“What are you going to do with your hair?”

Often times, I’m not quite sure how to respond to that question, and I have lost count how many times I’ve been asked it over the past few years.  I’ve heard every form of that question like, “When are you going to braid it?” or “Are you trying to grow locs?”  But while I’m able to keep my composure on the outside (at least I think so), my internal monologue says something like, “Oh, my hair isn’t “done” enough for you?!”

I take great pride in my mane and how I take care of it.  Psychologically, I’ve gotten over the need for it to look perfectly defined and have started to embrace the “messiness” that is my fro.  Unfortunately, there’s still this expectation that my fro, as it stands, is not a complete or good look.  But at the end of the day, I’m happy with it and I guess that’s what matters most, right?

Shea Moisture’s line up of hair care products for men.

Disclosure: The products listed were provided courtesy of Shea Moisture for the purpose of this review.

When I found out a few months ago that Shea Moisture was going to release a new hair care line for men, I almost lost my mind.  I’ve been a huge fan of their body products and Shea Moisture has definitely gotten me through some brisk New York Winters.  But, today is all about their hair care line for men and I’m very excited to share my thoughts and reactions with you.  Read on!

Three Butters Utility Shampoo: I’m never one to put too much stock into shampoos as I often find that they strip my hair and sensitive scalp of my natural oils and leave me feeling dry.  That being said, the Three Butters Shampoo does a really good job of balancing cleansing and moisturizing both.  The shampoo is very creamy (and smells really nice I might add) and has a rich lather that doesn’t make you feel like you’re stripping you hair of anything. That has been my experience at least.  To be honest, it also helps me start the detangling process as I think it has some good slip that helps my fingers battle through my thick mane of kinks and coils.

Three Butters Utility Gel Mousse:  I found the gel mousse to be very effective at giving girl definition and major shine (not like greasy fried chicken shine, but just normal shine, ya know?).  It also has the rich, earthy and masculine smell that the whole line up has which is a definite bonus.  I don’t have any major negatives to note here except that the gel gave my hair a bit of a crunchy feeling but that’s probably due to my heavy hand in application as well as it being tailored to “wavy, curly hair”.  That’s clearly not my hair type, but hey it was worth a shot.  As far as a styler goes, I have to say that the Three Butters Styling Smoothie really stole my heart over this gel.

Three Butters Styling Smoothie:  I like to call this one the man’s answer to Shea Moisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie.  This is, by far, one of the best hair products I have used since growing my fro.  Seriously guys, I can not get enough.  It’s rich and creamy but also has a light enough weight so that it doesn’t weigh your hair down.  The Three Butters Styling Smoothie is, simply put, a miracle product!  Whether I use it on dry hair to shape the fro on day two or use it on wet hair right out of the shower, this stuff performs well.  It always gives me good curl definition and soft hair.  It also smells manly enough so no need to worry about bright or sweet floral scents here.  Also, let me take a moment to just read off the first five ingredients: “Deionized water, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Macadamia Seed Oil, and Mango Seed Butter”.  After that, the barrage of stellar ingredients continues. If you don’t buy anything else from this line…TRY THIS!

Three Butters Styling Pomade: Rich in smell and texture, the styling pomade is a great shea based pomade to help me tame frizzies and revitalize a style after using something like the Three Butters Styling Smoothie the day before.  It works fine on its own too, but I really prefer something that helps give me a bit of definition along with moisture and shine.  This would be a great product for guys looking for all natural wave pomades at a reasonable price or someone looking to add nourishment and shine to their locs or twists.  Did I mention it smells good!?

Three Butters Utility Scalp Conditioner:  The line up also comes with a Utility Scalp Conditioner made for bald men. Clearly, I do not fall into the category (and don’t intend to) so I think I’m going to have to pass this one along to a friend pretty soon.  But what I can tell you is that it smells pretty damn good too.

Overall Impression: I feel like I’ve been waiting a few years to say this, but I’m really glad that Shea Moisture finally developed a hair care line for men.  Too often am I faced with the reality of products that 1) have not so stellar ingredients and 2) are made for women and make no qualms about the fact. I won’t front, women’s hair care products have given me a lot of good hair days and lots of comments, but at the same time it’s also nice to have a company recognize that men have specific hair care needs too.  All in all, this entire line smells GREAT, looks GREAT, and is priced GREAT.  I feel pretty good using this stuff and some of the line will definitely stay in my personal rotation.

