The end of WEN

It is difficult when we are unable to give a product a glowing endorsement, but when we have to deliver unfavorable news, we are more than willing to explain why. First, however, we must stressed as we do with every post, that what works for one may not work for the other. You may use a product and get wonderful results when our findings were lack luster. With that said, always try it for yourself. Our reviews are based on our personal experiences and the experiences of our faithful readers.

The verdict is in…we are discontinuing of use of WEN. The reason is simple. The product does not provide and detangling aid. Here on Two Heads, we stress the need for good detangling products for all hair types. Heres why:

1.       Hair is elastic (it stretches), but not unbreakable

2.       Hair is at its weakest when it is wet

3.       Taking into consideration the above notes, when detangling after shampooing, strand will stretch and pop (break) if the comb is not allowed to glide smoothly.

4.       Poor detangling habits can cause split ends

5.       Poor detangling habits is a main reason for African American hair breakage

Now, there are many factors that contribute to whether hair is easy to detangle:

1.       Hair texture (of course the tighter the curl, the more difficult it is to detangle)

2.       Moisture is an important factor in good detangling. If hair is moist is will detangle easier

3.       The technique one uses to shampoo hair can potential tangle hair

4.       Shampoos and conditioners can contribute to adding moisture to hair therefore making it easier to detangle (ie., if your shampoo and conditioner dries your hair out it probably will be difficult to detangle

Now, all of the above is sheer rhetoric if it can’t be applied practically.

Well here is the long and short of it all. No matter how the product boasts to be natural and full of “healthy” ingredients that health did not translate into the styling process. Don’t get me wrong I felt good about using a product that would not strip my daughters’ hair. I liked the idea of using a product that was supposedly helpful not harmful, but every time I used WEN, I would have to use it in conjunction with another product, namely a detangler or moisturizer to achieve the desired outcome. This just seemed a little backwards to me.

My final thought is that WEN is not at all a bad product, but if your primary concern is lack of moisture and breakage (as mine is with my oldest child) then WEN is not for you.

As a side bar, WEN performed satisfactorily on my youngest daughter’s hair, but it too seemed more dull and less soft at the end of the styling process when I used the WEN solely. When added with other products, WEN was fine, but if you go back to one of our first posts, WEN: Does it really work? , it is supposed to be a product that can stand alone. It is not advertised as an adjunct therapy.

Back to the 80's...again...

Janet

Grown girls I have a look for YOU! You can even share it with your little girl if you like. It’s the 80’s side swiped pony. In the 80’s it was worn by Janet Jackson on the cover of her breakout hit album, Control and Jada Pinkett-Smith just dawned a side shaven version of the look for the 2012 Kid’s Choice Awards. I can honestly say I have worn this style since I was a kid…in the 80’s.

Me, Rocking a much more toned down, everyday version of the 1980's look

I was in third grade in 1987 and I wore this hair style then (I probably should not admit that). I loved it then and I love it still. It can be worn simple or chic, for church or for prom or even for everyday. I love the versatility and simplicity of this look and I recommend it if you want to break out of the normal pony tail and do something funky. Every time I do this style, my older daughter says, “Mommy you look so pretty”, so I take her word for it (probably shouldn’t admit that either; taking fashion advice from a five year old may not be wise). Confirmation comes, however, when my husband, friends and total strangers stop me to tell me how totally cute and totally 80’s I look. The 80’s part is the coolest part. I am actually one of those people who truly think the 80’s was a good decade (at least some of it). After all, the 80’s gave us He-Man and She-ra and Janet, “Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty”. During the 80’s we got some really cool movies like The Terminator and great Directors like Spike Lee (remember School Daze). Let’s not forget great songs like We Are the World and fashion trends like ripped jeans (which I still rock to this day). In the 80’s Princess Diana married Prince Charles and Prince released Purple Rain. Unfortunately, I can think of some not so cool 80’s moments, even sad ones that occurred, but let’s face it, the 80’s have resurfaced, rehashed, and revived more times than Elizabeth Taylor said “I do” (an event that happen at least once in the 80’s I’m sure).  They are really not going to ever totally go away (at least not as long as I am around). So I thought it only fitting to spread my love of the 1980’s and share a style that can work for you or your little lady. Work it!

