This post was sponsored by Lunchbox.
When I was a little girl, I had really long curly hair. Since I got my curly hair from my dad, I remember thinking that I was so out of place since my mom’s hair was straighter than mine and I had this misconception that I was supposed to look like my mommy. My mom wasn’t quite sure how to take care of curls and my dad, well – he thought pulling it back would be the best option to keep it tame and out of my face. It tangled all the time because no one in my family really knew how to care for them and detangling was something I dreaded. I cried sometimes, hating the hair I had and praying that God would make my hair straight overnight. For years I struggled with this head of curly hair, so much so that if you look at some of my childhood photos, my hair is pulled back and out of the way.
It was a rare occasion that I left my hair down and flowing and that routine followed me well into high school and years after graduation. I always looked at all the girls who had straight hair and thought to myself that their hair was so pretty straight and so easy to take care of. Dancing Hula was the only time you would catch me with my hair down and out and I hated every minute of it and couldn’t wait till my performance was over so I could pull it back. When taking my high school senior portraits, my mom wanted me to wear my hair down since she thought it was beautiful, I did so – but hated every minute of it. After graduation I discovered a flat iron and really put stress on my locks by straightening my hair constantly. My husband always encouraged me to leave my hair down and love my curls, but it was such a struggle. About 4 years ago, I finally decided that… it’s time to stop hiding my curls away.
Now that I’m well into my thirties, I have realized that I need to love my curls and embrace them. It’s taken me most of my life to figure this out and I encourage everyone to not only love their curls, but love the skin you’re in. Part of the reason I wasn’t too happy with my curls is that they became frizzy quickly and I had no idea how to care for them. After years of trying a plethora of hair care products, I finally found some that are made specifically for curly hair.
I have used Dove beauty products for years and the Sensitive Skin body wash is a holy grail in my household. Having tried Dove hair products before, I knew I would enjoy this line, but didn’t realize how much exactly. Dove Quench Absolute is a new hair care line for the curly haired gals. Dove Quench is a part of Dove Advanced Hair Series and is great for perfectly nourished hair plus 4x more defined and natural curls. The product line is affordable for anyone to buy and provides your hair with the moisture needed to pamper and quench your curls. After the first use, I noticed my curls were much more defined and held their curl through the heat and wind that Hawaii has been experiencing lately. After using this product line the last couple of weeks, I am proud to say it will become a household favorite. My hair smells so nice and looks beautiful.
- Dove Quench Absolute Ultra Nourishing Shampoo – I was a bit apprehensive in using this product at first since seeing that one of the main ingredients in this product is SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate). I’ve done my best the last few years to eliminate sulfates from my hair care routine because it had dried my hair so badly but was VERY impressed with how my hair felt with this product. My hair felt really soft and moisturized and though I do not shampoo my hair every day – with consistent use I noticed it still had not dried my hair as other products with SLS have done.
- Dove Quench Absolute Ultra Nourishing Conditioner – This product had a different consistency then what I had been using when it comes to conditioners. It doesn’t have as much slip to it as other products I have used but isn’t overly thick like a masque either. I use conditioners to detangle my hair while in the shower, so I was impressed with how easily this product moved through my hair and allowed my hair to move easily through my fingers. After rinsing and drying my hair was soft and left silky like I had used a mask.
- Dove Quench Absolute Intensive Restoration Mask – My hair is absolutely in love with this stuff that I’m finding it hard not to want to use it every time I wash my hair. My hair is soft, manageable without needing to detangle. It seems like my tangles almost fall out of my hair when I apply this and run my fingers through my locks.
- Dove Quench Absolute Supreme Creme Serum – This pump is nice, but it can be a pain when your hands are slippery since you need a little more pressure to get the product out. However, the product itself is thick and since my hair is so long, it took a lot of product to work through my entire head of hair. Having used other types of curly hair products in the past, I was worried that my hair would feel crunchy, sticky or weighed down but none of that happened. I love to apply this to my hair when it is damp and then leave in my pineapple bun overnight to release beautiful, smooth curls in the morning. If you are someone who uses gel or mousse to hold your curls, this is not it… but will work well together to keep your curls nicely formed.
