Love, Aunt Bonnie

 
   Today's review isn't necessarily about the products but about where I got them from. While searching Instagram for new products to try I came across "Love, Aunt Bonnie." Love, Aunt Bonnie features multicultural owned brands from around the world. They offer these companies full size products by simply answering a few quick questions and paying only the cost of shipping and handeling for $5 through the "Product Cabinet." I think this was such an awesome idea to help support black and brown owned businesses get their products out there.
   Seeing that I Love finding and trying out new natural hair products, I was automatically drawn to the "Hair Cabinet." So I signed up and had a choice between the Briogeo line of Green Tea Shampoo and their Avocado+Quinoa co-wash or Earth's Nectar Styling Pomade. I'm a sucker for shampoo and co-wash so I chose Briogeo which are part of my giveaway going on now. But you can choose both if you like. The questions were easy to answer and were catered to my hair concerns. Besides the "Hair Cabinet," there is also a Skin, Cosmetic and Fragrance cabinet as well. In each cabinet you get a choice between two products that change about every two months.

   Love, Aunt Bonnie is great for those who not only love to support new brown and black businesses, but also those who simply Love trying new products for a low cost. It's also great for Hair and Beauty bloggers such as myself to try out and review products to help others make informed decisions on products to buy. Quoted from the website...

"Love Aunt Bonnie is the first global luxury beauty media platform connecting Brands with the Multicultural audience. As a whole, we curate Black and Brown experiences and contexualize them with everything from limited edition beauty boxes to editorial coverage. Focused singularly on education Love, Aunt Bonnie functions like a modern day "Beauty Godmother," guiding women in their journey towards knowing their beauty."
 
   I'm really excited that I found Love, Aunt Bonnie and can't wait to see what they will have next in their "Product Cabinet." I encourage you to sign up and help support not only Love, Aunt Bonnie but the Beauty Brands being offered by Black and Brown business owners as well. I will leave the link below so you can see what products are currently being offered in Aunt Bonnies "Product Cabinet." Also, make sure to give @loveauntbonnie a follow on Instagram. Don't forget to enter my giveaway which is two posts back and please subscribe below so you don't miss my next sweet review.

http://www.productcabinet.com/

Color Kill Makeup

   This weeks review is on a super cool Indie lipstick company with the cutest packaging. Color Kill Makeup was so kind to send me their entire line of their Mega Matte Liquid Lipsticks to review. This line consists of seven beautiful shades but I did swatches of five of them. The other two shades
"Indie Red" and "Pink Gumballs" are in my giveaway going on right now so read my last blog entry for details on that. So let's get started.

   First off I would like to give you some more details about Color Kill Makeup. Color Kill's Mega Matte Liquid Lipsticks are Cruelty Free, Vegan and Paraben Free. Perfect for those who strive to use natural products in their lifestyle. Their products are safe for those who are gluten intolerant and made here in the USA. Color Kill also works with a color chemist with almost two decades in the cosmetic industry to create their products.
    When I found Color Kill Makeup on Instagram, I instantly fell in Love with the shade "Lotus Petal" (insert heart shape emoji here.)  I Love, Love, Love this shade. I've been obsessed with pinkish and brownish nudes lately. And I have to say "Playmate" is my next fave followed by "Love Thing" (Purples my favorite color.) The Mega Matte Liquid Lipsticks all come in a tube with a soft tip wond applicator. They are liquid and dry to a nice matte finish. I liked the staying power on these they did not budge and lasted all day for me. I had to use coconut oil to remove it at the end of the day. As you can see their is a smear from where I had tried to clean up around Sweet Salmon, it didn't want to budge. They also have a nice sweet scent like vanilla cupcakes. I find that a lot of liquid matte lippies tend to feel dry or sometimes uncomfortable on my lips. These felt that way but all I have to do is apply a little chapstick before and problem solved. Color Kills Mega Matte Liquid Lipsticks are $15.95 each for 6g/0.21 oz of product. A pretty comparable price for what other lippies are going for now.

