The Winner:

Krystal F.

Congrats, Krystal! Please reply to your email with a valid shipping address, within 48 hours. Thanks to everyone who entered!  Stay tuned for more giveaways in the near future.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Natural by Design Cosmetics was started to showcase the bevy of hair and skincare products made with natural and naturally derived ingredients.  Natural by Design Cosmetics refuses to add any parabens, mineral oil or petroleum to anything that is created. A majority of the products offered are vegan as well.  One of the main reasons that Platinum Product Junkies exists is to bring to you our loyal readers new and innovative products that you might not have other wise heard of and Natural by Design products certainly fit the bill.

We are excited to offer you a chance to win a sample pack from this innovative Etsy Company. Included in the Sample Kit are:

• Curl Magic Leave in Conditioner
• Peach Coconut Moisturizing Hair milk
• Curl Magic Cleansing Conditioner
• Body Basics Body Lotion
• Body Basics Body Wash
• Body Basics After bath Moisture Splash

To enter the contest, register at Platinum Product Junkies forum then leave your screen name in the comment section below!  We’d love for you to introduce yourself in the “Introduce Yourself” thread and jump right into the conversation.

To earn additional contest entries

1. “Follow” the Platinum Product Junkies and Natural by Design Cosmetics  on Twitter.
2. “Like” the Platinum Product Junkies and Natural by Design Cosmetics on Facebook.

Please note: Giveaway is open to US residents only. Contest winner has 48 hours to respond to email notification (please double check your email in the comment section), with a valid shipping address.

Good Luck!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This past weekend Nefertiti, Shawny, and I attended the World Natural Hair Show in Atlanta and had a BLAST.  We shopped, reconnected with old PJ’s (and created a few new ones),  met lots of vendors and talked shop with many of them about current and new products!  We had such a good time, that it has taken SEVERAL days for me to recover and finally get this post up (so please excuse my delay).  As expected we each have a bit of a different perspective on how the World Natural Hair Show (WNHS) went overall, but we did agree on  several things.

What we loved

1. Seeing Lolakinkz and Wynterbaby:  Lola has known all of the Platinum PJs since the very beginning and loves to grace us with her hauls and reviews over on the forum.  So seeing her is always like seeing that favorite cousin that you love but because of distance you don’t see to often.  Since the last WNHS, her family has grown and we were finally able to meet baby Wynter, and she is just the CUTEST darn baby EVER.  Don’t believe me, then check out the pics below or on her facebook page.
2.  Seeing our old Curltalk buddy Rochelle Graham-Campbell (BlackOnyx77 from back in the day) witnessing the growth and progress of her natural hair line, Alikay Naturals.  We’re always ecstatic to see ladies who started their natural hair journey progress to the point of entrepreneurship and helping other ladies on their journey.   I picked up some products, and can’t wait to try them and let you all know how they perform.
3. Meeting the charismatic creators of several new product lines: Bel Nouvo, Obia Naturals and Ankh Holistic Healers. This is the one aspect of attending the WNHS that stood out. Whenever you have to chance to talk face to face with a small business owner, it seals the product shopping circle. You are finally able to put a face with a company name.  Each and every owner took time out to greet us and engage in conversations that generally touched us by the warmth and genuineness  that they exuded.
4. The annual PlatinumPJ dinner which was attended this year by Karen Tappin of Karen’s Body Beautiful! We’ve been hosting this small intimate dinner for the past 2 years for PJ’s to get together, chill/decompress after the hectic day, and just generally “talk shop”.  We extended the invitation to attend this year to Karen and she was gracious enough to accept.  We cannot go on enough about how humble and sweet she is! It was also wonderful to see all of our friends and supporters. We appreciate YOU!  We had a fantastic time!

Room for improvement

A few things occurred on the way to the hair show and once we entered the arena that we’d like to talk about as constructive criticism which we hope can be used to make a great event even better for next year.

