Shea Butter, Chamomile, Horsetail/Shave Grass, Marshmallow Root, Aloe Vera, Sunflower Oil, Volcanic Clay, Vegetable Glycerin, Seaweed, Grape Seed Oil, Avocado Oil, Witch Hazel, Keratin, Silk Protein, Soy Lecithin, and Rosemary Extract. Blended Beauty will always remain paraben-free.<br /><br />For those of you following the Curly Girl Method, their products are Curly Girl Method approved.<br /><br />Go ahead and check out their site. Pick out the three products you would want to win because you just might get lucky. There are also before & after pictures, demo videos and hair tips on the site.<br /><br />Contest rules:<br />1. Any reader that posts a comment AND sends me an email is automatically entered to win. The only reason I ask you to also send me an email is because it is easier for me to contact you when I pick a winner. Most people are not comfortable leaving their email address on a comment which is entirely understandable. You don't have to write a fancy long email. Just put Blended Beauty giveaway on the subject line and then your name that you used to leave a comment. My email address is mamendoz@gmail.com.<br />2. Winner will be chosen randomly.<br />3. Contest ends at 12:00 PM EST on Wednesday, April 15, 2009.Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-13209727157270698502009-03-31T15:00:00.000-04:002009-03-31T15:16:35.460-04:00Curl Junkie + Mixed Chicks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMakFRdNZ6gyjpA2YuMz_51s5JnzqF1F896hfGczjdvp2VT8leWKCBVaTFiO7M59oMXg5tUOWUIHNQdYYqzh4scVan8vhj9PMJ5mutBhd4_tY3p6G8RB4pv0Mcxew5ETeW82djuiKpREk/s1600-h/curljunkie_mixed+chicks+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMakFRdNZ6gyjpA2YuMz_51s5JnzqF1F896hfGczjdvp2VT8leWKCBVaTFiO7M59oMXg5tUOWUIHNQdYYqzh4scVan8vhj9PMJ5mutBhd4_tY3p6G8RB4pv0Mcxew5ETeW82djuiKpREk/s200/curljunkie_mixed+chicks+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319372589132805522" border="0" /></a>I had ordered March 2009's <a href="http://www.myprettypinkbox.com/">Pretty Pink Box</a> with my main motivation being the Curl Junkie products. When I received it, I didn't have any Curl Junkie products. I wasn't sure if I was missing them or if that was just the way products were distributed among the boxes. I asked Linda, who operates Pretty Pink Box, and she replied that she usually tries to distribute the products evenly among the boxes but, each box is different. She kindly offered to check if she had an extra Curl Junkie products, which she did, and sent them to me.<br /><br /><br /><br />On the same day I received the Curl Junkie products, I received a package <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lmuZNHHy8XNRBIHZX6sUiZ9Jfz573GUX53jetmL_hwKiA4vRgqJRZKR2smt5ubxHf7GKCWSQb7_fU5RaoXs3nMp2nG_IODN3OD8PUqqWJU_Y8MJKCLSr417zi7K8uo0GNIz2chtA4jc/s1600-h/curljunkie_mixed+chicks+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lmuZNHHy8XNRBIHZX6sUiZ9Jfz573GUX53jetmL_hwKiA4vRgqJRZKR2smt5ubxHf7GKCWSQb7_fU5RaoXs3nMp2nG_IODN3OD8PUqqWJU_Y8MJKCLSr417zi7K8uo0GNIz2chtA4jc/s200/curljunkie_mixed+chicks+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319372902092269026" border="0" /></a>from Mixed Chicks. They had sent me a box full of samples of shampoo, deep conditioner and leave-in conditioner to review.<br /><br />For my first experiment, I tried Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Gentle Cleansing shampoo then conditioned with Curl Junkie Curl Theory Moisturizing Hair conditioner. The cleansing shampoo lathered up more than most sulfate-free shampoos which was a plus because sometimes I do miss the suds. The moisturizing hair conditioner was light but still moisturizing. I knew my hair was going to squish when I applied products after my shower.<br /><br />The only product I used after my shower was the Mixed Chicks leave-in conditioner. I didn't use any other gel, creme or mousse with it and was happy about the results. It gave me pretty good clumping and hold without any crunchiness. It was so easy to only have to apply one product too. My hair was still slightly wet when I took these pictures.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_8WIL0YLoEZDH1im-AcSrFjwdLN6mb9yYGTflbMugnNA3h8khX4HjP1bQah0KAg5qHM3-oJFO2y8fSSnXrAYadwVFqKs10UIAxKP9-mFPDnGN6Cpt8-JhZd56fR8NjTlNiCcEqIqBnk/s1600-h/curljunkie_mixed+chicks+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_8WIL0YLoEZDH1im-AcSrFjwdLN6mb9yYGTflbMugnNA3h8khX4HjP1bQah0KAg5qHM3-oJFO2y8fSSnXrAYadwVFqKs10UIAxKP9-mFPDnGN6Cpt8-JhZd56fR8NjTlNiCcEqIqBnk/s200/curljunkie_mixed+chicks+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319370650776108050" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEnXsbN-q82uhhs7UqaTSxPhvDD0K1QGVOj-pbnSK41JRphBWhLDRMoi0GV7AZATWKG6cU_Z23b9hm3Oo-r3sUuLqhLv849XJ6xj_dpXtWLLTbBlhLkJ3-01UcqNTEcZ3-FklInrl_vs/s1600-h/curljunkie_mixed+chicks+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEnXsbN-q82uhhs7UqaTSxPhvDD0K1QGVOj-pbnSK41JRphBWhLDRMoi0GV7AZATWKG6cU_Z23b9hm3Oo-r3sUuLqhLv849XJ6xj_dpXtWLLTbBlhLkJ3-01UcqNTEcZ3-FklInrl_vs/s200/curljunkie_mixed+chicks+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319371177655917954" border="0" /></a>My second experiment was with the Mixed Chicks shampoo, deep conditioner, and leave-in conditioner. This shampoo does contain a sulfate so I was expecting the suds. The deep conditioner was very moisturizing also but, I would use it solely as a deep conditioner not as a rinse-out conditioner. I'm really liking this routine of only having to scrunch in one product after my shower. Once again I used only the leave-in conditioner and no other products.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfd_3mZoupBoRWWLEVyR_BTbdsN9RvJQxXGt8ChCtsemfVmVxkD56o6_75sJHx2TWlkx4sRl9hDrH2ZjozC7rAueAesLx3ETzdCuISsW4FKWtq4cr4cxK85k1fiu0jUELymAaltRpD_CU/s1600-h/curljunkie_mixed+chicks+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfd_3mZoupBoRWWLEVyR_BTbdsN9RvJQxXGt8ChCtsemfVmVxkD56o6_75sJHx2TWlkx4sRl9hDrH2ZjozC7rAueAesLx3ETzdCuISsW4FKWtq4cr4cxK85k1fiu0jUELymAaltRpD_CU/s200/curljunkie_mixed+chicks+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319370938897326994" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkePtRNZVto3jtH565YeQFkp8V7MN7PH2LM9PUbp9cX60RTdHkGQYSU7Xa2WmJ_PkvQ8fWIK_NPJVTpQBPsRAwKo_BOloxqQ9B6GuFDLh2PuZIwCVQf4lbE1wFyq4CQjlQDklTBF0y1wg/s1600-h/curljunkie_mixed+chicks+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkePtRNZVto3jtH565YeQFkp8V7MN7PH2LM9PUbp9cX60RTdHkGQYSU7Xa2WmJ_PkvQ8fWIK_NPJVTpQBPsRAwKo_BOloxqQ9B6GuFDLh2PuZIwCVQf4lbE1wFyq4CQjlQDklTBF0y1wg/s200/curljunkie_mixed+chicks+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319370852958619234" border="0" /></a><span>My hair is completely dry in these pictures. I don't like the way my hair looks as it's drying but, I'm too lazy or don't have enough time to diffuse my hair and would rather let it air dry.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Ingredients for Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Gentle Cleansing Shampoo:</span><br /><span class="">Water, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, CocamidopropylBetaine, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Glycerin, Lauryl Glucoside, PE G-150 Pentaerythrityl tetrastearate, PE G-6 Capric/Caprylic Glycerides, Laureth 4,Hydroxypropyltrimonium Honey, Panthenol, Matricaria Recuitita (Chamomile) Flower Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Sambucus Nigra (Elder) Flower Water, Quaternium-79 Hydrolyzed Silk Protein, Sodium Chloride (Dead Sea Salt), Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Oil, Citrus Aurantium (Neroli) Oil, Citrus Aurantium (Petitgrain) Oil, Brown Rice (Oryza Sativa) Powder, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA ,Tocopheryl Acetate.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients for </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Curl Junkie Curl Theory Moisturizing Hair Conditioner:</span><br /><span class="">Water, Cetearyl Alcohol*, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate*, Glyceryl Stearate*, Panthenol, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Seed Oil, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Honey, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Matricaria Recuitita (Chamomile) Flower Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Sambucus Nigra (Elder) Flower Water, Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Fragrance, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA. *Vegetable derived<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients for Mixed Chicks Shampoo:</span><br /></span><span class="">Water, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate</span>, Tea Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamide MEA, Glycol Disterate, Panthenol, Avocado Oil, Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Ginger (Zinglber Officinale) Extract, Malvasylvestris (Mallow) Extract, Borage (Borago Officinalis) Seed Oil, Cinnmidopropyl Trimonium Chloride, Polyqatermium 10, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Yellow #6.