It’s been a while since I’ve been on here so I thought it’s only right to update you all on what’s been happening and if I have any new hair tricks and tips for you all!
My hair types settled back into 1C which I’ve decided I’m not going to fight anymore. My 2A waves still come out every now and then but most days, I’m at 1C – that’s straight hair with some kinks or bends if you’re not familiar with the hair terms. They are confusing I know!
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I started my wavy hair journey using the Curly Girl Method at the end of 2017 (it was Dec 2017 to be exact – you can read it here). If you read some of my later posts you’ll see that my hair went through a transition period of some sorts. I started off with 1B/1C straight-ish hair pre-Curly Girl Method then it got really wavy and ended up 2A with some 2B strands then after that it started going less wavy and regressed to 1C/2A straightish-wavy pattern. Since then it’s stuck somewhere between 1B/1C.
I was so upset with how much regression I experienced that I didn’t want to continue with the Curly Girl Method. Just to be clear, I followed a modified version of CGM and didn’t follow it strictly apart from the first couple months. This was because my hair is somewhat fine/medium density and clarifying without a sulfates-based cleanser just wasn’t doing it for me. You can read more about my swavy 2A hair journey and the products I used here. This was when my hair was possibly at its optimum health despite the colour processes it went through.
My hair went from swavy 2A back to straightish 1B within months
The last time I remember still having my waves was back in October/November 2020.
Below is a photo of my November wash day and how my hair looked wet, to 50% dry to fully dry… and this was air dried! Stupid me, I don’t really keep a diary of products I use anymore as it’s generally the same but I wish I had because I have no idea what I used then.
I went from this:
Wavy Hair: November’s wash day (air dried)
…to THIS!
FEB 2021: I had no clue what was going on with my hair! My waves disappeared!
THE WAVES WERE GONE!
My hair pretty much looked like this mess from December 2020 to March 2021. I also re-bleached my ends then a few weeks after dyed it with permanent box dye and I truly believe that’s what killed it. It was never the same after that day and I was ready to give up doing the Curly Girl Method.
I told myself that I was just a “fake-wavy”, that I don’t have any waves hair and never did. It was all just “tricks” with gels and stylers. But then I decided to take one more leap of faith and jumped onto Youtube to watch more wavy girls talk about their hair journey. My all-time favourite Youtuber is Courtney from Swavy Curly Courtney. If you’ve seen her but never clicked to watch her videos… do it! Her videos very informative, helpful and she’d been through similar experiences as me and her waves are AMAZING!
My hair needed to re-balance…
Then a couple months ago Courtney released this video about her beautiful curly waves becoming less wavy and I felt somewhat relieved… I wasn’t the only one going through this! I literally found the video a few weeks ago and decided to try out Courtney’s homemade gelatin hair treatment (video below because it’s that amazing!) and OMG the results really say it all.
March 12 – sad sad hair.. waves were gone and hair was very dry and brittle so I cut out both glycerin- and protein-based products March 29 – hair started recovering and some waves returned. I can see loose waves but they dropped by the end of the day so I thought it’s time to add back in some protein-based styling products April 9 – I took this photo after my wash day with a homemade gelatin hair treatment, my hair was about 70% dry and still in its gel cast
My hair needed to re-balance! April 9: post-gelatin hair treatment
Moisture or Protein deficiency?
Funny thing is I thought I knew… but I still really don’t!
My hair was dry and brittle – to me, that was a sign that it was protein overloaded but the more I think of it, I think it was severe moisture deficiency. It would also explain why my waves dropped so quickly during the day. It had also been a very long time since I last clarified my hair so most probably it was a combination of everything – no hair cut, too much glycerin products used, central heating drying it out and no clarifying wash.
The trio of photos for March 29th shows how my waves somewhat returned. This was from sticking to protein-free hair products after adding glycerin products back in. It looks loosely wavy again but there was just no hold. This is when I realised I needed to add protein-based styling products back into my hair routine. I looked through Courtney’s videos and found her homemade gelatin treatment and it worked SO WELL!
Courtney uses powdered gelatin, Shea Moisture’s power protein treatment and apple cider vinegar. I skipped the ACV because it can be harsh on coloured or bleached hair (well, it’s harsh on mine) but apparently it helps the hair saturate the gelatin better although I would say the treatment still works pretty well without it too.
I cleansed my hair with a sulfates-based shampoo then rinsed, applied the gelatin treatment for 10mins then rinsed out, applied hair conditioner then rinsed, and finished off with adding my styling products, scrunched, plopped and then diffused my hair until it was 70% dry.
My hair felt really cleansed, lightweight and how it used to feel. I’m going to try this treatment again but without diffusing to see what the result will be like. I’ll also be making a video of this and add it to my Youtube page. I’ll add it to the bottom of this post so you can bookmark this page and return in a few weeks time to see if it’s up. If not, just give me a few weeks as I’m really slow with making vlogs! Otherwise, you can subscribe to my Youtube page and you’ll get a notification whenever I post up a new video.
20/04 WAVY HAIR UPDATE: my waves are coming back!
So I decided to add a little more protein back into my hair routine and boy did it make a difference! I’ve gone back to using my old cream and gel combo (Cantu curl activator cream and ECO olive styler gel) on my second day after wash day (refresh day 1) and pixie diffused (fancy CGM term for diffusing hair in smaller sections) and I am loving the results. The waves are coming back and they look a little more defined. Still a little stringy in some bits but better than it’s been since October/November.
I’m going to try and replicate the results on my next wash day to see what happens and will update this blog post once as soon as I can.
