devacurl ultra defining gel

Early Summer Empties | Hair & Bodycare

It goes without saying that it’s been a hot minute since a post and I wanted to do something wavy/curly hair related to update you on what I’ve been using on my hair and the results I’ve been able to achieve on a daily basis. However, I took a quick inventory on my empty products and they have kind of taken over the bedroom and bathroom so I wanted to talk about them and recycle them before they expand further. Hair-specific posts to come, I promise, and speaking of hair, let’s start there:

Curlsmith Core Strength Shampoo ($33 CDN | 355 mL)

This lightweight but slippery and moisturizing clear shampoo does it all as a standard everyday kind of shampoo for me. It’s gentle, actually helps to detangle my hair rather than worsening snarls that I’m prone to and removes gunk from heavier styling products and even silicones. The gentle surfactants do not exacerbate my eczema, which is a blessing and make my scalp feel generally pretty happy. The formula contains some protein and amino acids which may help give me some bounce and structure to my hair — I’m iffy how effective they are in a shampoo, however — and lasts a long time. I’ve already repurchased.

Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair Deep Conditioning Hair Mask ($53 CDN | 236 mL)

Was this my third tub of this? I’ve honestly lost track. I don’t say this lightly but it’s likely my holy grail deep conditioner, either for the full-on meal deal deep conditioner with the deep conditioning cap and all or just left on for 5-15 minutes in the shower. It’s lightweight but incredibly hydrating, moisturizing and slippery and gives me the best curl clumps and bounce in my curls and waves afterwards. It contains plant oils without heaviness, biotin and hydrolyzed proteins, along with some lovely slip agents. I’m currently using the Briogeo Curl Charisma Hair Mask, another favourite, but I’m sure I’ll be repurchasing this one afterwards. It’s magical how it can be lightweight but also gives a good number of uses for the money.

Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair Rice Water Protein + Moisture Strengthening Treatment ($59 CDN | 148 mL)

Given the depth of my love for the original hair mask, I had to try the dual-chambered accompanying treatment. I quite like it but it’s nowhere near as essential to me as the mask. It’s a more concentrated protein treatment, accompanied with a moisturizing and hydrating second chamber, with squalane and sweet almond oil. It contains rice water, rice protein and biotin and gives my hair the protein boost and bounce without the weight or moisture of the mask. I don’t use it as described, on the same wash day as the mask but instead as a conditioner or paired with a regular conditioner. I did repurchase but only because I wanted to test it again and it was a great deal with Fab Fit Fun.

Curlsmith Bond Curl Rehab Salve ($39 CDN | 237 mL)

I’ve been enjoying using this bond-builder treatment come protein treatment, but I use it primarily to add some bounce back to my waves and to maintain the condition of my hair with the frequent diffusing I do and mechanical damage that can occur from brush styling. I haven’t used it on truly damaged hair so I can’t speak to it’s ability to restore hair that has already been damaged. I would like to continue experimenting with it so I will likely repurchase with a sale. It contains an intriguing complex of bond-reinforcing ingredients, creatine, chia seed extract and sweet almond oil for moisture. I do notice that some curls that have gone limp do tend to tighten up after use.

Curlsmith Feather-Light Protein Cream ($36 CDN | 237 mL)

This is my favourite curl cream that I’ve ever tried and despite being concentrated, I have finished my third tube of it. I’m pretty sure I had a replacement around the time I was about a third of the way through the tube. As someone with high porosity, fine to medium waves and curls, who has pretty soft water, this helped to clump my curls together and add some grit and structure to my curls that can get kind of soft and limp and lame in parts. The high concentration of protein definitely helps to encourage ringlets and the formula is otherwise light to medium in weight but fairly moisturizing with sweet almond oil and shea butter. It’s a brainless combination under a medium-to-strong hold gel for me.

Curlsmith Curl Defining Styling Souffle ($52 CDN | 473 mL)

I won’t pretend to have any clue what bottle or tub I’m on at this point but this is my most repurchased styling product and probably my favourite overall. I went through a phase where I wasn’t loving it as much over the winter but that’s probably because I was heavy handed with it — which can make it go stringy — and it was so dry and mild that I wasn’t in need of the humidity protective quantities. I also think it may have been an older bottle with slightly less hold but I’m uncertain. I’ve repurchased again. It’s a moisturizing medium-weight custard-y gel that contains flaxseed, irish moss and other film forming humectants and oils to help seal the hair. It’s concentrated and buildable, offering medium to strong hold and juicy curl clumps that last when used properly. Despite being protein-free, I find it quite curl enhancing. It’s good in a humid climate, just not quite as humidity resistant as some of my glue-like gels.

