ag recoil

The Edit | Recent Wavy-Curly Purchases

In more recent years, I’ve tried to calm down on the senseless product purchasing and be more intentional in my product purchasing it general. An unfortunate byproduct of that is that I’ve almost stopped talking (or writing) about products if they don’t make my yearly favourites or seasonal favourites posts, or if they don’t make it to the empties stage, or they are too mangled beyond recognition to include. However, I want to get back into reviewing more products and discussing what I’m using, so let’s get to it, but before I get into it, let me tell you a little bit about my hair: it sits somewhere between wavy and curly, with a fine to medium texture, high density and high porosity, despite being the healthiest its ever been.

1. Curlsmith Flawless Finish Curl Enhancing Hairspray Stronger Hold ($37 CDN | 283 mL)

At first, I tried this hairspray before diffusing, as I’ve heard using hairsprays then can add extra hold and lift whilst reducing drying time, which resulted in multiple failures. It completely just destroyed all of my curl clumps and added weird separation and grit to my hair. I’m happy to report that it’s excellent, however, when used either right after diffusing or when the hair is completely dry. It adds a bit of grit when sprayed into the roots, which is particularly helpful at the back of my head where my waves tend to stick flat to my head and adds some extra hold and curl definition overall. It’s not overly sticky or crunchy either, despite being on the harder hold end of things. It really does help with getting some root lift, especially on clean hair, but I can’t wait to try it out in humidity as a way to add extra hold and humidity resistance — I am a girl whose hair reacts to humidity and who loves hold.

2. AG Hair Re:Coil Curl Activator ($26 CDN | 178 mL)

Back in late 2018-early 2019, when I started following the curly girl method for the second time, this was actually the first curl cream that I tried that I enjoyed using, but it wasn’t my favourite curl cream in existence. However, I’ve heard a lot of the curly people I follow raving about it and then it was on drastic sale on Amazon, and here we are. I made sure to get the squeeze tube packaging this time, as I have ‘fond’ memories of trying to get the pump unclogged on the original bottle I had. I’m enjoying it. It’s a curl activator, compared to your standard curl cream, so it contains magnesium sulfate which helps your curls, waves or whatever spring up thanks to its shrinking/reforming action on disulphide bonds. This means that it can be kind of drying and separating on the hair — as it is epsom salt –, thus, it can really enhance curls but can also add this gritty feeling. I really enjoy the texture and curl enhancement and like “stick” to individual curl clumps this gel-cream adds, but I can find it kind of drying and separating to curl clumps when not paired with the right other products, used in the correct ratio or quantities. I do enjoy that it also contains humidity-blocking polyquats and hydrolyzed proteins and that it offers a solid light to maybe medium hold on its own, making it usable without a gel on top, and great for refreshing. It adds great grit and root volume as well, but a little goes a long way in this regard. It doesn’t give the best curl clumps in the world but the curl clumps do really stick together that it forms and it gives me great ringlets. It’s a really solid curl cream but not my holy grail, I’d say.

3. Innersense I Create Definition Styling Foam ($16 CDN | 70 mL)

For years now, I have heard great things about Innersense and had the natural line available to me but I hadn’t been overly tempted to try it, likely because lightweight super-water-soluble products aren’t my priority, and I had always associated the company with greenwashing. However, I really like this foam. I love the availability of travel sizes that aren’t terrible value for money and I enjoy how super-concentrated it is (even on my hair that seems to eat hair products) and I really enjoy the super firm hold it has. The first time I used it was a total learning curve, as I didn’t realize a foam could be this high hold with such little product, and I didn’t realize just how texturizing it could be. It adds a lot of grit to the hair which really helps with getting lift that lasts, especially at the roots, and is so lightweight that it feels like a water. I prefer the product in wash day to be used sparingly, as otherwise it can be really gritty and separate my clumps more than I’d like, but it’s also a fantastic refresher for when your curls are looking a little limp and need a boost and some hold back. Looking at the ingredient list, I have no idea what is giving this product all the hold; is it sorcery? It relies on sucrose, polysaccharides and aloe, with some seed extracts and oils thrown in at the bottom of the ingredient list. Also, this travel size is going to last me ages and ages.