I’ve got an itch…a serious one and it’s driving me crazy! You see, every Winter I try to grow out my beard at least once. I don’t know what it is…maybe I have a hidden desire to be a lumberjack, who knows? What I do know is, my face itches like crazy!

Several of you out there may know what I’m talking about. If you do, you understand how annoying new stubble can be. If you’ve never grown a beard, beware! You’re likely to have a serious itch, especially for the first couple of days/a week.

But there is some good news! While there’s no one size fits all cure to the “beard itchies” as I call them, I’ve found three things that make me feel much better in the growing out phase:

1. Moisture, moisture, moisture. During the first couple of days of your grow out process you may want to consider being overzealous about keeping your mug nice and moisturized. It certainly has helped me a bit. Plus, you should be doing anyway, right?!

2. Exfoliation is key. Using a daily exfoliant, like my personal favorite Shea Moisture Argan Oil Scrub, will help with moisture as well as lifting up beard hairs, limiting tangles and knots which is especially crucial for guys with curlier hair textures.

3. Comb it. Everyday. Just like the mane on top of your head. You won’t regret it.

If you’re going to don a beard, prepare yourself for the discomfort that will come with your protruding stubble. Be smart and continue to moisturize diligently and exfoliate regularly to ease the discomfort. And if you have a thick or long beard, you may to even consider conditioning it. And yes, I’m totally serious.

Needless to say, this change is a bit of a gut check for me as I’ve gotten very used to my hair at a certain length, but I’m glad for the change.   Lately my hair has really been getting on my nerves with all the detangling and such so I headed to the barber for a little fro maintenance.

Honestly, the cut is shorter than I initially wanted (from about 4.5-5  inches to 1.5 inches, roughly) but I’m relatively pleased with where my length is at the moment.  I find a little reassurance knowing that my hair grows pretty quickly and that the barber was very impressed with the condition of my hair (I must be doing something right!).   To be fair, I’m in a bit of shock as I’ve basically traveled back three years in time in under an hour, but I’m very much looking forward to seeing how this change affects how I feel and treat my hair in the coming months.  Until next time!

I started Movember 1st with a completely bare face and immediately felt that I had regressed a good 10-15 years.  I turned into a bashful teenager again and found myself counting down the days until my stache made a come back.  These days, I’m feeling a bit more like my usual self, but shaving off my stache and goatee taught me how facial hair, for guys, really is a symbol of adult/manhood.  I remember being younger, looking at my father and thinking, what will I look like when I grow a moustache?  Will I be cool then?  Will I look “old”?   It’s funny how big a difference a little razor blade and shaving cream can make.

The goatee is slowly making its way back (woo hoo!) and I’m starting to feel like a grown man again, thankfully.  I have to say that Movember was an enlightening experience as it made me more conscious about health issues affecting men around the world.  It also gave me impetus to continue to monitor my health as I get older as well the other guys in my life.  So, I guess Movember serves it’s purpose after all, huh? Plus, the Mo Gala was pretty fun too!

Movember fundraises year round for men’s health issues and you can visit their U.S. page here for more information.  Finally, check out this video from Movember CEO & Co-Founder Adam Garone as he wraps up another successful Movember campaign.

Happy Monday all!  This past month I have been raising money for men’s health initiatives through the Movember campaign.  Thanks to everyone for your donations.  To date, MANE MAN has raised $255 surpassing my goal of $200!  This past Saturday the month of fundraising concluded with the infamous Mo Gala at NYC’s Roseland Ballroom. Having never been to a Mo Gala before I was a bit nervous as I didn’t really know what to expect.  It turns out that the gala is as hilariously entertaining as the official Movember videos seem.  There were lots of costumes (Freddie Mercury and Frida Kahlo were among my favorites) and I had a great time even though I had to scold a few mo’s after their uninvited petting of the fro.

On the other hand, I met some fun people and danced to mostly 80′s music for the majority of the night.  I got the pleasure of meeting Movember Founder Adam Garone, who incidentally complimented my stache!  I even convinced a friend of mine to slip my MANE MAN card in his pocket but that’s neither here nor there.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get good photos of the costumes but I must tell you, if you get the opportunity to go, you should give it a go at least once. Plus, it’s for a good cause!  It is a bit of a circus but only in the best way possible.  I definitely think I’ll be back next year! Check out some pics below!

Anything worth doing…

There were even customized fortune cookies to nibble on.

There was a pretty good turnout…

Anyone up for an impromptu game of soccer? Ok, why not?

