After my last haircut at Ouidad, I decided that this summer I would go full force with my curls. That meant no pony tails and no clips. Just my natural curls, and whatever products it would take to manage them for the next few months.
Why you ask? Simple. My stylist schooled me about the dangers of pony tails and how they ultimately destroy your hair. Given my recent scare, where my hair mysteriously started to thin, (which was later determined to be the result of my lack of meat consumption), I took this lesson very seriously.
This summer my bathroom saw in influx of curl creams, gels, lotions, oils, you name it. Some worked, and some worked better. So I decided to pick my favorites and create a list to share with my fellow curly haired lovelies. Scroll down to see which ones made the cut!
novex is a Brazilian brand designed especially for curly hair, which I've been using for a couple of years now. I love these shampoos because they don't dry out my hair, and the added keratin attacks any frizz.
I prefer to wash my hair at night and then re- wet it in the morning. I do so with Curly Hair Solutions H2O The Best Water Bottle for Fabulous Curls. It sounds silly but this isn't your average water bottle. It's designed to provide a "continuous" mist that covers a larger area of curls, and allows you to wet your hair faster and more evenly. I have long hair so this definitely saves me time, and it's pretty durable.
Curly Hair Solutions' Original Total Control for Frizzy Hair, paired with the Tames Textured Hair Styling Cream work amazingly for me. The Total Control has a water-like consistency that I brush throughout my hair. It helps minimize frizz, and doesn't weigh my hair down. The Styling Cream has a thicker consistency that locks my curls in place and still manages to keep them soft. No 90's wet look here! (Spoiler alert; NONE of these products leave me with hard, crunchy curls. Finally!)
O&M Styling Guru is an absolute must have. It not only keeps my curls soft and manageable, but it smells amazing! I like this one a lot because the texture is quite thin. It allows for volume and definition, yet still has enough strength to keep my curls under control. It comes in a pump too so it's also easy to apply and distribute.
Love Beauty and Planet Medium Hold Volume Hair Spray is a new product I came across by way of the fabulous FreeBeautyEvents, and I am SO grateful for the intro! A 2019 Allure Best of Beauty Award Winner, it is infused with coconut milk and white jasmine, and smells incredible. The unique bottle is powered by air, and dispenses a delicate mist. After applying any gel/cream, I spritz this on the top of my head as the finishing touch. It keeps fly aways at bay and makes it easy to put any stragglers back in place.
The Ouidad Vitalcurl Shampoo and Conditioner was recommended to me by my stylist at Ouidad. They work to balance your hair's PH levels while gently cleansing and providing moisture. I alternated between these and novex.
Undoubtedly, these two have been my go-tos throughout the summer (as you can see from the empty Mongongo Oil bottle, and near empty gel bottle :) After learning about the havoc Moroccan oil reeks on hair (weighs it down, and basically eats away at it, in case you didn't know), I ditched anything with it on the label.
I replaced it with Mongongo Oil. It contains Vitamin E which is helpful for repairing split end. Plus, Mongongo actually washes out when I shampoo, while the Moroccan Oil didn't. Scary.
The Heat & Humidity Gel is my favorite gel to date. It's everything I could want and more; lightweight, good control and hold, minimal frizz, easy to apply, a small amount goes a long way, creates definition, and keeps my curls s.o.f.t. It has a thin consistency for a gel, and still manages to get the job done better then the heavier ones I've tried. Curly girls, you will love this one.
Finally, once my curls have dried, I finish them off with a few drops of the Shine Glaze Serum. It provides some added softness and extra protection against frizz.
The end result?......