4. Treluxe Soothe & Restore Aloe Vera Curl Primer ($30.99 CDN | 236.5 mL)

While this isn’t the first product of it’s kind, to aid in the detangling process either for before or after shampooing, it’s pretty unique in that it’s also marketed to be used as a leave-in product to help style curls as well. Most of my experience with this product has been as a pre-poo, either applied before dry detangling or before detangling in the shower. It works great in this regard, as it adds a lot of slip, making the detangling process physically easier, as well as easier on the psyche, as someone with hair that is prone to tangling-snarling. Applying it prior to shampooing also helps protects the lengths and ends of the hair from the drying effects of shampooing. I’m curious to try it as a curl-clumping refreshing product, as it’s so lightweight, but I haven’t experimented with it yet in that way. I have tried it as a leave-in product before applying curl cream and I will say that it gave me beautifully smooth curl clumps while styling, but the two slippery products did end up interfering with the hold of my gel. I will need to experiment with it further, it seems. It contains glycerin, aloe, hydrogenated castor oil, a couple of polymers and other humectants so it remains lightweight without any real hold properties.

5. Curlsmith Effortless Waves Styling Spray ($37 CDN | 237 mL)

This was kind of a stupid hair-product-hoarding-slash-purchasing choice for me as my hair is absolutely not weighed down by the traditional Curlsmith stylers from the original line — and I love the definition and control they provide — and that I tend to find wave sprays annihilate my curl clumps and create frizz. Nevertheless, I bought this because it was specifically marketed to wavy hair and my hair falls on the wavy side of the spectrum, as it doesn’t universally curl from the roots (even though parts of my hair do form into loose ringlets and spirals). While I find that it doesn’t provide enough hold as a wash-day styler and breaks up curl clumps more than I’d like, I do enjoy it as a refresher spray. Unfortunately, I’m not someone who can just haphazardly spray refresher spray all over their hair without creating a frizzy mess, but when glazed in or sprayed on specific curl clumps, it adds some grit and texture that helps with root volume (especially at the back of my hair that can lie flat especially after sleeping on it or working out) and contains some curl-enhancing ingredients to help the hair spring up. It contains flaxseed extract and chia extract, which aren’t hydrolyzed proteins but do contain proteins and can give hair that bounce, vp/va copolymer to add light flexible soil and has hydrogenated castor oil along with humectants to add lightweight moisture to the hair.

6. Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Frizz-Fighting Touch-Up Balm ($27.99 CDN | 56g)

The Featherlight Touch-Up Gel Cream from this line has been an often repurchased product of mine, as I love that it can refresh hair without water or adding weight, so I had to try the richer oil-based balm in the same line. Despite being marketed primarily in humid conditions, it’s great for sealing ends, especially in drier weather conditions (i.e. winter in the northeast). It definitely seals overall and is not too heavy for my high-porosity waves. When applied to individual strands it lends overall control, can help to scrunch out the crunch and add some definition. It is not water soluble, however, containing candelilla wax, shea butter, murumuru butter, castor seed oil and numerous other oils so will need a shampoo of some variety in order to remove. Overall, I really like it, however, only time will tell whether or not it adds something above and beyond what the oils and serums I usually use provide, for taming controlling and re-defining curls as a next-day.

Any thoughts?