Ouidad Heat & Humidity Gel Stronger Hold ($29.99 – 36 CDN | 250 mL)

This is one of those gels that sits somewhere in between medium and strong hold, depending on the amount use and the amount of moisturizing products underneath, but never forms too much of a cast to scrunch out. It’s super lightweight so it offers control in humidity with polymers and film-forming humectants while still giving volume and bounce. The wheat amino acids and hydrolyzed protein is likely responsible for the curl enhancement I get. I’ll be repurchasing another because it’s so lightweight and good in humidity while being curl enhancing. It’s also among the most frizz-reducing gels that I’ve ever used.

DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel ($19 CDN | 89 mL)

I’ve always been a fan of the pre-controversy gel formula and I have to say I enjoy the new one too but not quite as much. I think I miss the hydrolyzed proteins in the original formula and the curl enhancement they added. The new formula has a very similar experience but I don’t find that it’s quite as curl enhancing/defining as the formula I remember. I do enjoy the grit and texture it gives to my first day hair and quite enjoy using it right before diffusing as an extra touch of hold. It’s a medium-firm hold gel for sure that gives decent curl clumps. I would repurchase again to play with more when on sale; I find it really expensive now, but there is still something special about it.

Pattern Beauty Strong Hold Hair Gel ($12 CDN | 85g)

As a white female with wavy hair, I really have enjoyed the Pattern Beauty products, but I acknowledge that they are not meant for me. This one is marketed as for mainly slicked-back styles but it’s my favourite for a good ol’ washday. It’s a thick strong-hold gel that is great on high porosity hair in a humid climate, but doesn’t weigh down my fine to medium (2c-ish) waves when used properly, and locks in my curl clumps for days. It’s a good one, especially as someone who does moderate intensity yoga five or so days a week and only washes my hair twice and is looking to minimize having to restyle their hair completely. It contains a polyquat for humidity resistance, PVP and VP/VA Copolymer to lock in hold, a number of plant oils including curl-enhancing flaxseed oil and a few film forming humectants and really locked in curl definition. This was merely the trail size and it lasted me a while but I would definitely go-for the larger size.

Ouidad Featherlight Touch-Up Gel Cream ($25.39 CDN | 100 mL)

Although my ability to successfully refresh my hair has gone way up as my hair has gotten healthier and better at holding onto moisture, it’s never been something that I can easily achieve on my hair. Sometimes, when I go to refresh my hair for instance, ends up This lightweight cream, however, makes refreshing a breeze. It’s a cream that can be applied on dry hair (or dampened hair) to add a bit of hold and smooth down frizz and is so slippery that I can touch up brush-styling on barely damp sections. I’ve repurchased it because it’s been such a game-changing refreshing product for me that works without being producty, flaky or gunk-y. It’s a lightweight gel cream with some protein that helps with perking up my waves and curls, especially in lazier sections.

Ole Henriksen Beam Cream Smoothing Body Moisturizer ($49 CDN | 190 mL)

This moisturizer contains both lactic and glycolic acid in addition to crambe oil, shea butter, mango seed butter, caffeine and numerous other plant oils and despite the inclusion of synthetic fragrance and inclusion of citrus peel oils towards the bottom of the ingredient list, it actually helped lock moisture into my eczema-prone skin and help improve the texture of my skin overall. I quite enjoyed the bright citrus scent and felt luxe and rich. I would consider picking up again if I saw a sale.

Cerave Moisturizing Cream ($31.99 CDN | 539g)

While there’s never been a cure or panacea for my eczema, this cream is a staple for decreasing flares and minimizing the dry and itchy, especially when applied on wet skin after bathing. I love the practical jar with a pump on it packaging and how much product that you get, even for the money. I don’t find the cream stingy at all — a miracle at times — and the mix of ceramides, petrolatum, hyaluronic acid and other skin identical ingredients moisturize and help with barrier function while sinking into the skin without any residue. I think I’ve probably used over ten containers of this cream and will continue to do so.

