Meraki Organics: Natural Hair Care Product Review

By: Emily-Ann

I’m back with the first product review for 2021. I’d like to give a big shout out to Amber Makupson, girl boss and CEO of Meraki Hair Care. I’d like to thank Amber for sending me some of her awesome products to try. I was super excited and fully enjoyed the experience. Check out our previous post on Meraki Organics here.

This line is just as beautiful as the creator, so you know I had to share it with you guys. In unboxing, I received the following products; Amethyst Curl Primer+Heat+Protectant, Rose Quarts Multi-Purpose Growth Oil, and Purifying Amethyst Shampoo. All of her products are cruelty-free, no harsh chemicals, and ethically sourced, and fair trade. I love the fact that all her products are natural, especially since I have been replacing my personal care products to help rebalance my hormones.

AMETHYST CURL PRIMER + HEAT PROTECTANT

ROSE QUARTZ MULTI-PURPOSE GLOW OIL

PURIFYING AMETHYST SHAMPOO

Amethyst Curl Primer + Heat + Protectant

The Meraki Amethyst Curl Primer+Heat+ Protectant was amazing. My hair loves this stuff and immediately responded to it. My hair became soft, more manageable, and I quickly noticed a new shine to my hair. I felt so relieved to find a product my hair likes. The Bamboo and botanicals ingredients are a bonus to this blend. This product has great slip, not heavy on my curls, and I love the light scent. It comes in a glass bottle, that can be reused after you finished with the product. At the bottom of the spray, there are little Amethyst crystals. The smell is very subtle and not overpowering at all. I love the packing and color scheme. 

Cost:$25.00

Bottle amount: 237ml

“ This product has great slip! ”- Emily-Ann Brown 247 LiveCulture

Rose Quartz Glow Oil

This oil is infused with Rose Quartz crystals and can be seen at the bottom. The amazing blend of different oils like Alma fruit and Sweet Almond oil is pure heaven for the hair. Immediately, I was attracted to this product, which was why I had mentally put this product on a must-have list. I was elated when it came in the package and couldn’t wait to try it out. I’m in love with this blend and my hair absorbs it with ease. I have tried other oils and had little to no success. I find that my hair thrives with the lighter oils, and this oil happens to be one of them!

This sweet, light, and multi-use oil can be used for both hair and face. A great addition to your regimen. Enclosed with this beautifully crafted oil is a note explaining the benefits and uses of the oil. The affirmation at the bottom of the note is a creative touch. 

Cost: $45.00

Bottle amount: 2.0z / 60ml

Purifying Amethyst Shampoo

Purifying Amethyst Shampoo

This purifying shampoo does a great job at cleansing my hair and scalp. It made my hair notably softer and lighter and I’m looking forward to seeing what the long-term effects of these products will do for my hair. I enjoyed washing my hair, which is a huge thing for me. I loved that the crystals were again visible at the bottom. Knowing what’s in your product as a conscious consumer is huge for me. Knowing that it works and is doing something good for my hair is what puts my mind at ease. I was happy to see how well my hair responded to the shampoo. I am in love with this line all over again. I know I will be ordering more products from her line and looking forward to seeing Amber expand her line, and blossom as an entrepreneur. 

Cost: $25.00

Bottle amount: 237ml

If you are interested in purchasing any of her beautiful products, please click here. I enjoyed these products and would recommend you guys to check her out.

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Autumn Curls: 3 Tips For Protecting Your Natural Hair During Fall/Winter

By: Lauryn Bass

It’s chilly season! Autumn is now upon us and it’s time to make sure that the only thing that won’t be giving you a scare, is your hair! With the cooler temperatures rolling in, it’s time to prep, pamper, and protect your curls! Here are a few tips to follow for the fall, the 3 P’s!

Prep!

The colder seasons can dry out your follicles which could result in split ends and breakage! To avoid this battle, you need to equip your hair with all the moisture it needs. Protein-based hair masques and hot-oil/keratin treatments are the way to go! These will boost your hair for lower temperatures!

Pamper!

Don’t be afraid to overdo-it with the love! Show your curls all the care that they deserve! Add some color to your look for the fall weather, dye your hair with orange, sunset colors. Get golden highlights to add a bronzer touch to your life. Try out new twist outs, new rollers, refresh your look with the hair-paint wax! Even try cutting it! Adding a new and exciting touch to your fro will get you excited to take more care of it.

Protect!

With Prep and Pamper in mind, be sure to remember that certain things will aid the cold to try to damage your hair. Avoid heat; excessive heat is never going to end well for your hair. Try protective styling the hair with twists, braids, head-scarves, crochet styles, wigs, anything that will give your hair some time to relax and grow. Remember to use bonnets or satin pillowcases to bed as well!

While preparing, pampering, and protecting your hair, Autumn is sure to be an entertaining and fun time of the year! Enjoy the fall season with your hair blowing in the wind, happy, healthy, and free!

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Breaking the Rules: Natural Hair Treatment Tips

By: Emily-Ann

I know you are all familiar with saying, “The rules are meant to be broken”. I think it’s no different when it comes to hairstyles for african american women. Now, I am not telling you to completely break all of the rules, but there are a few you can tweak or just throw it all way. I’ve listed a few that I feel you can do without.

The first one would be the Denman Brush. This is a staple in the natural hair community and the brush is said to be a must-have when you are dealing with natural hairstyles for black women. The rule here is to remove every other row; I did not do that, needless to say I found the brush to do more harm than good. I’ve used this brush, and all it did was cause grief. It literally pulled out more hair than anything else and not only did I break this rule but I threw it in back of my closet never to be seen again. Okay, well that is not entirely true. I can’t stand not being organized, even if it’s something as small as that. I did purchase a plastic bin to place all my hair tools.  