Have you gone through a similar experience with the Curly Girl Method? Tell me about your wavy hair stories in the comments section below. X
PS. This post does contain affiliate links so if you decide to buy any of the goodies listed above, I will receive a bit of commission on qualifying purchases. This is at no cost to you and would help support me with the running this blog.
I was supposed to launch this giveaway at the start of the year – because it’s a new year and I wanted to do this giveaway asap, I kind of got a little overwhelmed with starting a load of other things and just forget about the giveaway. So here it is.. the long awaited Noughty To The Rescue bundle giveaway!
UK Giveaway: Noughty To The Rescue Bundle
It’s been a while since my last giveaway which was last year December for the curated beauty box. But for hair, I don’t think I’ve done a giveaway before. As an advocate for Noughty Haircare UK, I’m super excited to be giving away this little bundle of joy! My FAVOURITE hair mask, To The Rescue Intensive Moisture Treatment is the best hair mask I’ve used so far. It smells amazing and works great on fine to medium density hair and on all hair curl types. It’s a medium-heavyweight mask but I don’t find it that heavy on my hair. If you have straight hair that’s dyed, bleached or just very dry, it’s a really nice moisturising hair mask to use. The tub usually lasts me a few months and I use it once weekly. If you use it once or twice a month, you could probably make it stretch up to 6 months.
I want to raise this issue because a commenter on my Youtube hair video told me that the hair mask above and the thirst aid spray are not CG-friendly as they contain isopropyl alcohol. This is true if you have a US stock product. I’m afraid these Noughty products are not ‘CG approved’ or CG friendly – only the UK stock is CG approved which they state on their website. You won’t find isopropyl alcohol on these two products in the UK. This is why they’re still on my haircare list as CG friendly. I just wanted to clear that up in case anyone else didn’t know, was confused about it, or thought I was lying – I doubt the latter but you know, I have to put it out there so everyone else knows. 🙂
It’s such a shame they’ve done it like this. It should be CG friendly world but I guess formula regulations are allowed to differ from country to country. Soon, I’ll host a Noughty giveaway internationally so my US and abroad readers, keep your eyes peeled for summertime. It’s going to be a big giveaway!
Ingredients in the Noughty hair mask
WIN!
So how do you enter and what are the rules?
Rules: How to enter
Click on the link below which will take you to the giveaway hosting site, Rafflecopter.
Enter via all the numerous ways you’d like – the more entries you make, the higher the chance of winning. Please note, commenting on this blog post is mandatory whilst all other social media entries are bonus entries.
The competition will end on March 1st 2021 and the winner will be selected at random by Rafflecopter. An email will be sent to the winner, if there is no reply to claim the prize, an alternative winner will be selected.
UK entrants only.
There is no cash prize alternative.
If you can, I would love it if you could like this post and share it with others too!
GOOD LUCK!
Congratulations!
Well done to our lucky winner, Lucy!
The giveaway was such a big hit, I got really excited and decided to giveaway another tub of the Noughty intensive moisture mask as a runner up prize. A massive well done to both ladies and thank you EVERYONE that took part in the giveaway. Next giveaway will be Summer 2021 so keep your eyes peeled on the blog and social media.
Don’t forget you can subscribe to the blog via email to get notifications on new posts and upcoming competitions.
Winner: photo taken by Lucy of her goodies!
Rebecca is very pleased with her new hair mask!
I love this beautiful photo taken by our runner-up Rebecca!
It’s been a while since I’ve been on here writing – been feeling a little underwhelmed and just not motivated to do anything. With Christmas a few weeks away, my mind and time’s been preoccupied on getting everything ready. Little man also came down with a cough last Friday which has disappeared now but in a panic, I ordered a Covid home test kit for the both of us. After all, I don’t want to go back to work without knowing I’m all clear and don’t want LO to cause his class to self-isolate so close to Christmas if he isn’t all clear.
My Curated Beauty Box Giveaway!
This month, I wanted to create a curated box that I could giveaway – especially with the festive mood it seemed like a good time to set a giveaway! I have to apologise for being a couple days overdue on this post, I should’ve scheduled it ages ago but not been at the best with my health since the end of last month. I’ve been having really bad eye-strain and can’t seem to sit in front of a screen or on my phone for too long. I’m going to have to get starter with my time keeping so I’m only getting about 2-3hrs screen time then that’s it.
Anyway… without further ado, here’s what you can get your hands on this December:
Curated Beauty Giveaway – This is what you can win this Christmas!
What curated goodies are you giving away?
What’s inside the curated box?
Inside this little box of goodies are the following products:
Palmers Coconut Oil deep conditioning protein pack (full size)
Philip Kingsley Flaky/Itchy Scalp shampoo
This Works In Transit Camera Close-Up 3-in-1 moisturiser
Holika Holika Pure Essence Damask Rose hydrating sheet mask (full size)
Coming out of a lockdown and back into tiered restrictions, London is lucky to be in Tier 2. We are able to go to the shops like normal, visit non-essential retail stores and eat out at restaurants again. My health has taken a slight turn (well, my eyesight mostly) but my physical health is not the best either. I haven’t done any exercise and I can feel that it’s taken a toll on my body. My mental health seems in tact for now but I can feel that mental-burnout is not a far away thought. I wouldn’t say I’m experiencing depression but I do feel sluggish all the time, not motivated or too tired to do anything and not wanting to work. The phrase “I can’t adult today” seems to be my favourite daily motto. Every now and then someone pulls me out and it’s usually by allowing myself some time to take care of myself and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels the same.
This box was inspired by taking care of yourself physically, emotionally and mentally.
