Product Review: Ylang-Ylang Floral water

Technicurl Datasheet
ylang ylang floral Water
Manufacturer	Anita Grant
Main Ingredient	Cananga Odorata
Product Type	Refresher
Price Range	$$
Ingredient list	Pasteurised Ylang-Ylang Floral Water (Cananga Odorata)

I have been using Anita Grant’s Ylang Ylang floral water for a couple of months now and I can tell you, I’m in love.

Styled with Ylang-Ylang floral water, photo 1st published on Instagram

It’s perfect for refreshing day 2 or 3 curls, for prolonging wash day by giving the scalp a clean feeling and removing any itchiness that might be present for at least 2 full days.

Another name for Ylang Ylang is cananga odorata and one of the reasons I think it’s so great for the scalp is that this plant has been purported to have sebum regulating features for the skin and scalp. It is also said that it contributes to hair growth and while I have no hard evidence of this claim, I have noticed my hair growing like weeds lately! Coincidence or causality? It’s up to you to find out for yourself but I think there is something at play here and it’s good.

If you would like to try this floral water you can find it here: Anita Grant

Disclaimer
This review contains an affiliate link which gives me a small commission should you decide to make a purchase on the site, as you know me this fact however does not affect my opinion and the review is objective. I have not been payed in advance to write it.

Creamy Cafe latte product review

I wanted to start the year on a good note, so I will be sharing some of my favourite haircare and skincare products for this winter season and the number one is…drum roll please…the Anita grant creamy cafe latte.

🍫Creamy cafe Latte daily Leave in Butter🍫

The Anita Grant creamy cafe latte butter is intended for usage on dry hair and it helps me to break out my gel cast, create bantu knots and to smooth out my hair for braiding, the difference with other products when braiding is amazing, it makes the process easier and the final result a lot shinier and well put together.

It also helps to detangle due to having among it’s ingredients a naturally derived ingredient called Behentrimonium methosulfate, which provides slip. I promise that a label decoding for this ingredient is coming up soon but for now just know that if a product has it, the likelihood of great slip is higher.

The fact that the creamy cafe latte is cacao based and smells amazing is just a cherry on top!

Fabulous product all in all and did I mention it smells great? (I got the unscented one) It does not build up on the hair and so far so good, also works wonders for preserving stretched hair (heatless stretched hair, blow dried or roller sets, etc.).

I rarely purchase butters, however the formulation intrigued me and it delivered so this one is a keeper and lasts a long time, a little goes a long way. It is also Shea Butter free, for those of you who prefer products without Shea butter.

It’s a multipurpose leave in and it has many more uses, especially in winter, so now I will share why I love it in winter.

I really like this product during winter times because it’s full of lovely ingredients such as Macadamia nut oil, Organic Castor oil and behentrimonium methosulfate (you know I love this ingredient, but had to mention it again) which gives it a nice slip that helps in dry detangling, yes you read correctly, dry detangling as in for preshampooing (one of those things we should be doing in Winter). It’s also very moisturizing and boosts shine.

The scent is lovely and yeah it has coffee in it so it was bound to be perfect (my OG curlfriends know about my coffee obsession), but back to the review…I also use it to refresh my curls when I don’t want to rewet my hair but still want to seal in the moisture and get a kick of shine!

Scalp massages with this are also possible and it contains caffeine which has been purported to stimulate hair growth so no harm in trying!

In case you did not know Anita Grant is a British brand with handmade, cruelty free and naturally derived products that ships reliably worldwide, so even after moving to Japan I can purchase their products!

Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed this mini review, and if you want more tips for winter scalp care check out this article.

xo

Dr. L.

PS. You can find the Creamy Cafe Latte Here!

My Wash Day Essentials

Pre_Shampoo

For this I use either a premix oil or a product designed as prepoo.

I apply the prepoo for 10-30 before washing my hair or leave on overnight if the prepoo is designed for that purpose. At this stage it is possible to dry detangle hair if a suficient amount of product has been applied but this varies depending on which product I choose.

I only prepoo if I will use a deep cleansing (anionic surfactant) shampoo afterwards.