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients for Mixed Chicks Deep Conditioner:</span><br /></span><span class="">Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Amodimethicone</span>, Cetyl Alcohol, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Octamethylcylotetraxiloxane, Safflower Oil, Cetrimonium Chloride, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate and C14-18 Perfluoroalkyethyl Thiohydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride and Benzoic Acid and Glycereth - 2 Cocoate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Fragrance </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients for Mixed Chicks Leave-in Conditioner:</span><br /><span class="">Water, glycerin, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Amodimethicone</span>, emulsifying wax, hydrolyzed wheat protein,/pvp crosspolymer, methylgluceth-20, hydroxypropyl trimonium choloride, octyl methoxycinnamate, hydroxyethyl celloluse, jojoba oil, safflower oil, primrose oil, wheat amino acid, crosilk, hydrolyzed collagen (marine), phenoxyethanel, methylparaben, proplyparaben, butylparaben, FD&C red #40, FD&C yellow #5, fragrance</span><br /><br />You can order Mixed Chicks products from http://mixedchicks.net/ (<span style="font-weight: bold;">make sure you go to .net NOT .com. Dot com will take you to a much more different website</span>) or from http://www.curlmart.com/<br /><br />I liked all of the Curl Junkie and Mixed Chicks products that I tried but, the Mixed Chicks leave-in conditioner takes the cake for me (you know I had to throw in a food reference). I like how it's like a curl creme that encourages clumping and gel all in one but without the crunchiness. Both of the Curl Junkie products listed above do NOT contain silicones or harsh sulfates for those following the Curly Girl Method. The Mixed Chicks Shampoo is NOT sulfate-free. Both the Mixed Chicks deep and leave-in conditioner contain Amodimethicone which is a slightly soluble silicone that some have found a cowash can remove.<br /><br />All the products had subtle fragrances. I remember liking them but, can't remember exactly what they smelled like. When I get a chance I'll have to take a whiff of all these again and edit this post.<br /><br />I think it's time for a haircut too. I can tell my ends are getting a bit stringy.<br /><br />P.S. I finally ran 5 miles yesterday and was only in a slight bit of pain so I was happy about that. I bought some of those shock absorber insoles which seemed to help. I'm still waiting on my Kinesio tape. I've been taking a break from running for the past couple of weeks so it felt really good to finally run almost pain-free.Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-66309669694522855322009-03-27T16:01:00.006-04:002009-03-27T16:07:57.621-04:00Carol's Daughter - Straight VersionJust as I suspected, Carol's Daughter products worked well with heat styling tools. I shampooed with Giovanni Invigorating Tea Tree shampoo (I meant to cowash instead but forgot) and conditioned with Carol's Daughter Tui Hair Smoothie. I used Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Protective Spray and Carol's Daughter Hair Milk. I blow dried with a round brush and used a big curling iron to straighten it a bit more. I was going to add Carol's Daughter Lisa's Hair Elixir but, found I didn't need any more moisture after I was done. In fact, I think I may have added too much hair milk. Once again, a little goes a long way. My hair did not feel dry after and looked smoother than it usually did when I would straighten it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46CfgvNAz8BITiGKaXZzIYsOC6JktAUdOmxFuOVCg77V7O7Xlsb8K3pBFEJPgGjM9jiWQ_ZcrWL22l9dPX4ml49urXYHBioaWpGvPHrQA1j4vh8wmEObtlXRrUTdZxgbUMxhmywHzqEA/s1600-h/carolsdaughter_straight+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46CfgvNAz8BITiGKaXZzIYsOC6JktAUdOmxFuOVCg77V7O7Xlsb8K3pBFEJPgGjM9jiWQ_ZcrWL22l9dPX4ml49urXYHBioaWpGvPHrQA1j4vh8wmEObtlXRrUTdZxgbUMxhmywHzqEA/s200/carolsdaughter_straight+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317961363967671490" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7G_14Pb9lvrmlHOGbEdzcPyO9shnhoDhHLXm1k3QTnibtLTi3eRnvnCUfpcYVAMrF3XjbU3fkDXxbH_WvxRdJnyaHqf_rjYI8rZaaMA3iSdAuu30AP9Abz8ptuUeYR4XpvDdpeRobh0/s1600-h/carolsdaughter_straight+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7G_14Pb9lvrmlHOGbEdzcPyO9shnhoDhHLXm1k3QTnibtLTi3eRnvnCUfpcYVAMrF3XjbU3fkDXxbH_WvxRdJnyaHqf_rjYI8rZaaMA3iSdAuu30AP9Abz8ptuUeYR4XpvDdpeRobh0/s200/carolsdaughter_straight+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317961482300714562" border="0" /></a>The first picture is a weird angle but, it was the only way I could really get a shot of my layers.Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-80554774711313428472009-03-26T07:48:00.009-04:002009-03-26T09:04:26.091-04:00We are Family..I got all my sisters with me<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7-F21mhiXaguAtbv9sAWODFqgqHDpXlR35hUb3vmDJvckxQYxC8wGYyJTQeJar1xgjji82rSm_1E2-xdPmjG4GnMSf_1nFR7KOIa-kY2BniWqELi2Pfg2fFSGburaZGI1HBQrkDEZ0Y/s1600-h/Vatechvisit032109+022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7-F21mhiXaguAtbv9sAWODFqgqHDpXlR35hUb3vmDJvckxQYxC8wGYyJTQeJar1xgjji82rSm_1E2-xdPmjG4GnMSf_1nFR7KOIa-kY2BniWqELi2Pfg2fFSGburaZGI1HBQrkDEZ0Y/s200/Vatechvisit032109+022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316833068850385970" border="0" /></a>I'm a sister of Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Incorporated. This past weekend I had a mini reunion with my sorority chapter sisters. It was just nice seeing everyone. I haven't seen some of them in years. There was also a stroll competition held by United Council of Fraternities and Sororities (UCFS) that we attended. I know I'm getting old though because the one day and one night I was actually at my alma mater wore me out. The 5 hour drive tired me out too. I got home and slept for more than 12 hours and was still tired when I got up.<br /><br />One of my sisters was the host for the stroll competition<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmw_Uq2qz9hZjfteo5ngsaHa9N_OEN_dnLSW0Kt9FBfoOtAgpF2GMGmd_qYFJ1petG96UyyqGWzfOyy-NQsBYXDwMfll6Pyorc533FhdERrVt3fV_M_9x7fRn9jsWvyaghgvWhzDZLrX0/s1600-h/Vatechvisit032109+018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmw_Uq2qz9hZjfteo5ngsaHa9N_OEN_dnLSW0Kt9FBfoOtAgpF2GMGmd_qYFJ1petG96UyyqGWzfOyy-NQsBYXDwMfll6Pyorc533FhdERrVt3fV_M_9x7fRn9jsWvyaghgvWhzDZLrX0/s200/Vatechvisit032109+018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316835660557516946" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Some of the participating Sororities and Fraternities<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISKgnvAT_K6Rj_-4XxW2WS7EeC10zZ6jNajY5ZX2OmGEzsGUefPA2mXUgS-uyTI3JCXlG7RIjfaVs1DDfuA_TMAvaeyrErDxJ_PMmatVBPMzylC6FPivEVV6CBdVevtjWeFqr0PPeT7Y/s1600-h/Vatechvisit032109+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISKgnvAT_K6Rj_-4XxW2WS7EeC10zZ6jNajY5ZX2OmGEzsGUefPA2mXUgS-uyTI3JCXlG7RIjfaVs1DDfuA_TMAvaeyrErDxJ_PMmatVBPMzylC6FPivEVV6CBdVevtjWeFqr0PPeT7Y/s200/Vatechvisit032109+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316835926217893346" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKF-g-U79C-ATg8cZj8GSoOncFI8fwkG74vpT4gvH-FI6vRigFGxbbIfNlGeLJ75C1kUHIG_19xSPZwfLSefKrp5Wi7OayXTXV0Y8Ngwx95pnAAeRCbU65uvYbXF9FSD7sC1LHX8-pac/s1600-h/Vatechvisit032109+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKF-g-U79C-ATg8cZj8GSoOncFI8fwkG74vpT4gvH-FI6vRigFGxbbIfNlGeLJ75C1kUHIG_19xSPZwfLSefKrp5Wi7OayXTXV0Y8Ngwx95pnAAeRCbU65uvYbXF9FSD7sC1LHX8-pac/s200/Vatechvisit032109+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317471681588126434" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiVzxct7KhysEFY9_5qe3H7A20Ycoeh1gSB99t1k0tn8u1uCbJxqDmrFHf42cJJzqeBYgYev38MVlmycCncbq0pSdPo9PhrG1I-A9nJTK2B0Gpo1U9dfUQ1NmD_2EX_PbZ9K7X00tyOM/s1600-h/Vatechvisit032109+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiVzxct7KhysEFY9_5qe3H7A20Ycoeh1gSB99t1k0tn8u1uCbJxqDmrFHf42cJJzqeBYgYev38MVlmycCncbq0pSdPo9PhrG1I-A9nJTK2B0Gpo1U9dfUQ1NmD_2EX_PbZ9K7X00tyOM/s200/Vatechvisit032109+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316836259737498162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjleEKmbKuvNihX9ME5UNgwRQZMmxhMkBhdsTvykk7B4QApLrSZfH9Bt7h4k_PkUUlVulkVr_cpLkfpTQHSO4Rh856lIqNme_V0NQoH3mPtMBOJgsFPDfkPsVLiIjcpVL0EhAu1pU5Ljrk/s1600-h/Vatechvisit032109+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjleEKmbKuvNihX9ME5UNgwRQZMmxhMkBhdsTvykk7B4QApLrSZfH9Bt7h4k_PkUUlVulkVr_cpLkfpTQHSO4Rh856lIqNme_V0NQoH3mPtMBOJgsFPDfkPsVLiIjcpVL0EhAu1pU5Ljrk/s200/Vatechvisit032109+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316836422557204114" border="0" /></a><br />Third Place<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfbpTzdqPGYR2zeg090tklk0qpDvSF-cwHStXAygHmoyPfuRQVnKGvqUgfy7zjRfYNXdQmTqVi1wuC9uBJxr7lrf-GB45aluq596Z2NDo6xp5ossxteahaYOtBwMP0zCd0xyj5QuzWfE/s1600-h/Vatechvisit032109+019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfbpTzdqPGYR2zeg090tklk0qpDvSF-cwHStXAygHmoyPfuRQVnKGvqUgfy7zjRfYNXdQmTqVi1wuC9uBJxr7lrf-GB45aluq596Z2NDo6xp5ossxteahaYOtBwMP0zCd0xyj5QuzWfE/s200/Vatechvisit032109+019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316836584048115922" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Second