   The top picture is me wearing "Lotus Petal" and under is a lip swatch of "Playmate." I totally recommend giving Color Kill a try they have some great shades of lippies for a great price. Please give @colorkillmakeup a follow on Instagram. I'll also leave the link below to check these and their other lippies out. Don't forget to see my last post to enter my giveaway and subscribe below. Hope you enjoyed this weeks Sweet review!

http://www.colorkill.com/

Cande Curls New Year's Giveaway!!

   I'm so happy to announce my very first official Giveaway! I have been wanting to do this for a while now so I have been saving things here and there. I was also waiting for some things to be delivered as well. Everything here will be given to one very lucky winner at the end of this giveaway. Some things I have used before in the past and some I have not tried before. Everything here is brand new and never been used or opened. I may also add a styling product like a curling cream or a leave-in conditioner as a secret gift. I thought it would be nice to do a mixup of different products for you to try out different brands. Because some things took a while to get to me, my New Year's giveaway will run today December 24th to January 14th. The winner will be announced Saturday January 16th. The winner will also be announced on here so you must subscribe. Now for the rules:
*Must Sucscribe to Cande Curls blog (below)
I will announce winner here
*Must follow me on Instagram @candecurls
*No Giveaway accounts
*Must not have account on private Jan 16th
*Only one entry per person
*US ONLY
*Post this giveaway pic from my Instagram on your Instagram feed with hashtag #candenewyear
*Tag 2 curlfriends under this same pic on MY Instagram page.
   And that's it. You must follow all rules or you will be disqualified. I will be checking. Now go to my Instagram and regram this pic using hashtag #candenewyear Good Luck Everyone!!!

Eden BodyWorks

   This weeks product review is on the Coconut Shea natural hair product line by Eden BodyWorks. I won these products from a giveaway posted on Instagram a couple weeks ago and received the whole Cococnut Shea line. This week I will be reviewing 5 of the products I used on my recent washday. Of those products I used Eden's All Natural Cleansing CoWash, All Natural Hair Masque Treatment, All Natural Leave In Conditioner, All Natural Pudding Souffle and All Natural Curl Defining Creme. So let's get started.

   First product I used is Eden's All Natural Cleansing CoWash. Because this is their Coconut Shea line everything smells like lovely Coconut. It is a medium creamy texture that isn't to thick and easy to apply to the hair. It gave a nice slip. I like that this cleansing conditioner is paraben and sulfate free and no suds. It coated my hair nicely and left it soft and clean. Some of the ingredients listed are Water, Aloe Vera, Shea Butter and Coconut Oil. I really liked the smell and consistency of this cowash it works well and is a good cleanser. This product comes in a 16 oz jar for $8.99. A pretty good price for the amount of product.

   The next product is Eden BodyWorks All Natural Hair Masque Treatment. This is a Deep Conditioner that is also Paraben and Sulfate Free. The texture of this one is  really thick and creamy. Because I am away from home I put a plastic cap on my head and let it set for 30 minutes. I then used a hand held blow dryer making sure to get all angles for about 10 minutes. After I rinsed my hair thoroughly with cool water. My hair after was okay but not super soft like I hoped. Maybe if I had used my sit under dryer it would have worked a little better. I'll have to redo this one again when I get home. Just like the cowash the first ingredient listed is water, which is always a good sign. The Hair Treatment Mask also comes in a 16 oz jar for $8.99. So for now I'll say this Hair Masque is okay but I would like to use it again next wash day to give it a fair review.

   Next up is Eden BodyWorks All Natural Leave In Conditioner. It is a lightweight creamy leave in that smells of coconut as well. After applying it, it took a bit for it to soak into my hair but it did. It helped my hair to be a little more manageable but still not as soft as I hoped it to be. The Leave in Conditioner is Paraben and Sulfate free just like the others and water is also the first listed ingredient. The Leave In can be used daily and is great for color treated, chemically treated, curly or straight hair. Eden's Leave In Conditioner comes in a 8 fl oz for $8.99.