Treat your hair and skin to wonderful goodies! Soothe a sensitive scalp with Philip Kingsley‘s shampoo and nourish your winter hair with Palmers deep conditioning protein mask. Treat your skin to Holika Holika‘s super-drenching hydrating face sheet mask. Damask rose softens and hydrates the skin, and improves skin cell regeneration – that’s why you’ll always find rose essential oil in many anti-ageing skincare products. Cut down on time with The Works‘ 3-in-1 mask, primer and moisturiser. The creamy texture is perfect for winter skin and suits all skin types.
On a more emotional and mental level, I wanted to include products that can help you create a calming mood for your self-care time. The pillow spray by This Works is amazing – it contains lavender, vetivert and chamomile to soothe and calm your mind so you can sleep better. Before you spray your pillow, light up the super-indulgent wax melt by Savour Candles. All you’ll need is a tealight and oil burner if you don’t already have one. You can get these from Poundland, Asda and other homeware stores as cheap as £1.
Savour Candles With my promise last month to deliver you a treat from one of my favourite black-owned small businesses, I’ve picked Savour Candles. They have THE BEST soy candles and wax melts I’ve ever experienced. The Caramel Vanilla Latte is f*ing AMAZING (not to mention constantly sold out!) but my second fave as to be the Tobacco & Vanilla – very musky and sensual. My candle’s burned well over 6hrs in total and I still have a decent amount of burn time left. Check out the official website and don’t forget the next Black Pound Day is January 2nd for exclusive discounted rates. Check their instagram page: @savourcandles for their 10% off discount code – order early as last dispatch for Christmas is December 18-22nd.
Ready to enter the giveaway?
If you’re ready to enter, simply hit the button below which will take you over to Rafflecopter which is where the giveaway will be hosted.
Terms & Conditions: UK entrants only. All mandatory entry fields must be completed to be eligible to win. A winner will be selected at random and contacted via email. Box will be sent via Royal Mail tracked 48. No cash prize alternatives. Closing date is midnight on Sunday 20th December!
A side note: this giveaway has not been sponsored or endorsed by any brands. They’ve either been bought exclusively or selected from previous beauty boxes for this blog giveaway.
Fancy ANOTHER giveaway?
Who doesn’t?! If this competition is not enough for you, I’ll be lining up another blog giveaway for the new year… YAY! We all love getting free goodies right? The New Years’ giveaway goodies will include three full-sized products; my favourite haircare, skincare and body care product. Ooh, I also have another Noughty revierw to complete and yes… there will be a NOUGHTY GIVEAWAY in the new year too! WOOP WOOP!
Keep a look out on my instagram: @manny.wandering for all the latest updates and new giveaways will be announced on January 1st! I’ll make sure I’ll schedule them ready from now LOL 🙂
I’m back with another beauty box review. Yay! I can’t believe my last review was in the summer.. oops. I’ve been loving the beauty boxes but just been so busy with other Real Life things (and a bit lazy with writing) that I never got round to writing up a review but I will be jumping back onto it and backdating the reviews so have a little look for them on here.
So let’s get to the review, I won’t hold you in suspense any longer… 🙂
The Packaging
I LOVE this month’s Birchbox packaging. It’s super cute! First off, the natural yet feminine tonal colours really captured my attention as it’s completely different from last month’s Birchbox which was a brighter pink tote bag. I loved last month’s box but never got round to writing a box review so I’ll do that soon and backdate the post for October.
The nude pink and earthy green colour works really well together and it may be because they share some nude or brown undertones. Super pretty and feminine. It’s also very calming to look at. Birchbox is all about women empowerment and the past few months I feel like the boxes have had a strong focus on self-love and affirmations.
My favourite colour-combo! I love the natural and feminine colour use of pink and green. Here’s this months selection of treats…
With face coverings being compulsory whenever wee step foot anywhere outside of the house, you’ll need a lipstick that can meet your expectations. That’s why I love this super highly-pigmented, ultra-matte liquid lipstick, it really delivers! Forget lipstick stains on the inside of your mask as this magical stuff is smudge-proof, thanks to the brand’s smear-resistant formulation. Once applied, the liquid lipstick dries matte in 30secs flat, is super easy to apply and goes on smoothly. The colour I got was the mauve colour, named ‘I decide my destiny’ but there are two other colours to choose from.
The mauve colour of this matte liquid lipstick is so pretty!
It’s definitely one of my BB Faves from this month’s box. I first heard of the Real Her brand from my previous Birchbox where I tried their Goddess highlighter which is AMAZING! Again, the highlighter is also super pigmented in a champagne gold colour, so beautiful. You can see my review of the highlighter here and on Youtube. 🙂
I’m really enjoying the range of highlighters I’ve been able to sample. Even though my fave highlighter is the baked powder one from Real Her, I had to give The Beauty Crop’s highlighter a try. This liquid highlighter has a silk, creamy texture that’s lightweight on the skin. It has this really beautiful, dewy sheen when I apply it onto my skin straight after moisturiser. Enriched with coconut and argan oils, the hydrating formula leaves the skin looking plumped and glowing.
The colour ‘Blind Date’ is a deep bronze hue but on my medium olive skintone, it blends in perfectly. There are two other shades available. I really love it and will definitely add it with my moisturiser or tinted moisturiser for a dewy day-to-day face or when I want a sheer, dewy look. You can also mix it into foundation for the same effect.
Three wonderful makeup treats this month; highlighter, liquid lipstick & pocket mirror
The Birchbox pocket mirror is super cute! It’s a BB Exclusive and even comes with a nude leather-effect pouch. This small, hand-sized pocket mirror is compact enough to fit in even the smallest vanity purses. The back of the mirror is printed with this month’s motto: “Pretty smart, Pretty kind, Pretty funny, Pretty strong” and the BB logo. It’s a great little affirmation which you can remind yourself of every time you reach for the mirror.