Shampoo

The correct way to shampoo is to apply a small amount of product to your fingertips and then massage the scalp, the foam will cleanse the rest of the hair, if needed I use a shampoo brush in a soft massaging motion left to right only on the scalp.

Deep Condition

I Always deep condition after washing with a deep cleansing shampoo. I normally don’t use heat but a lot of people do so if you like you can deep condition with heat or without; totally up to you. Some products do require heat activation, so this something to look out for when buying products. I normally section my hair in 4 sections and leave the deep conditioner in buns/twists for 30 minutes under a plastic cap then I rinse out.

Detangle

I use my fingers and a tangle teezer but this a matter of personal choice, I do it after the deep conditioning because my hair is mostly detangled by then and I can be gentler, plus it saves me time.

Rinse out conditioners

I use them either as deep conditioners enhanced with oils or as a leave in conditioner.

I apply it with the method squish and condish and leave most of the conditioner on the hair.

Styling

This is the most variable part of my routine but I mostly use kinky curly curling custard and the boucleme gel as basic stylers when I want a quick uncomplicated wash day.

Drying

I usually diffuse because I get better results on day 1, but this means more frizz and shorter duration of the wash day, so now that Autumn has begun I try to air dry as much as possible, but I do prefer diffusing my hair dry.That’s it! If you have any questions feel free to let me know, I have other more detailed wash day routines but this is my basic everyday wash day. Hope you enjoyed this post 🙂

For my latest wash day I used Briogeo oil to gel overnight prepoo, next morning shampoo with kinky curly come clean followed by kinky curly knot today plus a few drops of tea tree oil as a deep conditioner, fully rinsed out and styled using a single styler, kinky curly curling custard, let it air dry et voilà.

Curly Hair Product Shopping in Germany

I was recently asked about tips for curly hair shopping in Germany and while I am no expert and it took me sometime to get used to it, here I share what I have learned so far. I figured I will compile a little list of the places I have shopped at, as it really is little because when I find something that consistently works for me I simply keep doing it.

In store shopping

Afro Shops/Asia Shops: So far the best places I have found for buying curly hair products are the “afro Shops”or “Asia Stores”, which basically sell a variety of import products and fresh produce. I have shopped so far in 2 stores one in Hamburg near Altona Station which functions as a Hair salon too and it is like curly hair heaven they have the well know heavy hitters such as kinky Curly, As I am and Jane Carter Solution and many more brands to choose from. I do not live in Hamburg but when I have to travel north this is a Mandatory stop. Unfortunately the smaller the city the less chance of these type of stores & the higher the prices.

Basic Hair Shop: Another store I liked is called  “Basic Hair Shop” located in Post Galerie in Karslruhe. Karlsruhe is a smaller city with a lot of start ups and a lively and millenial oriented city, basically a university town where you can find a lot of things to do and see but curly hair products not so much, in this store I was able to find great hair salon brands such as living proof, Morocan oil, Rene Furterer, and the customer service was great.

Dm: Is a drugstore chain that you can find anywhere in Germany and recently they have started stocking up on curly hair brands such as Maui Moisture and in their online store has a few products of the Cantu range available if you like that brand. In general I have tried quite a few products from Dm and have found many of them to be great. Ahh and they also carry Maui Moisture and OGX a very wide selection (the coconut water line is one of my faves).

If you prefer online shopping or live in a smaller town with limited options & want more variety keep reading!

Online shopping:

This gets a bit more interesting because it is my main source of product shopping.

Feel Unique: I found this store randomly while looking for skincare products, they have regular sales and actions and offer free shipping in Germany for purchases over 40 Euros, the most famous curly hair brand they carry is Shea Moisture, but I have also found other great brands such as Yes to, Bumble and Bumble, A’kin, Balance me and to my surprise Aussie! I absolutely love Aussie, it is affordable and performs very well on my hair and it is cheaper than in Dm 😅.

Naturalistic Products: If you follow me on Instagram you will see that I order a lot from the UK, because a few product lines that I really like, like the Blueberry bliss curls are rather hard to find in Germany. I have yet to find it in a local store or online that carries them. The selection is impressive and if you do not live in a big city like Hamburg in it super convenient not to mention great Customer Service! They also ship to other countries in Europe as well.