Curly Girl Method Update | 9 Months

I’ve been following the Curly Girl Method for a solid nine months now and while the journey has definitely had its ups and downs and I’ve had my good days and bad days, I’ve gotten to a place where I can really enjoy experimenting with hair products and learning about them without it feeling like it’s taken over my life. I did cut five inches off my hair, which has definitely helped and relayered my hair. In all my trials with my hair, these are my favourite products at this point in my journey. As a frame of reference my hair is fine, I have high density hair, high porosity and hair that falls into mainly a 2c kind of pattern with the right kind of products. For reasons I don’t entirely understand, my hair always looks straighter in pictures…

DSC_0077

IMG_0847.JPG

As I Am Coconut Cowash ($11.99 CDN | Sally’s Beauty Supply): I’ve discussed this cleansing conditioner before in a fairly recent post, so I’ll do my best to keep this brief. As someone who has fine hair (but loads of it) and a scalp that can get easily pissed off, cowashing has not been for me for the most part. However, I really like this one. It’s slightly more cleansing than the traditional cleansing conditioner and has out of this world slip. I like using it in between washes with a sulfate-free cleanser, especially in the cooler seasons. It’s also nourishing enough that I can use it as my one product to cleanse and condition when I’m feeling lazy.

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Conditioner ($11.96 CDN | Walmart): Shea Moisture conditioners, shampoos and masks have been a favourite of mine for a long time but this easily accessible conditioner was an impulse purchase that I don’t regret in the slightest. It won’t be for everyone because it has a bit of weight – which is why I find it curl clumping – and doesn’t have the most slip that I’ve ever experiences. However, I like how concentrated it is, how much moisture it brings to my thirsty hair and the juicy clumps it helps bring to life without weighing my fine waves and curls down. It uses shea butter, argan oil, coconut oil and a touch of hydrolyzed silk protein.

Curl Junkie Repair Me Reconstructive Hair Treatment ($34 CDN | honeyfig.com): This is a deep conditioner that is both protein rich and deeply nourishing. It’s not easy to get a hold of in Canada but it has been worth the hassle in my opinion. I’ve been using it since January on a regular basis and I love how nourishing (and detangling) it is, while containing hydrolyzed keratin protein as the fourth ingredient. My hair was never in dire health or anything but it responds well to protein, being fine and porous. I don’t notice a sudden huge increase in elasticity and bounce but it’s always smooth, shiny and forms nicely clumped up curls after I’ve used it. I think it would appeal to many, especially because it’s a treatment that works but doesn’t even contain shea butter, coconut oil or any of those ingredients that are too heavy for some.

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask ($47 CDN | Sephora): Honestly, I’ve only had this hyped-up deep conditioner for about a month but it’s given me such happy hair that I couldn’t compile this post without including. It has a bunch of fatty alcohols, which lend slip, panthenol, biotin, argan and avocado oils, aloe and some hydrolyzed keratin protein. The texture of it is light and fluffy whilst deeply hydrating my curls and helping them clump together. It’s a nice balance of protein and moisture, as everyone seems to say and the slip was really nice. It’s a lighter weight deep conditioner that doesn’t sacrifice on the nourishment it lends.

Devacurl Leave-In Decadence ($36 CDN | Chatters and select Sephoras): As someone who has finer and wavier strands and who tends to use heavier conditioners – without rinsing them completely out – I often find leave ins heavy and dismiss them as an overpriced, needless step. However, I like this newer product from Devacurl. It’s much lighter weight than the rest of the Decadence line and features coconut oil, pequi fruit oil, hydrolyzed quinoa protein, argan oil, avocado oil and aloe in the top of the ingredient list. It smells amazing, even from someone who typically does not enjoy the smell of coconuts; it’s a musky coconut and baby powder kind of scent. It helps my hair remained clumped, smooth and moisturized without compromising volume and bounce.

Devacurl B’Leave In Miracle Curl Plumper ($26.55 CDN | Chatters and select Sephoras): When I want to spend a bit of extra time and effort on my hair and to get my best curls and waves, I apply this protein-rich gelee before my gel. It relies on glycerin, wheat amino acids and a couple of different kinds of hydrolyzed protein to enhance curls. It really helps my fragile curls to clump together and adds additional bounce.