Cerave Itch Relief Moisturizing Lotion ($22.99 CDN | 237 mL)

Despite the fact that this contains an actual analgesic ingredient, I don’t think I actually experience notable relief from itchiness compared to a well formulated cream alone. This lotion was lightweight but moisturizing and contained barrier-strengthening niacinamide towards the top of the ingredient list, which I tend to enjoy, but I will comment the ceramides were lower on the ingredient list, compared to other products by Cerave . I enjoyed using it as my daily moisturizer but I don’t think I’ll go for this version again.

Paula’s Choice 5% Niacinamide Body Serum ($29 US | 118 mL)

I tried out this body serum on my last Paula’s Choice order in hopes that it might help to improve my eczema that I was definitely battling in the winter. Unfortunately, I found that I definitely had to top it off with a moisturizer to keep the eczema on my legs under control and didn’t witness a significant benefit on my eczema with its use. I will say, I did notice a difference on my chest, shoulders and back with uneven texture and marks from previous blemishes. I have no immediate plans to repurchase but I enjoyed using it. I will say that using it reminded me of how much I love niacinamide in my body products; I just found I went through it too quickly for my liking.

Paula’s Choice Daily Replenishing Body Cream ($25 US | 200 mL)

On the other hand, I tried this lightweight but comforting moisturizer this winter and I loved it instantly, regretting not dipping my toe into their body moisturizers sooner. It was remarkably non-stingy and soothing on my dry and flaky winter skin and maintained its richness while still being lightweight — sorcery, I tell you –, with shea butter, a number of plant oils, glycerin, the ceramide trifecta, squalane, allantoin and some barrier-restoring ingredients. With regular use, it helped keep eczema at bay and I will be repurchasing (likely many times).

Topicals Like Butter Hydrating & Soothing Mist ($39 CDN | 100 mL)

This was one of those impulsive Sephora VIB Sale purchases that I regretted afterwards. I admit, it’s likely my fault as I bought it after I missed the alcohol on the ingredient list, which is something I’m particularly sensitive to and flares my eczema. It was a lovely fine mist with niacinamide, centella, allantoin, liquorice root, urea and a bunch of antioxidant or soothing plant extracts; however, I didn’t get the benefits of the other ingredients because I found it kind of irritating. I can see people loving this body mist, provided that they are not sensitive to the ingredients and love a lightweight moisturizer.

What have you finished?

2019 Favourites | The Haircare

Having started my Curly Girl Method journey — for the second time — at the tail end of 2018, I was always planning on sharing my favourite product discoveries at the end of 2019. I had done so much research, so much experimentation and had definitely found some products that really did work. I even had fairly extensive notes saved on my phone. However, I then realized there were almost too many products. Also, the DevaCurl drama then unfolded and I was torn whether or not to still include my favourite products from the line when others were experiencing horrific results. Regardless, here I am sharing my favourites. For reference I have long high porosity hair thats pattern most closely resembles a 2c. My mixture of curls and waves are fine in texture but I have high density hair, overall. Oh, and I live in a humid east coast environment and my hair tends to just eat product and tangle up like nothing in this world.

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As I Am Coconut Cowash ($11.99 CDN): I’m just not a traditional co-wash or conditioner washing kind of girl but I do enjoy using this product in between shampoos. I swear this is a bit more cleansing than a traditional conditioner and doesn’t piss off my scalp. It has amazing slip and leaves my hair smooth and shiny. Best of all is that I don’t have to use a separate product to condition. It has a weird thick oatmeal-y consistency and my only complaint is that I go through the tub rather quickly. This is why I don’t have one to include in the picture. I have a new one on the way, though…

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Conditioner ($13.49 CDN): As someone who finds that their hair clumps and spirals the most nicely after using a deep conditioner, I’m used to often using masques and deep conditioners in the standard conditioner stage. However, this old school Shea Moisture offering gets me the curl clumps, moisture and control without requiring me to use a deep conditioner. It’s a medium weight conditioner that my fine hair eats up with enough slip to cut through tangles — but not the most slip in the world — and leaves my waves and curls moisturized for days. I like the mixture of conditioning agents, plant oils, shea butters and hydrolyzed protein the product contains.

Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate + Repair Protein Power Treatment ($15.49 CDN): I really found myself enjoying this easily accessible deep conditioner, but it is not a protein treatment by any stretch of the imagination. Real protein doesn’t make an appearance until the end of the ingredient list in the form of a protein-water-soluble-silicone polymer and hydrolyzed keratin. This is the thickest deep conditioner I’ve ever tried but it doesn’t weigh down my curls and waves. It uses hydrogenated castor oil, shea butter, honey, yogurt powder, coconut oil, baobab seed oil and mafura oil to moisturize the hair. Due to the thick texture, it doesn’t have the most slip but still works to detangle my tangly hair.

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Deep Conditioning Mask ($46 CDN): I absolutely adore this deep conditioner. It’s pricy but extremely concentrated. It both offers amazing slip and a balanced moisture and protein. With just a minimal amount of product used, the fatty alcohols and plant oils melt tangles and leave my hair smooth and hydrated. The hefty dose of biotin and hydrolyzed keratin leave my hair full of bounce and leaves my curls and waves nicely clumped together. It’s definitely lightweight but works wonders, even on thirsty strands.

DevaCurl Deep Sea Repair Seaweed Strengthening Hair Mask ($49 CDN): Another mask that I adore using both as a deep conditioner left in the hair for a notable amount of time or in the place of normal conditioner is this one. Despite being brought out by DevaCurl, it’s not actually entirely water soluble, with sunflower seed wax in the ingredients and potentially enough coconut oil to require a sulfate-free shampoo for removal; this is okay with me because my scalp and I are on board with regular use of gentle shampoo. It has amazing slip, making detangling a breeze — even in knotty hair — and adds a great balance of moisture and protein without being heavy. It leaves my hair hydrated, smooth and lends a bit of control and help with clumping my waves and curls. It uses loads of coconut oil, your traditional slip agents, hydrolyzed proteins in good concentrations and amino acids.

Curl Junkie Repair Me Reconstructive Hair Treatment ($36 CDN): This was one of those products I discovered and instantly fell in love; my thoughts haven’t changed. It’s a product that’s lightweight and incredibly nourishing and might have the most slip I’ve ever experienced in a product. The miraculous part is that it’s incredibly moisturizing without weighing the hair down and contains hydrolyzed keratin protein as the fourth ingredient, along with hydrolyzed yeast and amino acids further down the list. As a result, I find using this has added so much elasticity and bounce to my hair and has made a significant difference in getting my ends to curl nicely again. Whenever my hair is limp and lifeless, I reach for this product and it always improves matters. It helps the hair to spiral and clump nicely, without requiring a separate hydrating treatment. It contains your usual slip agents, the hydrolyzed proteins and a plant oil or two.

DevaCurl Leave In Decadence Ultra Moisturizing Leave In Conditioner ($36 CDN): As someone who tends to use fairly intense conditioners in the shower and doesn’t rinse it all out, I’m not into heavier leave ins. This one smells heavenly (like a musky natural coconut) and adds a nice dose of hydrolyzed protein and lightweight moisture. It’s on the lighter end of things, however. It helps my hair clump nicely without added weight. It features coconut oil, hydrolyzed quinoa, argan oil, aloe and a few other oils. It’s kind of a small container, however, and I have gone through it fairly quickly.

DevaCurl B’ Leave In Miracle Curl Plumper ($27 CDN): This is actually a product that I have a deep love for that started way before 2019. However, it was a contributing factor on most of my good hair days so I couldn’t write this post without  including it. It’s my favourite curl enhancer. I use it after a curl cream and before gel to help my fragile curls clump together and stay clumped and add some bounce. It contains an emollient, a whole lot of hydrolyzed protein and some botanical extracts. It really helps my curls and waves to have bounce that lasts.

DevaCurl Styling Cream Touchable Curl Definer and DevaCurl Supercream Coconut Curl Styler ($38 CDN): I couldn’t decide between these two Devacurl curl creams that I discovered in 2019, mainly because they are so incredibly similar. They both really help to clump and define curls while adding moisture to the hair and a substantial light hold on their own. Styling Cream lends a little bit more hold and might be slightly lighter and Supercream might give me slightly clumpier curls with the coconut oil it contains. It works for me year round and while I can use the creams on their own, I get the best results paired with a gel on top. They both lend the hair control, definition and smoothness.

DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel ($32/$60 CDN): Throughout 2019, I was using and loving this medium-firm hold gel. Among the first few ingredients are glycerin and hydrolyzed proteins, both of which are polarizing ingredients. I find that the glycerin and hydrolyzed proteins lend some curl enhancement and bounce to my hair. My favourite thing about this gel is that it’s lightweight enough to dry quickly while adding enough hold to give me multi day hair — I have hair that soaks up everything and many products leave it without hold. I’ve discovered that I’m a curl cream kind of girl and this pairs really well with them. It also leaves me with some volume. I will note, however, that it works best for me in spring, summer, fall and early winter. Note: I actually did better with the Ouidad Vitalcurl Tress Effects last winter. However, I haven’t tried the newer formula so I didn’t want to include it. I think I kind of just did though…

Any thoughts?
Maggie, x.

Some Winter Empty Products

It’s been a minute since I’ve done one of these posts. However, I realized that I had finished a good assortment of products that I have thoughts to share on. Sidenote: Rather than dwell on the Deva Curl drama when I talk about individual products, I will note here that I’m well aware of the scalp issues that people have experienced using their products and the reports of hair loss. I did experience itchiness and scalp irritation when using their cleansers and full on routine. However, I love the results of their stylers and the occasional treatment products. They aren’t for everyone though, and they certainly aren’t the be all and end all of products for textured hair.

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Deva Curl B’Leave In Miracle Curl Plumper ($26.55 CDN | 177 mL): This is actually my most repurchased hair product of all time and I’m going to repurchase it again. I’ve gone through at least four tubes of this product since my first attempt at the curly girl method years ago. It’s not actually a leave-in conditioner. It’s a smoothing thin gelee textured product that works fantastically on my fine delicate curls. It helps my curls that easily clump together maintain that clumped and spiral-y formation that they can lose at the drop of a hat during the drying process. It helps bulk up my waves and curls into spirals and adds bounce. It’s glycerin based product that also contains wheat amino acids and a couple of different kinds of hydrolyzed proteins high on the ingredient list.

Deva Curl Wave Maker Touchable Texture Whip ($36.54 CDN| 147.9 mL): Having finer hair, a looser curl pattern and wanting volume, I was convinced that this was going to be the curl cream for me. It wasn’t. It was so lightweight that I found I had to use lots of it and created texture and separation in the way I didn’t want. It separated my curl clumps. After I didn’t like this cream styler, I thought that maybe curl creams weren’t for me. I was wrong. It does have medium-ish hold on its own and contains way less glycerin than their other creams. I think this product could be great on baby fine hair that is easily weighed down and those wanting beachy kind of texture.

Deva Curl Supercream Coconut Curl Styler ($38 CDN | 150 mL): I honestly don’t know if I would have thought  to try a different curl cream from Devacurl if I hadn’t randomly grabbed a sample of this from Sephora. I found myself pleasantly surprised by this curl cream and ended up purchasing it. It really helped to clump my curls together into spirals and gives the hair structure and moisture. It contains a whole lot of coconut oil and glycerin and a bit of protein. However, it’s not overly heavy and helped to control my hair (especially in the humid summer) while offering light hold. The subtle authentic coconut scent was pleasant.

Deva Curl Styling Cream Touchable Curl Definer ($38 CDN | 150 mL): I bought the original curl cream after I liked Supercream so much. It’s fairly similar to Supercream but is a little bit lighter and has a bit more hold — and can actually be used on its own without a gel or holding product — and doesn’t contain coconut oil. It’s also glycerin based and has a similar cream consistency. It helps my curls and waves clump together but might leave my hair with slightly more bounce and volume. It’s offers a little bit less control than Supercream though and has a sugary fruit scent. I bought it again.

Deva Curl Ultra Defining Gel ($58.06 CDN | 946 mL): I consistently used this gel over the last year or so and there’s nothing I’ve gotten better results with. It has medium firm hold that will develop a cast that isn’t too tenacious and is fairly weightless on the hair. It contains a whole lot of glycerin and quite a bit of hydrolyzed protein. Both of those ingredients help to enhance my fine waves and curls, regardless of season. It plays particularly well with a cream underneath. I’ve repurchased the litre size again. This gel also leaves me with more volume than several others I’ve tried and dries faster than most gels.