>> SEE ALSO: Natural Hair Care: Eco Styler Gel Is Cancelled

There is another debate that seems to be going on in the natural hair community. The question that seems to be on everyone’s mind lately. Do you co-wash vs. use shampoo? Now for those of you who are new, let me break down real quick to you. The term co-wash, simply means to use conditioner in place of shampoo to perform your washes. There is a lot of back and forth about this particular method. I have done this method for awhile and I can honestly tell you that I have mix feelings. I say break this rule, it’s okay to do co-wash once in awhile, but honestly I did not see any real benefits.

>> SEE ALSO: Top 10 Things You Should Know About Natural Hairstyles For Black Women

There are so many chemical free shampoos now on the market, and wide selection to choose from. We no longer have that small section in the drug store. Growing up my mother had to take me to a small neighborhood beauty supply store just to get my natural hair care products. I can now walk-in a walmart or another store, and find black hair care products on shelves. It’s okay to put back the shampoo in your routine, just make sure to read the label. I can give you example; I am currently using Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter line. My main focus is on moisture retention, so I purchase products that will promote just that. I have type 4 natural hair, with low porosity so my hair goals may be different from your own. I find that it is in great benefit to know your natural hair types and porosity level for this very reason. Trust me, you’ll thank me later for encouraging you to know your natural hair types.

>> SEE ALSO: Transitioning to Natural Hair: Are You Ready?

When it comes to oils, this would be the top of the list for best natural hair products in the natural hair community. If you guessed Coconut oil, you are correct! I am not one of these naturals that has success with this oil, so don't feel bad because I feel your pain. I say break this rule too! Whoever said that coconut oil works for all natural hair types is lying lol! I often discuss this in my own personal blog post at Blushgirlcurl, and I am very honest when it comes to expressing my feelings about natural black hair products. Go ahead, put it down and break this rule, if it doesn't work for your or your hair that’s okay! Pass it on to another natural who may have some success with coconut oil. It’s okay hunny, I won’t tell!

Last but definitely not least; the liquid oil cream method or LOC method, which is the grandfather of all rules when it comes to learning how to take care of natural hair. This is like the holy grail of natural hair care rules and until recently, I thought breaking this rule would doom your chances of success! I thought you had to follow this method when trying to figure out how to make my hair grow faster. I happen to come across an article that suggested trying a  different order for you hair type. This concept surprised me and I did try this out to see if it would work for me. I broke this rule and the order, I am now using LCO for my method of choice. If you are lost and have absolutely no idea what I am talking about, allow me to elaborate further. The LOC method, stands for Leave-in, Oil, and Cream, which is the chosen standard for sealing in moisture in the hair for extended periods of time. I broke this rule, well kinda and switched the order to see if the results would change. I switched it up and found that my natural hair responded much better to the LCO, rather than the LOC. 

Don't be afraid to try different methods to see which one works for you! Let me know in the comments below, what rules have you broken and have gained success?

THIS ARTICLE IS RELATED TO: black natural hairstyles, black natural hair, black natural hair products, black natural curly hair, natural hairstyles

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12 Questions You Should Ask About Transitioning to Natural Hair: Are You Ready?

By: Emily-Ann

Congratulations, you made the choice of transitioning to natural hair! Now what? Many of us including myself, transition without understanding the journey. My knowledge, comes from trial and error, like many natural hair beauties. I was under the impression that it would be easy. I mean, it is my hair, right? How hard could this really be? It has come to my attention that there are certain questions, you need to ask yourself. Especially, if you are the type to be indecisive or frequently change your mind. It may be very good idea to plan out your transition period, and set your schedule to do your big chop. Here are examples of questions you can ask yourself.

>> SEE ALSO: Breaking the Rules: Natural Hair Treatment Tips

1. Are you ready?

2. Why are you going natural? (this will become clear as you move along in your journey)

3. How do you plan to do your transitioning from relaxed to natural hair?

4. Do you know your hair type 1,2,3, and 4?

5. Do you know if you have low, normal, or high porosity hair ?

6. What kind of protective styling are you going to use?

7. What kind support will work for you i.e videos, blogs, or natural hair friend(buddy system)

8. How comfortable are you with rocking natural hairstyles for short hair?

9. How would you rate your patience level, one being low and three being very high?

10. What day of the week will be your wash day?

11. What are your natural hair goals? Length retention, healthy natural hair, moisturizer control, thick hair, or all of the above?

12. What natural hair care products will you use? Shampoo, conditioners, leave-ins, and moisturizers etc..

Tip: Knowing your natural hair types may aid in the selection process when purchasing hair products for natural hair. Reducing the feeling of being overwhelmed by wide range of lines currently in the market.

>> SEE ALSO: Natural Hair Care: Eco Styler Gel Is Cancelled

Questions like the ones mentioned above may save you time, and make product selection process much easier. I want nothing more than to see you embrace your natural hair journey, and with a little patience you will achieve desired results. It may be in your best interest to go through these questions to evaluate your current mindset. Keep in mind this journey will test your level of patience and consistency. May your natural hair journey be dripping with finesse and all its glory.

THIS ARTICLE IS RELATED TO: natural hairstyles for black women, natural black hair, natural hairstyles, natural black hairstyles, natural hairstyles for black women

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