blingingbeauty.com
Product Review—Hair: Andre Walker 'The Gold System' For Going Straight
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." I think it’s a given that Oprah has a gorgeous head of hair–whether she wears is straightened, curly, natural–it’s thick and healthy. And healthy is the new black when it comes to hair care. While the debate rages between die hard naturalistas and women who opt for straightening their natural hair, at the end of the day, the common denominator is that we are all on a quest for healthy hair. I am not immune to that debate and quest. I have natural hair that I straighten, so of course, I want to use hair care that protect my hair and additionally, rejuvenates it from the heat damage that I occasionally force upon it. I also search for hair care that is free of sulfates and parabens. So, when I was sent a lovely package of Andre Walker “The Gold System” product to check out, I was ecstatic. After all, if Oprah uses it, I must be pretty great stuff, right? The first set of product I used were for going straight–THE GOLD SYSTEM FOR GOING STRAIGHT. Here is what you get: Formulated with thermal protection, infused with African Mongongo Oil, go silky straight with heat. Also a great leave-in if you have naturally soft silky curls. You get 3 products with this system: Ultimate Moisture Sulfate Free Shampoo TKO Ultimate Moisture Conditioner Get It Straight Styling Crème. So I wear a partial weave, with the front of my hair out. My extensions, from Qilexa, are great quality and need the best products too. It’s important to care for your hair investment! The three products I tried: 1. Moisture Sulfate Free Shampoo About: Andre’s Favorite Gold System is perfect for dry, coarse, curly or kinky hair that needs extra moisture and protection to be healthy and beautiful. The perfect sulfate free shampoo infused with natural African Mongongo Oil to hydrate your hair. Ingredients. My results: Most sulfate-free shampoos do not lather. And once you get used to that non-lathering thing, it’s okay, but there is still a certain feel of “clean” when I get all lathered up when I shampoo my hair. I had a mild sudsing action Andre Walker Moisture Sulfate Free Shampoo and after rinsing, my hair didn’t feel stripped or dry. I could actually run my fingers through my hair (mine and the hair I bought) without there being any tangling. The scent is mild and a small bit of shampoo is plenty for cleansing the hair. Bling Factor: Pro: cleans, does not strip hair, leaves hair mildly tangle-free Con: Mongongo Oil is listed very low in ingredients, I’m not sure how much this plays into it being a factor in the product’s efficacy Price: $18 Buy Again: Yes Packaging: 5 Blings Overall: 5 Blings 2. TKO Ultimate Moisture Conditioner About: Andre’s Favorite Gold System is perfect for dry, coarse, curly or kinky hair that needs extra moisture and protection to be healthy and beautiful. The perfect deep conditioner infused with natural African Mongongo Oil to hydrate your hair. My results: I LOVE this conditioner, and mind you, I am a hair conditioner connoisseur. I pretty much can tell how a conditioner will work from just looking, touching and smelling it, without it even reacting with my hair. (Bold statement, I know…) When I cracked open this jar of conditioner, it was thick and creamy and smelled yummy. It felt great on my hands and melded into my hair upon application. I let it set for about 5 minutes while I completed my shower and when I rinsed, there was little residue. That’s a plus for me. I love when conditioner is actually absorbed into my hair as opposed to just siting on top. After rinsing, my hair (fine and curly) was just like silk. I could finger comb it no problem. And later after blow drying, my hair was still feeling and looking like it had been conditioned. Bling Factor: Pro: rich, penetrates, moisturizes Con: See Shampoo Price: $22 Buy Again: Yes Packaging: 4 Blings – I shampoo my hair in the shower, and prefer a tube for ease of use, jars can be clumsy when water is in your eyes… Overall: 5 Blings 3. Get It Straight Styling Creme I do blow dry my hair when wearing it straightened, so having a lightweight cream protectant is always on my list. This cream coats the hair and can be used as a leave-in conditioner or styling cream for when I am going curly, or for when I blow dry. The results when blow drying as pretty much amazing. I have major frizz factor issues, and this styling creme keeps my frizzys at bay, and my hair stays straight for days. That is a feat in and of itself. For my hair, less is more with this product, even though the instructions say to apply from root to ends and to coat hair entirely. When I used it this way, I felt that my hair was a bit heavy. And that could be because I do have fine hair. I used less on my extensions and it worked perfectly there. Second time around, I used less and had much improved results. The scent on the Styling Creme is a but strong initially, but does dissipate after drying. And I think that for those of us who apply heat, having that scent can be a great distraction. Bling Factor: Pro: Keeps hair straight, prevents frizziness Con: strong scent Price: $22 Buy Again: Yes Packaging: 5 Blings – Love that not too much product is dispensed Overall: 5 Blings My wannabe Oprah hair:
Tracey Brown