1. Ticket purchasing/Advance ticket sales:  Those of you that were at the WNHS on Saturday morning can attest to the fact that the lines to get in were outrageous!!! I think it’s understandable that the same day ticket purchase line is off the chain and I fully expected that, but the line for people that purchased advanced tickets was TWICE as long!!!  I had to buy my ticket, vs. Shawny and Nefertiti who bought theirs months in advance, yet I had my wristband on within minutes while they were still on a line that extended OUTSIDE the GICC! What exactly is  the benefit of purchasing your ticket in advance if you STILL have to stand in a super long line and wait to have your name checked off a list?  It is 2013, the age of computerization…get it together.  We understand WHY this is done, but there HAS to be a better way.  Perhaps going through ticketmaster or even using some sort of barcode scan system would help.  But standing in line for 2 hours when you’ve already paid is ludicrous.  I’m pissed on behalf of everyone that stood in that line!
2.  Vendor selection: The vendor selection this year compared to last year was interesting.  I’m excited that I saw lots of new vendors this year, especially my smaller companies, but we all agreed that overall the vendor selection wasn’t as good as in years past.  I really think the price to vend at the WNHS was a deterrent to a lot of companies. We’re almost sure that this also played a role in the deals/specials that each vendor was able to offer to customers.  Hopefully next year this will change, and we’ll see a few more of our beloved companies return, along with more incentives to buy. Our hauls were certainly not at the level they were last year–Not even close.
   
3. Counterfeit Product Vendors:  OK people, let me be frank here–  MAC Cosmetics only has THREE places where you can purchase their items: the website, a MAC store/counter, and The Cosmetics Company Outlet Stores.  MAC doesn’t have a distributor program nor do they wholesale to ANYONE.  If you are buying MAC from clear plastic bins with a black and white PAPER “MAC” logo above it…it’s not legit.  I know some people are like so what but I personally feel like it cheapens the “WNHS” brand and taints the event when counterfeit items are sold (We also saw  fake handbags and shoes for sale as well).  Also, let’s not forget that selling counterfeit items is ILLEGAL for a reason.  We don’t know the ingredients or the manufacturing process associated with these products and women will be smearing this stuff on their skin and could be absorbing all kinds of toxins and chemicals into their bodies.  I just have to question WHY the WNHS would keep allowing these people to vend and sell these questionable items to their patrons?  Is $900 in booth money that important?
4. Transaction troubles:  Due to the quality of the wi-fi/cellular reception, there were many cases where vendors had  a difficult time processing purchases through credit card. This doesn’t necessarily reflect on the creators of the show, but a large part of execution is making sure that the proper conditions are in place to facilitate vendors and consumers. Having vendors constantly waving their phones and other credit card processing devices in the air hoping for your purchase to go through doesn’t help anyone. It was frustrating and time-consuming on both ends. Perhaps in the future a discussion with the GICC staff regarding those specific needs will help alleviate those issues. Having their representatives on hand to troubleshoot tech issues for vendors wouldn’t hurt either.

Overall, the good as always outweighed the not so good, but it wasn’t as great a show as last year. There is always an understanding that despite this being one of the largest shows in the world, it’s not infallible, but we hope that it will continue to be a work in progress.

Of course, we’ll be there next year– with bells on!! We promise to bring more t-shirts too. They were certainly a hit!

Now for the pics!

 Pics

The reserved advance ticket holders in line waiting OUTSIDE the GICC

Shawny and Nefertiti waiting on line at the show

Shawny, LolaKinkz, and Wynter!

Nefertiti and Lola!

Wynterbaby!!!

L-R: Hillery, Nefertiti, LolaKinks w/ Wynter, and Shawny

L-R: Nefertiti, Mr. Bel Nouvo, and Shawny

L-R: Nefertiti, Shawny, Rochelle Graham-Campbell of Alikay Naturals, and Hillery

L-R: Shawny, Karen Tappin of Karen’s Body Beautiful, Nefertiti, and Hillery

L-R: Hillery, Adachi DaDa creator of Ankh Holistic Healers, Shawny, and Nefertiti

Adachi’s awesome locs!

Nefertiti and Tonya Martin at the PlatinumPJ dinner

Shawny hugging the heck outta of Tonya because we LOVE our PJ’s!

L to R: Nefertiti, Dorothy, Hillery, Shawny, and CocoDej! <3

LolaKinkz brought her BFF Stacy with her beautiful hair!

Shawny showing CocoDej and Dorothy extra <3!

The whole gang with Karen!

A candid shot with Karen, bc us PJ’s LOVE to have FUN!!

March has come “in like a lion and out like a lamb” and it’s now April and spring is officially here…at least that’s what my calendar says even if the weather man doesn’t agree.  The temps in March here in DC have been up and down…nice warm balmy 60 degrees one day and a freak snow storm the next.  With such weather fluctuations, it can be difficult to find products that work in both weather extremes.  Here is a quick look back and round up of some of my favorite products from March.

