An Oldie but Goodie…

This morning (as stated in my previous post), I did a deep conditioning with Suave Almond and Shea Butter and was pleased with the results.  I was really tempted to do my usual and put my naked hair in it’s normal bun.  But I said, what the hey.  Let’s style this stuff this morning.  So, I looked in my cabinet to see what I had left to use for styling product.  I haven’t bought actual stylers in so long, so I just have to look below to see what I have to work with.  And I came across some IC Polisher Olive Styling Gel.  Let me tell you, this stuff was way in the back…so I have NO IDEA how long I’ve had it.  But, I used it anyway.

I followed the same routine I used previously with the Eco gel.  Section by section by section.  I start in the back with a small section, detangle (hair is still wet) with my denman, spray on some SSF on the length of the hair, brush it through with my denman, and place the brush aside.  Once I’ve brushed through the SSF, I don’t use it again (until the next section).  Then I add the gel.  I would say I use about a quarter to half dollar size per section (there are 8 sections total).  My hair is thick.  And dense.  A dime size simply will not do.  I focus on my roots with the product, then rake it through.  I probably rake it through 4 or 5 times.  Then I smooth the section between my fingers once to make sure the product has coated the section from root to tip, and then I rake through once or twice more.

And that’s it.  That’s how I style my hair.  Just keep repeating for each section.

There is definitely a difference between this end result and my end result using Eco.  I LOVE the way my curls look with the IC gel.  I feel like the curls are brought out more with the IC.  Eco coats my hair more, and elongates my curls yet gives me more shrinkage when dry, versus IC which makes whatever I have simply pop and my hair somehow doesn’t seem to shrink as much.  BUT my hair is not nearly as shiny as when I use Eco.  I think it looks a little dull actually.

My hair is much softer with the IC.  My hair isn’t hard, per se, with the Eco, but not as soft and bouncy.  Hard to explain.  Put it this way, the IC doesn’t smooth as well as the Eco (not for me, anyway) but there is a more more natural look to the defined curls.  With Eco, although my curls are defined, I feel like it looks as if I have product in my hair.  Styled with IC, my hair doesn’t look as “heavy”.  Yeah.  That’s it.

I had totally forgotten about IC.  I think this container may be from a couple of years ago actually.  Seriously.  It’s been that long since I used it.  Goes to show, it’s good to revisit some of your old staples once in a while.  We get into these ruts or we stumble across new routines and completely write off old stuff.  Not to say I am going to stock up on IC, because I won’t – I don’t wear my hair out and curly enough to buy a whole bunch of styler.  But I do mean to stress that it’s okay to take a break from the quest for holy grail and return to the oldies but goodies every now and then.