Curl Junkie Repair Me Reconstructive Hair Treatment ($36 CDN | 355 mLs): It should speak volumes that I placed an order to specifically get this protein deep conditioner back into my life even before I was out of it and that I cut the bottle open to get every last bit out. It’s a great deep conditioner with out of this world slip. It contains hydrolyzed keratin as the fourth ingredient so it lends the strands a serious protein boost, while still being a super moisturizing treatment. It’s rich but relatively lightweight and always leaves my waves and curls a little bit bouncier and clumped after use.

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Conditioner ($12-$13.49 CDN | 379 mLs): This ended up being an easily accessible medium weight concentrated conditioner. It had moderate slip and offered the right amount of weight and nourishment for my fine but incredibly thirsty strands. It’s silicone free and is comprised mainly of glycerin, shea butter, jojoba, argan and olive oil, along with a bit of hydrolyzed silk. It was enough moisture for multi day hair, encouraged my waves and curls to clump together in a nice way but didn’t weigh down my hair. It also worked as a leave-in; I’d buy again.

Aveeno Intense Relief Overnight Cream ($12.49 CDN | 208 mLs): This was a nice fragrance free cream that helped calm the winter dry itch and hydrated the skin nicely with petrolatum, shea butter and oat extract. However, it was so lightweight that I went through the tube very quickly, applying a generous amount twice a day to my legs and arms. I’ve moved onto richer creams that seal in moisture on my patches of eczema better.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer ($58 CDN | 30 mLs): This ended up being a very expensive moisturizing product for me, offering no sort of priming benefits beyond one of my standard moisturizers. It was smoothing in the way that moisturizers containing silicones are and had that kind of thick semi-oily feel that only coconut alkanes as an ingredient leaves behind. I experienced no issues but I also didn’t find that my makeup looked better or lasted longer with this primer.

Physician’s Formula Eye Booster Lash 2-in-1 Boosting Eyeliner & Serum in Ultra Black ($15.99): I’ve gone through countless tubes of this liquid eyeliner and I’m sure that won’t be changing anytime soon. This brush and pen hybrid style liner turned me into a liquid girl. This pen creates a slim flick with ease in seconds and doesn’t require a steady hand.

What have you used up lately?
Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

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…

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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.

The Edit | Curly Girl Method Gels

Now that I’ve gotten back into following The Curly Girl Method with renewed vigour, I’m really noticing that I’m going through a good amount of the products I’ve been hoarding. My bag of empty products has rapidly been filling with hair products and as a true product junkie, I have lots of thoughts to share on them. Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the gels that I have finished up. This is going to seem like a lot of product but in all honesty, my hair eats up gel and I need lots of it to have consistently defined hair. Otherwise, my hair willjust wilt, tangle and frizz. It’s worth noting that I have a ton of fine long hair, a mix of waves and some curls in terms of texture and hair that is quite porous.

DevaCurl Arc AnGel ($60 CDN/ 946 mLs)

This gel is my absolute favourite in the humid summer because my hair frizzes out and wilts overnight and throughout the day the least with this gel. It provides great almost firm hold and isn’t particularly drying, crunchy or heavy for that level of hold but doesn’t give my curls the enhancing boost that Ultra Defining Gel does, especially in the cooler months when my curls need more encouragement. It’s a gel heavy in glycerin but it has nowhere near the amount of protein that the other gels in the line have, so it could be very good for hair that doesn’t love protein as much as mine does. I also frustratingly find that by the time I get towards the end of these large bottles, the texture of the gel starts to change and doesn’t seem to work quite so well. As it gets closer to the summer, I want to experiment with this one again.

DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel ($30 CDN/ 355 mLs)

Probably because my hair absorbs everything and seems to resist forming a protective cast like nothing else, I find that I need a good amount of this gel but I also find that my waves and curls are a bit bouncier and more spirally with this gel, especially in the cooler months when my curls tend to lie flat and wilt. It’s a touch more than medium hold and can enhance and tighten up my curls, without being drying or weighing my hair down. I wish I didn’t have to use quite so much and that it gave slightly more hold on my temperamental hair that resists looking decent by the next day. It has loads of protein which my fine porous hair loves and also is glycerin heavy. It’s my favourite of the gels in the cooler months, I reckon.