Place<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_93a9Avy9pTB8UO7ydWMfkeCtfbYcZN2Z7P-F0wMR00FCpehQsPZMIrGJMU6Ir7LkLrZcyjAz3i_gmT-oF9CqlbY3XctB3nSSLcQ2IcaHeerMGft48BnKttOIYk3f-S46A0hBbwRa4cQ/s1600-h/Vatechvisit032109+020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_93a9Avy9pTB8UO7ydWMfkeCtfbYcZN2Z7P-F0wMR00FCpehQsPZMIrGJMU6Ir7LkLrZcyjAz3i_gmT-oF9CqlbY3XctB3nSSLcQ2IcaHeerMGft48BnKttOIYk3f-S46A0hBbwRa4cQ/s200/Vatechvisit032109+020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316836759503000674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />First Place<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-8ySDbCrUK77moHL2SR8Y70qNLZhmRnthUqbPrYtw5vt6pIQI1cVfgAsKuNGmfryLU6Qd6NF76Kq-wZBI-IzHjw3TmDfTQowlQMotLdJCL4camyx9gP2zmsxKvzDd2Y_i2ItY24yRXo/s1600-h/Vatechvisit032109+021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-8ySDbCrUK77moHL2SR8Y70qNLZhmRnthUqbPrYtw5vt6pIQI1cVfgAsKuNGmfryLU6Qd6NF76Kq-wZBI-IzHjw3TmDfTQowlQMotLdJCL4camyx9gP2zmsxKvzDd2Y_i2ItY24yRXo/s200/Vatechvisit032109+021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316836926991532978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This was one of the highlights of the stroll competition for me. If you can't really hear the music, it's Beyonce's Single Ladies.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tqtm9Z02uyc&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tqtm9Z02uyc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-76315542543128892712009-03-24T14:20:00.005-04:002009-03-24T14:38:11.164-04:00Carol's Daughter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37Pg4KrfUfmiMbdcBDh9OJyt6PaapU2DQrnhC1UJqkva2LmaW5Y-ADEmIV2AdN_MJJB8WRXGQlZIyJVN0riqSm7mKvd_zzLoMn3UMg_f5o3m7yJSDrexIJlB-wFZQKKepikj3uL89SNg/s1600-h/carolsdaughter+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37Pg4KrfUfmiMbdcBDh9OJyt6PaapU2DQrnhC1UJqkva2LmaW5Y-ADEmIV2AdN_MJJB8WRXGQlZIyJVN0riqSm7mKvd_zzLoMn3UMg_f5o3m7yJSDrexIJlB-wFZQKKepikj3uL89SNg/s200/carolsdaughter+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316809339647044690" border="0" /></a>If Sephora is your second home like it is mine, you would have noticed Carol's Daughter products. I've wanted to try them since I've experimented more with silicone-free and natural products so this is actually perfect timing. I've been lucky enough and very grateful to test out and review some Carol's Daughter products. I felt like I received an early birthday gift stuffed with Carol's Daughter Hair Milk, Tui Hair Smoothie, Lisa's Hair Elixir and Lip Butter. The first thing I noticed was the strong fragrance of all the products except for the lip butter. If you've ever smelled any Ojon products, it's pretty similar in scent strength.<br /><br />I used all three hair products together. I shampooed with Giovanni Tea Tree Invigorating shampoo. For my rinse out conditioner I used Tui Hair Smoothie. On the container it says you can use it as a rinse out or deep conditioner. I think with my hair type, using it as a rinse out conditioner would be too heavy but, definitely moisturizing enough as a deep conditioner. The hair smoothie smelled a little bit like the yellow Brach's Butterscotch hard candy. You <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_XJYrtC7ykJnK3DyMwm4g-jEuu_5wOogEyt2tHYegXY-o6lEyG9Ml8VitfdR7EK8cAiUsPA3ExRygpb1fJsy-F2aaVTvRaJZ4Kmj2h9LPSlzIH2X1XWeYUBsZhw0mtPd7uSp0-bO4tc/s1600-h/brachscandy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_XJYrtC7ykJnK3DyMwm4g-jEuu_5wOogEyt2tHYegXY-o6lEyG9Ml8VitfdR7EK8cAiUsPA3ExRygpb1fJsy-F2aaVTvRaJZ4Kmj2h9LPSlzIH2X1XWeYUBsZhw0mtPd7uSp0-bO4tc/s200/brachscandy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316456799194068450" border="0" /></a>know I like to eat so you'll have to get used to me using food as a point of reference. I can tell if a conditioner is moisturizing enough by how my hair feels after I rinse out the conditioner. I mentioned before that I can tell a conditioner isn't moisturizing enough if my hair doesn't make a <a href="http://curlgirljourney.blogspot.com/2009/03/and-product-testing-goes-on.html">squishy sound</a> when I scrunch in products. It's like the back of my hair dries really quickly before I can even add in products, which I like to do soaking wet, if my conditioner doesn't do its job. My hair definitely squished when I was adding products to it after my shower. If your hair is crying for some moisture, this is the product for you but, may be a better deep treatment conditioner as opposed to an everyday (or whatever day you wash your hair) rinse out conditioner.<br /><br />Ingredients for Tui Hair Smoothie<br />Water, Corn Oil, Emulsifying Wax, Soy Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Wheat Germ Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Fragrance, Chamomile, Marigolds, Lavender, Nori and Vitamin C, Tetradibutyl Pentaerithrityl, Water, DMDM Hydantoin and Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate and Phenoxyethanol. Paraben Free. <span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);">No Petroleum, Mineral Oil, or Artificial Colors.</span><br /><br />I scrunched in both Lisa's Hair Elixir and Hair Milk<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span> upside down. I think I was a bit excited and put too much of both the Elixir and Milk. When it comes to these two products, a little goes a long way. That's a plus for the wallet.<br /><br />I skipped the gel because I wanted to see how the products would work alone. I noticed that the three products mixed together produced a piney, woodsy, minty, creamy, milky scent. Yeah, took me half a day to figure that out. It reminded me of the way a Girl's Scout Cookie aka Thin Mint shooter smells like. The scent though fades away and you get a subdued version as the day goes on which I prefer. I tried these 3 products with gel the next day and didn't like the way it turned out. I think your hair looks better as your hair dries when you use these products but, if you add gel it kind of freezes the way your hair looks in the beginning.<br /><br />Ingredients for Lisa's Hair Elixir<br />Soy Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Corn Oil, Essential Oils Of Peppermint, Sage, And Rosemary And African Gold Fragrances. <span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);">Contains No Mineral Oil.</span><br /><br />Ingredients for Hair Milk<br />Water, Soy Bean Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Apricot Kernel Oil, Beeswax, Essential Oil Or Lemongrass, Fragrance, Jojoba Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Vitamin C, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Bicarbonate, Phenoxyethanol, Tetradibutyl Pentaerithrityl, Hydroxyhydrocinnamate. <span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);">Paraben-Free.</span><br /><br />This is how my hair turned out with the products and no gel.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKABxN756NO_0pdXKMJdtr8qmqh3cApBDv9Rhyphenhyphen_lxAAmjJ3qtVe7FuMCPYU9QNArixKTdEMaApCyusB42QSaMvMvKwZXZZcCEe0Eg3MtpwbV6M7tkd1XmtEQ3ytYrB6wRpqQlnCAtsJc/s1600-h/carolsdaughter+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKABxN756NO_0pdXKMJdtr8qmqh3cApBDv9Rhyphenhyphen_lxAAmjJ3qtVe7FuMCPYU9QNArixKTdEMaApCyusB42QSaMvMvKwZXZZcCEe0Eg3MtpwbV6M7tkd1XmtEQ3ytYrB6wRpqQlnCAtsJc/s200/carolsdaughter+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316819598250501234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I know on some days, curlies out there with real tight curls prefer wearing their hair in looser waves. These products would help you achieve that looser wave pattern.<br /><br />If you're looking for moisture and soft, touchable waves this is for you. If you're seeking more clumping, this won't do the job.<br /><br />For those of you trying to follow the CG method, the Hair Milk, Tui Hair Smoothie, and Lisa's Hair Elixir are silicone-free.<br /><br />I'm excited to try them out when I use heat styling tools. Heat styling tools dry out my hair but, I think these combination of hair products would give me better results. I'm hoping to try that out later this week.<br /><br />By the way the lip butter is GREAT. I have very sensitive skin and eczema so I'm always wary of lip products I haven't tried before. Even some of my favorite brands, such as MAC, will give me a reaction if I overdo it. I've been using the lip butter continuously since I received it. I wear it all day and over night. It's light weight but very moisturizing. It has a slight scent but, not very noticeable. I LOVE this lip butter.<br /><div><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Images courtesy of:<br />http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/candywarehouse_2041_192920616&imgrefurl=http://www.candywarehouse.com/brachsbutter.html&usg=__P6V0vIi5yruVOaZD38aguk8O8T0=&h=138&w=200&sz=10&hl=en&start=10&um=1&tbnid=EWhhryGDa8E7hM:&tbnh=72&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbrach%2527s%2Bhard%2Bcandy%2Bbutterscotch%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1</span><br /></div>Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-39534749343211208732009-03-20T13:52:00.003-04:002009-03-20T14:11:03.662-04:00Knock, KnockKnock, Knock<br />Who's there?