***** (5/5)

holly smokes folks! holy smokes!! i am in love with a new flat iron. eekkkk!!!

and who would have thought that there would be something that could make me love it more than my beloved and trusty six year old SEDU!

the croc 2 is an iron i need to get into my hands asap, i’m talking as of yesterday!

let me tell you how it went down when i used this flat iron…

on wednesday, i had my hair colored at an aveda school and i also decided to leave with a press out. last year when i got my hair colored, i walked out of the salon with my hair plastered in conditioner. but this year, i decided to go ahead and get my hair pressed. it was a great decision on my part!

my goodness ladies, let me tell you. my hair has so much swang and was so flat that you would have thought i just came from getting my hair pressed with a marcel (aka death to natural hair) iron!

it was such a great experience that i had the stylist write down the name of the iron before i left.

every pass made my hair feel like silk and i left the salon really, really impressed with this iron. so impressed, that i could not stop thinking about it.

what i liked the most about this iron is that the plates are super thin. they don’t have that traditional bulk to them. i also like that there was no hair smell with this iron; that i just pressed my hair out smell. i noticed that the only thing i could smell after i was done was the herbally smell coming from my hair that was from the aveda anti humectant pomade.

product description:

The Croc 2 Infrared Flat Iron (1″) is a retro-futuristic hair reconstructor and reconditioner that is internationally patented to provide the newest in technology, combining ceramic, tourmaline, titanium and infrared technology.

infared benefits to hair

* Keeps moisture balance on hair
* Prevents hair damage and dandruff
* Stimulated hair growth
* Protects color treated hair
* Removes hair bacteria and hair odor
* Keeps natural healthy hair by sealing moisture and adding silky shine

the look is also sleek. it’s black, super thin and has a digital temperature control up to 450 degrees so you will know exactly how hot your iron is. it heats up in a few seconds and i think the absolute best part for me was it smoothed my hair from root to tip and the stylist didn’t have to keep going over my ends.

i love this iron and i don’t even own it (yet)! but i’m sure i will soon.

you can see more reviews and pricing for the croc 2 1″ flatiron here.

it’s the weirdest thing i know, but i swear my hair felt like it had just gotten a HEALTHY press. my hair felt so moisturized and strong and i didn’t have a watery leave-in in my hair as aveda does not make watery leave-ins! but this iron is known to help seal in moisture! whoop!

goodness, i’m so geeked up about this iron and i don’t even own it! i really think this is a holy grail ladies!

have you tried or do you own a croc 2 1″ flatiron? what say you?

Related posts:

1. silk elements megasilk olive heat protection review

if you are use any heat styling tools on your hair – yes, that includes blow dryers (see blow out tips), then you should also be using heat protectants to prevent heat damage (otise talks about her heat damage).

after washing your hair and adding a watery leave-in, to prep your hair for your blow out, add a heat protectant to your hair, being sure to get it evenly coated.

one of the ways i do this, while being sure not to use too much, is that i apply the protectant to each section i’m blow drying vs. spraying all over my head and hoping for the best.

i part my hair into four sections and then take a section and half it and apply heat protectant to one half – coating it well and then blow dry and repeat these steps until my entire head is done. when i start to press my hair using my sedu flatiorn, i pull out a one inch section, spray it AGAIN with heat protectant and then pass the sedu over it. doing it this way has helped me to 100% avoid heat damage. however, you should play around to see what your hair likes.

i do suggest though that you use a heat protectant twice in the straightening process — during the blowout and the press.

if you don’t press your hair very often, you will find, like i have, that your bottle lasts for a little over a year; though if you have thick hair and/or press more than 3 times a year this may not be the case. either way, it’s essential that you use a heat protectant spray to avoid heat damage, and at around $4-$6 a bottle, it’s a cheap way to avoid an expensive hair disaster!

some good heat protectants:
blow: the heat is on
john frieda frizz-ease heat defeat protective styling spray
beyond the zone turn up the heat volumizing heat protection mousse
silk elements megasilk olive heat protection spray (this is what i use. see my review)
ion heat protection thermal spray (smells soooo good!)
proclaim glossing polish color and heat protection
nexxus heat protexx heat protection styling spray

do you use a heat protectant when you heat style?

Related posts:

1. how do you safely blow out your hair?
2. silk elements megasilk olive heat protection review
3. what can i do about heat damage? is it reversible?

these are the certifiable “again & again” top “must have” hair products for naturals and transitioners.

this list will be updated after a poll at the first half of the year.

the list also includes where to find products so that you don’t have to go search for them.

if you are a newbie, you almost can’t go wrong with anything on this list!

be sure to share your experiences with these c♥veted products!