• C. Booth 4-in-1 Multi-Action Body Lotion: This lotion works equally well in warm and cooler weather by delivering great moisture without leaving you greasy.  It also has AHA which helps sloth off dry scaly skin to leave your skin soft and even toned.  Check out my more in-depth review of this product here.

• Philosophy “The Present” Clear Makeup:  Philosophy calls this clear makeup but it’s really a primer…and a darn good one to boot!  Nefertiti and I like to call this “makeup glue” because whatever makeup you apply sticks to it and lasts ALL DAY.  It’s great when the weather is cooler because it locks in moisture from your moisturizer, but when the weather warms up; it keeps your makeup in place and prevents the “melt down”.  I’ve been using this daily for the past few weeks after taking a break from it to test and try other things and I couldn’t be happier to have it back in rotation!

• Ulta Super Blending Sponge:  I never really got the hype over the beauty blender…I always thought it was just an overpriced sponge and surly my makeup brushes provided just as good application or better.  While pursuing Ulta one day, I decided to try this “generic” version and now I FINALLY get it!  I have been using this sponge daily for a few weeks and my foundation has gone on sooo smooth and flawless.  The real selling point for me is that I get coverage without that “heavy” feeling that some foundations can leave.  This blends out the tiniest amount of foundation perfectly and my skin looks like skin and not “foundation on top of skin”.  LOVE this thing and I’m going to pick up a few more!!!

• Hairveda Almond Glaze:  I haven’t been doing much lately with my hair other than twists and puffs.  My hair has grown out of its pixie cut and I’m on the fence about cutting it short again, letting it grow, or locing so I’m just letting it be for now until I decide.  After washing and conditioning, I apply my leave in de jour and seal in the moisture with this.  I LOVE that it’s all natural yet shields my hair from the temperature fluctuations.  It leaves my hair soft and shiny without being too greasy (unless you over apply).  I can apply it directly to my scalp in areas where it gets tight and dry or I can apply it to the ends to keep them from drying out.  My jar is almost out so I’ll be picking up 1-2 more to add to my stash!

•  Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 15: If you know me from Curl Talk or any of the natural hair forums, then you know I’m a HUGE fan of Kiehl’s products, especially their facial moisturizers.  I have extremely oily acne prone skin and it can be difficult to find a product that adds the perfect amount of moisture without causing a breakout.  I have found that Kiehl’s products perform exceptionally well for my skin in this regard.  As the days have started getting longer, I wanted to add in a lighter SPF to my routine (I use SPF 50 in the summertime).  This product provided enough moisture on those bitter cold days, without being too heavy for the nice balmy days we’ve had in March.  An added bonus is that the SPF doesn’t leave that dreaded white ashy cast to my dark skin.  I’m not sure if I could use this in the summer as it might be TOO heavy once the humidity sets in, but for late winter/early spring usage I have found this to be a winner. 

What products have you incorporated into your routine over the past month?  What are your standout performers or favorites that have amazed you?  Share them with us in the comments.

FTC Disclosure:  The item discussed below ( C. Booth 4-in-1 Multi-Action Body Lotion) was purchased with personal funds.  This is not a paid endorsement.  All thoughts and ideas expressed are those of the reviewer.

Product: C. Booth 4-in-1 Multi-Action Body Lotion, Vanilla Butter scent

The premise and claims (from www.drugstore.com):

“Simple, natural, trusted.

Why should faces get all the special treatments?  c.Booth believes in equal rights for the skin below the chin.  Take a close look at yours and see if it doesn’t deserve the four fabulous benefits of this extremely busy lotion:

4-in-1

1. A potent combo of alpha hydroxy acids works tirelessly to ditch dead skin cells and even out skin tones so even sun-damaged areas look healthy and happy.
2. Sweet almond, apricot kernel and shea butter oils work in perfect harmony to hydrate needy skin.
3. Vitamins and minerals perform like superheroes, valiantly fighting off the dastardly deeds of the harsh environmental forces that threaten our skin.
4. Caffeine firms and tones less-than-taut skin, making it feel youthful, revitalized and wide awake. “

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Dimethicone, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil (Coconut), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter (Cocoa), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) (Shea), Cetearyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Caffeine, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E) (Vitamin E), Retinyl Acetate (Vitamin A) (Vitamin A), Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Sweet Almond), Prunus Armeniaca Kernal Oil (Apricot), Sea Salt, Lactic Acid, Maleic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Niacinamide, Carbomer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, BHT, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, 2 Bromo 2 Nitropropane 1, 3 Diol

Size:  32oz (1L)

Price:  Varies, but is generally priced between $8-$10.  I usually purchase on sale at Ulta when it is BOBO ½ off or BOGO Free.