   After the Leave In Conditioner I applied some Avocado oil (L.O.C method.) I then went with Eden BodyWorks All Natural Pudding Souffle. I was so surprised by how soft my hair felt with this product. I expected to get these results with the Hair Masque treatment. My hair was manageably moisturized and soft like butter. I really Loved the Pudding Souffle. It was white, creamy and thick like pudding. This product is meant to help reduce frizz, enhance textured styles and provide a soft shiny finish. Again the first ingredient listed is water and it is also Paraben and Sulfate free. This product also come in a 16 oz jar for $8.99.

   And lastly is Eden BodyWorks All Natural Curl Defining Creme. This curl definer gives your hair a medium hold without leaving your hair hard and crunchy. I liked the curl definition this cream gave me on the sides of my hair but the back of my head I had a hard time. My hair is a different texture in the back so I usually need extra product to get it to curl. I also usually add a hair gel at the end to finnish my hair but I forgot to bring one. My hair was really soft though so I'm sure a gel would of helped bring more of the curl out. This Curl definer is a white medium thick cream that was easy to apply. It did take a a little while to soak in just like the leave in conditioner but it did eventually. Just like the others water is listed first. This product is meant to infuse moisture to strengthen hair, provide frizz control and optimize style definition. I liked the Curl Defining Creme it just didn't define the curls in the back of my hair as well as I liked. This product comes in a 16 oz jar for $8.99 as well.

   Overall Eden BodyWorks has pretty good hair products for a affordable price. All their products are cruelty, paraben and sulfate free. Their Coconut shea line has a total of 10 products for all your hair care needs. Of the five products my favorite were the All Natural Cleansing CoWash and the All Natural Pudding Souffle. They also have other hair product lines with differnet ingredients as well as a kids line. I really enjoyed today's washday reviewing Eden BodyWorks products. I will leave their website link below so you can checkout these products and more. Also give them a follow on Instagram @edenbodyworks. Please be sure to subscribe below so you don't miss my next sweet review. I will be announcing a giveaway so you don't want to miss out. Stay tuned!

http://edenbodyworks.com/pages/products

Alikay Naturals

   This weeks product review is on Alikay Naturals natural hair care line. I have been watching this company on Instagram for a while and have been wanting to try their products. I knew it was time to make my move when they had 40% off for their Black Friday Sale. I chose four products that I can use throughout my whole washday process. What I ordered was their Cowash Me Cleansing Conditioner, Avocado Cream Moisture Repairing Mask, Creme Brulee Curling Delight and Essential 17 Hair Growth Oil. So let's get started.

   I started my washday as I always do with a pre-poo of various oils and a little conditioner to help protect my hair. I then got started with Alikay's Cowash Me Cleanser. It's hard to describe the smell so I'll just say tropical and heavenly LOL! The texture is thick and creamy and gave good slip. I really Love how soft my hair felt while washing and especially after. I really Love that this Cowash is Sulfate free, something I always look for in a conditioner. Some of the featured ingredients are Tea Tree Oil which is a antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory essential oil. Jojoba Oil which fills cracks in the hair cuticle to repair dammage, hydrate and encourage hair growth. And Apricot Kernel Oil which softens hair and prevents moisture loss to improve hydration.  And of the key ingredients water is listed first which is always a good sign. This is a perfect two in one product. Alikay's Cowash Me Cleanser comes in 2 oz size for $6 (perfect for sampling), 8 oz for $13 and 16 oz for $22. I really Love this cowash it will make a good addition to anyone's hair care regimen.