Me with Movember Founder, Adam Garone.

A hilariously awesome stache.

See you next year Mos!

If you do an internet search for “natural hair definition” or any combination of the forms of those words you will end up with millions of results. Most likely they will put you in the direction of the best products, tools and methods to define your natural hair. But for me lately, achieving that great definition has seemed less and less important.

For some time now, I’ve been preoccupied, albeit obsessed, with getting the right products to give my fro that definition and clump factor that I’d seen in so many of the You Tube videos and blogs from natural hair gurus. Then a few months ago, I started to notice how good my hair looked on days two and three after doing a “wash and go”. Recently, I had an epiphany…I like my hair the most on days two or three. Go figure!

Achieving definition is a hot topic for debate in the natural hair community and I suspect it won’t be going away any time soon. All I know is, the longer I have had my fro I’ve gotten more comfortable with fluffier hair to the point that I actually prefer it. And trust me, that’s a world of difference from when I first started growing my fro 3 years ago.

You might remember my recent trip to Miss Jessie’s salon in SoHo that left me feeling pretty unsatisfied with my experience.  Well, I decided to give it another shot.  After months of back and forth about getting rid of some length I finally decided to take a leap of faith and recently stopped into a local barber shop one day and said, “You see what I have now, I want to leave with half of it.”  He listened! And after a few moments/days of slight panic, I’m feeling pretty good about the cut!  My only real qualm about the experience was that when he picked out my hair, he didn’t pick from the ends to the root which caused a lot of pulling, but I gave him a pass and even helped by finger combing a bit while I was in the chair.   Here’s my new(ish) look!

1. Shampoo: Some of my favorite shampoos are Kinky Curly’s Come Clean and Frederick Benjamin Invigorating Cleanser.  The key to a good cleanse for me is to get my hair completely saturated with warm water.  I know it sounds simple, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to wash without completely saturating my hair and ended up with less than stellar results.
2. Condition:  The key to this step is using both a rinse out conditioner and a leave in, or a dual purpose one.  After cleansing, use a super slippery conditioner like Aussie Moist Conditioner or Curly Kinks Satin Roots to detangle. And let the product sit on your hair for a few minutes before moving on.  I usually finger detangle and find that I generally shed less hair and have a bit more control over each section I detangle.
3. Light Rinse:  If I use a rinse out conditioner, I’ll completely rinse it out and then apply a little  leave in to my ends before applying a styler.  If I’m using a leave in on double duty, I lightly rinse my hair underneath the shower stream while I finger detangle a bit more.
4. Rake, smooth, shake and scrunch: Once my hair is wet again from the quick stop underneath the stream, I rake in my styler (these days I’m loving Curly Kinks Coil Jam).  To do this I put a quarter size amount of product into my hand, rub them together and then “comb” the product through each  section with my fingers (I usually rake in about 4-5 sections).  Once I’ve raked in my product I put a little bit more on my hand (about a dime sized amount) and then smooth onto each section pretty quickly.  Once I’m done with that I bend over forward and shake my hair like crazy.  You’ll know you are doing it right when you feel like a shaggy dog!  After the shaking is done, I  take my hands and scrunch out any extra water.
5. Fluff!:  Once out of the shower, I usually let my hair air dry but occasionally I diffuse if I’m in a rush.  Once I’m almost all dry I fluff  with a little bit of pomade or oil that I’ve emulsified in my hands.  Lately, I’ve been  loving Shea Radiance Moisture Rich Hair Butter.  That’s it!

What’s your key step in your wash and go routine? Please share!

Miss Jessie's Curl Bar

Recently, I’ve been increasingly frustrated with my hair and felt like I needed a new beginning of sorts. Plus, it’s been getting hot and humid in NYC so I bit the bullet and decided to do a little chop!  As you might remember, I actually got a trim about two months ago but it didn’t do much to take out any of the length. Plus, that wasn’t really the goal at the time.

I’ve been curious about Miss Jessie’s Curl Bar (in SoHo) for a while and their style of cutting afro/curly textured hair called the “Buttercut”.  A while ago, I tweeted Miss Jessie’s and learned that the “Buttercut” entails blowing the hair out first before the cut to ensure clean and even lines. To be honest, I put off the appointment for a while due to my fear of heat and the possible damage to my hair (and scalp) but when I was given the “Buttercut” service as a birthday gift I decided to give it a shot!