<br />Irish?<br />Irish you a Happy Birthday!<br /><br />This was on one of the cards for <a href="http://livelaughlov3.blogspot.com/">Christle's</a> gift. I thought it was the perfect card for her since her birthday falls on St. Patrick's Day.<br /><br />We celebrated her birthday at this seafood restaurant Rockafellers. I liked the location where it was. It wasn't off the strip but, it was near the water. It's probably nicer during the summertime when you can actually eat outside.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO77Fr-0eQxybF1pAHHyU5weIxpjxhhcLn-rNZ4eLBnEH40xdcf68z1Co7Gha0Cd6C8dVcdE69QtFztxrG5Kw6F-gX9hENRHdbCG9UMhyphenhyphenauw2_GfQ8UjLqW2lVdFuxdBkVsCnrVhIaYKM/s1600-h/Rockafellers1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO77Fr-0eQxybF1pAHHyU5weIxpjxhhcLn-rNZ4eLBnEH40xdcf68z1Co7Gha0Cd6C8dVcdE69QtFztxrG5Kw6F-gX9hENRHdbCG9UMhyphenhyphenauw2_GfQ8UjLqW2lVdFuxdBkVsCnrVhIaYKM/s200/Rockafellers1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315332913280911682" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Image courtesy of http://www.vbrestaurantguide.com/images/Rockafellers1.jpg</span><br /><br />My boyfriend and I split everything so we wouldn't overeat but, then we ended up hungry by the time we left. We had split some calamari and a steamed bucket. We got some McD's fries and a vanilla cone after we left haha. Anytime we go to a restaurant we've never been to before we always try the calamari if it's on the menu. So far my favorite calamari has been Shucks in Norfolk and Red Star Tavern.<br /><br />The product experimenting carried on. I used Giovanni Invigorating Tea Tree Shampoo, Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner mixed with L'oreal Vive Pro Nutri-gloss for medium to long hair curly/wavy hair, and a little bit of Generic Value Product Matrix Bioloage Conditioning Balm. I didn't do the upside down rinse.<br /><br />I scrunched in Goldwell Curl Definition Revive Cream - Intense and Giovanni L.A. Natural Styling gel upside down. The Goldwell Curl Cream doesn't really give me any definition just softness. It's one of my products that I use when I know I'll just be staying at home but, don't want to leave my hair product-free. The first time I tried Giovanni gel I thought it didn't have enough hold. I thought the same thing again today. When I got home, it didn't look like I lost some wave. If you already have this product, I think mixing it with something that has a bit more hold like Biosilk Rock Hard gelee or Herbal Essences Set Me Up gel would work better.<br /><br />I think the Biosilk gelee would actually be perfect to mix with the Giovanni gel because Biosilk gelee has too much hold for me. The first time I used it I used to much and I felt like my hair turned to glass.<br /><br />After I applied all the products, I plopped to get my hair off my back, and diffused my hair until it was completely dry. While I was diffusing I could tell the Giovanni gel didn't really have much hold and felt like the back was getting a bit frizzy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMTieFjMS5KC_7nYdfzgZJODl6vkz-kpQhTHWuxgtWY5DjN6eYCJwBy3AzNh2-cUBDvsy8wudikk3pYFaPq2DkchObyl54zJARHu_U9VnFFBTAC40ljiAzsreP6bSCxtw6LC4YBUmpdQ/s1600-h/christlebday+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMTieFjMS5KC_7nYdfzgZJODl6vkz-kpQhTHWuxgtWY5DjN6eYCJwBy3AzNh2-cUBDvsy8wudikk3pYFaPq2DkchObyl54zJARHu_U9VnFFBTAC40ljiAzsreP6bSCxtw6LC4YBUmpdQ/s200/christlebday+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314519789989823122" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDonDS5r5O97ZzaF7A32wm4CmWyMLe_nX1cz5fsHwif4NSNAFIqXxJqoGFELxIVBZ02d7rgJozyEM_gCbTux8r-lgob4Rutfn9vpTNAjHIl2WmYBncgan3pinXV3Av_pstp03bRles-g/s1600-h/christlebday+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 172px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDonDS5r5O97ZzaF7A32wm4CmWyMLe_nX1cz5fsHwif4NSNAFIqXxJqoGFELxIVBZ02d7rgJozyEM_gCbTux8r-lgob4Rutfn9vpTNAjHIl2WmYBncgan3pinXV3Av_pstp03bRles-g/s200/christlebday+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314521286747511490" border="0" /></a>You can kind of see parts of my hair where it's frizzy or where the wave is falling. You know I had to bust out the green dress for St. Patrick's Day.<br /><br />I'm hoping to go for some longer runs outside since the half-marathon I'm running is less than a month away now. I'm nowhere near where my training schedule says I should be. My shin splints were really bothering me and now they're manageable so I don't want to overdo it and be even more hurt closer to the race. I find that my shins hurt me when I run on the treadmill or pavement so I've been trying to run only outside but, we've been having some rainy weather lately.<br /><br />Ice works miracles too. If I feel like my shins are hurting, I ice them when I get home while I'm watching The Wire (which I'm currently addicted to but, that's another post) and the pain really goes away.<br /><br />I ordered some Kinesio tape two weeks ago and still haven't received it. I finally emailed the company and they said they were back ordered and expected date of shipment is April 1. I'd be more annoyed if my shins were hurting me more but, since I'm managing now I can deal with that shipment date.Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-87441494562311393092009-03-19T15:46:00.003-04:002009-03-19T15:57:15.462-04:00And the winner is.....Congratulations to <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">Inna</span>! She is the proud new owner of a set of Curls Like Us curl cloths. Please email me at mamendoz@gmail.com with your mailing information. Ironically, Inna was the first person to leave a comment (which had no influence on my decision). <br /><br />To pick a winner, I used the highly advanced technique of putting all your names in a box and drawing out a winner. Thanks to everyone that participated.<br /><br />I already have another giveaway in the making so ya'll come back now ya hear!Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-77668037892984114882009-03-18T07:30:00.000-04:002009-03-18T08:52:14.195-04:00And the product testing goes on..I went to a Christening reception for my coworker's daughter's baby. It was at this Japanese Sushi Buffet that I've never been to. I definitely went over calories that time. (Remember I'm using my <a href="http://curlgirljourney.blogspot.com/2009/01/june-9-2009.html">Iphone Lose It app</a> to lose weight?) It was worth it though. I have a new ice cream love now - Red Bean aka Munngo bean aka Mung bean ice cream. For those that have tried halo-halo, it's the same red beans that are in that. I've seen Red Bean ice cream at the Asian stores before but, never found it appealing. Now that I'm on the hunt for it, I probably won't be able to find it anywhere.<br /><br />I'm still experimenting with products that I already have. To get accurate results, I should actually be only changing one product at a time instead of using all different products everytime I do my hair.<br /><br />I decided to use Suave Naturals for cowash, L'oreal Vive Pro Nutri-gloss for Medium to Long Curly/Wavy Hair for rinse-out conditioner, Garner Fructis Sleek & Shine leave-in, and L'oreal Vive Pro Glossy Curls spray gel. I didn't do the upside down rinse this time either.<br /><br />For my rinse out conditioner I usually use the L'oreal Vive Pro Nutri-gloss mixed with Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner. This time I only used the L'oreal Vive Pro Nutri-gloss conditioner and didn't like the results. My hair didn't feel as moisturized so I ended up having to spray my hair with a spray bottle that contained a little less than 1/4 of Suave naturals conditioner and the rest water (well mixed together) before I applied my leave-in and gel.<br /><br />If my hair doesn't make a squishy sound when I scrunch products in, my hair isn't conditioned/wet enough. My conditioner/water concoction comes in handy for times like that. This has only happened to me when I used L'oreal Vive Pro Nutri-gloss by itself and Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious conditioner.<br /><br />I srunched Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine leave-in in my hair upside down. I scrunched in the L'oreal Glossy Curls spray gel upside down too but, instead of spraying it directly into my hair, I sprayed it into my hands then scrunched it in. I'm sure that defeats the purpose of a spray gel but, I wanted to make sure the gel was distributed evenly.<br /><br />I plopped with my microfiber towel until I was done putting on lotion. I currently plop not to achieve better clumping or waves but, to get the hair off my back while I'm getting ready. All my life I've had my hair twisted up in a towel while I got ready and can't seem to break the habit. I figure plopping is better for my hair than just wrapping it up in a regular towel.