Jada at the 2012 Kid's Choice Awards

P.S. Just in case you are too young to remember my 80's references, just click on the highlighted, underlined words and catch up on your 80's trivia. You're welcome!

Need a style for a special occasion...here you go!

She was not expecting me to take this pic so early in the morning :-)

With Easter right around the corner. Mommas and Daddies may be looking for a cute easy look that will work perfectly with your precious one’s Easter ensemble. Well, I’ve got one for you, but…

I cannot take credit for this super cute special occasion hair style…although I would love to. This look was created by my mother.

A WORD ABOUT MY MOTHER: Mimi, as the kids affectionately call her, is a perfectionist. She expects her grannies to be on point at all times and will accept nothing less. Nothing but the best for her babies. Needless to say, when the girls step out with Mimi…they step out correct. Grandmothers, I must add, have this luxury, for they are, after all grandmothers and their responsibilities have decreased with time. Mine, however, have increased. Therefore I cannot profess that they always look GQ when they are with me…but I digress…

At any rate, the special occasion that this look was created for was church. A style this fancy should be reserved for a special occasion at church or Easter or Christmas as it requires heat to create and I am not a huge proponent of adding heat. I do believe, however, if done in moderation and with a conservative caution it is ok from time to time. Note: if you are totally against heat all together, you can create this style by braiding your child’s hair and leaving it over night. Even if her hair is naturally curly, braiding her hair with a pomade and leaving it for several hours or overnight will lock in a wave pattern or a "crimped" look that may be a unique departure from her usual "curly" look.

Mimi would say start by making sure your parts are straight! For the top section be careful to ensure that the two parts on either side do not extend farther down than the outer tip of the brow (only because it looks a little funny). In other words, make sure each part lines up with about the middle of her eyebrow. It looks more balanced that way. Then make a horizontal part to complete a “box” for the top pony tail. From the middle of that top box (from the back) make a middle part to divide the rest of the hair into two pony tails.

Now that the hard part is out of the way, crimp each section of hair and separate to fluff it. Don’t forget to add some oil sheen for extra shine and you’re done. This is the "special occasion" version the style, but the original style was done with twist. Part hair the same way, but instead of crimping, just create three fluffy twists and add hair accessories if you like.

I know your next question. What kind of iron did I use? I have found that women are very, very particular and picky about their irons and what one likes is as individual as a finger print. It can be a personal experience, even intimate, like buying those "special delicates" that go under our clothes. Some women favor certain name brands. Others value certain qualities like ceramic or ionic. Some irons can be very expensive as well. I have my preferences, but I feel in this case moms (or dads) and their daughters should go on a very vigilant quest to find the healthiest and safest iron that fits their lifestyle and budget.

With that said, your little princess now has another special occasion style to add to the arsenal that you can pull out the next time she gets snazzy.

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TADA!! It worked...the second time.

I nearly forgot to post this wonderful entry about my new experience with a product that I had once written off. It seems that what works for one child does not work for the other. I will not leave you in suspense. The product is none other than Shea Moisture.

This is not a little known product to our house hold. As a matter of fact I have been using Shea Moisture, Curl and Style Milk for several months on my two year old. I mainly use it to add moisture and shine when I braid it from time to time. The performance was satisfactory so I decided to try some other products in the line.

A little background on Shea Moisture: Sofi Tucker started selling shea Nuts at the village market in Bonthe, Sierra Leon in 1912. This Sofi Tucker was the grandmother of the founders of Shea Moisture. Inspired by her tenacity and self sufficiency as a single young mother of four children (widowed at age 19), the Shea Moisture line was born. The product is accompanied by a mission to empower disadvantaged women.

Why I chose to give it one more try?: It was not just the satisfactory performance of the product after I tried it (for the second time) on my two year old that made me stay with it, but also the legacy and the mission of the company. I read the back of the bottle and decided it was worth giving it one more chance.

