mystery product revealed @ last! WINNER ANNOUNCED!

UPDATE: hey all, & thanks to all who entered!  a commenter just pointed out that I listed the ending date of the contest incorrectly–i typed July 19th, but it was actually June 19th!  i’m so sorry!!!

the winner was announced via facebook & twitter on June 19th:  congrats to nuri, of nuriabdurrauf.com!  i’m so sorry for puttin the wrong date up there yall!!  i’ll get it right on the next giveaway, which is coming up soon!

——

a handful of days ago i put up a teaser pic on facebook for the review of what i think is one of the best hair products i have ever used since going natural. and now, it’s time for the big reveal. without further achoo, ladies and the few gentlemen who may care:

this is Syd & Mea’s Finishing Slick by Syd & Mea’s Natural Products. and it. is. AMAZING.

i really just want to type the words ‘ZOMG GO BUY THIS NOW!’ but i’ll try to do better than that.

the website describes this product as “the perfect moisturizing conditioner to beauty, condition, and grow your hair,” and in corresponding with Shontae Ramsey, the line’s owner, she also mentioned that it’s also good for eczema. this was right up my alley, because i have hair, and skin, and some of that skin has eczema. still, i was a little wary because i’m always wary when it comes to products that are made for both the hair AND body; it always seems that they’re either too heavy for my hair or not heavy enough for my skin and i end up using them for one or the other exclusively. but i kept my mind open and decided to try it. everywhere.

the product arrived in an unassuming standard brown cardboard shipping box, but had the company’s logo imprinted on the inside flaps along with a little message to recycle the packaging. very natural, earthy, and green feeling. i always appreciate little touches like that.

i don’t know what i expected of a product called a “finishing slick,” but i opened the jar to find that what i got wasn’t what i pictured. it wasn’t slick or slippery at all, as the name suggested to me. the texture is like… it’s not completely solid, but not liquid either. it’s definitely not creamy, but emulsifies very easily when you rub some between your hands. and then, the texture isn’t oily but just kind of.. kind of like a body butter. that’s a good way to describe it. only not quite as thick.

the scent is very nice; not fruity or manufactured smelling. just a light, natural smelling scent, sort of reminiscent of licorice and cinnamon. it’s not strong at all, and the scent doesn’t linger long, which is bad if you really like the scent, but good if you’re layering products and would rather have another scent take the lead. i like it though.

now the most important thing: this stuff does WONDERS for my hair. doesn’t matter what else i have in it; this is always the star. it penetrates and absorbs amazingly well, leaving me with THOROUGHLY moisturized & really well defined curls. all the added moisture means lots of bounce and spring and sproing, and i don’t even really have to use a gel or holding product on over it–my wash and gos last almost TWICE as long as they usually do when i have the Finishing Slick in it. this is good because it means longer-lasting good looking hair, and bad because i’m lazy as hell and will go weeks without washing if i can get away with it (i dont, but don’t think im not tempted!). here is a picture of my 1st wash & go on day one, shortly after i washed and used this product. and here’s a picture of my hair…

..ON DAY FIVE.

!!

it reactivates VERY well with water.. each morning, i get up, spritz with water, let it sit a bit, put some of the finishing slick on my fingertips & fluff, and voila! i’ve tried products that didn’t leave my hair looking half as good on the first freaking day. this stuff is magical. and you’d think that something that moisturizes the way this does would be really heavy, but it’s even light and gentle enough for my baby niece’s hair! (she liked it so much i had to fight her to get my jar back later.)

and as an added bonus, it’s amazing on the skin too! although i do find that like any butter, it absorbs better when my skin is wet (usually products of this consistency work best in my hair that same way, when it’s really wet, but that’s it seems to absorb just as well on drier hair, too), but it does absorb well, softens, and even calmed my eczema some! it’s great for rough, dry heels (and it’s summer time, so yall need to get that together stat) and gives the legs/thighs a very sexy glisten. i may or may not have gotten felt up the day i put it on. i plead the 5th.

i’ve really been hard pressed to think of a product i like as much as this. if i had to find a product comparable in texture and function, it would probably be Karen’s Body Beautiful’s butter love, which i really, REALLY love (i get similar results with both), but i actually like the Finishing Slick better, for the versatility, if nothing else. and it’s a lot simpler (and a little less greasy) too… it only has four ingredients–avocado butter, cocoa butter, beeswax, and fragrance. KBB’s butter love uses twice the ingredients, and though nothing in there is really bad, i always go for simplicity.

this product is definitely worth the money. this is something that i would splurge for if it was ridiculously outrageous, but at just over 10 bucks for the smallest jar Syd & Mea’s has (4 ounces), i’d say it’s definitely worth it to try the product out and see how it works for you. and if you don’t like it SEND IT TO ME!

and now, the giveaway!

i’ve got a jar of this amazing magical stuff that i’m just aching to give away to someone to see if they like it as much as i do. winning is easy!

1. drop a comment below about your current favorite hair product. have you tried any of Syd and Mea’s products before?
2. like the BMc Facebook page, then find the post that says “Like this post for a chance to win a a jar of the BEST hair product in the world, Syd & Mea’s Finishing Slick!”
3. follow me on Twitter, then tweet the following message: “I hear that @SydandMeas makes the best #naturalhair product EVER! click & RT for a chance to win & see! http://bit.ly/lFe3pT “

that’s it! easy peasy lemon squeezy. you get one entry per action. winners will be drawn at random at noon this coming Sunday, June 19th and announced here the day after. let’s get it on! tell a friend!