#KikiThinks: IPHONE VS. ANDROID

Hey guys! I know you missed me, and I'm sorry for not posting in a while. Since we're close to the end of April, as you may know, the curriculum is getting more rigorous and I find myself swamped with papers and tests! But since I've FINALLY found some time to post, I decided to grace you guys with yet another #KikiThinks.

It's the 21st century--an era of "smart" everything. SmartTV's, Smartcars,  and of course, Smartphones. I'm sure you all are aware of the ages-old debate among people all around the world---is the Apple IPhone or Android Samsung Galaxy smartphone "better"? And you're probably expecting me to pick a side. Welp, prepare to be disappointed because in my honest opinion, it DOES NOT matter. A phone is a phone. Plain and simple. I mean think about it. There are much more important things that we as a society should be worrying about. Famine, war, disease, poverty. People are dying at the hands of corrupt governments, totally deprived of their human rights and in some countries, treated worse than animals. Only the privileged have the opportunity to debate about such nonsense as a smartphone because I guarantee you, if privileged folks lived for one day as impoverished citizens subject to torture based solely on their social class, the last thing they would even think about is how well a smartphone can perform.

Now, in no way am I bashing smartphones in general. I think they are truly amazing for their abilities to multitask. The smartphone can be used for so many great things. It may be used as a camera, camcorder, calendar, alarm clock, stopwatch, daily planner, calorie counter for fitness, etc. etc. The possibilities are endless. The smartphone makes life so much easier. However, the topic of whether one brand is "better" than the other is completely insignificant and it annoys me to no end when I see people get into this debate on social media. So my advice would be to just shut up and be glad that you're blessed enough to have a cell phone in the first place.

For those who may be curious, I myself currently own a Samsung Galaxy S5 and I am very pleased with the many functions that the Galaxy can perform. And almost all of my friends own IPhones but we never argue about which is better because we have better things to talk about. As long as the phone gets the job done, I am happy. And I am truly grateful to have the privilege of owning a smartphone because it is truly one of the greatest inventions of all time. If you have an IPhone, cool. If you have a Galaxy, cool. There are some things that the IPhone doesn't have that the Android has, and vice versa. Apple and Samsung are the top 2 competitors in technology. They both release some awesome products that are sure to get people's attention every time. But instead of arguing about which is "better", why not talk about things that actually matter and make an attempt to do something about them?

Love always,

--Kiki

BATH AND BODY WORKS VELVET SUGAR REVIEW

I don't know about you but I absolutely ADORE sugar! I just can't get enough SUGAR! Although it may be a little obsessive, you gotta admit, sugar is pretty damn intoxicating. And I'm not talking about those white crystals you see in your local supermarket. I'm talking about one of Bath and Body Works' most beloved scents, Velvet Sugar! Although Velvet Sugar has gotten plenty of great reviews on the B&BW website, as well as on YouTube and other blogs, Velvet Sugar has been discontinued, meaning that it is no longer available in stores BUT can still be purchased online. I purchased the 3 fl. oz. travel-sized body mist before it was kicked off the shelves.

According to www.bathandbodyworks.com, the main fragrance notes are as follows:

Top Notes: Wild Strawberries, White Nectarine, Pear Blossom, Apple Nectar

Mid Notes: Pink Jasmine, Golden Plum, Red Velvet Creme, Dewy Honeysuckle, Freesia

Dry Notes: Golden Amber, Vanilla, Tolu Balsam, Caramel, Baileys' Irish Creme, Sugared Musk

Before I get into the actual scent, I just want to point out that the package is uber-adorable! It reminds me of Valentine's Day! The bottle is a deep red, almost burgundy color. It has hearts and lattice patterns going all around it. And the pretty blue-laced bow in the front is a great contrast to its red background. It's gorgeous! And it's basically what drew me to this product. As for the fragrance itself, hence the name, it's really sweet. But not sickeningly sweet. It's just right. As soon as I spray this mist, I get a burst of fruity freshness coming from the strawberry and the nectarine. The floral notes are detectable but not as prominent. Then immediately after, I get the warm, delicious sweet notes such as the caramel, red velvet creme and vanilla. 

You're probably wondering what the actual heck is tolu balsam? That is exactly what I thought upon smelling this for the first time. And after some extensive research, I found that tolu balsam is actually a sticky sap-like substance from the Peruvian Myroxylon tree, literally meaning "fragrant wood". But don't be alarmed! This body mist won't make you sticky! The tolu balsam note does have a musky, amber smell that gives Velvet Sugar a bit of mystery and maturity. This is one fragrance that I think is versatile enough to be enjoyed by women of all ages. It's sweet enough to appeal to younger women but sophisticated enough to appeal to older women.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend wearing Velvet Sugar in warm weather, simply because of the musk that may become quite overpowering when mixed with high humidity. But this scent is perfect for fall and especially winter. It's one of those cozy, dessert-like fragrances that is bound to receive plenty of compliments! It's casual enough to wear during the day, but sexy enough to wear on a date night, for example. Because I have not yet purchased anything else in this scent, I wasn't able to layer it. But I will say that wearing the fragrance mist alone, the scent lasts me about 4 hours, which by itself is not bad at all! I can't wait to try out the Velvet Sugar body creams to see how long it can really last!