A brief overview of what we did to achieve success: What we did was simple but effective. The products used were Moisture Retention Shampoo and Deep Treatment Masque. We followed that up with the usual Curl and Style Milk. And of course we did our customary pre-shampoo treatment with coconut oil for 30 minutes prior to shampooing.

We shampooed twice and left the Deep Treatment on for approximately 15minutes. When I rinsed her hair it was soft and shiny and easy to detangle. I was pleased.

Note: I tried this on my older daughter over a year ago and we did not have good success. Her hair was dry and brittle afterward and hard to detangle. I tried it again on her since it worked so well on the baby with no luck. It just goes to show that what works for one does not always work for the other AND you may have try something twice before it works at all.

Below soft manageable hair and a happy two year old:

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Hair accessories found at your local neighborhood beauty suppy store

She is wearing her favorite Dora dress (Target)

Readers weigh in on Motions Weightless Hairdressing

Two Heads is so lucky and blessed to have faithful readers who glean helpful hints from our page and are also willing to add relateability and value to the information we provide with tips of their own.

One such reader shot me a message about a week ago about a product that she discovered and happens to love for her daughter's cornrow styles. It’s called Weightless Clear Hairdressing by Motions. I have not yet tried the product, however, an in depth review is forth coming from Two Heads. BUT our reader tells us that this stuff is awesome!

She states the pros for weightless clear hairdressing are:

-no flaking

-no grease

-easy application

-it leaves the hair soft

-there is very little build-up and residue

I am sold!

The product retails for approximately $4.50 for a 6 once container.

Here is what one site had to say about the product:

·       Give hair an extra styling boost with Motions Weightless Clear Hairdressing. Its feather-light formula adds volume while restoring hair's strength and shine. It will not build up on hair. Oil-free conditioners add suppleness and shine while reducing frizz. And a Mango Tango fragrance evokes an enticing tropical sensation. It's ideal for pumping up fine-to-medium textured or fragile hair. It gives lift to hair that normally gets weighed down by ordinary hair dressing.

I am super excited about trying this product out on my girls to let you know how I like it. In the meantime, check out the super cute pics sent in by our reader of her sweet baby girl in cornrows created using Motions, Weightless Clear Hairdressing.

SUPER cute! Thank you guys for sharing!!

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Examiner.com

DIY

Many of our readers (including myself) are often astonished by the price of children’s hair accessories. I have to admit that I have been drawn in more times than one, by some super cute, really snazzy head band or barrette that went perfectly with that outfit. You know the one she loves to wear. The one that makes her feel fantastically girly and sweet. Yep, that one.

Accessorizing little girls has become a mega market with boutiques and shops dedicating their entire inventory to beads, bows, clips and what-nots. I venture to say starting an accessory business would be a can’t miss enterprise for a budding entrepreneur because many mommies (and daughters) just can’t get enough. Seriously, my daughters and I have cases full of awesome accessories, but we inevitably still buy more.  

This is not a sin. But given the current economy and shrinking budgets of working people, such superlatives can no longer be prioritized in families today. Given this fact, mommies (and daddies) may have to employ creative ways to attain goods that they don’t want to give up, but may not have much surplus to afford.

People can produce ingenuity when pressed to. And lots of creative expression can result from that ingenuity. One easy way to stretch your budget a little farther is to do it yourself. This really can apply to anything.  With a little imagination and skill, we all have the ability to create if we want to. More specifically in the area of accessories this could not be more true.

How to do-it-yourself? Don’t stress. It is easier than it sounds. As a matter of fact you could produce intricate and complicated items if you wanted to (and some of you may want to), but if you can use a hot glue gun, in most cases you can make a really chic hair accessory for your daughter for pennies. The following tips are definitely not "rocket science", just a few hints you may not have thought of before.

1.      The simplest strategy to make hair accessories is to find a really cute silk flower from Michaels or Wal-mart and glue it to a plain head band.