<br /><br />After I was done getting ready, I removed the microfiber towel and scrunched out excess water with the same towel. I don't plop for that long so there's still a lot of water in my hair. I diffused both upside down and right side up for about 5 minutes then got bored and just let it air dry. The spray gel dried a bit crunchy and you couldn't really scrunch out the crunch. I've had worse in the past, though, when it comes to some crunchy hair.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VdIX-JCMDZJgle4Boibm2ROLNS-hw-q60Jsd0Ts0JKZEVm5xeQLzo1Ech6QCHJ7BSt0CXnwIyQnmJ5Bo5P1o-lmV0Q-v9kiQ7cmfJSFWv_ZoxByOgRQw4FOU6BJ4r-zPuZzRPrz1ZvQ/s1600-h/irone_christening+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VdIX-JCMDZJgle4Boibm2ROLNS-hw-q60Jsd0Ts0JKZEVm5xeQLzo1Ech6QCHJ7BSt0CXnwIyQnmJ5Bo5P1o-lmV0Q-v9kiQ7cmfJSFWv_ZoxByOgRQw4FOU6BJ4r-zPuZzRPrz1ZvQ/s200/irone_christening+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313878004060163682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYGabq2zY5VKj9Uvcnd0UApp67J42w8PjWZ-Gp453LTxT83t3uRIW_Hv5T0gsccyl121ZQrh7Hz89pJeg16F9raah8VVSMjE_eagbur9fiZLK9etyt-xrtvsOIe0ZyCn6jdS9dPW7574/s1600-h/irone_christening+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYGabq2zY5VKj9Uvcnd0UApp67J42w8PjWZ-Gp453LTxT83t3uRIW_Hv5T0gsccyl121ZQrh7Hz89pJeg16F9raah8VVSMjE_eagbur9fiZLK9etyt-xrtvsOIe0ZyCn6jdS9dPW7574/s200/irone_christening+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313878165897756658" border="0" /></a>Once again ignore the expression. Once I get a semi-okay picture I'm like OK that's it...tired of picture taking..this will work.<br /><br />If you plan on using Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine leave-in, keep in mind it has Amodimethicone. It's one of those silicones that people are iffy about when they are CG. Some say it washes out with a cowash or low/no poo and some won't touch it with a 10 foot pole. My own personal experience? I haven't had a problem with it and will continue using <a href="http://curlgirljourney.blogspot.com/2009/02/great-debate.html">slightly soluble silicones</a>.<br /><br />The L'oreal Glossy Curls spray gel does NOT have silicones.Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-21197032207416450462009-03-16T16:10:00.000-04:002009-03-16T16:10:20.586-04:00Totally TwistedI've been neglecting my hundred other products and sticking to my Kinky Curly hair stuff so I decided to switch it up today.<br /><br />I used Giovanni Tea Tree Invigorating Shampoo, Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner, Giovanni direct leave-in, and Herbal Essences Totally Twisted curl boosting mousse. I decided NOT to rinse upside down since my hair got tangly (is that a word?) doing that the other day. I still left my hair sopping wet before applying products. I scrunched in Giovanni direct leave-in and Herbal Essences Totally Twisted mousse while my head was upside down. Then got most of the water out of my hair by scrunching upside down with my microfiber towel. (I'm hoping to buy one of the curl towels soon to help with the frizz.)<br /><br />After I finished my hair, I fell asleep while it was still wet. Yup, took me a nap right after I finished doing my hair. I tried to position my hair so that it was all above my head and I didn't flatten it while I slept. It was kind of messed up in the back when I woke up but, not that noticeable. After I got up from my nap I didn't really have to mess with my hair.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8Ey6GnLoTCg3crQ-iyNKylqWsoHS2lmoIE4bCBOL2ppaItUrSogG0281xHRnS2l8XxWZGX3RClwtpyk9tSuvKDOUG5LgjcUiYeoDN46xgXQLyGt44Bec2-YQYso0yyx6YBp4BLn8wWg/s1600-h/mousse+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8Ey6GnLoTCg3crQ-iyNKylqWsoHS2lmoIE4bCBOL2ppaItUrSogG0281xHRnS2l8XxWZGX3RClwtpyk9tSuvKDOUG5LgjcUiYeoDN46xgXQLyGt44Bec2-YQYso0yyx6YBp4BLn8wWg/s200/mousse+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313220849653256882" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvT7t7qkh_a_AimHg5jEbFKTmwYWHROZxc9bVKZsaje5M2kpIx5YqWUUzJa_aj2EAPaCRa81QENqSjEMdJTXG7LpgodN_cflbXmoDWSC3jBitho1SdGqbQ2pmKVSAlOrEUPHp95-moHAc/s1600-h/mousse+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvT7t7qkh_a_AimHg5jEbFKTmwYWHROZxc9bVKZsaje5M2kpIx5YqWUUzJa_aj2EAPaCRa81QENqSjEMdJTXG7LpgodN_cflbXmoDWSC3jBitho1SdGqbQ2pmKVSAlOrEUPHp95-moHAc/s200/mousse+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313220940664006786" border="0" /></a>Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-39459003932012584582009-03-14T21:08:00.002-04:002009-03-14T22:33:55.775-04:00Strayin'The company my boyfriend works for had an employee appreciation dinner the other night. It was at Otani's, the same place his <a href="http://curlgirljourney.blogspot.com/2008/12/boyfriends-work-christmas-party.html">Christmas Party</a> was. We got lucky and had the best entree that comes with shrimp, steak, and lobster and of course fried rice and vegetables.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRnsGsrC89damhK13HcjChydD7d9ynLs3KLHTyV16isSH-WQ2uDV50RjP9ZH6in0xnynfExM6BjihSl4pVmfgB7w2f5UktYDQV68nMh5S8GwrlT39LubcFUaJErEIxHt7QpadZxqaodw/s1600-h/babe_employee_appreciation+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRnsGsrC89damhK13HcjChydD7d9ynLs3KLHTyV16isSH-WQ2uDV50RjP9ZH6in0xnynfExM6BjihSl4pVmfgB7w2f5UktYDQV68nMh5S8GwrlT39LubcFUaJErEIxHt7QpadZxqaodw/s200/babe_employee_appreciation+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312767806610446722" border="0" /></a>I mentioned in earlier posts that I have no kind of picture taking skills when I know my picture is being taken i.e., driver's license pictures or if I'm taking a picture of myself. I can only seem to take candid pictures.<br /><br />Here I am practicing with a smile then a no smile.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYxeGj1lBKxCQrEcVe8xDLSq3XgfR2JYGPDj2Dyh_aXCEfTRdJp8GW08uo5l1PlNigOvvtc7qaR9G3ne1SFtk69XsSDsFyxIkG0DxKZDT12BADUiWHelkgSyi62NJWvxgVXiOcRtUuiA/s1600-h/employeeappreciation+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYxeGj1lBKxCQrEcVe8xDLSq3XgfR2JYGPDj2Dyh_aXCEfTRdJp8GW08uo5l1PlNigOvvtc7qaR9G3ne1SFtk69XsSDsFyxIkG0DxKZDT12BADUiWHelkgSyi62NJWvxgVXiOcRtUuiA/s200/employeeappreciation+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312760774290463634" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_c-0QNYfHCXgTXz77X9kThx5mXrojiixgNAc2jiPb6e1qmVqn0rAIC7-VHoNY-z02MoAAZI3aTPjrTe9kCqzpNFGCkfFN7AERRYJBQMS5GMgyjVpTvIZhPZ8fFZgHcJbTSSdRV_6kl9Y/s1600-h/employeeappreciation+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 156px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_c-0QNYfHCXgTXz77X9kThx5mXrojiixgNAc2jiPb6e1qmVqn0rAIC7-VHoNY-z02MoAAZI3aTPjrTe9kCqzpNFGCkfFN7AERRYJBQMS5GMgyjVpTvIZhPZ8fFZgHcJbTSSdRV_6kl9Y/s200/employeeappreciation+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312760930764684242" border="0" /></a>I did the upside down rinsing technique again with the usual products: Suave Naturals (cowash), Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner and L'oreal Vive Pro Nutri Gloss conditioner (mixed together for my conditioner), Kinky Curly Knot Today (leave-in conditioner), Kinky Curly Curling Custard and Herbal Essences Set Me Up gel (gel for hold).<br /><br />Some parts of the back of my hair were tangly, probably from going back and forth between upside down and right side up.<br /><br />I tried to part my hair differently this time. Next time I get my haircut I might get some shorter, angled layers in the front.<br /><br />I'm also wearing my favorite lipstick at the moment - MAC Hello Kitty Strayin'. I don't like Strayin' by itself. I always mix it with MAC Prrr lip gloss or Sonia Kushak Lip Glossing with No-Feather pencil in Vivacious (from Target).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0LzjXQ8UXmhinjtc4Kw4CXlo8vU0JyJs7lDOv4UkUj_j8-1RiwJ-uD2zvoy_coXhHCMu7EUxnBcRt70xeJ2B40afy2BGX48DZ_JDet0FjLsiFUdhuTXBc-0nSWWpsoVDosTY8D-CbC4/s1600-h/mousse+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0LzjXQ8UXmhinjtc4Kw4CXlo8vU0JyJs7lDOv4UkUj_j8-1RiwJ-uD2zvoy_coXhHCMu7EUxnBcRt70xeJ2B40afy2BGX48DZ_JDet0FjLsiFUdhuTXBc-0nSWWpsoVDosTY8D-CbC4/s200/mousse+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313212410258461778" border="0" /></a>Prrr is on top and Vivacious is on the bottom. In the picture above, I'm wearing Strayin' with Vivacious (my fave combo at the moment). Vivacious looks kind of bright but, it actually tones down bright colors and makes them more wearable. Vivacious is a pretty color to wear alone too. The no-feather pencil connected to the other end of Vivacious doesn't really do anything for me. I don't ever use it.<br /><br />Hope everyone is having a great weekend!Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-12236611306845396462009-03-12T13:50:00.017-04:002009-03-19T15:12:20.793-04:00Curls Like Us Give-away<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Contest is now closed. Winner will be announced by Friday, March 20, 2009.</span>
