Miss Bessie Reed: Another EBay Review (long, sorry)

Okay. My sister thinks I am insane and you may as well after you read this post.

I was searching EBay for a deal on essential oils and I ran across an auction for “Annaleic Oil”, (http://stores.ebay.com/BESSIE-REED-PRODUCTS). The listing really didn’t say anything spectacular and the creator didn’t list all of their ingredients BUT there was a before and after picture that showed a slight difference. So I read every listing she had posted & I read all of her feedback and didn’t see anything concerning. I then googled her and the product but couldn’t find anything. I watched the listing for 2 days then decided to e-mail some of her customers to see if I could get any feedback.
Out of the seven people I e-mailed, three responded with good feedback. One young lady “prettyeyes” was particularly detailed and forthcoming. She indicated she has experienced some growth since she began using the product and her hair seemed healthier. I was still terrified. I have heard horror stories about EBay but the “buy it now” price wasn’t bad ($0.00 plus free shipping) so I succumbed. I ordered it on July 7th and received it July 11th.

Impressive.

The directions were sparse and there wasn’t an ingredients list.

BUT the main reason why my sister thinks I am insane:

The oil came in a small glad bowl in a brown paper bag inside an envelope.

She said it looked like contraband. I informed my misguided sister that just because the package isn’t pretty doesn’t mean it won’t work. Right? RIGHT???

The instructions say that it can be used on wet or dry hair and since my husband wasn’t home I decided to do a whole beauty night and cap it off with the oil. After my shampoo and deep conditioner, I towel dried my hair and pried the top off the product. It didn’t smell bad, actually no smell at all. The texture is more like a grease and I could see tiny specks. It looked like grapeseed/ shea butter/jojoba mixture but who knows? So I pretty much parted my hair in the “old school” sections and “greased” my scalp (a total throwback!) and combed it through to the ends with a wide tooth comb. I used Profectiv Strengthening Treatment on my severely split & tattered ends and wrapped up my hair. It says use one or twice a day which will be easy with my “Hide Your Hair challenge”. The listing says “results in 7 days”. Hmm. I took a couple of “before” pics so I will keep you guys updated.

Fingers crossed.

Ta!

So-so products=wasted gas money?

Suave Professionals Humectant (Target, $1.50 On Sale)
Elasta QP DPR-11 Conditioner (Local BSS, $5.37)

Individually, they both vary from suckyness to average. The Suave is too watery & weak and the DPR really didn’t do anything (ANYTHING) as far as I could tell.

BUT... together..........under a heating cap...........30 minutes........

WHAP, BAMM, BOOM!

Moisture, Silkiness, Soap Opera hair was alllll mine.
Luvvin my creation!

Ta!

My first EBay Lovers review-Wei East Facial Treatment

I purchased Wei East-Chinese Herbal Beautiful Beginnings 3R Facial Treatment from karen9559 on EBay for $5.97.

Background info: I saw a Wei East Collection which included this treatment on HSN.com during their 4th of July sale (everything broken down into 4 easy payments) but the whole set was just too entirely expensive especially since I hadn’t tried it before. The reviews were good but the price wasn’t so I looked for it on EBay.

So…. I found it and bought it on July 5th and received it on Tuesday July 8th. Not Bad!

Side note: The container was much smaller than I thought it would be but it’s my fault for not reading carefully.

First Try: I mixed both containers together as per the instructions, let the concoction dry and then wiped it off with a warm towel. Nothing. Really, nothing special, no dewy skin or anything. I let my face air dry and left for work. I didn’t want to put anything else on my face to see if I could see any effect at all. An hour later, nothing. My skin actually looked oily. So I ducked into my office and made myself a bit more presentable. At the end of the day my makeup actually didn’t disappear completely this time. So I am going to try it again in a couple of days. Although, the instructions say once a week.

Second & Third: Pretty much the same. Nothing special. Will not purchase again.

Ta!

The UPA CLIP!!!

I was going to schedule this post for next week but I couldn't wait!

I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!

Did I mention that I LOVE IT?

My girlfriends and I decided to have a “Hide Your Hair Challenge” for the month of July and maybe August if all goes well (more on that later). In an effort to keep my hair “funky fresh”, I decided to purchase a couple of half-wigs, ponytails, etc.

In my searching (all over the ENTIRE internet) I came across a blog, Brown Sista, I think. She reviewed a product called the UPA Clip, http://www.laceflair.com/.

In a nutshell, it’s a thick hairclip with the hair already attached to it.
No glue, no sewing, no tape, etc. The clip fits snugly whether or not you are rapunzel.