Availability: Ulta, RiteAid, Wal-mart, Drugstore.com, and select major drugstores and supermarkets

Consistency/Application:   This is a slightly thick body lotion.  It’s very moisturizing without being greasy and would work for most people year round.  It glides on smoothly to the skin, sinks in fast, yet keeps ash at bay all day. 

Scent:    I’m not scent sensitive so the vanilla butter scent seems very faint to me.  It fades away fast and doesn’t interfere with my perfume.  This lotion comes in three scents (vanilla butter, coconut fig, and lemon sugar) so if you are not a fan of vanilla, you have other options.  I generally prefer unscented body products so I would love to see an unscented version of this product in the future.

Over-all Impressions:  What I really like about the C. Booth 4-in-1 Multi-Action Body Lotion is the addition of the maleic and glycolic acids which help to sloth off dry skin and help with cell turn over.  My knees, elbows, and hands have taken a beating in the gym doing planks, various yoga mat work, and lifting weights.  This lotion sat in my product stash for a while before I decided to try it and I couldn’t be happier with it.  It keeps my knees and elbows from getting scaly and it has also helped with the mild body acne and keratosis pilaris on my shoulders/upper arms from all the sweating my workouts produce.

I can’t really speak to the skin tightening benefits of the caffeine because I believe that nothing really tightens loose skin except removing the excess skin and everything else is temporary.  All in all for the price and quantity you receive, I think this lotion is a winner.  If you’re in the market for a good all over moisturizer that does what it’s supposed to without breaking the bank, I’d highly recommend this product!

We came, we saw, we left in an hour.  Our experience at this year’s Baltimore Natural Hair Care Expo can be summed up in one word: RATCHET.  Seriously, I don’t even know where to begin because it was all just too ridiculous for words.  Let me start this tragic tale at the beginning.

Picture it, a bright sunny yet cold and windy Saturday in March.  Shawny and I head into Baltimore without any problem (thank you traffic gods for favor!).  We found PERFECT street parking, hit the ATM, and head to the ticket booth to purchase our tickets.  At this point, we’re excited but that enthusiasm was soon dashed.

STRIKE 1:  Tickets were $20.  The World Natural Hair Show (WNHS) in Atlanta is 10x the size of this show and only charges $10 for tickets.   The venue is larger, there are more vendors, and the show deals are better.  Now, $20 isn’t a lot, but it did raise my eyebrow and put me on high alert.  As soon as I entered the exhibit hall, I just KNEW this wasn’t going to be a good experience.

STRIKE 2:  The Baltimore Natural Hair Care Expo started at 11am.  We arrived at noon.  Only ½ of the vendors had set up and were ready for business.  About ¼ were still unpacking and setting up and the last ¼ hadn’t even arrived yet.

STRIKE 3:  Of the vendors that were set up and ready for business 90% of them consisted of  wholesale “handmade” jewelry, tables with tubs of yellow shea butter, dashikis, fake MAC, Flora Roberts and Mary Kay consultants, and hustle man natural hair t-shirt vendors.     I swear I had to do a double take because it felt like I’d stepped into a flea market.

Shawny and I have only been in the exhibit hall for all of five minutes and we’re ready to go.  Trying to make the most of this calamity, we walk around determined to find at least 1-2 vendors that will make this experience worth it.  We did spot Oyin and Shea Radiance so we hustled over to their respective booths to check out the product offerings.

After those stops, we stumbled across a vendor that I remembered from the WNHS in Atlanta last year, Pure Shea Store.  What caught my attention Saturday was this HUGE tub of handmade body scrub that smelled divine along with matching body washes and body oils for sale.  We chatted the owner up, make our purchases, and move on.

We decide to do one last circuit around the exhibit hall and at this point we are literally trying to WILL vendors into existence.  I noticed earlier that there was an empty booth for Zuresh and I was hoping that they were still attending the show.  Before heading out, we spot the owner setting up and head over to the booth.  I’d heard good things about quite a few of her products and was prepared to purchase them at the show.  Apparently though, customers were an interruption (never mind the fact at this point she’s 2 hours late to the event and is just setting up) and she basically brushed us off.  I kindly put my money right on back into my pocket and kept it moving.

