When it comes to growing and strengthening natural hair, a dynamic duo of products and a healthy routine are necessary. It's unrealistic to think you can do one without the other and expect strong, healthy, and vivacious curls and coils. If you're wondering why your hair is damaged or in a stagnant phase, you may need to take a look at your routine and make sure your hair is getting the care it truly needs.
There is no quick fix to rapid growth but if you schedule your trims, keep your hair hydrated, and use products with ingredients that stimulate growth — it'll get you on the right track. This is why I want to introduce you to VIP Luxury Hair Care.
VIP Luxury Hair Care was created by Ashanti Lation to help with the growth, health, and overall maintenance of all hair whether you're relaxed or natural. The brand offers three different lines to cater to your needs — the GREAUX Collection, SILK SHOT Collection, and the DAY PARTY Collection. I had the opportunity to try their most popular collection, the GREAUX Collection, which offers six growth stimulating products.
Here is what I thought of each product and how my wash day went using the collection.
The GREAUX Shampoo Review
VIP Luxury Hair Care
The first thing I noticed about the GREAUX Shampoo prior to actually using it was the product looked like a conditioner. I actually had to double-check to make sure I was using the right product, which to me, isn't a bad thing. At the beginning of my wash day, I completely drenched my hair in warm water and added the cleanser to my scalp while working my way down. I didn't detangle my hair or pre-poo before starting and I was actually shocked by how silky and light my hair felt.
On top of getting a really good cleanse, I felt my hair becoming more moisturized, and my curls bouncing back from their dry and brittle state. I was able to run my finger through each strand without many tugs and tangles. This isn't standard for most shampoos and cleansers. I won't typically recommend detangling during the shampoo phase, however, my hair felt so soft it was hard not to. Because the shampoo is made with a mix of biotin, aloe, ProVitamin B5, and rosemary, it provides a nice soft scent, slip, and moisture that I was truly impressed by.
Honestly, this is one of the best shampoos I've used and I would definitely recommend it.
Now, let's move on to the conditioner.
The GREAUX Conditioner Review
VIP Luxury Hair Care
The shampoo really set the tone for the GREAUX Collection, so I was excited to condition my hair and see what my hair would feel like. Chile, the conditioner did not disappoint! After rinsing out the shampoo, I made sure my hair was drenched before adding the GREAUX Conditioner. I used a very generous amount and coated my roots as well as the ends of my hair. Because the ends are the oldest strands of hair and are exposed to the most friction, I focused more on that area. After coating my hair, I detangled with my fingers and a wide-tooth comb then left it in for about five minutes.
While detangling I noticed, I didn't have much to do, my hair felt soft, silky, and shiny. After rinsing out the conditioner, my scalp felt very refreshed and rejuvenated. I actually couldn't believe the difference in my hair. To give you an idea, prior to wash day I had been wearing my hair in a puff with just two products. I didn't realize how heavy and weighed down my hair felt until washing it.
The consistency of the conditioner isn't thick but you can tell it's packed with the proper nutrients. Like the shampoo, it's made with biotin and aloe, along with sage, silk, amino acids, and botanical extracts to strengthen and repair your hair.
The D.LUXE Detangler and Leave-in Conditioner Review
VIP Luxury Hair Care
After rinsing the conditioner out of my hair, I immediately added the D.LUXE Detangler & Leave-In Conditioner to my damp hair. I like adding it while it's still damp or wet so my hair can absorb the leave-in better. The leave-in was a little runny and is very lightweight. Like the products of the brand's GREAUX Collection, the leave-in conditioner works to strengthen your strands, soften, and detangle your hair for an emollient feel.
ProLong Hair Oil
VIP Luxury Hair Care
I used VIP Luxury Hair Care's ProLong Hair Oil along with a styling cream to twist my hair. I added a small amount to my fingertips and applied it to my hair mostly focusing on the ends of my hair. The oil is very lightweight and feels more like a serum. This is a good option if you're looking to energize the scalp and prevent breakage.
It's light enough to use every day or as needed to add shine and softness to your hair.
The Final Results
The products I used gave my hair lasting moisture and softness. I definitely will keep it in my natural hair arsenal. It's a multi-use product for all my styles, whether I'm wearing my natural curls, braids, or a silk press. I 100% recommend this line to those who: wear protective styles often, have damaged or dry hair, and want to grow and strengthen their hair.
Overall, I love the collection and would definitely keep this in my natural hair arsenal. There are other products the VIP Luxury Hair Care brand has to offer that are worth trying like the Greaux Healthy Hair Drops and Elite Edge Control. If you're looking for non-toxic and strengthening products, I would definitely recommend you get your hands on this!
To get your beauty fix and to stay up to date with the latest trends, check out the xoNecole Beauty section here.