Birchbox November: I also got one hair and one full-sized skincare product this month
Spas and beauty salons are currently closed until early December (at time of writing, subject to Gov advice it could change) until further notice so your next beauty appointment might be a while yet. However, no need to fear as Vitamasques has our back with their 3-step facial mask. It’s said that this little pack can “deliver us professional salon results at home”… I will be the judge of that. I loved their pineapple serum which I got in the August box so I’m hoping I’ll love this mask too however I wish I got the hydrating mask as my skin is more dehydrated than combination. This is the green detox one, so ideally good for normal/combination/oily skin types whereas the pink hydrating mask which is better for dry/dehydrated/sensitive/mature skin types.
Update: I gave this mask a try yesterday and can say it is really good! I love the fact that it’s a 3 step facial – in the Detox one you get a scrub, the sheet mask and moisturiser. For the scrub, I wish there was more of it as it bubbles up which feels quite tickly on the face, when I washed it off my skin felt really cleansed but not stripped. Then I put on the sheet mask for the recommended 20mins – I loved the mask but the eye holes and mouth holes are too small even for me and my eyes aren’t big! I got some of the product in my eyes which wasn’t nice but good to know they load up on the serum in the face sheet.
Once 20mins was up, I massaged in the remaining serum and applied the lightweight moisturiser on top. It was a lovely Saturday treat and I enjoyed using it. I do still wish I was given the Hydrating mask instead as that’s more tailored for my skin but no biggie as I will purchase it after knowing how good Vitamasques are. 🙂
Vitamasques 3 Step Facial Mask – scrub, mask and moisturise!
This silky formulated serum is said to leave your hair frizz-free and smoothed out which can make styling easy and hassle-free. It’ll will tame flyaway strands and split ends and suitable for all hair types. As it contains silicones and I’m still following my own modified version of the Curly Girl Method, I won’t be using this serum. Silicones are great at smoothing out the hair cuticles which leaves the hair looking shiny so if you’re partial to using silicones or use them in your current routine, the serum will be a nice treat for your hair. It’s packed with provitamin B5 and vitamin A which will also leave your hair feeling nourished.
P I N T H I S P O S T
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UPCOMING GIVEAWAY!
I’m currently curating my own beauty box to GIVE AWAY THIS CHRISTMAS! If you want to be in with a chance of winning it, make sure you’re back on the blog on Sunday 6th December. Set your reminder and keep an eye out on social media too. More details to be revealed soon!you can enter the giveaway below!
NB. This post contains affiliate links. If you click on the links and decide to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission on qualifying products at no extra cost to you.
All ingredients checked via the Curlsbot Ingredients Analyzer. 100% Curly Girl approved*. Yay!
*Approves means it doesn’t contain silicones, oils, waxes, harsh sulfates or alcohols that need to be avoided when following the Curly Girl Method.
Are you finding it hard to look for CGM Approved haircare in the UK? There’s so much more advice online now about where you can go to buy your curly girl products ranging from supermarkets to online stores. Here’s a list of all the products I’ve located which range from cost-effective to costly. I will be going through the list to add on small descriptions of each product soon to make it more helpful for you when searching a product.
It should be no surprise that I am a BIG Noughty fan.
I really love this brand because it works for me, my hair and my children’s hair. Seriously guys. I’ve been using Noughty on and off for a few years now but always find myself returning back for more because they are that good. If you haven’t read my post or seen my Noughty video on the Wave Hello range, you can read it here.
Noughty’s 1 Hit Wonder cleansing conditioner and co-wash is a gentle non-lathering cleanser. In curl-talk terms, it’s called a ‘co-wash’ or a ‘no-poo’ as it doesn’t foam or lather, some people might technically say it’s not even a shampoo and they’re not entirely wrong. After trying out the whole Wave Hello range and a few of the To The Rescue range, I really wanted this co-wash originally for my kids because I thought it would feel too heavy on my hair but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it even worked on my hair. The light coconut-y scent smells really nice but to be honest, I like the smells of all their products especially the To The Rescue intensive hair mask – OMG! That one smells soo good and is CG approved too in the UK.
My favourite Noughty products for colour-treated hair
Noughty Haircare is also reasonably priced (around £6.99) so you won’t break the bank giving them a try. There are a few products available in travel sizes not this co-wash is a little bit of a shame but I’m hoping one day they’ll bring one out.
Get 15% off your order with code: WANDERINGMOTHER15
Is Noughty’s 1 Hit Wonder co-wash right for my hair?
Unless you are strictly following the Curly Girl Method, then I’d say yes! This product is not listed as CG-approved because it contains isopropyl alcohol which is known to be a drying alcohol. However, as it’s almost at the end of the ingredients list, I am able to overlook this and to be honest.. the cream is rich enough that I haven’t noticed the drying effects from using it on my hair. Other curly girls though might disagree.
Whether you have straight-wavy hair like me or dense curly hair, your hair will thank you for using this co-wash. However, I do think wavies are better off using occasionally rather than frequently. Try alternating co-wash days with a low-poo wash days because using just creamy cleansers can leave your hair eventually looking and feeling limp. What you’ll then experience is product build-up. This is totally normal, especially for wavy girls.
If your hair is really fine or limp-looking already, a co-wash might not be the best option for you. Instead, stick to lightweight low-poos and clarify your hair often. If you have curly and coily hair, it is recommended that you mainly co-wash and occasionally swap to a low-poo if you’re missing some lathering action.
If you get product or oil build-up, simply cut down or cut out the co-washing for a few weeks. If there’s still no improvement, check out the two options below.