   Next up is Alikay's Avocado Cream Moisture Repairing Mask. The Mask is a thick green cream mask that again I can't really explain the scent but it's like I described the the cowash as being heavenly. I really enjoyed the fragrance. I put the mask on my hair making sure to apply it from root to tip. I then sat under my dryer with a plastic cap for 30 minutes. After, I rinsed it out with cool water to seal in the moisture. And let me tell you my hair was super soft and moist. I think my favorite part about wash day is the deep conditioning. I really Love this mask and it is probably my favorite deep conditioner at the moment. I can't wait to use it again. The featured ingredients listed are Avocado Oil which improves hair elasticity and moisturize scalp. Pepperment Oil to stimulate the hair follicle promoting growth and soothe scalp irritation. And Burdock Root which reduces hair thinning. Of the key ingredients water once again is listed first. This mask comes in 2 oz for $6, 8 oz for $16, 16 oz for $27 and gallon size for$205 ( perfect for salons.) I enjoyed using this mask and plan on making it a staple in my hair care regimen.

   Next is Alikay's Creme Brulee Curling Delight. Now this one has the tropical scent of pineapples and it's addicting. After I added my leave-in conditioner and Avocado Oil (L.O.C Method) I added the curling delight. And it was a delight! It helped define my curls but kept them soft to the touch. The featured ingredients listed are Aloe Vera which moisturizes and strengthens. Argan Oil which revives dull dry hair and reduces frizz. And Almond Oil which adds lusture and shine. Some of the key ingredients are Aloe Vera, Agave, Argan Oil and Sweet Almond Oil. Creme Brulee comes in 2 oz for $7, 8 oz for $17 and 16 oz for $29. I love a styling product that helps define my curl pattern without leaving my hair dull and lifeless and Creme Brulee Curling Delight is just that.

   And last but not least is Alikay's Essential 17 Growth Oil. I have used this oil twice so far. I try to give my scalp a massage at least three times a week to help stimulate growth. Though I have not used this particular product for long I know for a fact massaging your scalp does work. I big chopped the top of my hair this October 3rd but the sides of my hair have been growing in natural since August (grew out a undercut.) So that's about 2 1/2 inches of growth in 4 months. My hair grows slow so that's a lot to me. So I'm hoping to see good results using this oil. Essential 17 is a custom blend of 17 oils and herbs that are used to stimulate and nourish the hair folicles. I Love the Botanical fragrance. The featured ingredients include Emu Oil which promotes healthy hair growth by nourishing the scalp. Tea Tree Oil an essential oil that breaks down undesirable buildup and residue at the scalp and roots. And a Plant Powder that contains Silica promoting healthy scalp. Essential 17 Growth Oil comes in a 8 oz bottle for $17. 

I'll keep reviewing this oil and update later with my results.

   I really enjoyed reviewing Alikay Naturals products and glad I was able to take advantage of their Black Friday Sale. It's great that they offer their products in sample sizes so you can see if the products work for you but I do think the price range is a little high. But for really great high quality products I believe it's worth it to pay a little more. Especially if you want the best for your hair. The products are also cruelty free. I received a $50 Sally Beauty Supply Gift card and will be getting some more of Alikay's products soon. If you are interested in checking out all that Alikay Naturals has to offer I will leave the link below and please give them a follow on Instagram @alikaynaturals. Thank you again for reading my review I really did enjoy my washday. Make sure to subscribe below for blog updates and more sweet reviews.

http://alikaynaturals.com/   

Kye Organic Teahouse

   This week's review couldn't have came at a more better time. The kids and I have been sick with Strep Throat all week. So I was super excited to receive a lovely assortment of tea's from Kye's Organic Teahouse to sip on and soothe my aching throat. I was sent four tea elixirs to review which are her Dream Catcher, Vivrant Vida Chai, Berry Rooted and Divine Cleanse loose leaf tea. Each tea is designed to boost your Chakra and focuses on holistic health for mind body and soul. So let's get started.