Devacurl Supercream Coconut Curl Styler ($38 CDN | Chatters and select Sephoras): This hot and humid summer has helped me rediscover my love of curl cream, with a little help from a Sephora 100 point perk. This curl cream is definitely intended for tighter and drier textures than mine. However, I love the curl clumping and control it provides without weighing down my hair. I find I can actually get away with using it as a standalone product but I get my best results pairing it with a gel. It provides light hold on its own and adds the right touch of moisture to my waves and curls. It’s glycerin heavy and also has coconut oil and jojoba protein in it.

Devacurl Ultra Defining Gel ($32 CDN | Chatters and select Sephoras): Writing this post has made me realize how much I’ve been enjoying Devacurl products this summer. I’ve been consistently pairing this gel with a curl cream either on wet or damp hair and I don’t really have any complaints. It’s a gel that’s loaded with hydrolyzed proteins, which are known to be curl enhancing, lending structure to the hair and protective in the sense that they work to block out humidity. It’s glycerin rich — my hair likes glycerin at all dew points — and offers medium-firm hold without much crunch, while being lightweight. It’s also a godsend that this gel doesn’t leave my hair wet for hours like some do.

AG Re:coil Curl Activator ($22/$38 CDN | Chatters and select salons): This cream-gel of sorts was something I had added to my collection when I started the Curly Girl Method for the first time, but it wasn’t until restarting the journey last December that I really began to enjoy the product. In fact, this is even a repurchase. It sits somewhere between a traditional cream and a gel, with more hold than a cream whilst still lending enhancement. This is a product that I find can help encourage the hair to spiral when paired with a harder hold product on day one but really shines as a product used to refresh my curls and waves combined with water. Also, it performs well for me in all dew points.

Ouidad Vitalcurl Tress Effects Styling Gel ($34.28 CDN | ulta.com): Within the first week or two of restarting the Curly Girl Method, I was lucky enough to find a litre size of the old bottle — formula is hardly any different ingredient wise — for maybe twenty dollars upon seeing it didn’t have silicones or drying alcohols in it. While it did not perform the greatest in the super humid weather this summer, I have gone back to this gel since the weather has began to simmer down and have rekindled my love of it. It’s a lightweight gel with medium hold — but can be built with a second application – that has nice slip, provides the hair with shine and moisture. I enjoy it in mild to subzero temperatures. It contains glycerin, humidity-resistant polymers, film-forming humectants and a modified form of shea butter.

Any thoughts?
Maggie, x.

More Hair Empties

I’ve been following the Curly Girl Method for over six months now and while I certainly still have days when my hair does not cooperate, I think everything is falling into place. I even mustered up the courage to cut 5 inches off my hair and add lots of layers. I do admit, I’m getting much more bounce in my waves and curls now. I’ve certainly made dents in a lot of hair products – but I still bought more, don’t worry – and even finished some of them. Here’s the lowdown:

DSC_0065.JPG

As I Am Coconut Cowash ($11.99/454g): As someone with a tumultuous relationship with cleansing conditioners and co-washes, my love for this As I Am offering is surprising. It’s silicone and sulfate free with a kind of runny but thick consistency that emulsifies and suds ever so slightly when worked into the scalp. I find it to be slightly more cleansing than typical cleansing conditioners with an excellent amount of slip and moisture. I don’t find myself having to reach for a separate conditioner when I use this co-wash and I don’t find that my roots are flat or my scalp is irritated like I do with other products of this category. I was actually legitimately sad when I finished the tub of the cleanser and have repurchased a new one since.

Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate + Repair Conditioner ($13.99/305 mL): I really enjoyed using this incredibly thick conditioner because it was fairly inexpensive, really helped to clump my curls and offered sufficient slip for detangling my knot-prone tresses. While the texture itself was thick, I think this is on the lighter end of the spectrum for Shea Moisture in the sense that they add less weight then some other products by the brand. When I’m around a store that actually has this conditioner in stock, I will pick it up again. For those curious, it contains slip agents, fatty alcohols, shea butter, glycerin, honey, yogurt and a few notable plant oils for the most part. It contains a very minimal amount of protein.