Option 1 – do Apple Cider Vinegar or Rice Water rinse at your next wash to cleanse away any build-up. If you have coloured hair, go for the Rice Water rinse because it’s more gentle on the hair than ACV. I haven’t personally tried the rinses but have heard so many good things about them. This is the CG-friendly option.
Option 2 – wash your hair with a sulfate-based shampoo (yes, sulfates. Not CG friendly!) as this will strip away any build-up and follow with a deep conditioning mask for at least 20mins. This is because nothing clears build-up as good as sulfates-based shampoos but do your research before trying it out to figure out your hair will respond. As I dye my hair and I follow a modified CGM approach, I do use this option and find that it works for me.
Using Noughty’s co-wash on wavy hair
Wash day using low-poo and diffused to dry (just coloured hair) 2 weeks later – Wash day using Noughty 1 Hit Wonder co-wash and diffused to dry
In the first row of photos I had just recently coloured my hair with a semi-permanent colour so the hair was already a little drier. I should’ve chosen to use the co-wash then but as I hadn’t washed my hair for a week and a half, I wanted to use a lathering cleanser so opted for a low-poo and deep conditioning mask. I diffused my hair to dry. Two weeks later, my colour had already faded and I only washed my hair once between these two weeks which is not shown.
In the second row of photos, I cleansed my hair with Noughty’s co-wash/conditioning cleanser and used their Colour Bomb conditioner (lightweight conditioner) instead of a deep conditioning hair mask. I also diffused to dry on that occasion. You can see that there is a little more clumping going on when I used the co-wash (my hair normally doesn’t clump well or at all), waves look a little more defined and less stringy. It gave my hair a little bit of what it needed – moisture.
Using Noughty’s co-wash on curly hair
WET vs DRY hair after co-washing
My Little Miss has mixed hair and her curly combinations range from type 2C all the way up to type 3C depending on where you look on her head or how well I’ve looked after her hair post-wash day. Most of the time, it’s around type 3A/3B. Her curls responded wonderfully to Noughty’s cleansing conditioner (thanks to the castor oil and shea butter). Little Miss’ hair density is more on the fine side and tends to dry out, feel brittle and knot very easily so her wash day consists of a co-wash followed by a deep-conditioning hair mask (so I can detangle her knots easier), then applying a leave-in conditioner or curl cream. I also like adding a bit of melted pure unrefined shea butter into her ends and mid-lengths whilst her hair is damp to lock in all that added moisture.
What’s the difference between a co-wash, cleansing conditioner/conditioning cleanser, and just using hair conditioner to cleanse your hair?
It can get a little confusing with all the jargon but co-washes and cleansing conditioners/conditioning cleansers are the same thing! ‘Co-wash’ is an abbreviated term for ‘conditioning wash’ which used to describe a cleanser (shampoo) that has a creamy, conditioning, non-lathering texture. This is exactly the same for a ‘cleansing conditioner’. I don’t know why there are so many name variations for the same thing, it can really be confusing. Low-poos, however, are totally definitely different as they do lather but don’t contain any sulfates.
Now… what is different is using your conditioner to cleanse your hair instead of a co-wash/cleansing conditioner. Please don’t do this!
Hair conditioner has been formulated to ONLY condition the hair – hence why when you use a co-wash or cleansing conditioner, you will/can still use a conditioner depending on your hair type and moisture/hydration needs. Co-washes and cleansing conditioners are formulated specifically to CLEANSE the hair but also giving you the added conditioning, nourishing moisture your curly or wavy hair needs.
There’s also leave-in conditioner but that’s used as a styling product as you leave the product in the hair and don’t wash it out.
How to use Noughty’s 1 Hit Wonder cleansing conditioner
It’s super simple. Get in the shower or bath – pump a good-sized amount into your hands and massage it into the scalp. If you want, you can add a little water to emulsify it to get it going. Don’t scratch the head with nails, use the pads of your fingers and thumbs to provide friction against the scalp. If you want you can leave it to work its magic for a few minutes before rinsing out thoroughly.
I won’t lie to you – if you’re not used to or never used a creamy cleanser before, you will think “WTF am I doing? This is not going to clean my hair properly!” but you are wrong. It does and it will. The coco-glucoside ingredient in this creamy cleanser will help to remove all the dirt and natural oils build-up in your hair and wash away without any stripping the hair nor feeling heavy and sticky.
Always follow with a thorough warm rinse then apply conditioner or deep-conditioning mask. If you have fine or wavy hair, I would suggest using a lightweight conditioner and occasionally use a hair mask once a month or whenever hair feels drier.
Bestsellers: My current Noughty collection
Try to avoid skipping conditioner. If you feel like the co-wash didn’t leave your hair ‘clean’ enough, you can either do a second cleanse with the co-wash or a low-poo cleanser. Alternatively, add conditioner mid-way down the hair to the tips. I tend to concentrate my conditioner on the ends but apply all over the head.
So what are you waiting for? Give it a go. For £6.99 you really don’t have much to lose but a new product on your shelf to gain. 🙂
If you’ve not heard of it then just type the hashtag into Google or any social media platform and you’ll find an array of things. Black Pound Day was set up to encourage people to discover, buy from and support black-owned businesses on one day a month. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from doing it everyday or regularly – it’s completely up to you.
Following the wake from the BLM movement, the energy seems to have died down a little but I am positive that more and more people are doing their bit to help out. The first Black Pound Day was held on 27 June and will be every first Saturday of the month going forward. The next one is 1 August which is this just around the corner!
