The #KinkyCurly Curling Custard Review

Finally!

I have been meaning to review this product for over a year now. It's just as well I waited because I think my feelings about it have changed...

So I got the curly custard last year summer I think. When I used it then I LOVED it! I thought it was amazing and I was ready to come here and rant and rave about the wonders of this magical goo.

First impressions: 

It smells amazing. I think this was the first thing that struck me. It smells sweet. If you're not into strong scents or if you prefer odourless products you might not be too keen on this one. But I really liked it. I also liked the consistency. It's jelly-like similar to most gels but with a slightly more watery consistency. This makes application a lot smoother than say Eco Styler Gel for example. Because of this, it's relatively easy to comb though your ends while styling with this product (Not that I'd recommend doing too much with tools when you've got a gel-like product in your hair). It's not too thick and it's not too thin. You don't have to use a lot of this product. A little seems to go a long way.

How I used it then: 

So last summer when I used it I was in Nigeria and I think I used the product about 3 times to add a little more curl definition to my wash and gos.

Some of you may have noticed that I don't do wash and gos anymore (I'll write a post on my updated regimen and why soon).

I applied it on both wet and dry hair, and I liked the results. But even then, I found that I couldn't use the product more than twice without washing/rinsing my hair due to the build up it caused. When I used it on wet hair, I applied my leave in conditioner after washing and de-tangling and followed up with the KinkyCurly Custard. I think it's really good at defining curls because it makes the strands clump together in a way that creates thicker groups of curls. The results were the same when the custard was applied to dry hair; definition, sleek, bouncy hair.

My hair was very soft and shiny. Winner!

This time around:

I forgot all about the curling custard and stumbled across it a few weeks ago. I decided to try it out again to see if, like many of the other products I used earlier on in my 'hair journey', it was something I would want to go back to using.

I went for the Afro Hair and Beauty Live expedition at the end of last month and thought it would be the perfect time to try it out.

I co-washed my hair with TREsemmé Naturals and then did a twist out using nothing but coconut oil and the curling custard. It was a bit of a messy job because both products make your fingers really slippery and the custard, as I've already mentioned, is a little runny. I slept with the twists in. Tied them up into a bun and took them out the next morning...

My hair was a MESS!!

The curling custard stretches your hair (well, it stretches mine anyway). So the curls at the back were practically straight while the ones on top were still pretty curly. But not my normal curl-pattern-curly. The curls all looked funky and crooked. I wish I'd taken some photos. I can only find one and you can't really see how bad it was...

Thankfully, some fluffing and separating made a huge difference and by the time I left for the show I looked presentable. A hair band really helped too. I pushed it up a little at the back to shorten the over stretched curls. The wind really helped my cause for once. I didn't touch my hair again after that. By about midday it looked.... Nice!

Now, it still wasn't amazing, but I was pleasantly surprised.

(Yes that is Annaliese from ANTM!! :D )

It was really hot and windy all day. I actually moisturised before bed, which I never do.

The next day my hair was DRY and feeling pretty brittle. All the 'moisture' and softness was gone. I also noticed that the product had started to flake and my hair was tangled and dull.

Curling Custard Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• It smells amazing
• It stretched my curls
• It's not too heavy
• It helps define curls
• It has this watery feel to it which makes your hair feel soft and moisturised
• The hold lasts like a gel without making hair hard
• A little goes a long way. The product isn't likely to run out quickly

Cons:

• It stretched my curls (This was good for the front of my hair but bad for the back)
• It only really works on frizz if you re-apply it
• I couldn't really re-apply it more than once because of the build up it caused.
• It does flake a little, leaving the same kind of powdery residue that I find the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie sometimes leaves
• My hair was really tangled after the second day
• The moisture it provided didn't last long (I know that's not the primary role of the product but still...)
• Doesn't seem to be compatible with all moisturisers.

I'll try it out a few more times, probably until it runs out. But I don't know if it's a product I'd ever go out of my way to buy again. It's not really a gel or a moisturiser. It's something in between. Which should be ideal, but it's just not quite right in my opinion.

Until Next time,

Ciao

xxx