day.

  1.  Embrace The Natural You Twist Truffle Whip
  2.  Silk Dreams Almond Buttercream
  3.  Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream
  4.  Camille Rose Aloe Whipped Butter Gel
  5.  Uncle Funky's Daughter Supercurl Miracle Moisture Cream & Extra Butter combined

• Curly Magic Curl Stimulator gel ($25/18oz) – I think I have posted enough reviews of my wash n’ gos with this gel that you already know why I love it.  This gel is so slippery that I’m even able to detangle with it.  I can rake it through my hair, rather than shingling, which makes for a faster wash n’ go.  Also, for really neat buns, I will rake it through my hair before putting my hair up.  This gel rocks!  For those that are Camille Rose Curl Maker fans or fans of Sweet Soul Magic’s gel, this is very similar to me.


• Rich & Funky Shampoo ($16.50/8oz) – This shampoo cleanses my hair without drying it out.  Also, a little goes a long way.


• Extra Butter Brilliant Shine Creme ($22/8oz) – I previously reviewed this product here in a battle of the butters.  This is a very light butter, so be careful what leave-in you use underneath it.  It leaves my braids and braid outs shiny with a moisturizing leave-in conditioner.  It also gives my braid outs definition.  If you like the Qhemet Biologic’s Burdock Root Butter Cream or Camille Rose’s Almond Jai Twisting Butter or Aloe Whipped Butter Gel, you may like this.

• Midnite Train Leave-in Conditioner ($11/8oz) – If I liked liquid leave-ins, I would probably re-purchase this again.  It gives my hair moisture and softness.


• SuperCurl Miracle Moisturizing Creme ($22/8oz) – I previously reviewed this product here, and in my battle of the butters here.  This is a very, very light moisturizing cream.  It is so thin that it feels like water when I rub it between my fingers, but it has some good ingredients.  Like the Extra Butter,it leaves my braids and braid outs shiny with a moisturizing leave-in conditioner.  It also gives my braid outs definition.  It reminds me of a thing version of Jane Carter’s Curl Defining Cream.

• Thirsty Curls Leave-in Curl Revitalizer ($15/8oz) – I am not a big fan of liquid leave-ins or “curl revitalizers” because I make my own oil-water mix.  Also, while this works similar to Midnight Train, it is not as moisturizing, and does not smell as good. 


• Good Hair Conditioning Styling Creme ($18/8oz) – I previously posted a review on this product here.  While I feel like I should have liked this product, I just could not and gave it away.  It is was like a liquid version of Supercurl, which is good, but it literally caused bees to chase me at the zoo and the gas station.

1.  Clear Eco Styler Gel ($6 for 16 oz)  – This performs very similar to the pink Eco Styler gel that I previously reviewed.  As with the pink, I have to tie a scarf on my head because the gel takes some time to dry.  I also have to apply a lot of this product to get a good hold, but it will last all day and maybe even a second day.  The only downside to applying a lot is that it can make my hair hard.


2. Gorilla Earwax Wet Look ($9 for 3.52 oz) – This is made by the same company that makes Gorilla Snot Gel, but it is better.  I really like this, except for the cologne-type smell.  I felt like it made me smell a little like a man, though my hubby said he couldn’t smell anything.  It gives me all day hold (maybe even two days), but I have to be careful not to use too much or it might dry yellow.  Also, like EcoStyler, this dries a little hard.  In other words, a little goes a very long way. 


3. Murray’s Edgewax ($6 for 4 oz) (pictured on left) – This product reminds me of old school hair grease, but it has hold!  This and the extreme hold version perform very similar and look similar.  However, this one is easy to spread, especially if I apply it to slightly damp hair.  The first time I tried this, it lasted for less time than the extreme hold version.  However, the second time I used it, I used more and it lasted for about the same amount of time (almost a full day); so, the trick is figuring out how much to use.  I do like that it has no scent, and the results are instantaneous.  It also left my hair feeling soft.


4. Murray’s Edgewax Extreme Hold ($7 for 4 oz) (pictured on right) – Almost everything I said for the regular version is true for this one, but it is difficult to spread.  It is a very thick wax.  I had to rub it in my hands to soften it and thin it out before I could apply it to my hair; and, even then, sometimes I ended up with chunks of wax in my hair.  I wish there was a middle consistency that was a little heavier than the regular version and a little lighter than this one.


5. Hicks Transformations Edges ($12 for 4 oz) – This reminded me a lot of the Cream of Nature Perfect Edges.  It instantaneously slicked my edges down, but it didn’t last long at all.  Also, it is fairly pricey.  At the only beauty supply store near me that carries it, they keep it behind the counter.


6. Lotta Body Control Me Edge Gel ($4 for 2.25 oz) - This reminded me a lot of the Cream of Nature Perfect Edges.  It instantaneously slicked my edges down, but it didn’t last long and it left white residue in my hair.