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<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_RrUTBd70RDgwyhvydF4gYHf9fwvh_1NfHVichl0Ee2bjBTS7Lx9REV1CPbRu_n3w7Xz3cbjJ28ma0wQQ89zxw-YGUz3gqd3jk-mdSdGbmCyXYFK1ytcLuKwyvQqEQvDibxOUrM1KqI/s1600-h/CLU_FinalLogo_color_300cmyk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 96px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_RrUTBd70RDgwyhvydF4gYHf9fwvh_1NfHVichl0Ee2bjBTS7Lx9REV1CPbRu_n3w7Xz3cbjJ28ma0wQQ89zxw-YGUz3gqd3jk-mdSdGbmCyXYFK1ytcLuKwyvQqEQvDibxOUrM1KqI/s200/CLU_FinalLogo_color_300cmyk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312362212055499394" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">
<br />Curls Like Us has graciously donated a set of two Curl Cloths (retail value of $24) that one of <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">YOU</span> lucky readers will be able to win.</span></span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IxetIyhU-xzC8I5ztSJrxPZ5ARd88YJA-1MNUD-ZWOx4xLe20JZRbXSIZlxb9Kov-bK0scP4WTgcDePaw8i2hDIjfnhbHWT5KxomcgP601cNyrEuqmgDYRlvueCqhG16ZGOj-8zPifo/s1600-h/double+towels-white+background.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IxetIyhU-xzC8I5ztSJrxPZ5ARd88YJA-1MNUD-ZWOx4xLe20JZRbXSIZlxb9Kov-bK0scP4WTgcDePaw8i2hDIjfnhbHWT5KxomcgP601cNyrEuqmgDYRlvueCqhG16ZGOj-8zPifo/s200/double+towels-white+background.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312363111034004130" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmmendoza%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C08%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; 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margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmmendoza%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C03%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); letter-spacing: -0.05pt; font-weight: bold;font-size:14;" >The Curls Like Us™ Curl Cloth™ is a smooth-textured styling</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-size:14;" ><o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); letter-spacing: -0.05pt; font-weight: bold;font-size:14;" > cloth designed to gently wick away excess water from<o:p></o:p> hair while encouraging “curl clustering™” for</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-size:14;" ><o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); letter-spacing: -0.05pt; font-weight: bold;font-size:14;" > beautiful definition, without the frizz.</span><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;font-size:14;color:black;" ></span><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmmendoza%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C17%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:1328435831; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:1331345532 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Symbol;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 173, 198); letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Features</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 173, 198); letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">
<br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">The smooth texture wicks away just the right amount</span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"> of water and sets curls, without introducing frizz</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">The ergonomical, tubular<span style=""> </span>shape of the Curl Cloth™</span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"> makes it easy to rotate during use</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">The brown color does not become discolored by</span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"> residual hair dye</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Includes a convenient loop for hanging</span></li></ul>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmmendoza%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C02%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:1328435831; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:-1358164358 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Symbol;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 173, 198); letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Benefits</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 173, 198); letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmmendoza%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C03%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:1328435831; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:-1358164358 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Symbol;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Makes your favorite curl-friendly styling products work</span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"> better<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Sets curls and encourages “Curl Clustering™”<span style=""> </span>for</span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"> improved definition while reducing separation<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Unlike terry cloth, they do not introduce frizz or cause</span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"> split ends and breakage</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;color:black;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Great, earth-friendly alternative to using paper towel.</span>
<br /></span></li></ul><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmmendoza%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C04%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <div style="">
<br /></div> <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmmendoza%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C10%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:1328435831; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:1502787452 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Symbol;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 173, 198); letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Competitive Advantage</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 173, 198); letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">
<br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">The inherent coarse texture of terry cloth roughens up the hair cuticles causing split-ends, breakage and ultimately frizz</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Although paper toweling is frequently recommended by Curl Experts, most women prefer using an earth-friendly alternative</span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">While an old t-shirt certainly works , it’s not nearly as user-friendly or as aesthetically pleasing</span></li></ul>
<br />
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmmendoza%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C02%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">“Don't dry your hair with a terry-cloth<span style=""> </span>towel --the fibers can roughen up the<span style=""> </span>cuticle<span style=""> </span>and cause frizz.” – USAWeekend.com</span></p>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmmendoza%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C13%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">“Dry your hair with a T-shirt or paper towels in stead of a bath towels, which can cause frizz”, Caring for Curly Hair<span style=""> </span>March, 2007 – Real Simple</span></span></p>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmmendoza%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C18%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 204, 204);"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">“Stop drying your hair with a towel.<span style=""> </span>The nubs tear apart the curls. Instead use a smooth surface like a paper towel or t-shirt.” -Lorraine Massey, author of Curly Girl, The Handbook (Workman 2002)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">
<br /><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"></span></p><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;" rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmmendoza%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C24%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">“The Curl Cloths do exactly what they promise. They wick away excess water, curls clump together and hair is not left frizzy at all. -Feedback found on NaturallyCurly.com CurlTalk Forum</span></p>
<br />
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmmendoza%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C04%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <div style=""> <table style="width: 669px; height: 71px;" vspace="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" hspace="0"> <tbody><tr> <td style="padding: 0in;" valign="top" align="left"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: rgb(0, 173, 198); letter-spacing: -0.05pt;font-size:18;" >Every Curl Deserves to be Happy!</span></i></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div>
<br />Contest rules:
<br />1. Any reader that posts a comment is automatically entered to win a set of Curl Cloths.
