Black Magic Woman (Giveaway)

Ever since Madame CJ Walker blessed us with the pressing comb, black women have been searching for the next best thing to straighten our hair. These days getting our hair done is an international affair...we can go to the Dominican Republic or for a blowout, travel to Morocco to source argan oil, or Brazil for a Keratin Treatment. 

This summer I chose the latter and made an appointment at Flawless Hair by Derek to get the Keratin Treatment. My hair is extremely fine so it didn't require the strongest level of the treatment; Derek used La Brasiliana products, the same use at the Ted Gibson salon in NYC. My hair texture only required the Dieci and the cost of the service was at the lower end of the spectrum (FYI my sister, whose hair is thicker and longer also required only the Veloce and paid the same at Flawless Hair by Derek) and although it was pricey I found it worth the cost and effort mainly because I can go longer without rebooking at the salon. 


BEFORE:

AFTER:

[Flawless Hair by Derek~ (Inside of Natural Motions Salon) 5332 Georgia Ave, Washington, DC 20011]

The treatment lasts for 2-3 months and you can extend the life of the treatment by following up with Keratin-friendly products in between salon visits. I have been washing/conditioning my hair with the La Brasiliana shampoo and conditioner and using the all-in-one before blow drying. The biggest difference I noticed was that my kitchen (the hair at the nape of my neck) straightened easier and stayed straight longer, and any black woman will tell you that alone is a miracle! I also noticed my hair got straighter after simply blowdrying it; I got the treatment sometime in August and now almost 3 months later my hair is still easy to manage...seriously that's all I wanted for Christmas! 

I was recently approached by a company that is making products to extend the life of your Keratin Treatment. They sent me a bottle of their Simply Smooth Xtend Keratin Repairative Magic Potion...do you not love that name!?! I was going to wait until my appointment with Derek later this month so that I could use it under the supervision of a professional, but I washed my hair over the weekend and couldn't find my All-In-One La Brasiliana product so I decided to give the Magic Potion a try. 

Simply Smooth Xtend Keratin Repairative Magic Potion available at Amazon and SleekHair.com 

• Helps protect hair from thermal abuse
• Locks in hair color
• Controls frizzing
• Adds incredible shine and volume
• Hydrates, smooths and detangles leaving hair silky and free from split ends 

(I prefer the All-In-One La Brasiliana product as a detangler, but everything else it promises it delivers!)

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After deep conditioning my hair for a few hours with a mixture of 1 raw egg yolk and 2 tbsp of mayonnaise I rinsed my hair with cool water, washed out the mixture with Carol's Daughter Monoi Shampoo, since it was sulfate-free and someone had left it the shower I decided to give it a try, it smelled amazing, but seemed a bit drying; next I washed and conditioned my hair with my La Brasiliana shampoo and conditioner and lightly towel-dryed my hair. Then I sprayed the Magic Potion generously throughout my damp hair. 


The product smelled so good! Like a Hawaiian vacation in a bottle!!! After the product settled on my hair it seemed to leave a coating on my strands...I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but I will say that this is the first time, since I got the Keratin Treatment, that I've flat ironed my hair and only needed to pass the iron through once to get my hair straight...that in itself is worth the price of the product! A product that reduces the amount of heat needed to straighten my hair...MAGIC!

WHAT I WORE: tip to toe!

sweater- Ted Baker

blouse- LOFT (in stores now)

jeans- J.Crew

boots- Rockport

earrings- Lord and Taylor

necklace- VintageBrook (seen here)

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::GIVEAWAY::

(ends 11/25/11)

To win a full-size bottle of Simply Smooth Xtend Keratin Repairative Magic Potion follow these steps:

1. "LIKE" the WHAT I WORE: tip to toe! page on FACEBOOK

2. FOLLOW @breaellis on TWITTER

3. LEAVE a comment below telling me your favorite Keratin-friendly hair product 

[Be sure to include your Facebook name, Twitter name and email address in your comment]

You must do ALL THREE in order to win! 

Contest will close Friday, November 25 2011.