Well Y’all,
It’s time for my last post of 2009.  I thought long and hard about just what to say, and I decided to talk about the “friendly reminders” God sent me this year:

• Tomorrow is not promised.
  I experienced the death of a co-worker and a beloved uncle.  We all take for granted that “tomorrow” will come, and we’re not promised the whole day.
• Everybody will get old, if they live long enough.
  There is such contempt for the elderly. The haughtiness of youth deceives folks into thinking that “old” is something that will never touch them.
• Your sin will find you out.
  You can’t run and you can’t hide from God. We think we’ll never get caught and we think that the grace God extends to us (time to repent before our sin is exposed) is not actually God at all, but our ability to be “slick” and evasive. Yeah, you may be slick,  but you ain’t greasy.
• The world is growing more wicked, with every hour that passes. We need to fast and pray.
  So much evil and wickedness…in the church too. We should be on our knees.
• Whatever you sow, you reap. You reap more than you sow, just like a single seed becomes a…tree.
  That applies to both good and bad sowing, so…sow wisely.  If we really understood (and believed) this principle (especially when it comes to reaping bad stuff, from bad sowing), we would do better, as human beings.
• The tongue is such an unruly member!
  Some of us have to have the “last word”. We talk too much, and our tendency to always have to “speak our mind” is going to cause our demise.  Know when to be quiet, and save your marriage, keep your job and your sanity. When there’s too many words, transgression is close by.

….and finally: God is good
He’s good even when we don’t think He’s good. His mercies are abundant, and new every morning…without them, we would be consumed. He doesn’t deal with us according to our sins, nor does He reward us according to our iniquities.

As we say “farewell” to 2009, let us look forward to another year…full of opportunities to pursue God and His will for our lives.

God bless you! Happy New Year!

A Nappy Girl

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What it is: A very rich, creamy, concentrated butter for the hair and skin
Price: $20/8oz
Website: Koils by Nature

The Review:

I was sent a jar of the Citrus Bliss butter, and I immediately liked that the jar was full of product,  to the rim.  The texture is very thick and creamy, and the smell is divine! I love citrus scents, so I was all in. The scent is not strong, and fades after it’s in your hair.

I twisted my hair with the butter, today.  My hair was freshly shampooed/conditioned, and I misted each section with water, before applying the butter. I used no leave-in underneath.

This stuff is SO RICH…I only needed a smidgen for each section of hair. If you use too much, you’ll end up with greasy hair.  Normally, I send visitors to the site for ingredients, but I’m breaking that rule this time.

The Ingredients:  Shea butter, kokum butter, mango butter, avocado butter, aloe butter, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, kosher vegetable glycerin, organic honey, hydrolyzed jojoba protein, vitamin E,  grapefruit seed extract, essential and fragrance oils.

I didn’t use any gel with it, just the butter.  The end result was AMAZING! Soft, puffy twists…perfectly moisturized.  No crunch.  I it.  The next time, I’ll use a little gel along with it, just because the front of my hair needs the extra hold.

This is an excellent product for twisting, sealing the ends, and “winterizing” your hair. If you have protein sensitive hair, note that this product contains protein.  If your hair is fine, and/or thin, use a very light hand. It’s an excellent alternative to The Jane Carter Solution’s Nourish and Shine. You get more product for your money, and I like it better.

A Nappy Girl

Final Answer:

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2009 is almost gone! No, this is not my “year in review” post. This is my list of the “best of 2009″, as far as eats, treats, and of course, hair and beauty products. Let’s get to it:  **Update 1/1/10**: I added “Best Product Line”. I forgot it!

Best of Hair Products:

• Best Overall Product Line
  Afroveda
  Just amazing! The Shea Amla Whipped Butter Cream and the Pur Whipped Jelly are my new staples. The butter cream beat out my beloved Qhemet Biologics Amla and Olive Heavy Cream, so you KNOW it’s great!

• Peace Love and Sunshine Coconut Confidence
  A blend of virgin organic coconut oil, and unrefined shea butter. Dreamy, and creamy.  It’s dessert for the hair…and body.
• Sweet Nature by Eddie Love Deep Conditioner
  I do it. It’s a very simple, uncomplicated concoction that works to soften and condition the kinks. It absorbs into the hair, and leaves no buildup.
• Healing Herbs by Rene Herbal Black Soap Shampoo, and Extra Moisturizing Conditioner
  The shampoo cleans without stripping and the conditioner smells like a taste of heaven on earth…conditions well too.  100% natural and organic.

Best of Beauty Products:

• Lip Slip by Sara Happ
  I lip balms, but so many are… so-so. Not this one. It’s thick and rich, and it “coats” the lips with a moisturizing shield that protects against the elements.
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish
  A lightweight powder that perfects the skin. Think “healthy glow”, with a matte finish.  It’s replaced my pressed powder.
• Mure de Musc Extreme by L’Artisan Perfumeur
  Sweet blackberry…but not overwhelming, and not too “fruity”. It makes me dizzy…in a very good way. Divine.

Best Eats and Treats:

Nothing to share this year. There were a couple of things I wanted to try, the Amella Artisan Cocoa Butter Caramels for instance, but I didn’t quite get around to it.  I plan having a few favorites in this category, next year.

A Nappy Girl

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ApHogee Products

I was asked (last week) to try this product line and provide feedback.  I got a box from FedEx today, with all these goodies:

• Keratin & Green Tea Reconstructor
  I’ve used this before, and I it.
• Deep Moisture Shampoo
  Looks good…does have sulphates.  I usually don’t use shampoos with sulphates, but I will try this one.
• Keratin 2 Minute  Recontructor
  “Adds  strength and softness in one step”.  That’s good. Don’t know anything about this one either. I used to use the heavy-duty ApHogee protein, as a relaxed head.
• ProVitamin Leave-In Conditioner
  It’s an “Infusium type” conditioner…watery.  I’ll probably try this out today.
• Spritz & Shine Styling Spray
  Don’t really know what to do with this, but it may work when I flat iron. I definitely can’t see myself using it on my nappy hair.

This line will be added to the list of product reviews for January-Febuary 2010.
If you’ve used any of these products on kinky, coily, nappy hair, please give some feedback here. I’d love to know what you think.

Thanks,
A Nappy Girl

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