Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie Review

When waving, one goes through many different stages. Your hair will grow to various lengths and proper product selection is very important throughout your process. As I grow my hair out between haircuts it starts to curl on its own so maintaining my waves isn't such a daunting task at all. Going the extra mile never hurt either so having a good supply of curl enhancing products in my arsenal is a must. Today I will be reviewing one such product. Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie by the company Shea Moisture.
I purhased a generous supply of this stuff from a local walgreens for 10usd.  12oz to be exact. Definitely a great value product per penny. That's always a plus.
This is an all natural product that claims a lot but has the natural ingredients to substantiate that. Coconut oil, Silk Protein, and Neem Oil are the most heavily promoted of them. The label is full of all types of information on the history of the company, no this no that in regards to animal testing and what not. Even gives a LOT number. Pretty serious labeling if you ask me. Forget all that though, does this stuff work? Let's get to that.
The first thing I do anytime I buy a product for my hair is smell it. Force of habit. This has a strikingly familiar smell. I can't put my finger on it but I've definitely smelled something very similar. It smells pretty good. Like a Piña Colada come to think of it. It looks just like whipped shea butter if you've ever seen that. It has ath same consistency as well. Directions say to apply to damp or styled hair. That pretty much means throw it on anyway you see fit. In that case I just used used it how I would use any other curl enhancing product. I wet my hair and apply a decent amount thoroughly while shaking my hair around until its curls all the way . Then I use my hot rag method so that my hair is nice and soft and curly. VERY curly. This stuff does curl my hair up quite a bit. Once my hair is soft I medium and soft brush the waves in. I do notice a slight bit of frizz in my hair as I brush, quite common with all natural products. About a nickel sized amount of product smoothed over my brushed hair to lay it all back down nice resolved that issue though. Finally I throw my durag on for several hours.
When I take of the durag, usually after having worn it overnight, my hair isn't as shiny as it is with other products I have tried in the past. When I brush it with a medium/soft brush I notice that it is still very soft and u can really see the brush laying the curls down. That's a telltale sign of soft conditioned hair. I use the product several times during the week and it works well with the other products that I use for my methods. I wash my hair twice a week or every four days to keep product buildup at a useable level for wave development and sculpting. This products works fine for that.
This product should last me a long time because I only use it for the last few weeks out that I'm growing my hair. I could use it all the time, but I vary my products throughout my wave cycle to try new things so I can consistently provide information via my reviews. When I find a product that works well I continue to use and repurchase it. I would have no problem buying more of this. It serves its purpose, can be applied in different ways, is natural, and a great value.
Overall the product is labeled as a Curl Enhancing Smoothie and it does curl the hair well and leaves it soft and smooth. You won't get any real shine from using this so if that's what your going for then another product should be on your list. Waves do come from curls however, so if used in conjunction with other products this can be a great asset to those who have issues with wave development. I definitely recommend you give it a try.
For this review Shea Moistures' Curl Enhancing Smoothie receieves 3 out of a possible 5.
All products I review will be considered for product of the year in December
Follow @drmanhattan718 on twitter for daily tips and info on waves.

Nothin like a good soft brush stroke...

I'm glad this is a blog for wavers. I feel more at ease speaking about my obsessive brushing with those who may be able to relate easier.

I've been in the zone brushing all day today 5/1/12. Had a great day I must say. Work was good. I enjoy my job. I sit at a desk for the most part of the day during the week. I get to brush pretty much as often as I like. I've been brushing with a Crown 360 premium caeser brush. Its a very firm medium/soft brush. I can't even describe how easy this thing makes brushing feel. I'm hoping that my average reader knows the difference between brushes and the proper use of them. If not then you're in the right place either way because I will definitely go into all of that in due time.