Featured image by Krissy Lewis/xoNecole
RELATED
Well, another way of saying “everywhere you go, there you are” is using the math term “common denominator” — and today, what we’re going to attempt to tackle is, why is it that some of us, if we stepped back a moment to take a very real and honest assessment of our dating life, do we always end up with the same kind of guy? One who really isn’t the best for us; sometimes, not even close.
Before getting into some questions that I think can help you get to the answer, let me just say that this is definitely one of the kinds of pieces that may step on at least your pinky toe before it’s all said and done. At the same time, although this might not be the most comfortable of reads, keep in mind what the late poet, singer, and publisher Tuli Kupferberg once said, “When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.”
And so, if when it comes to the caliber of men you’ve dated, what you’ve been doing is revealing that your pattern is not really working for your ultimate good, spend a bit of time trying to unpack just why that could be the case — why, at the end of the day, you truly are the common denominator in it all.
How Self-Aware Are You?
GiphyAbout five years ago, I penned an article for the site entitled “These Are The Things Self-Aware People Do Daily.” You know, of all of the things to be in this life, prioritizing self-awareness is king because self-aware people do things like hold themselves accountable, know their strengths and weaknesses, identify their triggers, have good boundaries, self-reflect, pay attention to their own “blind spots” — and they can — eh hem — take feedback and constructive criticism pretty well.
That last one? If you’re constantly in a hamster wheel or even a cul-de-sac when it comes to men, be honest with yourself: did your family, friends, hell, even your co-workers warn you about some of the guys you dated, and you found yourself either defending, deflecting or getting offended? Yeah, self-aware people don’t get down like that because they would rather have peace and be wrong than act like they are always right and remain in chaos.
So yeah, if you’re always in some foolishness or even in relationships that are simply a counterproductive waste of time, pondering how self-aware you actually are is a really good place to start. Self-reflect. Know your weaknesses. Listen to what others have to say about your tendencies. All of this can do you a whole lot of good.
How Humble Are You?
GiphySociety is a wild place, boy. The reason why I say that is because, while it’s out here acting like humility is a bad thing, Scripture says, “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.” (Proverbs 22:4) And why is humility such a vital spiritual attribute? Because, when you’re humble — you’re grateful; you’re teachable; you’re open to seeing things outside of your own perspective; you’re compassionate and empathetic; you’re flexible; you’re forgiving, and you’re able to release your ego so that you can accept what you need over what you want.
What you need over what you want. Chile, if that doesn’t keep some people in cyclic stuff, I honestly don’t know what does. There’s a client that I have right now who only contacts me when she’s basically blown up her life because she constantly gets caught up in a man’s looks and bedroom performance. When I tell her that she needs to stop making that #1 and #2 of things to look for in a relationship, she “uh-huh's” me and then does what she wants to do anyway — only for it to end up wreaking all sorts of havoc…again.
It’s another message for another time about how some of us could stand to look within to see if wanting a fine man above all else is more about validating some deep-rooted insecurities that we have about our own looks (ouch). For now, I’ll just say that if your ego is out here telling you that looks and sexual performance should trump things like character and consistency, it is LYING to you. If you chose to heed the humble side of yourself, you would know that.
And this actually brings me to my next question.
How Stuck Are You in Your “Type”?
GiphyThe reason why I wrote “According To Experts, We All Have A ‘Type’” back in the day is because it’s true — pretty much all of us have a type which is pretty much a preference; there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that either. At the same time, I’m advising, from very up close and personal experience, that it’s a good idea to spend some time pondering “the origin story” of where your type came from.
Me? I’m always gonna be down for a very tall, hella chocolate, basketball (or soccer) build Black man. However, I’m a sexual abuse survivor and my molester looked a lot like that, so during the healing process of what he did to me, I had to factor in his influence. Plus, my first love also fits the physical mold and he definitely had quite an impact on my life. So…see what I mean? My type didn’t just come out of nowhere. Yes, sometimes your type may have some trauma or drama attached to it. And yes, that might be really uncomfortable to think about; still, that doesn’t mean it’s not true.
Now my late fiancé? He was right at about 6’ and, complexion-wise, he was lighter than I am. He treated me better than most of the men of my past, though — and even though he definitely pursued me for a while to get me to consider us beyond being friends, because I took a risk outside of my type, I learned what it was like to be loved in a healthy way. And what that did for me was it taught me to remain open outside of my standard type. I still like a tall-ass Godiva man, chile (and don’t let him have a beard and be in a tailored suit!). I don’t limit myself to that package, though. To do so would be severely limiting — potentially tragic even.
How Healed Are You?
Giphy“Healed” is a word that comes up A LOT in the social media space. When it comes to relationships, specifically, it’s important to ask yourself if you are healed from your past because, if you aren’t, you very well could be reliving it over and over…and over again, whether you realize it (or choose to accept it) or not.