Do you have a curl story? Head on over to Dove’s Website and share your Curly Hair Story. You could be included in their e-book of Curly goodness, so be sure to check it out. Everyone who submits a story will get a copy of the e-book. Also 5 lucky winners will receive a Dove Prize Pack that includes hair products and other awesome goodies.
If there is one thing I wanted to get across with this post, it is that I want women and girls around the World to love themselves, love who they are and love their curls – no matter the size, the length or the type of curls, they are a part of you and YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!
This post was sponsored by Lunchbox. All content and opinions expressed here are my own.
30 Comments
Love your HS graduation picture, it’s gorgeous! And your curly long hair is gorgeous too. So glad you’ve embraced it!
thank you Allison! It’s taken me many years… I’m glad I have embraced it too 😀
I LOVE your hair! I wish mine was as long and curly
thank you! 😀 I would love you in long curly hair… not that I don’t love you already 😉 xo
You have BEAUTIFUL hair! It stays nice and curly even though it is so long. Mine would flatten out from the weight! (jealous)
thank you 🙂 I actually have lost my ringlet curls over the years from damage and then weight. I tried to find a photo of my hair when it was to my knees to add… it was a hot mess. lol
Of course having straight hair my whole life, I’ve always envied beautiful curls. Your hair is just gorgeous, glad you are embracing it!
I like your hair curly. It’s not curly curly, but like a curl wave if that even makes sense. Either way, I like it.
thank you 🙂 It’s used to be curly ringlets at one time… but all the damage on my hair and a year worth of nothing but flat ironing I think has taken its toll. Now that my hair is longer… I also noticed that my curls are much more weighed down too.
You are such a beautiful person! It took me a long time to love my curls, too, mostly because there just weren’t good products for me to use when I was a kid- and my mom didn’t know what to so with me, either! At one point, she gave a boy haircut. I need to check this Dove system out!
Your curls are so cute! I’d love to have curls – or straight hair – instead of frizzy waves LOL. P.S. Love your blog’s new header.
You have beautiful hair and curls and I’m glad that you are now happy with your hair type and enjoying it.
I’m obsessed with beautiful curls I’d love to have your hair!! Also, love that shirt!
Your hair is gorgeous! Growing up I had stick straight hair, and I always wished for curly hair like my moms (like you, I get my hair from my dad). Now that I’m in my 30s my hair is a hybrid of my mom and dads, not quite curly and not quite straight. I find myself either flat ironing it or pulling it back, so I know the struggle! lol That mask sounds amazing, I’m definitely going to get some next time I’m at Target!
Love your curls, my hair is stick straight 🙁
You go, girl! LOVE that curly hair. I’ve also had my issues with my very thicky/kinky hair but I am proud to say that I’ve finally accepted it, love it and I am teaching my daughter to love her textured hair, too.
Yes! You have gorgeous hair! Glad you have learned to love it. I will pass along this info to my sister who is blessed with mega curls! 🙂
Your hair is beautiful. I’m glad you are embracing the specialness of it.
You have absolutely breathtakingly beautiful hair, Honey! I have naturally curly as well, and at a certain point I just had to stop fighting it, and embrace it!
Yes, embrace your hair, its gorgeous. I want to try this line.
You have gorgeous hair! But I can see why it annoyed you when you were younger – curls take a lot more care than straight hair.
I like the repair products from Dove! And agree with everyone, your hair looks stunning.
Your hair is gorgeous! And girl, I can relate. I hated my curls when I was younger!
Gorgeous hair! I looks so healthy.
I think your curls are absolutely beautiful! I’m so jealous of them!
I love my curls. I did a keratin to loosen the curls but then immediately regretted it. I do wish these products didn’t have SLS as it can be really drying because it strips the oils but I think if you follow up with a good oil treatment you should be fine.
My curls were much tighter and more coiled and after my keratin treatment… it seems like I’m having a hard time with curls on the top part of my head now… they do not form the way they used to. I’m not sure what is up with it or how to train it back again. I use coconut oil in my hair after each wash and that is my everything… otherwise my hair would be so brittle.
I love your hair! I have in between hair that isn’t really curly or straight a, but if I got to choose I would so opt for a head of curls.
I always wanted curly hair- always wanting the opposite I think!
Your natural hair is on point