Motions Naturally You Collection

So the natural hair revolution is taking a strong hold and more big name companies are noticing that.  Motions is the latest hair care company to create a line exclusively for women with natural hair.  The new Naturally You! Collection features a shampoo, conditioner, and deep conditioning masque all featuring shea butter, coconut and avocado oils.   

Now I've already read somewhere that women are up in arms about the collection because the ingredients are far from natural, but ladies that's not what's meant by the phrase naturally you.  Instead, they mean the texture of your hair.  Natural hair, not exclusively natural ingredients.  Keep in mind that these products will have a price point from $6.00-$7.00, these products will keep you fierce and fabulous while keeping your wallet plump.  

My readers know that even though a product might claim it's for natural hair that does not stop me from dibbling and dabbing in the product.  This collection is no exception.  

More on my experiences with the products later, but I was invited to a fabulous luncheon at the Mondrian Hotel in NYC where celebrity stylist, Ursula Stephen was there to chat about the products and how they work for different hair types.  This new launch is awesome for naturals because Motion's is dedicated to partnering with you and they are excited to be the products you choose to take with you on your hair care journey.  The collection includes a Moisturizing Cleanser, Smoothing Conditioner, Deep Conditioning Masque, Curl Defining Cream, Curl Hydrating Pudding, and Radiating Gloss.   

Whether you’re wearing your natural hair in tightly-coiled curls, loose ringlets, flowing waves or super straight, new Motions Naturally You products are specially-formulated to moisturize your hair with essential natural oils. Embrace the incredible beauty of your natural hair with Motions Naturally You. For more information visit us at http://bit.ly/zxbd4g.   


“Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Motions via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Motions”

Lifestyle Leak: Maze by Gordon Ramsay at the London

As told by KDR

For my boyfriend's birthday we visited Maze by Gordon Ramsay at the London hotel. Since we were going to see Sister Act following dinner the pre-theatre menu was perfect for us. Basically, you let the restaurant know the time of your show and your entire meal is timed perfectly so you finish on time.

Once we sat down, we immediately enjoyed a creamy mushroom soup in a shot glass and focaccia bread. It was so tasty my boyfriend wanted more of the amuse-bouche. Next, we had lobster gazpacho with avocado cream, slightly spicy but delicious. The best thing about the entire meal was the service and the presentation. Seriously, you take two sips of your water and the glass is being filled before your hand even leaves the glass. We laughed about Gordon Ramsay being in the back just waiting for one of the servers to miss something so he could flog them in the back.

For our main course, we had skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, broccoli rabe, and creamy coconut polenta. The steak was perfectly cooked, we asked for medium and it was perfect. The chimichurri sauce was really good, but my favorite part was the creamy coconut polenta.


No dinner would be complete without drinks. The best drink was raspberry royal made with creme de framboise mixed with raspberry, pomegrante and Ayala champagne.


For dessert, we had Chocolate pudding with stout ice cream, pretzel, peanut butter powder and the Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting walnut praline ice cream. But what really stole the show were the chocolate truffles that are placed on each table. Melt in your mouth goodness!


Try it for yourself:
Maze by Gordon Ramsay at the London 
151 West 54th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues)
New York, NY 10019
T: 212 468 8889

Pantene Pro-V Moisture Balance Collection

The number one thing I look for in hair care products is the product's ability to actually to it's job.  This is probably why Pantene is my favorite drugstore hair care brand.  All of their products do what they are supposed to do and they do it well.  The Pantene Moisture Balance Collection that Sanaa Lathan is now the face of, is no exception.  The Pantene Moisture Balance shampoo and conditioner work well together to cleanse the scalp and hair, then moisturize and aid in detangling it.  


Now, the star of the duo is the Cassia Seed Extract.  The Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Moisture Balance Shampoo contains the proprietary Cassia Complex that leaves hair naturally radiant and provides strength against damage from root to tip.  Worth noting is that the Cassia Complex is not as high on the list of ingredients as I would have liked it to be.  The higher up on the ingredient list, the higher the concentration in the product.  Aside from that, the shampoo cleanses well and does not dry out my hair despite the use of SLS.  


The Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Moisture Balance Conditioner contains naturally derived ingredients like Aloe Vera that help improve manageability and leaves hair beautifully soft and conditioned.  I find that the conditioner works well enough, it softens my hair and makes detangling easy but for me I need to follow up with a deep conditioner.  No matter how good an instant type conditioner works I always follow up with a deep treatment.  

CND Shellac Salon Certified

If you read Beauty Blvd. then you know that I tried out just about every gel style manicure system out there.  I've since stopped using them because my natural nails were becoming damaged. CND Shellac was no exception, but CND Shellac Power Polish™ is supposed to be a one-of-a-kind product with easy, non-damaging removal that sets it apart from "me-too" products and gel manicures. When used as directed, it comes off quickly and easily without harming the natural nail - no filing is necessary for application or removal.  Did you read that last part? "No filing is necessary for application or removal."  Say what?!?  Every single time I had any gel manicure done or removed there was filing going on and that's exactly what damaged my nails!  


What is CND doing about the problem? CND is cracking down on CND Shellac fraud by implementing a CND Shellac Salon Certification Program. This program deploys CND Education Ambassadors to visit salons across the country who registered on cnd.com as Shellac Salons. To be a certified CND Shellac Salon, a CND representative will visit the salon, provide training and review protocol (no mixing systems or filing on the nail...ever!). Salons that meet the criteria will be awarded CND's seal of approval. Look for the "Certified" window cling in the entrance to the salon and icon on cnd.com's Salon Locator.

"Our CND Shellac Salon Certification Program will ensure the ultimate experience for clients and will provide a great incentive to Nail Professionals to provide exemplary CND Shellac services," says CND Co-Founder, Jan Arnold.

As an educated consumer, here are some pointers for making sure you receive the REAL CND Shellac:

1) Look for the CND seal of approval on the window of your salon.
2) Ask if the salon uses CND Shellac products.
3) Watch the products that are being used during the service - if you do not see "CND Shellac" on the bottle, it's not Shellac.
4) During removal, do not allow soaking of nails in a bowl of acetone - request CND Shellac Remover Wraps or cotton and tin foil removal method.

The program is rolling out first in New York, California, Nevada, Colorado, Ohio and Chicago, and will expand across the US in 2012.

A Must Read about Dominican Salons

If you've ever found yourself curious about Dominican blow-outs or just assumed it would be damaging to your hair, this is a must read for you!  Jennifer Drew of RoundBrushHair.com sat down with one of their featured Dominican Salon Stylists for a chit chat about the Dominican Salons, blow-outs, and how it differs for natural and relaxed women.  Read the truth about Dominican Blow-Outs here!