7. Design Essentials Honey & Shea Edge Tamer ($12 for 2.3 oz) – My hair laughed at this one.  It did not slick my edges at all, and it was pricey.

• Cocoa Nibs & Honey Ultimate Growth Serum ($16 / 8 oz.) – This is now one of my favorite Camille Rose products.  It actually makes me break my dislike of oil mixes.  It is light enough that it works well on my low porosity hair, while still being able to seal moisture in.  As an added bonus, it has hair growing products.

• Caramel Cowash ($14 / 8 oz.) – It is a close call between this product and the Cocoa Nibs for which one I love the best.  Ultimately, I chose the serum because the bottle will last longer.  This co-wash is amazing, but it will go fast because I have a lot of hair.  In addition to the Camille Rose heavenly scent, it has amazing slip and makes my hair feel like butter, while still being able to clean my hair.  It is also gentle enough to cleanse and condition my 18-month old daughter’s hair, despite her sensitive scalp.

• Coconut Water Penetrating Hair Treatment ($20 / 8 oz.) – I was so surprised by how well this worked on my hair as a deep conditioner.  Every time I used it, it soften up my hair and left it feeling like butter when I washed it out.  My only pause is that I don’t see any protein in it, and I know my hair needs protein over time.

• Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse ($11 / 12 oz.) - This is one of the few Camille Rose products that I've tried that does not smell like a sweet dessert.  It cleanses my hair without stripping it, and it has incredible slip.  Plus, a little goes a long way and it is cheaper per ounce than the other Camille Rose cleansers.  For people who think a cleanser should foam, this does that too.

• Nourishing Cream Cleanser ($11 / 8 oz.) – This is a holiday limited edition product.  It reminds me of a watery version of the Carmel Cowash.  It smells heavenly, has amazing slip and it cleanses my hair without stripping it, but I have other cleansers that I can get year-round that I like just as much.

• Coconut Water "Style Setter" ($15 / 8 oz.) – I was torn on this product as a styler.  It is very similar to the Camille Rose Almond Jai Twist Butter in the way it works on my hair.  It moisturizes, but there was little definition and sheen.  However, on one sleep deprived night, I accidentally attempted to use this product as an overnight deep conditioner.  It left my hair sooo soft when I washed it out.  I put it in the like it, as opposed to love it, because it isn’t performing the function it is supposed to.

• Coconut Water Leave-In Treatment ($14 / 8 oz.) – This left a strange coating on my hair, though it did leave it moisturized.  I ultimately donated it to my daughter’s newly formed product stash.

• Nourishing Cream Leave In ($13 / 8 oz.) - This is a holiday limited edition product, and I have no desire to ever buy it again.  I tried it both right after a shower and on wet hair, and it left my bone dry.

• Ajani Growth and Shine Balm ($12 / 4 oz.) – I have already reviewed this here.

1. Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic
2. Camille Rose Curl Maker
3. As I Am Curling Jelly
4. Kinky Curly Curling Custard

• Kinky Curly Curling Custard diluted with water
• Mop Top Curly Hair Custard
• Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel
• Aunt Jackie's Don't Shrink Flaxseed Elongating Curl Gel

Hey, beautiful people!  I decided to give DevaCurl another try this weekend because I really liked the NoPoo and One Condition, and I suspected that I could like the Styling Cream as well.

First, I did a deep condition overnight with Aubrey Organics Island Replenishing Conditioner.  I previously did a review of this product.  This is still one of my favorites, even though they have changed the formula somewhat.  I ran out of the old formula while I was applying it, so I finished my hair off with the new formula.  So far, so good.  My hair felt soft, supple and strong when I rinsed out the conditioner the next morning.

Next, I washed my hair with the DevaCurl No Poo.  Just like before, this felt wonderful on my hair and I was even able to detangle with it, though the scent gets to me.  As I may have mentioned before, I am sensitive to strong scents.

Then I finished detangling my hair with the One Condition.  This is also great.  It left my hair soft, and made it easy to detangle.  The scent on this is also a little easier to handle than the No Poo.

Finally, I did a wash n go with the DevaCurl Styling Cream, my oil mix and my tried-and-true Uncle Funky's Daughter Curly Magic.  My wash n go had great curl definition!  It was also soft, and the shrinkage was not as severe, though there was significant shrinkage.   This product would be great for people who love big wash n gos. My only complaint, if I can call it one, is that my hair still was not dry after 12 hours.

Based on this wash day, I learned two things:  (1) the DevaCurl gel is probably what caused the flakes in my hair last week; and (2) a little bit of the styling cream goes a long way.  I don't have to use as much styling cream as I do with leave-ins.  In fact, in the one quadrant of my hair where I went overboard with the styling cream, it flaked.  This was the only area that flaked.