(!!!) = you should at least try this
(O) = may be easier to find online vs. store
(N) = natural / organic
(G) = can be found in local grocery store
(G*) = specialty grocery/health store like whole foods
(S) = sold in salon stores like ulta, or sally, etc.
(H) = use alone or add to homemade moisturizing mix

c♥veted pre-poos

• extra virgin olive oil (N/G/H) !!!
• virgin coconut oil (N/G/H) !!! buy here

c♥veted shampoos

• aubrey organics honey suckle rose (O/N/G*) !!! buy here



• aubrey organics white camillia (O/G*) !!! <buy here



• devacare no poo (O/N/S)  buy here



• giovanni 50:50 hydrating clarifying shampoo (O/N/G8*) !!! buy here



• trader joe’s norish spa shampoo (N/G*) !!! buy here
• trader joe’s tea tree tingle with peppermint and eucalyptus (N/G*) buy here
• j/a/s/o/n natural jojoba scalp balancing shampoo (N/G*) buy here



• elasta QP creme conditioning shampoo (S) buy here



• abba pure moisture shampoo (N/G*) buy here



• kinky curly come clean (N/O/G*) buy here

c♥veted conditioners

• aubrey organics honey suckle rose (O/N/G*) !!! buy here



• aubrey organics white camillia (O/G*) !!! <buy here



• giovanni smooth as silk (O/N/G/G*) !!! buy here



• deva care one condition (S) buy here



• nature’s gate aloe vera moisturizing conditioner buy here



• oyin honey hemp conditioner (O/N) buy here
• alter ego energizing conditioner (O/S)
• trader joe’s nourish spa conditioner (G*) buy here
• aussi moist (G) !!! buy here (love this stuff! my review)



• garnier fructics moisture works (G) buy here (another fav conditioner! my review)



• herbal essence hello hydration (G) !!! buy here

c♥veted deep conditioners (see how to deep condition during the day!)

• pantene relaxed and natural breakage defense mask (O/G) !!! (great product for the cheap! my review!)
• organic root stimulator replenishing conditioner !!! buy here



• elasta QP intense fortifying conditioner (S) buy here
• keracare humecto (O/S) buy here



• matrix biolage ultra hydrating balm (S) buy here



• jessicurl weekly deep treatment (O/N) !!! buy here
• garnier fructis fortifying penetrating deep conditioner (G) buy here (smells great and little goes a long way! my review!)



• elasta QP DPR 11 (S) buy here

c♥veted treatments

• steam treatments !!!
• overnight or deep conditioning (see how to deep condition during the day!)
• baggying

c♥veted rinses

• apple cider vinegar (G) !!!
• oil rinse !!!

c♥veted leave-ins

• giovanni direct leave-in (O/N/G/G*) !!! buy here



• aubrey organics honey suckle rose (O/N/G*) !!! buy here



• aubrey organics white camillia (O/G*) !!! <buy here



• kinky curly knot today (N/O/G*) !!! buy here

c♥veted moisturizers & sealants

• care free curl gold (G/S) buy here (yes, you read that right. this stuff is great too! my review!)



• s curl (G/S) buy here (i like this one because it’s creamy. my review!)



• honeyquat (O/H)
• glycerin (G/H) buy here
• unrefined shea butter (O/N/G*) !!! buy here
• avocado oil (O/N/H/G*) !!! buy here
• avocado butter (O/N/H/G*) !!! buy here
• extra virgin olive oil (N/G/H) !!!
• virgin coconut oil (N/G/H) !!! buy here
• jamaican black castor oil (N/G/H) !!! buy here
• jojoba oil (O/N/G/H) !!!

c♥veted stylers

• kinky curly knot today (N/O/G*) !!! buy here



• kinky curly curling custard (N/O/G*) buy here



• cocoa tree detangling ghee (N/O) !!! buy here
• eco styler gel (S/G) buy here (holy grail to some type 4 naturals. it’s good stuff. my review!)



• cantu shea butter leave-in buy here (if you use this the right way, it’s great for your hair and you get a LOT. my review!)



• oyin juices and berries (N/O) buy here
• oyin burnt sugar pomade (N/O) buy here
• devacare arc angel (N/O/S) buy here (smells like oranges and give a nice hold. not too hard. i like! my review!)



• deva curl set it free (N/O/S) buy here
• my honey child type 3** cream (N/O) **many type 4′s even prefer the type 3 cream over the type 4 cream buy here

c♥veted styling tools

• jilberie shower comb (O/S) !!! buy here (love, love, love THIS COMB. YOU.MUST.BUY.NOW. my review!)



• satin scarf !!!  which should be a silk pillowcase or scarf (why silk vs. satin?) buy here



• denman d3 brush (O/S) buy here



• paddle brush buy here
• hairart super rollers (S) buy here (you can get this hairstyle with these rollers. the best twist out ever!)



• small/medium/larg perm rods (for twist and curl & braid and curl styles) (S) buy here
• fhi flat iron (O/S) buy here



• sedu flat iron (O/S) buy here (i’ve had a sedu for as long as i can remember. makes my hair feel like silk! my review!)



• diffusing attachment (S) !!! buy here



• maxiglide flat iron (O/S) buy here

what products from this list do you covet?

Related posts:

1. you probably already own the best natural hair products…
2. big, beautiful, kinky hair!
3. conditioner washing natural hair 101