devacurl set it free

The Review | DevaCurl Set It Free

The number of hair products that I’ve bought in the last two or three months is terrifying, even to my product hoarding desensitized self. My posts might have died off in the last few weeks as I have not been feeling the greatest, but I’ve been experimenting with anything and everything to make my waves/curls look their best – without the aid of heat. Generally-speaking I’ve been following the curly girl method – well, technically in a modified way because I feel the need to use a few products with silicones – and I’ve been trying every single product combination that I can think of, both new and old. With this experimentation, I’m thinking about doing a series of curly hair product reviews. And obviously a product from the brand that started it all, Deva Curl seems to be the way to go.

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I’m not sure that I’ve ever spoken about the DevaCurl Set It Free Moisture Lock ($25) but there’s a reason for it. I’ve had this staple DevaCurl product for well over a year, yet I’ve struggled to come to a definite conclusion with how I feel about it. It falls onto that love-hate spectrum for me and from the reviews that I’ve read my experience is fairly usual – you either love it or you hate it. I simply can’t decide where exactly on the spectrum I fall. It’s a confusing product in the first place because of its versatility but I would have to describe it as a leave-in or moisturizing refreshing spray with some curl enhancing ability and hold.

If you’ve tried DevaCurl products or have had your hair styled by a Deva-certified stylist, I’m sure that you have had experience with this product – it’s part of the four step core Deva routine that they seem to use on just about everyone. I have two main issues with this product that stop me from really enjoying it and reaching for it on a regular basis – t’s scent and the feel in my hair. It smells like sour skittles in a way that cannot be described as anything resembling subtlety and does not dissipate and it feels sticky. Also, it feels product-y in the hair like you would not believe – regardless of how you use it. It does have its benefits, defining the curl, particularly at stubbornly flat roots, providing hold and reducing frizz, but the feel that it leaves in my hair – regardless of the amount used – leaves much to be desired. I’m not a fan of using it in freshly washed hair because of how unbelievably sticky it is and how it can separate my curls in an unflattering way. I don’t find it particularly moisturizing either and as someone who has unbelievably tangly hair, I hate how it has the tendency to tangle up my locks.

The one way that I do somewhat enjoy the product is as a curl refresher. It still can be a bit sticky and feels product-y, but it’s to a lesser extent and I don’t mind it because of the way it boosts my limp and flattened curls, refreshing the old product and adding a bit of bounce – all while depositing some hold that reduces frizz and ensures that the curls don’t fall afterwards.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Glycerin, Isopropyl Myristate, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Lipids, Beeswax (Cera Alba, Cire d’abeille), Melissa Officinalis Extract, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Ceteareth-20, PVP, Aminomethyl Propanol, DMDM Hydantoin, Fragrance (Parfum)

Have you tried anything by DevaCurl?
Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

Two Haircare Acquisitions

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After failing to book a hair appointment for over eleven months without any real cause other than sheer laziness, I buckled down and got a good few inches taken off and loads of layers put it on Friday morning. I’m a fan, already despite not being good with change – but it shouldn’t be a shock considering that looser wimpier curls like mine always look more bouncy and voluminous while layered. Anyway, I also used the salon as an opportunity to pick up two products and I thought that I would share my purchases and some preliminary thoughts.

DSC_0068DSC_0070Pureology Curl Complete Moisture Melt Masque ($50 CDN)

After using the Precious Oil Softening Masque for almost a year and loving it, I recently ran out and given my love for the brand, it should not be a surprise that I went to pick up another deep treatment from the brand when I got my hair cut. There is no getting around the fact that this deep conditioner is pricy but in my experience, Pureology offerings seem to be worth the investment, concentrated and effective. I was interested in the new curl range from Pureololgy as soon as I heard that it launched but as soon as I heard that lots of the products not only included silicones, but also boasted about their detangling and shine-enhancing properties in their claims, I was more than a little bit wary, however, upon discovering that the silicone was amodimethicone and hearing my hair stylist praise the product, I decided I would give it a go. I’ve used this twice in the place of a regular conditioner – I tend to use deep treatments in this way consistently – and I’ve been very pleased with the results. It has a hydrating oil-infused but lightweight texture that is quite gel-like and what struck me was how effective it was at detangling my mass of hair and how conditioned yet bouncy it left my hair. It might just do what it promises, conditioning while enhancing curl and not weighing down the hair in the slightest. Two other noteworthy properties were the impressive novel pump packaging and the slightly different floral scent that was still luscious.

DevaCurl Set It Free Moisture Lock ($26 CDN)

I hadn’t intended on picking up a second product with my hair cut but upon discussing my hair once again in relation to products to my stylist, she voiced her opinion that this misting spray would solve a multitude of my hair issues — add texture, especially to clean hair, add moisture to the hair and refresh the curls after being slept on. I mean I’ve heard loads of people with similar hair concerns rave about the spray before but this was the final push that made me bite the bullet. I  appreciated that this was one of the few sprays of its kind formulated without silicones and have been enjoy using this spray both on wet hair as a leave-in and to refresh it, but I can definitely assert that it should be applied into the hands first and then scrunched into the hair especially on dry hair — the beeswax that helps to add texture to the hair in the product can feel quite sticky otherwise. I have to say that while I’m not altogether put off by the jolly-ranchers-esque scent that the spray has, I do not particularly enjoy it and it’s potent.

Have you picked up any hair products recently?
Maggie, x.