Now back to this brush. Its soft enough that it wont disturb your waves yet firm enough to stimulate the oils in the hair and work the very top layer. That's a key role that soft brushing plays. This helps to develop well defined peaks in the wave. Brushing should be approached systematically. Each brush has a purpose and you should eventually begin to learn how different brushes feel on your hair. A hard brush always becomes a medium brush I always say. It means you break brushes in over time. They change. Some are keepers and some you get rid of quickly because they just don't serve any real purpose for you. I have some brushes that I've had for years. Been through them all from Annie, Diane, no name brand, and one of my personal favorites the R.S Stein 106.

I find myself enjoying brushing more when its a soft brush session. Once I get into a rythym the soft brush stroke feels somewhat therapeutic. After a long day I can find solace with a soft brush. As a rule of thumb I always end each brush session with a soft brush. I have the premium Crown caeser brush now but I will still go back to my R.S Stein 106 from time to time. A good brush is a good brush.

Soon I will elaborate on my medium brush session. That's enough for now. I seriously have built up an urge to go at it with, you guessed it.

Follow @drmanhattan718 on twitter for daily tips and info on waves.

Crown 360 Gold Brushes Sale

I know a game changer when I see one so I jumped at this opportunity. The brush game done got serious and HairCare4waves is right there with it.
Now on SALE Crown 360 wave brushes.
While supplies last
Caeser brushes (without handle) are $13 compared to $16 on the website
Crown brushes (with handle) are $16 compared to $19 on the website.
Brushes come in hard medium and soft. Red, black or blue.
Email haircare4waves@gmail.com for ordering info. Package prices available

Sea Sick Pomade Review

I follow the wave news pretty carefully. I know when a particular product or technology has the industry buzzing. I say industry because yes we have our wave nation, but the industry is product companies that market and distribute the products that we use for our methods. There are tons of products out there that claim to do a whole lot, but we know that talk is cheap. Unfortunately many of these product companies have big bank accounts and they spend to advertise and promote to get these products on the shelves. Its up to us to decipher through all of the mumbo jumbo and find products that work for us.
The product I am reviewing today is not from a major product company. On the contrary its the brainchild of a small businessman from California who has been an active voice in the wave community for many years. It is not marketed heavily so through my networking in the wave community forums I have discovered and will now review Sea Sick Pomade by how2getwaves.com
(I ordered this product online. When I'm dealing with small businesses I always look for customer service. Being a small businessman myself I know the importance of customer satisfaction. Big companies make sure that their products are on the shelves for us to buy. Smaller businesses may have to deal with you directly or through email in order to complete transactions. When I review products from small businesses, part of my review depends on the overall ordering experience.)
I was a bit leery at first because there was no telephone number listed for customer service. I'm just funny about stuff like that. The ordering process was fairly simple however. I paid with my paypal account. Shipping was handled by United Postal Service and took a little longer than I expected to arrive. It did however arrive after 11 days and I received exactly what I ordered. 2oz of Sea Seasick Pomade in a white no frills labeled container.
The first thing I do when I get a product for my is hair is smell it. Force of habit. This products smells amazing! Hands down best smelling product in the game. Yes even better than Hollywood Carrot Creme, by a landslide. Think grape Kool Aid mixed with bubble gum....Exactly! That's one thing I definitely like about Sea Sick. I also like the name. It just sounds like its a wave product. 
This product is classified as a pomade. For the most part I steer clear of pomades because I have better products that are easier on the hair and have never really found a need for them. I didn't really like the old school pomades like Murrays and Dax. Those were just too thick and messy for me. I don't like weighing my hair down with a ridiculous amount of product. Sea Sick is promoted to be an all natural light weight whipped pomade. When used you are supposed to have a smooth sheen and laid down hair. Its also promoted to be very low build up and easy to wash out with water. Quite a lot of claims to back up. I can co-sign all of that though. I have been using Sea Sick off and on for over a year. It has found its way into my second half wolfing stage, weeks 4 to 8.
The way I use it a 2oz container has lasted me forever. I use it after my hair is already conditioned and laid down. Its applys very smooth and evenly. The scent is an added effect to the supreme shine. Once I apply a small amount evenly around boths sides, front and back I brush it in good with a medium brush. Eventhough its lightweight it does have a firm hold of the hair and is very good for brushing. You can see it reinforcing your wave pattern. I usually apply it at night and durag overnight. The next morning my hair is on point. Shiny smooth and smelling wonderful. I brush it out with a soft brush and it maintains a generous luster for days.
I have no idea what the ingredients of this product are to determine if it is natural or not. I don't really like that too much, but I can understand how he may feel someone is gonna try to infringe the copyrights. Small businesses have to protect certain secrets. Not a huge deal, but I still don't like it because I like to know what I'm putting in my hair. My hair is my business and I have to keep it looking good.
Overall I am very pleased with the product. I will continue to use it and will reorder whenever I run low. I recommend this for anyone who wants a great smelling product that does the job of laying your waves down and keeping them smooth and shiny for days.
For this review Sea Sick Pomade receives 3.5 out of 5.
All products that I review will be considered for Product of the year in December.
Follow @drmanhattan718 on twitter for daily tips and info on waves.