2.      Even easier than the above suggestion, take that same silk flower and use a regular house hold bobbi pin and just stick in her hair.

3.       Go to your nearest Hobby Lobby and head straight to the fabric section. There you will find ribbons (in the same area where you find trim). In this section you can find a myriad of textures, colors and widths of ribbons and trims that can be used as ribbon for your little girls’ pony tails. The best part is you can usually buy an entire spool for about a $1.50 (Example, 3 yards on a spool).

4.      Find unconventional objects to put in her hair (safe items of course). Try sprinkling a little glitter in her hair for added whimsy and fun. Go to the clearance section of your friendly neighborhood craft store and see what interesting objects you can find like feathers or scrap pieces of fabric. Use these items to create something unique for her hair.

5.      Nothing is better than using something you already have. Turn an old accessory into a new one, by adding a little sparkle. Craft stores like Hobby Lobby always have a clearance section of old or returned “stuff”. I have found packages of rhinestones for $1 or less. Hot glue clear or colored rhinestones to pre-existing hair accessories and revive their life. This way you can get some use out of some items that you already have.

I am aware that even with the simple instructions above many of you may not desire to mess with the fuss of creating your own hair accessories. BUT you can still save money. My hidden treasures (which are not really all that hidden at all) are Wal-mart and Hobby Lobby. At these stores one can purchase already created ribbons, barrettes, clips and other hair accessories for cents. Hobby Lobby especially was a pleasant surprise for me. Sometimes I am able to find accessories from “no-name” manufactures that look almost identical to many of the accessories found in higher end shops.

Finally, if you don’t mind shopping on-line, you can find the most unique bows and accessories in the world on Etsy.com, an on-line market place for all things vintage and handmade.

Below are a few pics of my oldest daughter with some accessories that I created in less than five minutes.

I purchased ribbon with wire in it off a spool from Hobby Lobby. I purchased about a yard each color to have surplus in case I messed up. I folded each color into an “accordion” shape and secured them all together (with hot glue) making all the pressed together folds appear like a flower. I spiraled the overhanging pieces making them cascade down from the “flower” (hence the reason for the wire). Finally, I glued clear rhinestones to the accessory to dress it up and added a few sprigs of artificial "babies breath". This accessory cost approximately $4.00.   

These yellow accessories are as old as she is. We breathed new life into them by simply gluing clear rhinestones to them. The original accessories came in a pack for $1.99 from Wal-mart.

This hair accessory was free (sort of). I bought her a pair of shoes from a boutique and this was the little surprise that came in the box; a free gift with purchase (but the shoes cost enough to cover the cost of the bow and then some ;-))

Ribbons from Hobby Lobby. Spool less than $1.50

Silk flower (can’t remember where I got it). I added a sheer ribbon tied in a small bow. In the center of the small bow I attached one little sparkly rhinestone.

So as you can see, DIY can be full of fun and excitement. And if your little one is mature enough, she can help you create these little accessories giving her pride and confidence to know that she too can do it herself!

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Examiner

The beads stayed on!

I always try to provide an update for readers who want to know the outcome of hair styles we feature on Two Heads, and whether they were failures or successes. I try to provide honest real time information that you can apply to your daily routine. I also try to focus on the health, safety and well being of our children for there is more to a method than just whether it is pretty and if it has longevity. I also want to make sure every style and/or tip I suggest is safe and comfortable to boot.

Our last post was mainly an encouragement post for moms (and dads) who may sometimes tire of the constant undertaking of caring for virgin, ethnic hair. The later portion of the entry, however, briefly described a hairstyle created on my younger daughter’s hair incorporating beads.

I am happy to announce that after five days the beads were still on her hair. I only had to swat her hand one time for reaching at one. None ended up in her mouth and the style stayed neat and flattering. I would recommend this hairstyle. If my daughter can maintain it (miss blankie totting, floor rolling, tub splasher) most any child can.

Note: the hair style lasted for about 6 days. I took it out and have since re-styled.

Also see: Your Task Is A Gift

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