Soooo, I rip up the box and try it out!
I pretty much slathered my “product” I am using right now and then used my essential oils concoction on my ends and put my ponytail in an itty, bitty bun. I bought the 8-inch wavy human hair ponytail because it was on sale (less than $20.00) and I didn’t want to spend a ton of money in case I didn’t like it.
I do….. LOVE IT!
I just snapped the ponytail on over my itty, bitty. The clip was snug, not too tight where it would break off your hair but I didn’t worry about it falling off the entire day.
I was so cute, shaking my ponytail around. It looks sooo natural and no worries about blending.

With this product, this challenge will be a breeze! I am doing before & after growth pictures that I MAY post! Maybe.

P.S. That is me in the pics!

Ta!

Is there a way to block EBay?

Hi, my name is NicNac and I have an addiction.

In the last 2 weeks I have gone pretty EBay crazy. Instead of stalking the Ulta & Sephora ladies, I decided to take pity on my lovely little coach wallet and started buying sample sizes of products I want to try from EBay for the following reasons:

1. I do not get paid for this. I have an actual job & actual bills.
2. My bathroom/closets/counters are over run with products.
3. BECAUSE! (as my 13 year old daughter would say)

Truthfully, I am extremely embarrassed to divulge that I actually, accidently bought a couple of duplicates last week. Sheesh!

So where to find a plethora of reasonably priced samples?
EBay, of course! I found samples of Wei East & Elemis products I have been lusting after and I picked up some all natural Indian powders & oils I have been curious about (see earlier post). I even bought this hair growth oil I ran across.

Why? BECAUSE. I don’t know (sheepishly).

I will be reviewing each thing I purchased very shortly. Primarily because the seller feedback page on EBay doesn’t allow much room for people to say whether they actually liked the product. Yes, I am aware the page is for “seller” feedback. I need to know what my imaginary cyber girlfriends think before I take the plunge. I've actually started pestering the brave souls that have purchased before me to see if the product was any good. Sorry. Not!

Ta!

Hair Envy...uh oh!

"My eyes are green, cause I eats a lot of vegetables....."

So I saw a former co-worker of mine today in TarJe (Target) and was AMAZED! Her hair has grown at least 4-6 inches since I last saw her in March. Of course, my nosyitis took over (it’s a disease).
She gave me the following tidbits of wisdom:

Since her Indian roommate’s hair wasn’t completely unlike our (we are both 4b) texture she decided to try Henna & Amla powders. Since she wears weaves, like moi at times, she decided only to relax the very crown of her head and the only parts visible. Therefore, none of the creamy crack (relaxer, yall!) has to touch the back of her head. Brilliant!!!

She sprays CHI Silk Infusion mist on her scalp and braids every night under the sew-in. The infusion mist is keratin which is the protein our hair has and needs to grow strong.

So, being the PJ that I am, I immediately scooted over to the hair section and picked up the CHI mist ($13.00, Target). I will keep you posted on the Indian products. I need to do some research!!!

Ta!

Secret Agent Girl!!!!

I have a secret.......

Okay, this may be a little gross but since I am all about sharing this year...

I have unsightly dark marks and blemishes underneath my chin.

Beauticontrol Secret Agent Coverup-Dark (I have a local representative)
I like the coverage it gives, it's very smooth ( I use a concealer brush) and it lasts a long time but beware of wearing high neck shirts. It kind of rubs off a bit on clothes and I hate that so I got a bright idea to use the following as well.

Ada Cosmetics Mineral Makeup (www.adacosmetics.com)

I apply with a concealer brush a mixer of coffee, cappuccino, & chestnut mineral powder on each spot after I use the beauticontrol. I apply the translucent powder as a finisher afterwards.

Voila! I can keep my secret, a secret, for at least a day longer…..

P.S. By the way, I am still using the Ada samples after 3 months. They are pretty generous with the baggies! They are a little difficult to use in the bag so I went to a craft store and bought little containers to make my life easier! Smiles!

Let's get it started! Dominican Hair Products...

After lurking for six months on the Black hair forum, I decided to try out a Dominican Salon here in Jacksonville. The Dominican salons, mostly, recieved rave reviews on all of the hair boards so I figured it would just be "magic".

Okay. The Dominican salon. Maybe my expectations were too high or not! I was not pleased with the service (waiting FOREVER, the staff speaking the ENTIRE time in spanish, being told by hair was to short to work "right", etc.). I did call first to make sure the salon worked with african-american hair and short hair.

To make a long story short, my hair was UGGGGLY but they used a wonderful product "Baba de Caracol Hair Loss Treatment (16oz) ". Although my head was killing me for three days after my hair was so soft and there was no shedding. So, like the beauty researcher I am, I ran across a wonderful site, "http://www.roundbrushhair.com/" for $13.99. I applied it like a relaxer at the scalp and coating the ends once a week for a month. I LOVE it!!!!

I swear my hair feels stronger and I see less of it in the sink. I also bought several other things that I will be reviewing later.

Ta Ta Ladies!