The "Before" Pic on the subway

I ended up at the salon after passing it initially as there is some scaffolding right above the entrance which obscured the building a bit.  Once I entered the salon, I was initially impressed with the clean, white and  metallic feel and the worker (who I think was the manager) immediately greeted me and saw me to my chair.  So far so good!

I got in the chair, all nervous and all, as I was the only guy and truly felt a little bit out of my league.  While the environment is welcoming, it’s not exactly comfortable.  It is a pretty nice salon set up.  Those of you familiar with beautiful salon spaces as opposed to more comfy ones will certainly appreciate it.

I met with my stylist Diana who I told to cut off 1/2 of my total length. I even gave her license to cut it a little shorter than that as I was trying to lose a lot of length for the upcoming Summer heat.  She nodded in affirmation and said, “No problem!”  First though, I had to have my hair blown hair out.  The assistant went to town and needless to say, the heat was on.

Look at all that hair! Did I mention it was hot?!

After the blow out, Diana got to chopping away and seemed a bit modest with the scissors so I kindly reminded her to chop away.  “Go at it!” I said.  After a while, she stopped and moved me to the shampoo bowl where I got my complimentary wash and conditioning (using Miss Jessie’s products of course!).  I thought my hair looked a little long, but it was still blown out after all so I figured after washing it would shrink up quite a bit so onto the bowl I went.  After my refusal of any styling services, Diana and the assistant insisted on putting in some curly pudding so I figured what the hey, go for it.  But, now that meant I had to sit under the dryer.  Did I mention it was a pretty warm June day already?

Very hot and unhappy sitting under a dryer.

After several checks from both the assistant and the stylist, I was finally released from the torture chamber (I kid, I kid) and went back into the chair for my final touches, or at least that’s what I thought.  I took one very quick  look in the mirror and told Diana something like, “This isn’t nearly short enough, I’m sorry but I need you to cut more.” She seemed a bit puzzled but ran with it, and then re-blew out my hair and started chopping away again.  It’s hot and I’m hungry.  Can I go yet?!  Meanwhile, her next client arrived who was now being worked on by the assistant and the woman in the chair next to me requested a new stylist apparently because hers was seemingly slow and she had places to be.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one having problems.

The cut was noticeably shorter this time around so I was much more satisfied.  After cutting away some more, I went back to the bowl for a condition and this time I adamantly refused any dryer time or styling.  Again, the manager insisted the assistant scrunch in some Baby Buttercream.  PS I HATE the way that stuff makes my hair feel! With the end in sight, I didn’t protest too much and went up to pay.  My distaste with some of the days happenings must have been written all over my face as another stylist approached me at the register and asked if I needed it to be re-cut. “No thank you,” I stated flatly….”it’s much shorter now.  Thank you though.”  I left the salon, re-emerged into the urban grid and went home to relax.  I checked myself out in the mirror at home and noticed it was good cut, not as short as I wanted, but definitely a good cut.   A few days later I washed and conditioned with Curly Kinks products (review coming soon!) and felt good about the cut.

Arriving home after my visit to Curl Bar.

Overall, I think the salon is a bit too fancy for a guy like me but would be more suited for someone who is more used to the bells and whistles.  It’s beautiful and in a trendy area which some people might really gravitate to, but for me, it wasn’t what I expected.  Ultimately, the communication between myself and my stylist  left me with a less than stellar experience but I think I understand the madness that is the “Buttercut”.  My curls certainly pop a lot more than they did pre-cut, and the staff at Miss Jessie’s Curl Bar was nothing but polite and courteous.  I was there for entirely too long and it seems the staff is a bit stubborn when it comes to client requests and directions.  I had really high expectations which my experience did not meet.  Would I go back?  Probably not. Would I recommend it to someone else?  Not really.  It’s sad, I really wanted to LOVE it, but I just didn’t.

Way back in the day, Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding was one of the first products I tried when I started growing out my fro. It’s promises elongated and defined coils for natural curls and fros so I thought it would be a good fit.  Ultimately, I loved the look of my hair when I used it but felt it did nothing for the health or feel of my hair.  I recently began using it again to see if my opinion changed and I thought I’d share my experience with all of you.  Enjoy!

