Now that it's been nearly 4 years....

I have been meaning to write this post for a long time, but just haven't found the time. Very soon, in May I believe, will mark my 4 year Curly Girl anniversary! Has it really been that long? Wow...
The reason I bring up my CG anniversary is because for this last year or so, my hair has been drastically different. It all started when I hacked off almost 4 inches of hair, which I truly think must have been the very last of my pre-CG hair. (It was really long....)
The number one difference I have noticed is that, it seems less porous. It is staying well hydrated as opposed to drying out over time as it had in the past. This is truly strange for me. I have been so used to working hard to keep my hair moisturized that now that it doesn't need so much moisture, I find myself a little lost. Co-washing is now too much for my hair. I now wash with a gentle low-poo instead of co-washing. I don't need to do oil pre-washes anymore. I use 1/4 of the amount of conditioner I used to. Even with all these changes, my hair still seems overly soft a lot. I am just not used to this.
Another major change is that the hair at the nape of my neck is healthier, smoother, and no longer gets tangled if I move my head wrong. That area also used to be plagued with splits. I would have to do a search and destroy every week just to keep the splits in check. Speaking of splits, they are almost non-existent in the rest of my hair, too. My canopy, especially in the front, used to split quite often. I just noticed a few splits the other day after not touching my hair with scissors for months.
I knew CG was working for me all along, but I had assumed the way my hair was prior to those last 4 inches being cut off was just the way it WAS. I now find myself starting the journey to learn my hair all over again. I don't know how often to do a protein treatment, deep condition, clarify etc. It's pretty exciting, really.
The point of this post, however, is to impress upon you to keep at it! Just when you think your hair may be the best it's going to get, it may surprise you and get even better! It really is just a matter of time. So keep up with your pre-wash treatments, your protein treatments (for those who are not protein sensitive), and your deep treatments. Try stretching out the time between washes, too. If you usually wash every other day, go for every 3. Keep getting regular trims, and if you can stand it, cutting off a few more inches of the old pre-CG hair. It is important to keep trimming/cutting off the older more damaged parts because damage has a tendency to spread. Splits get bigger, more frayed, and catch on other hairs creating friction which can damage hair even more, not to mention creating more frizz because the damaged hair can't "lay" properly.
If you find yourself getting discouraged, overwhelmed, or just need a little encouragement, I encourage you to join The Wavy Hair Community on Facebook (please read the rules and the "how to join" posts!). The ladies there are always great, and welcome all textures of hair from beachy waves to tight coils.. we love it all and don't discriminate (but be prepared for major curl envy if you have coils...) That group has helped me through so much with my hair, I can honestly say that this approaching anniversary would not be possible with out them.

I haven't posted in a long time.. but...

I don't know how many of you know about Influenster, but it's pretty great, Basically, you connect all of your social media accounts to it. You do some activities on the website, and every once in a while, they will send you a pre-qualifying survey for a VoxBox. What's a VoxBox? It's FREE STUFF. The catch? You have to review the products, and help promote them among your social media accounts. And that's why I am posting about Influenster now.. because I received the Influenster #TryDry VoxBox, and now it's time for a review.
In my #TryDry VoxBox, I received Dove Nourished Beauty 48 hour Dry Spray.

Now, I have been using Secret Invisible Solid for YEARS. It has been my HG deo. I never liked sprays. I felt like I had to walk around with my arms out forever waiting for it to dry. Isn't the point of an anti-persperant to AVOID wet pits? Yeah... gross feeling. I had my doubts this spray was actually "dry spray" I figured it might dry faster than I was used to but I was sure I would get icky wet pit feeling at least at first. I was wrong. It totally lived up to it's name. It never, ever felt wet to me.
Another feature of antiperspirant/deodorant that I am pretty picky is scent. I checked out the Dry Spray on the Dove Website and yes, it does come in other scents. However, this one is surprisingly nice. Fresh and nuetral, not the baby powder scent I love, but still pretty nice. This one is sort of a light powdery floral. I don't usually like floral, but it reminds me a bit of Awapuhi, which is such a fresh clean floral that it almost not floral. Another win for Dove Dry Spray.
As for how proformance... it's pretty outstanding. It does live up to it's 48 hours claim (providing you aren't getting too sweaty during that time). It also left my pits feeling soft and mosturized, and did not sting freshly shaved skin. What?! Yep, you heard me (or read me... whatever)! It really did not sting.
The last thing that has sold me on this is that with my previous deo, sometimes (especially in summer) it could sometimes feel a little heavy or gunky. You definitely knew it was there. It really was invisible, but you could still FEEL it. Not so with the spray. It really feels like nothing at all.
The only con, but kind of a big one... is the aerosol can. Yeah, I know, it wouldn't be dry spray any other way. But I feel guilty every time I spray it.
So the big question for me I guess is, are all the pros enough to outweigh the con? I am undecided on that at the moment, honestly!
I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.