Shawny and I called it a wrap and left at 1pm.  I doubt that I would ever attend another Baltimore Natural Hair Care Expo.  When you factor in my time, gas, and admission fee, it just wasn’t worth it.  I honestly could have ordered everything I purchased online at the regular prices and come out better.  It was a total waste of time, money, and was a total disappointment.

The day’s saving grace was lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, hanging out with Shawny, and a trip down what I have dubbed “Natural Hair Row” in my local Target.  During our Target trip, we spotted the new Karen’s Body Beautiful, Camille Rose, and Jane Carter products and to top it off, Shea Moisture products were on sale for $7.99. That’s what I call #winning.

Edited to add:  So I see that the show creators have gotten wind of this review and have started to send their ”followers” to defend the show and post about how “great” it was compete with an “edited” promotional video of the show and calling me a “minion of Satan” trying to bring down black businesses (I actually laughed out loud at that comment).    The post is entitled ”Hillery and Shawny’s recap” meaning OUR experience at the expo.  I left a LOT out of my review in an attempt to not completely bash the event because I’m sure that some newly natural ladies might have gotten something out of attending.  In my experience as someone that’s been natural for over 10 years and has traveled extensively to various natural hair shows, workshops and events, this was a sub par production.  If  your experience was different, then good for you.  This recap and account of my experience stands.  Go spam somewhere else with this foolishness.  Rude comments and those meant to bash the authors will be deleted.

From ILNP Press Release

10 new I Love Nail Polish (ILNP)  polishes to blow your mind!

Unveiling our 6 piece Spring nail polish Collection + 4 others!

Oh yeah! Take a look at the new ILNP ( I love nail polish) Spring Collection and 4 new polishes that I decided to release along side it. That’s 10 nail polishes total!

Now that the new site’s up I’ve been able to get back into full creative gear and create some amazing new polishes for everyone to enjoy.

Hope you like what you see!

A Golden Orchid (Spring Collection)

Bohemian Peacock (Spring Collection)

Don’t Trample My Roses (Spring Collection)

Glass Slipper (Spring Collection)

Old Gregg (Spring Collection)

What The Funk (Spring Collection)

Emerald Dew Drops

Pinky Ring

She Surfs

Sugar Blossom

Click here to check out all of the polishes on the ILNP shop.

The Winner:

Evena Francois

Congrats, Evena! Please reply to your email with a valid shipping address, within 48 hours. Thanks to everyone who entered!  Stay tuned for more giveaways in the near future.

FTC Disclosure:  The item discussed below was purchased with personal funds.  This is not a paid endorsement.  All thoughts and ideas expressed are those of the reviewer.

By now I’m sure you all know that Milani Cosmetics has completely redesigned their lipstick line and it is hitting shelves in most drugstores now.  This new lipstick line includes a lot of bright new shades that are PERFECT for the coming spring and summer seasons.   As I purchase these beauties, I’ll take face shots of me wearing them so all my fellow PJs can see exactly what they look like.  I personally find that on lip swatches and full face pictures give me a much better representation of what a particular lip color will look like.

Here’s a picture of me wearing Milani Cosmetic’s lipstick in “Violet Volt” which is one of the new colors in the revamped lipstick line.  It’s a beautiful iridescent purple with flashes of pink.

I’ve heard that this lipstick is a possible dupe for MAC Violetta.  Below is a picture of me wearing MAC’s Violetta.

Below is a picture of the two swatched side by side on white paper.

While I think they are close, they are NOT dupes but rather close cousins.  Do you need them both?  Generally speaking, no.  They are very similar so for those of you that don’t wear lipstick often, you likely would be fine owning one of them.  I personally own them both though I wear lipstick everyday so  I can justify having them both in my collection (this is what I tell myself anyway).

What do you think of these colors?  Are you thinking of picking one or both of these up to add to your spring collection?  Let us know in the comments below!

FTC Disclosure:  The item discussed above was purchased with personal funds.  This is not a paid endorsement.  All thoughts and ideas expressed are those of the reviewer.

KBB products that will be available at Target starting March 18.

We’re counting down the last few hours of our Karen’s Body Beautiful giveaway.  Here’s your change to beat the buzzer and stake your claim on these awesome products!  Enter by heading on over to the original blog post HERE before midnight TONIGHT (3/19/13).  Good Luck!

Please note:  Giveaway is open to US residents only.  Contest winner has 48 hours to respond to email notification (please double check your email in the comment section), with a valid shipping address.  Items  ship directly from Karen’s Body Beautiful.  Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.