Cuttin your own hair

Hope you didn't expect to learn any tips about cutting your own hair in this post. I don't cut my own hair YET. I've been kicking the idea around in my head for a while now. I know a few people who cut their own hair and they don't do bad at all in my opinion.
I'm just so accustomed to going to the barber shop. That's not a good thing either. Many times I can remember not being completely satisfied after a trip to the barber shop. Now its one thing to go for a routine line up and taper, but a full cut is a serious moment. Many weeks of wolfin and practing proper methods and brushing and hard work is on the line. I'm bein real when I say I don't think I'm the best person to put in charge of the clippers as easy as it may seem. Well not right now anyway.
I have seen a few video turorials out there, my boy even cut his own hair down right in front of me and lined himself up. I know its not rocket science or anything like that and its probably just stubborness on my part. I will eventually try my hand at it for sure. I'm researching some clippers now. If anyone knows of any good ones just sent me a mention on twitter. I was considering the new Andis MVP.
Follow @drmanhattan718 on twitter for daily tips and info on waves

Worlds Hot Rag Method

The following is an exerpt from the upcoming book Dippin: The Art of the Wave Game by World McCrea.

Keeping the hair moist and conditioned is very important to the waving process. There are several products on the market that can help maintain overall moisture in your hair. There are also steps that you can take to make sure that your hair and scalp take full advantage of the products you use. The following is a method that you can use for just that.

For this method you will need a soft/medium brush, leave in conditioner, medium sized towel, rat tail comb, and a durag. The leave in conditioner will remain in your hair to provide long lasting moisture. With the brush, you want something soft but firm as well so that the conditioner penetrates the individual strands of hair within the waves.

Begin by combing your hair out against the grain. You are combing against the grain so that you can lift all of your hair up to be conditioned thoroughly. Apply the leave in conditioner to slightly damp hair. Comb your hair with the grain so that it lays back down. Prepare your hotrag so that you can apply it to your hair. Leave the hot rag on for a few minutes to soften up the hair. Brush for 3 to 5 minutes. Put your durag on and prepare the hot rag again. Get the hot rag as hot as you can take and wrap it completely around your head, on top of the durag. This is going to provide heat and moisture which will activate the oils in the leave in conditioner to mimic the benefits of a hot oil treatment. Leave the rag on for about 10 minutes or more for best results.

This method, if used consistently will promote a healthy coat of hair that is shiny and soft to the touch.

Read more about it in the book.  Dippin: The Art of the Wave Game by World McCrea coming soon

Follow @drmanhattan718@gmail.com for daily tips and info on waves.

Barber Spotlight

Workin on my website and thought to myself, barbers don't get enough credit. Well I know exactly how much of a role a good barber plays in keepin some peoples wave game on point. Each month or so I plan to have a barber spotlight. We will interview him about a few things..check out his wave knowledge and search for valuable jewels and information that we can share with the site visitors.

Any interested barbers please submit your info to haircare4waves@gmail.com