   The first tea up is Kye's Dream Catcher tea. I have had a tough time in the past getting to sleep because of insomnia so I was really excited to try this tea. I have tried a lot of different brands with good results and wanted to see if the Dream Catcher Tea would do the same. This tea came in tea bag form so I boiled my water and steeped my tea for about 8-10 minutes. I really enjoyed the flavor of this tea it was very soothing. Some of the ingredients in this tea are Chamomile and Lavender with other natural ingredients. Chamomile is often used in sleepy time teas because of its soothing effects. I sipped this tea every night this week and it definitely helped me relax and slip into a very restful sleep. I really enjoyed the taste of chamomile as well as the lavender. It worked perfectly. All the tea's came in the cutest little glass jars ever. I will be definitely repurposing them later.  So if you have been needing a little extra help relaxing at night, I definitley reccomend Dream Catcher.

   The next tea I happily sipped is Kye's Berry Rooted tea. With my throat so sore I was eager soothe my throat throughout the day. Berry Rooted is just what it says. I steeped it for 8-10 minutes and added honey. It was a delicious berry flavored tea that I thoroughly enjoyed. With the flavors of Black Tea, fresh Organic Blueberries, Pomegranate and Herb Roots to ignite the vibrations of the root chakra. The purpose of Kye's Berry Rooted is for Stability Security and Grounding. So if you are a lover of fruity teas this one is for you.

   Next is Kye's Vivrant Vida Chai. I love and tasted different type's of Chai Teas before so was hoping the same for this one. I steeped this one in tea bag form as I did the others and added a little honey. I really enjoyed the warm spicy taste of this Chai tea. This tea is suggested to be sipped in the morning which helps with healthy digestion. The purpose of this tea is to charge, open and ignite the manifistation of power and confidence. If your a Chai lover this tea is definitely one I would recommend.

   And lastly is Kye's Divine Cleanse. I honestly have only tried this one once so far because I am on antibiotics. Divine Cleanse comes in loose leaf form but may come in tea bag form also. I didn't have a tea infuser so I used my Cafe Cup infuser for coffee I use with my Keurig. It worked pretty good just had to use a spoon to hold it down and keep it from floating LOL! This tea is packed with Senna, Dandelion Root, Alfalfa Leaf, and Apple. This tea is great for bloating, constipation, facilitating weightloss, improving skin and cleansing blood. All these ingredients also serve as a nice laxitive. I definitely did taste the apple in this one it gave the flavor a great balance. The tea had a real pleasant taste and I cant wait to use it to jumpstart my healthy eating. If you are looking to get healthy I would definitely recommend doing a healthy tea detox to get started.

   Overall I had a great time tea tasting with Kye's Organic Teahouse. She has some great tea's to help keep you in balance. Her tea's and elixirs come in bag and loose leaf form for your convenience. Kye's tea's are $8 each with your choice of 10 ct bags or 8 oz of loose leaf. Kye offers a variety of different organic teas and tea set's to help balance the Chakras for your whole body. Each tea also has a detailed discription on what part of the chakra it is for. I encourage you to give Kye's tea's a try especially if you are all for holistic health and healing. I really enjoyed this weeks review and thank you so much Kye for your amazing tea's! I will leave the link below to visit the website and please give @kyeteahouse on Instagram a follow. Thank you for joining me for this weeks entry. Please make sure to subscribe below so you don't miss my next sweet review. Bye!

http://kyeteahouse.com/

Shea Butter Licious

   Hi! Thanks for coming back for another sweet review! I received some lovely hair and body products from a company by the name of Shea Butter Licious. I have had these products for a little over a week and have been reviewing them. This company has a variety of natural hair, body and bath products. I received the Mango & Shea Butter body butter in "Mango Papaya," Dead Sea Mud Mask, Pumpkin Hair Butter and Olive Butter Pomade in "Bahama Breeze." To make sure I gave the products my full honest review I have been using them all week and included the hair products on my washday. So lets get started.