Just so that we’re all on the same page, the word “heal” means things like healthy, sound, and whole. Synonyms for the word include improve, restore, mend, soothe, and rehabilitate. Signs that you have healed from past hurts of a relationship (or a series of relationships) include you don’t think of them with anger or bitterness; you can see the silver linings from the experience; you’ve forgiven them for things that they did wrong (or that simply hurt you — and no, that’s not always one and the same), and you don’t pick (or avoid) other people to be in your life solely based on what someone else did to you.
What I mean by that last one is an unhealed woman may say something like, “I don’t want to do [such and such] for a first date. That’s what my ex liked to do.” The new guy isn’t him, so why does he have to be beholden to your past? Or, “I don’t trust men who won’t let me go through their phone. That’s how I found out my ex was cheating.” You know, for all of the women who like to play a non-animated form ofInspector Gadget (the real ones know), they sure don’t want their phones inspected as much as they like to do all of the inspecting. SMDH. Anyway, I don’t go through phones. For what? I don’t pay the bill and I’m not anyone’s parent. And so, your next guy not preferring it either? That doesn’t automatically mean that he’s up to no good — he may just want his boundaries respected. An unhealed person may not accept that. A healed one tends to, though.
And how can being unhealed play a direct role in you choosing the same guys over and over again? It’s weird because, sometimes you will go back to what’s familiar to you — because the new guy is such a risk, you’d prefer to “stick to the devil you know” than take a chance on someone who rolls very differently. It’s a cryptic way of remaining the common denominator in your dating dynamics. Oh, but it happens all of the time, chile.
What Makes a Man WRONG for You? Specifically?
GiphyOkay, with a lot of the inner work out of the way, how do you even come to the conclusion that someone (or several people) is wrong for you? Because you know what? Once you’ve done some real healing (and serious maturing), you can oftentimes find yourself accepting the fact that just because someone may not be right for you, that doesn’t automatically or necessarily make them a bad person. No, not at all.
Although the word “wrong” can mean that something or someone isn’t morally right, wrong also means things like erroneous, not suitable or appropriate, not in accordance with certain requirements, or — and please catch it — out of order (which sometimes consists of the right thing happening at the wrong time). So, if it does seem like you keep choosing (because it is always a choice; that is also where accountability comes in) men who aren’t appropriate, aren’t in accordance with your needs or standards, or who aren’t what you need at the time — why is that? Is it rooted in fear? Impatience? Settling? What?
I have had enough clients go through this to know that it’s not good enough to be abstract about someone being “wrong” for you. You need to set aside one weekend, get some wine and a fresh journal, and really get into what wrong looks like. For instance, if you keep lowering your standards (which is the wrong thing to do, by definition), why is that? Because no matter how wrong the guy may ultimately turn out to be, what you have to be willing to accept is — again — you chose him. Why do you choose what’s wrong? Because, more times than not, some red (or at least orange) flags were waving long before the relationship came crashing down; oftentimes, they reveal themselves within the first couple of dates. You just chose to ignore them.
One more.
Do You Know a Good Man When You See One? You Sure?
GiphyAs we close all of this out, when you get a chance, please check out “Question: Is The Man In Your Life Good 'TO' You? Good 'FOR' You? Or...Both?” Learning the difference between “to” and “for” took my own relational processing to an entirely new and freeing level. And you know what? Back to the healing point, another way to know that you’ve healed is you don’t generalize men. Meaning, that if you’re out here declaring that there aren’t any good ones, that’s not true; you’re just jaded (I mean, it’s the truth), and that head and energy space is affecting your judgment and perspective.
That said, if you’re constantly selecting the wrong men, ask yourself if you even know what a good man looks like (cue India.Arie’s “Good Man”). Again, by definition, good means things like morally excellent, right, kind, friendly, benevolent, educated, financially sound (not rich, stable and responsible…goodness), genuine, reliable, dependable, responsible, attractive, warm, intimate — satisfactory to the purpose (yes, that’s a literal definition).
For a man to be good for you, you need to know what purpose he is to serve at this particular point in your life because if, for example, all men seem to do, in your eyes, is use you for sex, why are you prioritizing sex over an emotional connection if the latter is the purpose that you seek right now? A lot of women can stop being the common denominator when it comes to choosing the wrong man if they 1) become the good that they seek and 2) do not betray the purpose behind why they even desire a relationship in the first place.
____
I know. When things aren’t going your way when it comes to matters of the heart, it can be easy to always say it’s the man’s fault. If there’s a pattern, though, please be a bit more self-reflective than that.
Once you do, you’d be amazed by how much about you shifts — to where the wrong guys can’t even get close to you, in the way that they used to, anymore.
Because you cease to be the “common denominator” you once were.
And how wonderful is that?
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