I will be creating a series for Black Pound Day as there are so many great black-owned businesses out there and they’re all waiting to be discovered and supported so here’s my list of five businesses that I’m sharing with you this month…
5 black-owned businesses to support & buy from:
Food: P’s Place
P’s Place is a family-run business in South-East London. If you’re a big fan of seafood and never tried a seafood boil… you are missing out! P’s Place offers seafood boil bags, seafood platters and chicken platters. With a range of sides to accompany your main, you’re almost spoilt for choice. Daddy P and I are a BIG fan of the seafood boil bag – it’s delicious, so well seasoned and the boil bag is big enough for two to share. The kids LOVE the creamy pasta and plantain bites. We’re having a birthday party for Little Man and they’ll be catering the day for us – there’s going to be some serious food-scoffing happening that day!
With platters starting from £10.00, if you’re able to collect from South East London, I’d highly recommend giving them a try! Follow them on Instagram @_psplace for food updates, orders and enquiries.
Food: Neema Food
Neema Food makes authentic African chilli pastes from their family recipes from DR Congo. Daddy P is from Republic of Congo so it would be interesting to see whether the two dividing countries fair up. I love heat and spice but unfortunately I’m a bit of a wimp but I can see they have a sweet green chilli paste which offers a medium heat. It’s vegan too!
There’s also a mini taster set of three different pastes for only £6.00! That’s going into my basket this weekend. Not sure what to do with your pastes? There’s even recipes on their website for some cooking inspiration to get you going in the kitchen. Amazing!
Beauty: Naturally Perfect
I have to thank my friend and fellow blogger, NahdzAdventures for introducing me to Naturally Perfect because that’s exactly what they are! Little Miss Ams suffers from eczema and I have been really lazy with keeping her skin moisturised and combined with the summer humid weather, it’s caused her skin to flare up. I have been using just shea butter but it wasn’t enough so I decided to give Naturally Perfect Sheena’s Gold – The Remedy a go. I know how great shea butter and lavender can be for treating skin conditions like eczema but it seems that Naturally Perfect’s combination of essential oils and natural rich butters are just magical.
Little Miss’ eczema looked much better within a week and with after continuous use, her flare-ups are gone. The butter smells so good, everyone in the house uses it and it really lasts! If the jar is a bit costly, you can purchase the butter in a tube bag which halves the cost – it’s saves so much money and you can even use ClearPay to help you pay in installments. My next treat will be the Sweet Summer edition!
Hair: Bouclème
I really love the Bouclème and can’t get enough of their products. There’s another black-owned brand that I like called AfroCenchix (I was lucky enough to meet one of the co-founders once!) but they’re slightly out of my budget and Bouclème also offers a brilliant range.
Bouclème is a British brand (yay!), completely natural (double yay!) and completely ethical in their approach (triple yay!). The products are available from Look Fantastic however as it’s for Black Pound Day, I’d advising buying straight from the brand’s website. For new customers, you can get 10% off your first order by subscribing to their newsletter. Our fave Bouclème products are the curl cream and curl defining gel – if you’re not sure, they sell travel-sized products and travel sets too so you can try them without splashing out.
Gifts: Cherish Me
I am in LOVE with Cherish Me products! It all started off with me looking for a gift for Little Miss and I wanted something that she can keep and cherish as she grows older. I looked at affirmation cards and came across the ones from Cherish Me and they were so adorable! The little illustrations are super sweet and the cards are a perfect size for small hands.
The collection is available only on Etsy and they also sell cool tshirts, prints, cards and more. These NYKS empowerment cards are super sweet and would make great gifts or keepsakes for young girls.
Want to have a look at other businesses to buy from?
No problem! Simply head over to the Black Pound Day official website and use their search toolbar – there’s so many businesses on there to take your pick from.
I wrote my original wavy haircare routine back in 2018 and after two years+, constant chops and colour changes I wanted to write this post to show you how my hair is looking post-CGM, almost two and a half years (29 months) on.
In my opinion the Curly Girl Method is quite a lengthy hair journey to follow and if you follow it strictly, it can be very difficult. It’s also incredibly varied when it comes to results – some people start CGM and see beautiful transformations as little as three months into it. For others, it takes them a year plus – then there’s others like me that are still on the journey of discovering what works. I started off following it so strictly – no hair brushing, no clarifying but I eventually ended up with stringy waves, oil and product build-up and flat roots.
Summer 2019
After a year, I started getting used to the products more. Then by 18 months I kind of figured out that gel really works for my 2a wavy hair and the styling technique also makes a big difference. However, I started bleaching my hair and my wavy 2a hair regressed to straight-but-bendy 1C hair. Here are some photos of my hair back in July & August 2019. I used a strong-hold gel, applied with lots of scrunching and wet plopping then scrunched out the crunch (SOTC) after fully air dried:
July 2019
July 2019 (L)
July 2019 (R)
August 2019
Aug 2019 (L)
Aug 2019 (R)
You can see that July’s hair looks more straighter but by August, the waves tried to come back. It looks wavy but still stringy as I put in more colours. Sometimes chemical processing can bring out the hair’s curl pattern but at the expense of drying out the hair. The result is stringy waves like mine but I loved my unicorn colours too much to care! I was able to salvage my hair with regular deep conditioning and cutting out all heat styling. 🙂
Spring 2020
So what’s changed with my routine since then? A few things. My hair is back to being wavy 2A most days and if I’m really lucky, a few strands of curly wavy 2B. I really need to stop the damage from colouring. It’s like an addiction! My hair was its healthiest 1 year post-CGM (minimal hair colouring) and the waves were well-defined. You can see a photo in my previous posts. I need to get my hair health back to then! I’m still using the same brands; Shea Moisture and Noughty but introduced a few new ones too. I also realised that my hair responds well to both low-poos and co-wash and I need to clarify with a sulfate-based shampoo every now and then.