Ouidad Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel ($34.76 CDN/ 250 mLs)

I think this was actually the product that started my love of traditional gels, back when I tried it years ago. I found it for a great price at Winners and tried it again and remember why I liked it. My gripe with this product is that it’s expensive at full retail price, especially because the hold is on the lower-end of medium and in order to get good results, I have to use so much of this gel. It’s really hydrating and helps my curls to clump nicely but doesn’t quite have the structure and enhancement of the Deva gels. I will note that I don’t experience much frizz with this one and that I’ve had good hair days with it. This gel might be better for those who prefer a lighter hold or with a tighter curl pattern. I do love the fresh and clean scent. Glycerin is towards the bottom of the ingredient list with this one and protein appears near there as well.

Shea Moisture Mongogo & Hemp Seed Oils High Porosity Moisture-Seal Styling Gel ($14.99 CDN/ 236 mLs)

I didn’t love this gel but that was because of first time buyer error mainly. I bought the gel along with the other products in the high porosity line that I adore because I felt some sort of need to complete the collection. It didn’t work for me as a harder hold gel because it has a soft hold, as it’s marketed to. It’s smoothing and moisturizing but lacks the hard hold that I need. I do think those with tighter curls would like this if they want moisture and softer hair. I didn’t mind it as a refresher on damp hair. It has glycerin, shea butter, aloe and a variety of oils.

Shea Moisture Raw Shea & Cupacu Frizz Defense Styling Gel-Cream ($13.99 CDN/ 236 mLs)

I bought this cream gel because it was designed for a wavier texture and remembered liking cream gel products in the past, but it wasn’t right for me either as a main styler. I think it might work for those with coarser hair textures but not for my finer hair as a holding product. It didn’t weigh my hair down and it did add moisture but I didn’t find that it had much for hold or curl clumping ability. I did find it worked quite well on damp hair to refresh because it added that moisture and enough hold to bring curls back to life.

Equate Hard Hold Styling Gel ($2.27 CDN/ 350 mLs)

I purchased this affordable gel after seeing that its ingredients were similar to the cheapie gels available in the United States that those who follow the Curly Girl Method seem to adore such as the LA Looks offerings. The hold was moderate and it was somewhat curl clumping but I wasn’t blown away by this one. I did get fairly good results using this gel in combination with another cream or enhancing product but I think that the Sport Gel variation was my favourite out of the three varieties I tried. It’s glycerin free and contains a small amount of protein.

Any thoughts?
Maggie, x.

 

Curly Girl Method Thoughts & Current Favourites

Long time no post, eh? Truth be told, I’ve been busy planning and writing out my 2018 favourites post – so stay tuned for that – and I’ve been stressed and limited by the few daylight hours we have for taking pictures. Something I have been doing the last month or so is giving myself back into the curly girl method. Regardless, I never use sulphates and rarely heat style my hair (like a few times a year) but I can be guilty and use silicones on occasion and have been wearing my hair up in a bun often in recent months, giving up on my hair entirely. However, in the last month I’ve been strictly following my semi-modified routine.

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Frustratingly, my hair photographs straighter and flatter than it looks in real life but I will include a picture here or two. Note: I know that its length disguises the texture somewhat. The first picture is first day hair and the second is second or third day. I have the kind of hair where the individual strands are quite fine (but not baby fine) and despite being very healthy, it tangles like nothing else in this world and refuses to hold any sort of style other than the messy bun. Did I mention that I have an obscene amount of hair? I have hair that sits between the wavy side of things with some looser spirals and ringlets thrown in. I’m one of those people that have a drier underlayer of hair that is quite curly and voluminous and a flatter and straighter upper layer of hair. Also, I never know how my hair is going to look – it has a mind of its own. My hair responds well to protein and needs moisture underneath but has a tendency to get weighed down and look straight on the crown and top layer of my hair. I’m a sulfate-free shampoo kind of girl and really struggle with my curls falling flat and losing all definition in weather and after being slept on. My hair requires a lot of product to look good and takes some effort and prayers to look its best. Curl pattern wise, I seem to have the most 2c hair, with some 3a underneath and some 2b in the lazier upper sections in my hair. Before this turns into an essay, I’ll get to the product favourites:

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Deva Curl B’Leave-In ($27 CDN)

This is one of those extra products that when added to my routine make the greatest difference. It adds volume and bounce to  my curls that tend to lack life. It’s not moisturizing so the name is kind of confusing but it’s a lightweight gel textured product that adds a dose of protein to my hair, helping it create juicier spirals and curls when paired with a heavy hold gel. It’s a great product for those with finer hair that loves protein and that want to boost their curls. It’s one that helps me unify my different curl patterns.