<br />2. Winner will be chosen randomly.
<br />3. Contest ends at 2:30 PM EST on Thursday, March 19, 2009.
<br />Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-90625016793097958412009-03-11T11:47:00.006-04:002009-03-11T13:06:40.081-04:00Totally Random Question of the Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIN1Zgbx6OZUZ0DjxlALEqZEqsHMlgx9yWuR-uiZJ-vA4DT6duLW8YVjBjHWVWN81_-W04f6lVM6LwroyyS5jdxU-LfH9M1gzlJH9b59oEu53BNCXtBPXiyNFEizccPBd56OlyJLnzKM/s1600-h/800px-United_States_one_dollar_bill,_obverse.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 87px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIN1Zgbx6OZUZ0DjxlALEqZEqsHMlgx9yWuR-uiZJ-vA4DT6duLW8YVjBjHWVWN81_-W04f6lVM6LwroyyS5jdxU-LfH9M1gzlJH9b59oEu53BNCXtBPXiyNFEizccPBd56OlyJLnzKM/s200/800px-United_States_one_dollar_bill,_obverse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311975159612012290" border="0" /></a><br />Usually questions come to my mind and first thing I do is Google an answer no matter how ridiculous the question is.<br /><br />I had to go to the ATM today to withdraw some money and wondered how come the bills you get from the ATM are always fresh and new.<br /><br />Do they get the bills straight from the US Treasury/Mint? I know you can't just just make bills without monetary backing (don't know if that's the right word) because it would be as worthless as a regular piece of notebook paper. So are bills destroyed before they are manufactured? Are new bills made just for ATM/bank use?<br /><br />I tried to google this topic and could only find the history of the dollar bill.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Image courtesy of: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/United_States_one_dollar_bill,_obverse.jpg/800px-United_States_one_dollar_bill,_obverse.jpg</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">And here is your random picture of the day. My boyfriend and I tried this restaurant Finn McCool's in a relatively new shopping center. It's an Irish themed restaurant. I bet it'll be crazy up in there on St. Patrick's Day. After we had dinner we went into this store next door that sold mainly spices but, also had some out of the ordinary stuff too. It's a neat, quirky store. One of things that caught my eye was this coffee. For those who aren't morning people, this might help you out. (I censored the picture but, the actual bag is not in case you were wondering.)<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQ2GAcqxqMLOqxOi8HClqMVpQTYQRCwEXsTl7Kg3RIcZq_Ofx86LcljdNMBmk05ORpN9xX1X_-PD7QINwvwCr_qFMCI3-PhleSaeX8Y1nD6-6s9YxgGPqaZ9pYL2Ozhrk9RX47wEsOJc/s1600-h/strongcoffee.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQ2GAcqxqMLOqxOi8HClqMVpQTYQRCwEXsTl7Kg3RIcZq_Ofx86LcljdNMBmk05ORpN9xX1X_-PD7QINwvwCr_qFMCI3-PhleSaeX8Y1nD6-6s9YxgGPqaZ9pYL2Ozhrk9RX47wEsOJc/s200/strongcoffee.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311976975652309810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span>Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-91807598832860788612009-03-09T08:47:00.013-04:002009-03-11T13:11:51.987-04:00Uh uh..you know that has to hurt..That's just one of the things that I overheard while I was getting my eyebrows threaded. Along with "Oh my gosh, that's so crazy. I'm just going to stick to waxing" and "Do you think her eyebrows will come out okay? to "What in the world is that?" A mall near me finally got a threading booth so I was excited to try it. The booth is in the middle of the mall so of course curious crowds were expected. There were 2 girls ahead of me. I waited about 15 minutes for my turn.<br /><br />I asked my boyfriend to take my picture while my eyebrows were being threaded. Being the comedian that he thinks he is, he took a bunch of unflattering armpit pictures and like two post-able pictures.<br /><br />My before picture. (I never noticed how bushy my eyebrows were. Plus I was waiting to get them threaded so I was letting them grow out.)<br /><br />Caution: This is a mega close up picture.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">BEFORE:</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKFyQEp1E5yy_6ANAkWwXdtVdstL5DnX1pOWSvrr8FJXhrmqZiIo23bvzFD6tu-JB8HZH_euXJVIkb-QpwOFok2V3YrkOQlWqxo58zGlE0swCYTdNaoj03SWrvCCgsu2_BItHx2lgs0o/s1600-h/threading0307+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKFyQEp1E5yy_6ANAkWwXdtVdstL5DnX1pOWSvrr8FJXhrmqZiIo23bvzFD6tu-JB8HZH_euXJVIkb-QpwOFok2V3YrkOQlWqxo58zGlE0swCYTdNaoj03SWrvCCgsu2_BItHx2lgs0o/s200/threading0307+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311172616914414162" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />DURING:<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPy3dLv6hEjGkDUnWco6T0dApkA3OGFQW35BDVXTDZXqzRtC9TlfwmcV9yqQBrM5RJ-F8toXNwemG-z823Py8g5ZWZkfK6UH6_G2SxeP-I5pP2x_EtFBj_dEO6IOhl9m8FWAh4gSUN0s/s1600-h/threading0307+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPy3dLv6hEjGkDUnWco6T0dApkA3OGFQW35BDVXTDZXqzRtC9TlfwmcV9yqQBrM5RJ-F8toXNwemG-z823Py8g5ZWZkfK6UH6_G2SxeP-I5pP2x_EtFBj_dEO6IOhl9m8FWAh4gSUN0s/s200/threading0307+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311173202273377218" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The lady who did my eyebrows had the thread tied around her neck. In the Youtube threading videos I had seen, the lady held the thread in her mouth. That seemed to be the only difference from the videos and what the lady actually did.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">AFTER:</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0-Ti2NumGGzq3K4vgo7DfDvh5c-_JNdJhqwKgZn1iK5w4BtzilqjJLG2aGkUEQaPqUlVUgB26Ik4wev8Nj5abseWdJxhU0mtlY92aG3x2M_V9-GoNup8pcS0PzLv9u-lLBovIIUpmCY/s1600-h/threading0307+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0-Ti2NumGGzq3K4vgo7DfDvh5c-_JNdJhqwKgZn1iK5w4BtzilqjJLG2aGkUEQaPqUlVUgB26Ik4wev8Nj5abseWdJxhU0mtlY92aG3x2M_V9-GoNup8pcS0PzLv9u-lLBovIIUpmCY/s200/threading0307+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311173508109487970" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmte9lBTaU-KrUyiyy1JcIwCW_qF9eiBhmN79HCw3o3lTkN7R4zFOL_LWthFY-lkOy422kVYZrSH3k7NZRhMr-PpLjqSPCY1vHuo20esdW7WOHaX1lBXegQadgHPQQlYwUjpwxB-h3BI/s1600-h/threading0307+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmte9lBTaU-KrUyiyy1JcIwCW_qF9eiBhmN79HCw3o3lTkN7R4zFOL_LWthFY-lkOy422kVYZrSH3k7NZRhMr-PpLjqSPCY1vHuo20esdW7WOHaX1lBXegQadgHPQQlYwUjpwxB-h3BI/s200/threading0307+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311173687832003586" border="0" /></a><br />The whole process took about 10-15 minutes. She was very supportive of me taking a "before" picture. When I told my boyfriend to take a "before" picture, she said "Oh yes, yes definitely, yes go ahead, it will be a very big difference." She seemed eager to dig into my eyebrows. The lady had to break out all her tools - thread, comb, tweezers and scissors.<br /><br />You know what's kind of ironic. A couple days ago I posted that I was planning on getting my <a href="http://curlgirljourney.blogspot.com/2009/03/unibrow-be-gone.html">eyebrows threaded</a>. And included this clip art:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQb-m8bJ9hzTImHo8fTDOkACwOqOYlbkC9kyVLcXW01iDKDadxmzX7ZCK5JVoL50BW-hQpINDCaBbEOcesaiIUYU87ic_DSb7pn0cqETJc2NHjxTytrmnOe84HMJEm9k81bqmok7VAFQ/s1600-h/surprised+smiley.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQb-m8bJ9hzTImHo8fTDOkACwOqOYlbkC9kyVLcXW01iDKDadxmzX7ZCK5JVoL50BW-hQpINDCaBbEOcesaiIUYU87ic_DSb7pn0cqETJc2NHjxTytrmnOe84HMJEm9k81bqmok7VAFQ/s200/surprised+smiley.