On a scale of 1-10, I give Bath and Body Works' Velvet Sugar an 8. Still not my FAVORITE but I REALLY REALLY like it nonetheless. It's a shame that B&BW retired it because I'm not really a fan of ordering stuff online. I'm way too impatient to wait for the mail because I want my Velvet Sugar now!
The 3 fl. oz. mist was $6. A full-sized 8 fl. oz. version is available for $14.

Peace!
--Kiki

WHAT I USE FOR MY HAIR!

Hey! Hey you! Just want to wish you a Happy April! I decided to take a mini-break from body care items and show you guys some products that I use to wash and condition my hair. As an African American female with coarse, natural hair that has never been relaxed, I have to say, taking care of my hair is one hell of a project. Even from babyhood, my hair has always been thick and abundant but two of my main problems were dryness and breakage. For a long time, I've wanted to grow my hair longer. And any time I made progress it seemed as if I took one step forward and two steps back. Why? Because the dryness of my hair caused so much breakage, it looked like I didn't grow any hair at all! I knew something had to be done.

I was just leisurely searching around my local beauty supply store and came across Shea Moisture hair care products. Mind you, I have heard of this company before and it has gotten awesome reviews from other natural gals like me. Even though the price was a bit...up there ($12 for each bottle), I chose to give this company a shot as I was desperate for a solution. I purchased the Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo and the Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner. 
Upon reading their labels, I thought these products sounded very promising. First off, Shea Moisture products are made of natural ingredients meaning there are NO sulfates, NO parabens, and NO synthetic fragrances or dyes. Shea Moisture does NOT test on animals. These are certified organic products and may be ideal for vegans/vegetarians. They consist of Shea butter (to moisturize and condition hair and scalp), sea kelp (to help strengthen hair cuticles) and argan oil (to restore shine and help build hair elasticity).

SHAMPOO: What can I say about this product? Well, I give it two thumbs up for changing the texture of my hair as soon as it makes contact. As I said before, my hair is usually dry and brittle but as soon as this shampoo hits my scalp, my hair immediately becomes so much softer, it's like magic! I enjoy running my fingers through my hair in the shower. The texture is like cotton. I love it! I also like that this shampoo doesn't burn my eyes as much. Trust me, I've had terrible experiences where I used products like Dr. Miracle, Herbal Essences and Garnier Fructis and for some reason, my eyes would burn so badly they'd turn red. This would happen even though the products themselves never actually made contact with my eyes. I don't know, maybe I was sensitive to the fumes? I made sure to never buy those items again. But Shea Moisture shampoo is a little gentler on my eyes. The only problem I have with this shampoo is that a little does NOT go a long way. This shampoo sucks at lathering. I have to use quite a bit just to get some suds. And that is a shame because I feel I like I would go through these bottles quickly, not really something I'd like from a semi-expensive product. This (and conditioner) can also be used on over-processed hair.

CONDITIONER: This is a LIFESAVER! It really hydrates my hair. My hair looks shiny and healthy! I like to use this conditioner in the shower before shampooing (a little odd, I know but it's actually better for your hair!) I've been using these products for a while now and I've noticed that for me, this conditioner can also double up as a detangler. After I blow dry my hair, of course, it still gets tangled. Soft, but tangled. I like to take a little dab of this conditioner, rub it into the strands and comb away. My hair becomes noticeably more manageable. And as a result, I experience less breakage! I finally get to retain my hair growth! As far as the smell, well, the conditioner and shampoo both smell the same. Again, they have no SYNTHETIC fragrances but they do have a smell that's a little hard to describe. The best way I can describe it is...it's earthy, kind of woodsy. A bit musky but it does have a nice natural, organic smell. However it's not fruity or floral. Although Shea Moisture was originally made for ethnic hair, it can also work well on Caucasian hair.

I just want to tell you guys about one last product that I use before AND after I wash my mane--coconut oil. Coconut oil is a natural moisturizer to help condition and nourish hair and skin. Because my scalp is so dry that I sometimes suffer from the annoying effects of dandruff, coconut oil does a great job preventing it. It also helps restore the shine in my hair and promotes growth. I usually let it sit for about 30 minutes before washing my hair. Then after the washing, I apply more. Using coconut oil is another great way to detangle your locks. And of course it smells amazing! Always use 100% PURE coconut oil for best results! It doesn't matter what brand you get, just make sure it's 100% pure. I purchased LouAna coconut oil at my local supermarket for about $6.

On a scale of 1-10, I give Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo an 8. I love how soft it makes my hair feel. The smell is very much tolerable and it doesn't sting my eyes. But I really don't like that it doesn't lather up well, for a product that costs $12. I feel the bottle could be bigger, as it is only 13 oz. Nonetheless, I will be purchasing again. The Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner gets a 9. I love everything about it, just wish I got more for the price. The coconut oil gets a 10 of course! It does the job and it does it well. No complaints! Shea Moisture can also be found at Walmart, Target and various pharmacies.

Catch you later!
-Kiki