DevaCurl One Condition Delight Weightless Waves ($30/$60 CDN)

Deva Curl’s products are hit or miss with me on an individual basis, but my hair loves protein so as a whole, my hair enjoys a variety of their products. This is a protein heavy conditioner that offers enough slip to help with the detangling process and enough hydration to help my looser curls clump their heart out. It’s also light enough that I can use it as a leave-in as well throughout my hair, without fear of weighing down even my more lazy waves and loose spirals towards the top of my hair. As with the previous product, it’s glycerin and protein heavy so your mileage may vary in terms of your hair’s response to those polarizing ingredients. I liked the conditioner so much that I bought the larger size which thankfully is only twice the price for 3x the amount of product. This is my ‘squish to condish’ conditioner that i squish into my hair with water to create that kind of wet seaweed texture that minimizes frizz and really gets the hair to clump together in curls nicely.

Curls Creme Brûlée Whipped Curl Cream ($10-15 CDN)

Cream products are a bit of a gamble for my hair but are necessary if I want to get my hair to the third or fourth day mark without having to restyle from scratch. This is an option that I have to use a light hand with when using it as a leave in because the shea butter can sometimes weigh down my hair if I use it before my stylers on soaking wet gel. However, I really like it mixed with water as a refresher or used along with a hold product to refresh damp curls. It helps my hair form those curl clumps that it needs to look polished and doesn’t weigh down my hair in the slightest used this way. However, it has no hold so I have to cocktail it. The best part is that I’ve been able to buy it at Sally’s Beauty Supply on the east coast in Canada, where it’s really difficult to find curly-girl approved products in physical stores.

Deva Curl Ultra Defining Gel ($30 CDN)

I fell in love with this gel after I had my first DevaCut because it actually gave my hair hold that didn’t weigh it down and it enhanced and unified my varying curl patterns. It’s definitely protein heavy and doesn’t always play well with every other product I’ve used but it gives me more consistently good hair days than most and I need a gel to have hair that doesn’t droop by the time its dry. I go back and forth between this gel and the Arc AnGel, which has even more hold and less protein. It’s glycerin and protein heavy but I love it on my fine hair for combatting frizz and not really giving much of a cast. My annoyance is that I go through it rather quickly and that I can’t invest in the litre sizes without the texture of the gel changing by the time I finish those larger bottles. It’s good at adding volume and lift while defining curls.

Dippity Do Girls With Curls Defrizz Gelee ($7-8 CDN)

I never expected to like a product made by Dippity-Do but I couldn’t be happier to like such an affordable and easily available hold product that’s Curly Girl Method friendly in Canada – I’m frustrated to no end how difficult it is to come across affordable options in stores here. It’s definitely smoothing and helps to clump curls with a light to moderate hold but it’s not enough for me to use on its own on wet hair  . However,  I adore how it’s lightweight and has that curl clumping ability. I prefer to use it when I refresh my hair, as it helps bring the spring back to my curls and waves without adding any weight or anything. It has a nice subtle clean scent and contains a little bit of panthenol, aloe and protein. Unlike most of the products I’ve talked about, it’s also glycerin free.

Shea Moisture Mongongo & Hemp Seed Oils High Porosity Moisture-Seal Mask ($18.50 CDN)

Truth be told, I haven’t used this mask in a while. I have loved incorporating conditioners and masks from Shea Moisture’s line in my routine for that boost of moisture, slip and reconditioning that my somewhat porous hair needs. I threw out the bottle of the one that I used the most recently and grabbed this one because it has been my favourite long term. I can’t use it like I use lighter conditioners where I scrunch and leave them in my hair but it helps form juicy curls on the lengths of my hair and keeps things manageable. Unfortunately, I have to order most Shea Moisture products online but they are great if your hair doesn’t mind shea butter and cocoa butter. I just ordered this one again and am excited to have this mask back in my life. It’s butter-heavy but doesn’t seem to weigh down my hair when rinsed out and also has some nice oils in it and a small to moderate amount of protein that my finer hair agrees with.

Any thoughts?
Maggie, x.