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311174329855074306" border="0" /></a>I said I hoped after I got my eyebrows threaded I wouldn't look like this. The ironic part is that I look like this anyways because my left eyebrow has always been higher than my right eyebrow. No kind of shaping can change that but, I'm glad as it's not as drastic as my clip art friend here.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Pros:<br /></span></span>- Not painful at all. I heard mixed reviews on how much threading hurts. I found it did not hurt at all. There were a couple hairs where I felt it more but, still not painful to me. I think waxing is definitely more painful than threading.<br />- Achieve a better eyebrow shape/arch than waxing. You saw how bushy my eyebrows were before they were threaded. I guess because waxing is done in strips, you can't really precisely control which hairs you want to remove like you can using thread.<br />- No allergic or after waxing reaction. Sometimes when I get my eyebrows waxed I get bumps after. I'm not sure if this is a reaction to the wax or not. With threading, you don't have to worry about any chemical reacting with your skin. They also recommend threading to those suffering from acne. Waxing and laser hair removal is not recommended while using certain acne medications. Threading is also good for with sensitive skin, such as those suffering from eczema, which I have. <br />- Longer lasting results. This I can't vouch for quite yet. Supposedly, threading lasts longer than waxing and tweezing. I'll keep you posted.<br />- Inexpensive. Cost for eyebrow threading was $12. Not too bad, especially if it does last longer.<br />- I only got my eyebrows done but other areas you can get threaded are your chin, sideburns and upper lip. I'm guessing if it hurt less than waxing my eyebrows, threading will hurt less in these areas too.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cons:</span></span><br />- This con is more specific to the booth I went to rather than threading in general. Because it is a booth in the middle of the mall, you'll definitely get a crowd like I mentioned. Plus, it's a new booth so a lot of people still haven't seen it and are curious when they pass by. My eyes were closed when my eyebrows were being threaded but, I could hear everything. I felt like I was having surgery awake and people were hovering me making comments like I was asleep.<br />- You have to hold your eyelid down and forehead up while your eyebrows are being threaded. I'm assuming (even though you know what they say about assuming) this is being done to spread out your eyebrow area making it easier to thread. Don't spend a lot of time on your eye makeup if you plan on getting your eyebrows threaded because it will get smudged.<br /><br /><br />I'm excited to try threading again. This might be my new go-to method for eyebrow shaping. The cons really weren't that bad. It was the only cons I could think of. My first threading experience was definitely a positive one.<br /><br />I felt like I looked different after. It took me about a day to get used to it. Kind of like getting used to a haircut.<br /><br />Conclusion: I definitely like getting my eyebrows threaded better than waxing or tweezing. If you want to try a different way to shape your eyebrows and you have a place that does threading near you, I say go for it. Two thumbs up for threading. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span>Girl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104246004280949294.post-44745623294504111592009-03-06T23:29:00.007-05:002009-03-06T23:45:50.600-05:00Upside Down Rinse Take TwoA couple of posts ago, I talked about this new technique I learned - rinsing your hair upside down. I had the opportunity to try it again tonight and this time I let my hair completely air dry. I didn't even have to scrunch out the crunch. There was no crunch at all, just soft waves. I usually like my hair better when I diffuse it but, I actually like the definition I got tonight without diffusing my hair.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyq1uBVRtquVKZluRjEl3ZJ-AN1Xa2VnZLX4C9U-GvWVoeGPiDya7WxvQr6_e620BYC0PJLgtoEJ0SLIjaGV8ZyUZKRxqatNRfdExvve4pRFGwEZll2vLWblftfQMbooJ70Gk4sdu7dFI/s1600-h/upsidedownrinse0306+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyq1uBVRtquVKZluRjEl3ZJ-AN1Xa2VnZLX4C9U-GvWVoeGPiDya7WxvQr6_e620BYC0PJLgtoEJ0SLIjaGV8ZyUZKRxqatNRfdExvve4pRFGwEZll2vLWblftfQMbooJ70Gk4sdu7dFI/s200/upsidedownrinse0306+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310298616888904562" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjfY9atyDZmG9Dft7bF4D-nmlfdHuPpwtepJIr8UrehhU-WmY5oOXoXqWxlhpqw9FfkXZdOyRSlCcYG1gXkn67xmuoNQsL3S17C2q_FgLwWada23PjMrmX2pwrRJKxSKEnA1fchE03ys/s1600-h/upsidedownrinse0306+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjfY9atyDZmG9Dft7bF4D-nmlfdHuPpwtepJIr8UrehhU-WmY5oOXoXqWxlhpqw9FfkXZdOyRSlCcYG1gXkn67xmuoNQsL3S17C2q_FgLwWada23PjMrmX2pwrRJKxSKEnA1fchE03ys/s200/upsidedownrinse0306+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310298786659119922" border="0" /></a><br />I'm still not satisfied with the front of my hair. I don't know what I want - maybe bangs or more layers. I feel like the front of my hair doesn't suit my face. I always like the back of my hair better than the front. The picture below on the right is the same as the left but a close-up. I dyed my hair dark brown with one of those dyes than rinse out in 28 washes. My highlights that I was trying to cover up were coming back and about every 6 months I have to dye it until I grow out my old color. The color lasts way past the 28 days it says on the box.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqPFNqzvivP9QQza9T0sFCB8YnvxEE6mt7txJTR4YBPMPv1OILZXbZn8HjQEPUjLglZmPnkIPp9AF1O1HxNS1Xno7u0_MRT1YLKuOOmZnf-EO79FSBdK_7GUslWFujiR50hSbkfyOQ5A/s1600-h/upsidedownrinse0306+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqPFNqzvivP9QQza9T0sFCB8YnvxEE6mt7txJTR4YBPMPv1OILZXbZn8HjQEPUjLglZmPnkIPp9AF1O1HxNS1Xno7u0_MRT1YLKuOOmZnf-EO79FSBdK_7GUslWFujiR50hSbkfyOQ5A/s200/upsidedownrinse0306+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310299225431630146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjyT8tElOYBB5iBQ6iJSERuKGjVwemGeOHdPjfTTLIUwpZ_8xggqZXI_XPkHIIvnOq8Ho1BOfFqitxuJTuffpMslrnsIFmUqjru_k9ZpE0r9glnB0iv_2YMgCS7uil1lJJejqenJDAhY/s1600-h/upsidedownrinse0306+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjyT8tElOYBB5iBQ6iJSERuKGjVwemGeOHdPjfTTLIUwpZ_8xggqZXI_XPkHIIvnOq8Ho1BOfFqitxuJTuffpMslrnsIFmUqjru_k9ZpE0r9glnB0iv_2YMgCS7uil1lJJejqenJDAhY/s200/upsidedownrinse0306+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310299585370271570" border="0" /></a><br />I feel like my hair looks different in pictures than what I see in the mirror. Probably the same issue as makeup bloggers that feel their makeup looks washed out when they take a picture of their FOTD (face of the day).<br /><br />Products I used were Suave Naturals (cowash), Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner and L'oreal Vive Pro Nutri Gloss conditioner (mixed together for my conditioner), Kinky Curly Knot Today (leave-in conditioner), Kinky Curly Curling Custard and Herbal Essences Set Me Up gel (gel for hold).<br /><br />I wish everyone a great weekend. I'm so excited because we're supposed to be having weather close to 70 degrees. <br /><br />My plans for the weekend include:<br />1. Get my eyebrows threaded<br />2. Hike and enjoy the beautiful weather<br />3. See the movie WatchmenGirl with Curlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749280818531117817noreply@blogger.com4