Total styling time:  20 minutes
Total drying time:  over 12 hours

Hey beautiful people!  This week, I finally used up the DevaCurl Must-Have Curl Kit, which I won as a prize from a contest (yay for free stuff).

I did a deep condition overnight with Curl Junkie Hibiscus Banana Deep Fix Conditioner.  I like this conditioner, but it isn't cost effective for me anymore.  With my current hair length and thick density, I used half a jar in one wash.  That is $10 per wash.

In the morning, I started off with the DevaCurl No Poo.  This has great slip, and my hair felt clean.  The only thing I did not like is the smell.  It is strong perfume like.  Next, I used the One Condition.  This also had great slip, and the smell reminded me of a baby.  I just didn't understand why the bottle was so small.  It's conditioner.

For styling, I used the Deva Styling Cream and the Deva Ultra Defining Gel on my right side.  For some reason the styling cream I received has a tiny pump spout, instead of the normal pump.  I had to push the pump about 12 times just to get enough to cover a small area of my hair.  When I spread it on my hair, it felt a little like water, so I knew it wasn't going to do much for me.  For my left side, I didn't want to risk tangles, so I used a heavier leave-in conditioner under the Ultra Defining Gel -- Curl Junkie's Coffee-Coco Curl Cream.

After 12 hours, my hair is about 90% dry on the right side and 70% dry on the left.  I'm actually a little surprised.  The DevaCurl styling cream left my hair softer than I thought, but there is not much definition.  My hair dried shrunken and frizzy.  I am also getting white flakes on my clothes now that it has dried.

Total styling time:  ~30 minutes

1. Pink Eco Styler Gel ($6 / 32 oz)- This is not marketed as an edge control, but it had the most long-lasting hold by far, and it it the cheapest.  I just have to use ALOT.  Also, I have to tie down my edges after I apply it, to let it dry.  Because it takes my hair awhile to dry, even if I apply the gel on dry hair, the results are not instantaneous.


2. Cream of Nature Perfect Edges ($4.50 / 2.25) - This is my favorite "edge control".  It gave me both high shine and hold.  It also spreads easily, and it actually smells a little like argan oil.  It just didn't give me all day hold. As the day went on, my edges started to puff up.  For people avoiding parabens, do not purchase this one. It has 2 - methylparaben and ethylparaben. 


3. Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Edge Control Smoother ($8 / 2 oz) - This is my second favorite "edge control" product.  It performed very similar to the Cream of Nature, including the fact that it also gave me great shine.  It also smells deliciously like vanilla. However, like the Cream of Nature, it also didn't give me long lasting hold. Unlike Cream of Nature, it does not have any parabens. I really like the ingredients in this product.


4. Oyin Burnt Sugar Pomade ($14 / 4 oz) - I use this as a second day product after using gel on the first day.  I typical spritz my hair with a little water, then smooth on the pomade and tie down my hair with a scarf. After about 30 minutes, my hair usually good to go with a nice sheen and it is soft.  Do not expect this to last longer than a couple hours though.  The pomade has amazing ingredients.  I prefer the Burnt Sugar Pomade to the Sugar Berries Pomade based on smell alone. They perform and cost the same. The Burnt Sugar smells like cookies.  The sugar berries smells like plants to me.  This is on the higher side of price per ounce, but a little goes  along way.  I've had the same jar for at least a year.


5. Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore ($10 / 4 oz) - While the jar says that it smooths, this is more of a treatment, than an edge control.  The protein seems to strengthen my edges, and this product keeps my hair soft with a nice sheen.  When I'm stressed, my temples thin, so this is a keeper, just not as an edge control.  The only thing I don't like about this is that it seems to leave some residue on my hair after a few days of use.


6. Gorilla Snot Gel (Punk) ($6.59 / 11.9 oz) - Someone suggested this gel because it is kind of like glue.  It did work on my edges to a certain extent, but it worked pretty much like Eco Styler Gel and it didn't last as long, even though I put a ton on. 


7. Curls Control Paste ($8 / 4 oz) - I was actually surprised that this did not work for me. It was my favorite product while I was transitioning because it smoothed my edges.  However, when I tried it as part of this experiment, while it smoothed my edges, the smooth edges did not last long.  It also left a white residue.  I tried it on both "dirty" hair and freshly washed hair.  It gave me the same white residue each time.


8. ORS Olive Oil Edge Control ($5 / 2.25 oz) - This simply did not spread easily on my hair, so it was not effective.


9. Smooth 'N Shine Edge Smoothing Pomade ($2.59 / 2 oz) - This performs similarly to the ORS Edge Control. 


10. Got2B Glued Spiking Glue ($6.50 / 6 oz) - I only tried this because someone suggested it.  It did not give me hold, but it did leave a sticky film on my hair.  No bueno.