Consistency: This was one of the first puddings I used after I started growing my hair out, so I have to thank Miss Jessie’s for at least giving me that direction. Whereas gels gave me clumped curls, my hair sopped up way too much product leaving my hair crunchy and full of gunk even on day one. This styling pudding is thick and has plenty of body to it, just like my hair. Ever since I first used this about two years ago, I have been looking for a replacement product that gives me the same thick consistency. Ironically, I do have a little bit if trouble raking in this product whenever I use it. It doesn’t slide down my strand as easily as I would like. That being said, while few other have come close, Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding has one of the best consistencies…period.

Scent: Part nostalgia and part laboratory, I have a love-hate relationship with the scent of this product. First off, the smell is strong so those of you with a sensitive sense of smell and scalps should take heed. I’m actually convinced that the perfumey ingredients irritate my scalp which is why I don’t use this daily. When I first opened the jar, I was immediately transported back to my childhood and the sweet indulgence of Laffy Taffy. Seriously, this stuff smells (and looks) like Laffy Taffy. By the way, do you remember that terrible song?!  Anyway, at times I love the smell, but more often than not I feel like it’s too perfumey for me and feel paranoid about people thinking I smell like some throwback candy.

Price: Curly Pudding will set you back a hefty penny. For $38 you get a 16 oz jar. An 8 oz jar will set you back $22 and the product is available in a 2 oz sample for $10. I purchased mine at Ricky’s on the ground and able to avoid shipping costs.

Overall Impression: There are things that I love and hate about this product. I love the stretched elongation and weight of this product but hate paying for it with crispy hair on days two and three. Luckily for me, it’s been humid in NY lately which helps with that stiff, dry feeling. All in all, this is too pricey to use as my everyday styler, but I’ll probably revisit every once in a while when I want to enjoy stretched, shiny hair that smells sticky sweet.

Have you tried it? What do you think?

• Courteous staff and customers.  I have to admit the first time I went into Afrigenix, I was nervous as I’m not used to going to salons for hair care.  As many of you know, barber shops have a totally different vibe, but I was pleasantly surprised that everyone I have ever run into at Afrigenix is nothing but professional and courteous.
• Reasonable prices.  Now on this one, I have to piggy back on feedback from other customers.  Truth be told, I was used to going into a barber shop and paying $20 total for a shape up and cut.  While Afrigenix has reasonable prices, I have to say that the first time I went there I experienced a bit of sticker shock.  However, I have to say that apparently Afrigenix is a good value, especially in NYC.
• Versatility of styling options.  While I don’t get any styling done while I’m there the salon offers a variety of styling options for both naturals and non-naturals alike.

Before the cut!

After the cut..the picked out fro!

So far I’ve had a pretty good track record using Shea Moisture body products.  While I have sampled a couple of the hair products, I have had such great results with the body products I keep forgetting to buy the hair stuff!  I got this product from a friend who used it on her chemically treated hair and found it too greasy, so we thought my natural mane might soak it right up.  Today, I am reviewing Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Reconstructive Elixir.

Packaging:  The Raw Shea Butter Reconstructive Elixir is pretty true to Shea Moisture’s consistent branding.  From a marketing standpoint, I think Shea Moisture really has a great look that’s pretty androgynous and unassuming.  That is certainly something I appreciate!

Consistency: The elixir itself is housed in a helpful spray bottle which aids in product distribution. I tried the elixir right out of the spray bottle and found that the pump wasn’t good for me as I tend to get trigger happy when using pumps and this left my hair feeling super oily and greasy.  Then I sprayed the product into my hands and still found it to be oily.  So I put on my thinking cap and used another empty spray bottle and put in 1 part elixir to about 5 parts water and voila!  This was the best use of the product for my hair as my mane seems to have a hard time absorbing shea and other thick butters. My simple concoction is a great daily moisturizer.

Smell: This product is all shea!  If you’re familiar with shea butter (and like the smell) then you will likely appreciate the smell of Shea Moisture’s Reconstructive Elixir.  If not, then be prepared for the seriously nutty smell.  I am more or less neutral on the smell, but I’d generally describe it as a pleasant nutty smell.

Price: Generally retailing for $9.99, the 4 oz. elixir is currently on sale at Walgreens.com for $7.99.  Given that a little goes a long way, I imagine this product could easily stay in your medicine cabinet for months. I’d say that’s a pretty good value.

Overall Impression: In its original form, Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Reconstructive Elixir is simply too much oil for my hair, but with a little coaxing I was able to create a daily spritz/midday moisturizer that is pretty good at reviving second day curls and softening my mane while offering protection from the elements.  You also get a pretty healthy shine, which is good for those with super kinky, coily natural hair.