Anita Grant: Is a British brand with handmade, cruelty free, organic, small batch products that I simply adore shopping from you can find my favorite products such as the Creamy Cafe latte , aloe vera shampoo, the curl conditioning cowash and the deep conditioning cubes Here.

OsoCurly: Is a British brand that creates luxurious yet affordable curly hair care products such as satin scrunchies, satin bonets, satin pillowcases and so much more. Its one of my favorite stores to buy these items and they also sell scalp massagers and fine mist spray bottles as well as edge combs and a line dedicated to kids.

Disclaimer: I will link the online stores I mentioned for your convenience, but FYI this is not a sponsored post. I just listed a few stores that offered reliable service and an efficient delivery system. The feel unique link does include a referral code with a discount for your 1st purchase in case you would like to use it, the other links are just regular links to the stores or affiliate links at no cost to you. I will keep updating this post as best as I can if you find it useful.

Direct links to stores & product lines

OsoCurly: You can use my affiliate discount code CURKYSAKURA at checkout to save 15% on every order you place.

Anita Grant They offer shipping worldwide and an excellent customer service, if you haven’t tried this brand yet it’s a must try!

Feel Unique Online Store German site They offer free shipping on orders over 40€ and shipping and it is quite fast and reliable.

Naturalistic Products Online Store in UK They offer shipping to Germany and all over Europe which varies according to the weight of the package and include samples of products.

Dm Online Store Germany

They options for DM are quite varied, they deliver for a cost if €4.95 countrywide

If you are lucky enough to live in cities like Hamburg or Karlsruhe you can request for pick up in a store even if it is an online only product like the curl lines they hold. Most stores allow this service with a few exceptions which are listed on their websites.

Where are you from?

Do you find it easy to find curly haircare products where you live?

Do you have any favorite online stores you like to shop in? Let me know in the comments.

Are you a Product Junkie?

 

Winter Holy Grail

11 Useful Tips for the Curly Girl Product Junkie

1. Set up a monthly budget for haircare products according to your income and stick to it. Once I noticed I was spending too much money in products I found this to be the most useful intervention. My monthly budget is 100 Euros per month, if there is a particular product or hair tool that is more expensive than that then I wait until the beggining of the next month to make the purchase. Set a stablished amount and stick to it.
2. Don’t impulsive buy when you visit the drugstore. Some products might be on sale or very cheap, but it is better to read about it first. Buy according to your hair needs, know your curls, for instance you might be protein sensitive and see a great protein treatment is on sale, but it is not the right product for you so it will only sit on your shelf.
3. Trade products that did not work for you with friends and family, you both might benefit from the deal.
4. Keep a list of your stock of products and buy first the type of product that is running out. I keep a shelf for styling and finishing products for example so that I can see if the balance is tilting more towards oils (my guilty pleasure) or leave in conditioner (my favorite product) while I am running low on curl definers or stylers before purchasing a new oil I check if there is not another product that I actually need.
5. Don’t be too hard on yourself, if all of the above failed do your very best to keep your hard earned coin together while not feeling guilty about a few moments of product junkism weakness, revisit your goals and strategy and repeat.
6. Donate barely used products to charity and quantify how much money it is you are giving and consider a fund for donations instead of excessive shelf products.
7. Shop online in a store with a rewards program or on a beauty supplier and ask for free samples of products you might want to try in the future or join a products subscription box service and keep within budget while still trying new things!
8. Be alert for the sales of your holy grails and stock up and then adjust the subsequent months budget.
9. Review your product cabinet when the seasons change, it might be some products that did not work in summer work for winter and viceversa. Try them in a different season and if it is a no no then kiss them goodbye.
10. If all else fails reset and go back to your holy grails until you find a way to sort out your product junkie cabinet( at least that is what I am doing just now, getting rid of all my products in order to return to a few holy grails that were just perfect for my hair & skin)
11. Have fun!

When I started his blog in April I was not a product junkie, now I can confidently say I am a product junkie and I need to go back to keeping it simple as a new hair goal. I will try to use all the products I have or try and trade them although I have no fellow curlys in my vecinity for now.

Cheers!

Devacurl One Condition Decadence Results

Dr. L

I wish my shelf was as tidy XD