AG Re:Coil Curl Activator ($38/355 mL): I can confirm that this curl cream lasts far beyond its expected shelf life. I picked it up a couple of years ago and wasn’t initially overly impressed with this lightweight cream styler. When used on its own and on soaking wet hair, I didn’t find it did much but now when used on my damp hair, underneath a styler with more hold, I like the boost that it gives my finer curls and waves. It contains a film forming polymer, fatty alcohols, a starch to add grit, glycerin and a small curl-enhancing magnesium sulfate. It has a light hold on its own and lends great bounce to the hair and works quite well as a refreshing product. I repurchased on Prime Day happily for quite a discount.

Jessicurl Rockin’ Ringlets Styling Potion ($24/237 mL): Honestly, I’m on the fence whether to repurchase this thin flaxseed based curl enhancer. I used the brown liquid as intended onto soaking wet hair without noticing much of a difference – and creating a bit of a mess because of how liquid-y the product is. It wasn’t until I tried applying the product into my damp hair that it went farther and helped to tighten up droopier curls. It has virtually no hold in my experience, especially when used as directed. My one comment about this product is that it does not help to clump curls in the slightest; instead, it creates defined more separated curls with flaxeed, glycerin, aloe, jojoba oil and magnesium sulfate.

Curls Creme Brule Whipped Curl Cream ($14.99/ 240 mL): At first, I found myself quite disappointed with this product because I bought it thinking it was primarily a styler only to discover that on my hair, it performed more like a leave in or moisturizer. It doesn’t offer any hold – nor does it promise to – and while it decreases frizz, smooths the strands and adds hydration, it doesn’t do too much to help with curl formation and definition. I did quite enjoy reaching for this birthday cake scented medium-weight leave in once I stopped trying to use it as a styler. It contains aloe, glycerin, a few oils and shea butter.

Any thoughts?
Maggie, x.

The Essentials| Winter & High Porosity Hair

I’ve been following the Curly Girl Method again for over a month and have to admit that I’ve become happier with my hair. I’ve been able to achieve more consistent results and curls and have noticed an improvement in how my hair is clumping towards the ends and an increase in curl definition all over my head. What’s the most impressive about this is that I’ve had luck with my waves in the winter, when I typically dislike my hair the most during the winter. Much of what I’ve learned for what works in my hair has come from learning about my hair characteristics and not just about my wavy curl pattern. Looking into my porosity and its significance has been particularly helpful. I believe understanding my hair porosity is what has helped me to get better results and improvement this time around.


Porosity, as a reminder, is the measure of how your hair responds to and holds onto moisture. Those with higher porosity hair find that their hair absorbs moisture easily but also does not retain it well. I’ve always had hair that hairdressers commented on as being incredibly porous. However, I was beginning to doubt my porosity because my hair floated in that strand test, which by the way can be incredibly inaccurate. My hair is fine but high density and this heaviness can make it seem like my strands are easily weighed down, which is not the case. My hair absorbs any moisture incredibly quickly, loses moisture quickly, tangles intensely and reacts terribly with humidity. Despite not being damaged, my hair’s cuticles remain open. Here are some of the products that worked well for my higher porosity hair and a brief explanation of why they work on my high porosity hair, especially in the cold Canadian winter.

Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate and Repair Multi-Action Leave In ($14.99 CDN): I’ve loved having this milky spray leave-in around this winter because of its lightweight nature – it never weighs down my finer waves or my roots that tend to fall flat because of their weight – and versatility. I like using it as a leave-in on wet hair for an extra dose of protein, to help clump and smooth my curls and as an extra layer of moisture. It contains a water-soluble silicone which I don’t mind in the slightest because my hair does not tend to easily experience build up and it acts as a heat-protectant – a godsend when I diffuse. It has some nice slip, too, and a light dose of shea butter and oils, which my hair sucks right up. I love using it as a refresher spray after my curls have fallen out on subsequent days, adding hydration without weight, when paired with a styler. It also works well to fix a wayward curl via dampening and pin-curling. I’ve heard that Canadians are starting to see this pop up in drugstores as well, which is exciting.

Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Anti-Frizz Max Hold Gel ($16.99 CDN): In my experience, high porosity hair that sucks everything up and has a tendency to get frizzy and dry – especially in the winter – needs a harder hold gel. This one has the strongest hold out of most of the gels I’ve tried without being drying or heavy and I find gives me the best multi-day hair because it reduces the frizz factor from refreshing and actually stays working in my hair overnight and beyond. I find many gels disappear in my thirsty hair overnight and I lose definition and frizz creeps in. It has protein which can be a plus for most high porosity people and contains shea butter and a few plant oils to help nourish the hair and seal it. It does contain a lot of the humectant, glycerin, but it also has lots of anti-humectants as well which prevents moisture from being sucked out of the hair.
Shea Moisture Mongongo & Hemp Seed Oils High Porosity Moisture-Correct Masque ($16.99 CDN): I’m realizing now that I’m talking endlessly about Shea Moisture for my high porosity recommendations but they truly do work on my finer high porosity hair in this cold Canadian winter especially. Unfortunately, this one isn’t readily available here in stores – I’ve had to order it online. It’s a blend of fatty alcohols, butters, a few slip agents, oils and a mild to moderate dose of protein. It’s not heavy but it definitely hydrates thirsty hair, reduces frizz and helps my curls clump nicely. I use it as either a standard conditioner in the shower but it makes an excellent deep conditioner. The butters and oils keep hydration in my hair for longer than a minute and seem to ward off frizz and it offers a dose of protein that higher porosity hair tends to crave, especially if its fine like mine. Doing full weekly deep conditioning treatments have become essential for me during the harsh winter weather and this is my product of choice.
AG Hair Recoil Curl Activator ($22/$38 CDN): While AG isn’t exactly a particularly budget conscious line, the salon brand is super easy to find in Canada, at many salons and is sold at Chatters, the popular chain. This cult favourite curl cream is one of their many sulfate and silicone free products and can easily be purchased. In the cold Canadian winter, adding a lightweight and curl enhancing cream to my routine has really helped my hair to retain moisture and clump nicely. I use it before gel and I find that it keeps my hair defined and help my curls underneath clump more nicely into spirals. It does contain humectants but it also has film-forming ingredients that seem to minimize the hydration loss and frizzing. Adding this curl cream to my routine this winter has really helped with my hair being smoother and in more hydrated, bouncy curls.
Deva Curl One Condition Delight ($26-30 CDN): Including Deva Curl’s most lightweight conditioner might seem like a strange choice in a post about thirsty winter hair but hear me out… In the winter, my hair is much drier, more tangly, frizzy at the crown and lifeless. It needs babying and constant nourishment from the elements, dry air and friction from rubbing against scarves and coats. However, when you have fine hair like I do that can get weighed down in certain sections, a great nourishing but lightweight conditioner can be your best friend. I like this one because it’s curl enhancing for me with the protein and the linseed and my hair drinks it up. I like using it as a leave-in and as a standard conditioner, but not rinsing it out whatsoever. I also alternate my typical gentle shampoo with co-washing and I reach for this one often because it has the slip I want and doesn’t contribute to flat roots, as some can. It does contain glycerin but it also has film-forming humectants which are helpful for reducing moisture loss in colder weather and minimizing frizzing that occurs. It’s an excellent complement to the more butter and oil rich products that I rely on to keep my hair moisturized.

Any thoughts?
Maggie, x.