   I would like to get started with the Mango & Shea Butter Body Butter. This time of year my skin gets extremely dry and cracked. I'm always looking for a good hand and body moisturizer. Shea Butter Licious's Body Butter in "Mango Papaya" smells fruity and tropical like I expected it too. It's a really fresh scent that makes me feel like I'm on a tropical island. The butter itself is smooth and creamy and melts as soon as it touches the warmth of your skin. It leaves you a little oily or greasy before fully absorbing in your skin but I like that because of how dry and irritated my skin is. I would say that this Butter is great for those who need a little extra help keeping moisturized during these cold Winter months. I am constantly applying it on my hands throughout the day. The ingredients listed are Mango Butter, Shea Butter, Rice Bran Oil, Tocopheral (Vitamin E) and fragrance. This product is sold on the Etsy site for $8.00 for a 4 oz jar. Seeing that these are all natural products this is a pretty good price. I really enjoyed the relief my skin got using this body butter.

   Next up is the Dead Sea Mud Mask. What I liked most about this mask is the fact that when it dried it didn't itch or feel uncomfortably tight like other masks. I'm usually desperately trying to get any other face mask off my face because it itches so bad and leaves my face red and irritated. I've used this mask twice now and noticed my face looked bright and glowing. I also noticed it wasn't dry like other masks make my face feel afterward. I have to admit that I normally never see any "Amazing" results using masks, I use them once a week just because. I know different masks claim to do certain things I just never really notice. I do like this mask though. Dead Sea Mud Masks do have great benefits for the face and body. The mud pulls out toxins from the skin as it dries and removes dead skin. It also helps tighten the skin. The ingredients listed are Dead Sea Mineral Mud and preservatives. You can get this mask for $8 for a 4 oz jar. Again because of the fact that this is a product made of natural ingredients I would say this is a pretty good price.

   Lets move on to hair products. Now I am in Love with anything and everything pumpkin. So I was excited to try the Pumpkin Hair Butter. It smells so wonderful just like pumpkin and cinnamon. After applying my leave-in conditioner I applied my pumpkin butter. I put some in my hands and let it warm up from the heat of my hands so it will get soft and melt and applied it to my hair. Something I noticed as the weather started getting colder is that solid butters and oils, such as coconut oil don't do to well in my hair. My hair has been looking a little dull/stiff lately. So I have decided to stick to creams and liquid oils this Winter until it starts warming up. The Pumpkin Butter is great and eventually worked it's way into my hair but it took a while. I also stayed inside today so it was a nice comfortable tempetmrature in my house. So I'm not totally sure how my hair would of done if I went out. The good thing about the Pumpkin Butter is it can also be used as a body butter. I think this would be great for my hair as the weather starts to warm up so I am definatley holding on to it. I would definitely Love to see this product in cream form though. The ingredients listed are Refined Shea Butter, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Rice bran Oil, Castor Oil, Cinnamon and Fragrances. Shea Butter Licious also has a Pumpkin Batter Deep Conditioning Mask on the website I would Love to try soon. I tried to check the site for the price of the Pumpkin Butter but all I found were some sample sizes for $5. So I'm guessing it's a seasonal product. I will definately be using this when the weather gets warm.

   And last but not least is the Olive Butter Pomade in "Bahama Breeze." The name gave me that tropical vibe like the Mango Papaya Body Butter. And the smell did too. I love the fragrance of the pomade which has a lite greasy texture. I used the Pomade to lay down my baby hairs which gave a lite hold and added a little curl definition. The ingredients include Olive Oil infused with (pepermint, Chamomile, Rosemary), Olive Butter, Virgin Coconut Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Shea Butter, Candefilla Wax, Beeswax, Tea Tree Oil, Fragrance or Essentil oil and Tocopheral Acetate. I like that this gives a nice hold and adds shine. You can get this product for $5.50 for a 4 oz jar.

   Overall I think Shea Butter Licious has some great natural hair and body products to offer. They work well, smell great and are pretty affordable. I really enjoyed reviewing these products and will definitely be ordering soon. To check out these products as well as all the others Shea Butter Licious has to offer I will leave the link below. And make sure to give her a follow on Instagram as well @sheabutterlicious. I hope you enjoyed this weeks product feature, make sure to subscribe below so you don't miss my next sweet review.


https://www.etsy.com/shop/sheabutterlicious?ref=hdr_shop_menu

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