April week 1: day 1 post-wash, my 2A waves looking good (low-poo & air-dried)
May 2020: On wash day. Hair looks healthier, less frizz and clumping better! (co-wash and diffused)
June 2020 – new hair colour! Will be staying dark for now (low-poo wash & diffused)
*UDPATE* July 2020 – low poo wash, air dried
I mentioned in a recent blog post about sulfate-free cleansers that wavy 2a hair will experience build-up more quickly than any other curl types. For me, I clarify with a sulfate-based shampoo to ‘reset’ my waves as using only aBsulfate-free cleanser just doesn’t cut it. Fact.
However, when I use a sulfate-based shampoo I always follow it with deep conditioning for 15+ mins and apply a leave-in conditioner or curl cream as my final styling products. I only do this sulfate-clarifying when my hair really feels like it needs it (usually after 3-4 months). The last time I clarified my hair was in March 2020.
Note: Only think about clarifying with a sulfate-based shampoo if you’re not strictly following CGM or doing a modified routine. If you are then try rinse techniques ie. Rice Water Rinse (coloured-hair friendly) or Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse instead.
My updated type 2a wavy hair routine
[I will update this routine section whenever I change up my routine instead of creating a new post unless it’s a complete routine change.]
Cleanser: I usually wash my hair with a low-poo cleanser once (twice max!) a week. I occasionally swap out my low-poo for a co-wash once every three weeks or whenever my hair feels like it’s lacking moisture. I apply the product in my hands and concentrate on the roots, massaging firmly onto the scalp, I don’t dig or scratch the scalp. Any left-over residue I try to scrunch it into the mid-lengths and ends. Currently using Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yoghurt Hydrate & Repair Shampoo (low poo) or Noughty’s One- Hit Wonder conditioning co-wash (wasn’t sure with this one at first but it has helped my hair to clump better). If I haven’t washed my hair for 8-10 days, I prefer using the Manuka Honey & Yoghurt shampoo as it cleanses better and lathers up nicely.
Conditioner: I always use conditioner after cleansing/shampooing and use ‘squish to condish’ technique. I apply the product when my hair is dripping wet using prayer hands. I de-tangle my hair with my fingers and rake hair away from my head to ensure my hair doesn’t stick to my head. Currently using: Noughty Colour Bomb conditioner
Leave-in Conditioner: I’ve been skipping this step as I’ve not bought myself a new leave-in cream and my daughter’s leave-in is too heavy for my hair. My previous go-to choices were As I Am leave-in conditioner for more hydration (very lightweight) or Shea Moisture JBCO leave-in cream for more moisture. Currently using: Noughty Thirst Aid conditioning & detangling spray which I recently purchased to try out and it seems to work nicely on wet/damp hair.
Gel: Gel works a real treat on my hair, it always gives me the best definition and hold if I get the right one. I apply my gel when my hair is wet and rub a big amount into my hands (if it’s a thick gel, I add extra water in my hands) and apply using the prayer hands method and gently scrunch it in. I scrunch enough to squeeze out a a little excess water but not too much. I tend to use A LOT of gel to get a super solid cast which I scrunch out when it’s fully dried. I’ve found that when I add a small amount of gel I don’t really get a cast and then my waves don’t hold past the first day. Currently using: Boucleme’s curl defining gel on my wash day and Shea Moisture Curling Gel Soufflé for next day refresh which gives me curl boost. I gently apply using wet prayer hands then scrunch into the hair.
Styling finish: I am now back to only air-drying my hair as these warmer days means I don’t need any extra heat for my hair to dry however my hair is also getting longer so I may eventually need to use the diffuser again but will stick to the cold setting. If I’m impatient, I would diffuse to 50% dry then air-dry the rest of the way.
My haircare favourites!
Here’s a list of my favourite products that I’ve used over the years. The ones I’m currently using are listed in my haircare routine above but I’ll put an asterisk (*) beside so you can see here too. I’ve used a fair amount of other products from same or similar ranges too but as I didn’t enjoy them as much as I thought I would, they haven’t made it onto this list. I’m also writing up a complete CGM approved products list so will post that soon!
– All green highlighted products are CG approved –
Cleansers:
As I Am Co-wash Conditioning Cleanser (co-wash)
Noughty One- Hit Wonder Cleansing Conditioner (co-wash)*
Type 1A hair is classed as poker-straight hair, 1B is straight hair with a few bends and kinks and 1C is straight-ish hair with a slight wave – this used to be called ‘swavy’ at one point. Type 2A hair is the ‘breakthrough start’ of wavy hair – hair looks loosely wavy and/or with a loose but visible S-curl pattern. When I started CGM ‘swavy’ was a curly girl term but it seems to have died out as I guess it’s more recognised as wavy hair now.
Can you believe it’s already been 18m (that’s 1 year and 6 months!) since I started my CGM journey and created my original Curly Girl post! So what are my thoughts on CGM after a year and a half of plopping, squish to condish-ing and scrunching?
Well what can I say really? I still see myself as a newbie; still learning every day and still finding it hard to work out my hair. Just when I think I’ve got the hang of it – BAM! Back to square one but then again it’s self-inflicted as I am to blame for that. I constant colour my hair and lighten it; just a last month I processed the hell out of it with bleach to lift it light enough to go pinky/peach.
I thought I’d create this post so you can see the highlights and the struggles of my wavy hair journey. It’s not always been rainbows and sparkles but can if you stick at it (unlike me and avoid chemical damage which is just as bad as heat damage) and really take the time to learn about your hair, you will yield much more. Now enough of the hair lecture, here are my progress/regress photos for you to feast your eyes on:
December 2017 – Pre-CGM
The photo below was taken pre-CGM by a week or two. WOW. As you can see it’s pretty much straight but there’s a few slight waves in the middle section at the back of my head.
