There’s a saying that goes: “The clothes make the man.” Well, ladies, in the world of curls, the products make the lady. And if you’re lucky enough to be a curly gal, you’ve likely gone through bins full of ‘em. That’s because in the quest for perfect curls, many ladies seem to go through products like Kim Kardashian goes through guys.
No two curls are alike, so it’s hard to find that perfect product for your curl type, and we know firsthand how frustrating it is to cut through all that marketing hype. But that’s where we come in. We tested oodles and oodles of curl products— ranging from the natural to normal, the high end to drug store—and we’re naming names when it comes to our favorites, ladies.
Since there are thousands of products out there that can help enhance your curly mane, this is hardly a comprehensive list. But these are the products we’re digging right now, and that we’ve incorporated into our own curly hair care routine. And trust us, when you test out products for a living, if you find yourself going back for seconds, you know it’s pretty good. Read on my curly friends, and get ready to have some gorgeous curls!
Shampoos
Even though a shampoo can’t actually make your hair curly, these shampoos had our curls yearning for some more time under the faucet.
Kérastase Bain Oléo-Curl, $35, kerastase-usa.com
This shampoo not only smells great, it also foams up nicely in our hair and feels light to the touch, yet deeply cleansing at the same time.
Oribe Shampoo for Moisture and Control, $37, Barneys New York
There’s nothing worse than dry, burnt-out curls, and that’s why we love this moisturizing shampoo so much. Used with the accompanying conditioner, it leaves hair moist, smooth and supple, helping your styling products do their job even better.
Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo, $20, bumbleandbumble.com
If you tend to use heavy gels in your curls, you’re probably no stranger to clarifying shampoos, darling. And we all know how some of these products do wonders for our hair but also leave them feeling like gunk and looking greasy. So that’s why you need a great clarifying shampoo. Enter Bumble’s genius clarifying shampoo, and you’re good to go.
Conditioner
Oribe Conditioner for Moisture and Control, $39, Barneys New York
Like its accompanying shampoo, this conditioner does a fantastic job of restoring moisture to dry curls, and smells fantastic.
TIGI Catwalk Curlesque Hydrating Conditioner, available at fine salons, visit tigihaircare.com for more information
We were already a fan of the brand’s mousse when we found out they had an accompanying shower line, so we were pumped to test out this conditioner. Great smell? Check. Great feel on the hair? Check.
Masque
Kérastase Masque Oléo-Curl Intense, $60, kerastase-usa.com
You probably know by now that we’re huge fans of hair masques here at BeautyStat. And we’ve quickly become diehard fans of Kérastase’s curling masque. Its great-smelling formula leaves our hair soft, moist, and easy to handle post-shower.
Detangler
Leonor Greyl’s Lait Luminescence Bi-Phase, $43, leonorgreyl-usa.com
The first step to luscious curls post-shower is detangling, as all our curly friends know. And if your curls are prone to tangling, you’ll love Leonor Greyl’s spray. A few sprays on damp, messy hair, and you’ll be thanking your lucky stars that you don’t have to waste five minutes detangling that hot mess.
Moisture
Lush R&B Hair Treatment, $18.95, lushusa.com
There are lots of anti-frizz and moisturizing leave-ins out there, but we’re digging this hair treatment from Lush right now. It smells fabulous, plus it leaves our hair soft and moist, while helping with the frizzies.
Mousses
Just like foundation comes in many forms (liquid, powdered, spray-on etc.), curling products vary greatly. There are gels, creams, mousses, and all sorts of other concoctions, but right now, we’re loving mousse for its absorbency and lighter feel.
Here are our top five mousses of the moment:
- Garnier Fructis Style Curl Construct Mousse, $3.99, cvs.com
- Got2b Kinkier Curling Mousse, $3.89, amazon.com
- TIGI Catwalk Curlesque Strong Mousse, available at fine salons, visit tigihaircare.com for more information
- Shu Uemura Kaze Wave Sensual Curl Texturizing Foam, $33, shuuemuraartofhair-usa.com
- Leonor Greyl Mousse Au Lotus Volumatrice, $43, leonorgreyl-usa.com
Spray
Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Texturizing Sea Spray, $17.95 only in professional salons. This spray gave us AMAZING curls that oozed with texture and volume. And you know the best part? We didn’t even have to work for it. All we did was spray in a bit of this baby, scrunch our hair, and wait for the waves to come. Call us addicted, we’ll admit it.
Shine
Shu Uemura Essence Absolue, $65, shuuemuraartofhair-usa.com
One or two pumps of this magical protective oil, and your hair will take on a healthy and enviable shine. The best part? It leaves our hair shiny and soft, sans sticky residue.
Second Day Curls
When you’re normally perky curls are feeling a bit…well, down, grab one of these go-to products to perk them right up.
Got2b POWDER’ful Volumizing Styling Powder, $5.99, ulta.com
The brand’s latest product promises to texturize hair, giving it radical root lift in ten seconds flat. And it doesn’t disappoint. After shaking a bit of POWDER’ful in our hands, our limp second day curls went from blah to va va voom.
Aubrey Organics Sea Buckthorn Leave-In Liquid Conditioner and Curl Activator, $10.93, aubrey-organics.com
Made with burdock and egg oils, this spray helped give our second day curls shine, and volume. Plus, we love a product that doesn’t feel super sticky on our hair, like this one.
Twisted Sista 30-Second Curl Spray, $4.49, twistedsista.com and Walgreens stores nationwide.
This little pick me up is great for adding moisture and life to second day curls. Throw it in your bag when you go to the gym, or keep it at your desk at work to refresh when needed.
Accessories
Luxor Pro Style Stix, $3.99, amazon.com
The best part about having curly hair: Ready-made style, sans a curling iron. The worst? Unpredictable locks. Sometimes your curls just rebel, leaving you with a poufy mess. So for those occasions when you just have to have great curls, but don’t have the time to use an iron, use these. Twist hair around leave in and you’re good to go.
– Chrissy Callahan
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