January 2018
A month into my Curly Girl Method hair journey…
May 2018 – 6 months Post-CGM
My waves began looking more wavy but also stringy which was prob due to the colour processing. My hair doesn’t seem to clump as much as when I started but the waves have more of a squiggly pattern than a loose S pattern.
August 2018
I’ve gone pink! In this photo my hair is a little more undone but those are waves after being out all day. More clumping happened that day and I had a better curl pattern. The more frequently I deep conditioned my hair the better it looked.
October 2018
Had my first wavy cut at Jones & Payne Shoreditch but a fellow wavy called Lisa. She cut my hair really well and my hair felt much lighter. Unfortunately because she had to comb and brush it so much the waves were almost gone and she styled it by twisting strands to encourage clumping. I actually loved this technique and it helped my wavy hair look more defined, healthy and has a good loose waves/tousled look.
Once the pink colour faded I threw on a teal (semi-permanent) colour followed by intense deep conditioning to save it as much as I could. Here’s a photo of my hair wet and dry so you can see how different it looks. When my hairs wet, my waves always look good but by the time it’s dried (usually air dry) it looks a little more fluffy and wavy with a curly twists.
The two photos below are from one of my best hair days; I had the most curl clumps this day and cannot for the life of me remembered what I used or what I did because I didn’t keep a record! Argh! It looked amazing from the back and there was so many chunky, twisty waves I loved it. I do remember applying the Cantu curl activating cream but that’s about it. :’-(
wet waves
hair when it’s dried
The BEST clumping I ever had!
November 2018
Colour has faded but waves are curling slightly more. The photo below is actually around day 2 refresh and it looks good. Slightly fluffy but overall, okay. I find that my hair always looks good on refresh days; days 2 and 3 are usually the best.
December 2018: 1 year post-CGM
So I went back to dark hair and that marked a year since I went CGM. The condition is not bad and a slight change since I started. Not bad but a lot of other CGM wavies have had much better transformations than I but I’m not too sad about it. I put in as much effort, time and money as I could and this was the result. With two children, it’s not always easy to even spend 15mins on my hair let alone longer.
waves on a pretty normal day
The photos below are from one of my rare best hair day. The waves looked amazing! It was one day post-wash day and I started off my wetting the hair with water, scrunching in mousse but then the waves were too hard but had beautiful definition so I did a light prayer hand over the top of the hair with some leave-in conditioner and lightly scrunched.
BEST hair day: what the waves look like from the back
March 2019
I decided to do a DIY chop at home to see if it would help my hair wave a little more and it did a little but not much. My hair did feel much healthier and all the dry ends were gone. I stopped deep conditioning regularly and only did it when I felt like my hair needed it and felt too dry.
If you like, I would say my wavy hair regression started from here – when I started to bleach my hair. Usually I would have my hair lightened in the salon but I was really broke so opted for a box job, which even though it looked nice, it really dried out my hair. I went back to deep conditioning my hair on a bi-monthly basis.
June 2019: 18 months post-CGM
Then went blonde in May and kept the blonde from becoming brassy with a regular treatment of silver semi-colour and silver shampoo which unfortunately contains sulfates. It really dried out my hair so each time I used the silver shampoo I would always follow with a deep conditioner. Last month (June) I added a pink semi-colour to my hair which is fading to a lovely peach over the weeks. I continue to deep condition and used a protein pack for the first time which worked really well for my high porosity, chemically-damaged hair. It left my hair feel UBER soft!
So, to summarise…
I haven’t followed CGM strictly as other people.
Let’s just say my hair journey became even LESS CGM and more about processing the F*** out of it but hey! I get bored of my hair so quickly and couldn’t help it. Because it’s been processed, the condition and texture of the hair is no longer the same as when I started. It’s now more drier and coarse due to the chemical processing and damaged (a lot of deep conditioning helps!) and the curl pattern is less wavy than before but I’m slowly getting it back on track. I recently used a protein pack hair treatment which my hair loved so much, I was surprised how well it worked. As my hair is highly porous due to the damage the protein is necessary to help the hair repair.
To get the best results from doing the Curly Girl Method;
Avoid chemical processes to your hair ie. bleaching, dyeing, colour stripping
Deep condition your hair at least once a month or once a week/two weeks if you have damaged hair with a suitable hair masque
Keep a record of ALL the products you used on your hair each time you wash it or style it and take a photo to make a visual note of how your hair looks and responded to the products
If you need to change a product from your current routine, change one product at a time so you can pinpoint exactly whether that product works/doesn’t work for your hair
Be patient. Getting the best results from CGM takes time… I’m still learning and I’m 18 months post-CGM!
Like living a healthy lifestyle, following CGM is not about getting to the end, it’s about the journey and the processes in between – learning what works, what doesn’t and how you can do it better. I don’t think I will ever stop colouring my hair so I have to learn to adapt CGM to a way that suits my hair best. The only time I had been really strict with CGM was probably when I first started but right now, my modified approach works for me.
So the take-away lesson here is to not be afraid to adapt CGM to make it work for you and your hair. There is so much information out there on the web that you’re sure to find another wavy/curly girl in a similar situation to you so don’t be afraid to reach out to them. Read the articles on NaturallyCurly.com and BritishCurlies.co.uk because they are so helpful and on BC you can even sign up and chat on the forum with other wavies and curlies. Failing that Curlsbot has your back for checking all product’s ingredients list using a traffic lights system. Simply copy and paste the list into their box and it’ll do the work for you.
July 2019 – Slowly getting my waves back to a better condition
Wandering.Mother 