Rated 4.44 out of 5 stars
115 Reviews
I have lived with curly hair all of my life!!! If a product is made for curly I'm trying it because I am always on the hunt for the BEST!!! I have been committed to a certain brand for a long time and their mousse for curly hair. I was excited to try this and a little nervous because I prefer the mousse texture over a gel texture. I LOVED this product!!! I have been using it in conjunction with their hair oil as well for extra moisture. The one standout quality of this product is that it dries quickly and holds the curls as they dry. My mousse takes forever to dry and sometimes by then I've gotten hot and my hair gets frizzy and it dries funny. This product makes my hair perfectly curled with just a scrunch with your hands. The one thing to be aware of is, it is super hard hold so you only need a SMALL amount like dime size or smaller, and be sure to really spread it out, and do not get it heavily concentrated in any one area because it will be crunchy and stay looking wet! Overall, LOVE this product and will be sharing this info with my curly haired friends!!!
I used this along with the plump for joy root lifter, for the first time along with a miel hair mousse. I have been using the mousse for a couple of years with outstanding results for my wash and gos. I decided to add the two not your moms' products to change it up. Usually, my hair curls up into beautiful ringlets but this time my hair turned into a dry tight afro. My hair went from 2C to beyond 4C. My hair was so dry and tangled that I had to completely rewash my hair to detangle and get it remoisturize . I could not even get a comb through it. I have never had this bad of an experience with any other brand so I will never use this brand ever again. I had high hopes for this product line because it is cheaper than a lot of the other brands, but I guess you get what you pay for. I am so very grateful that I saved my receipt.
5
Sam from NY
I love this gel for this price point. It works better with the curl talk defining curl creme. However, it will pair with other products. This gel has a crunch but it is easy to scrunch out and does not make your hair matted. I think this gel has far better hold than their other gel. I have not tried their new custard, but as a wavy, my hair does not like custards.
Nici from OKC, OK
It dries quickly and strongly. I always have a lot of body after scrunching out the crunch.
J < 3 from Sterling, VA
Let me just start off with i absolutely adore this hair gel for my type for hair since I always have to put it in a bun for work it slicks down so quickly and so easily and it is true that a little bit does go along way. I always have to put my hair in a military bun so it's like crucial that it stays down throughout the day and let me tell you this stuff genuinely works. I can say after like so many hours when you get the dry it dries down when I take it out of the bun and wash it it does feel a little dry but the thing is I always use a hair mask afterwards just to replenish the hydration but other than that 10 out of 10 I wouldn't necessarily recommend for anyone that has like type one or two hair just cause it is Very like maximum hold and I feel like it would just like make straight hair very stringy, but most definitely give it a try. :)
cytaormina from California
Fabulous for fine low density 2C & 3A hair. Softer holds don't preserve my curls for 2 to 3 days like this one does. While a rather thick gel, I emulsify it in warm WET hands & use prayer hands to apply. When fully dried I take 1 or two drops of my fav hair oil & scrunch away. While it does take a bit more scrunching to break the cast, it still did not get frizzy and curls were soooo soft. It's my holy grail gel & hubby loves it also for his hair.
4
Raquel from Miami, Fl
I absolutely love this product however, the product claims to he flake free. But as ive experimented, it makes my hair have lots of flakes. I think a reformulation would be great, if they could also remove the glycerin they add! So it can benefit people who live in humid areas. I didnt notice the flakes until my friends would tell me i have a lot of white stuff. I just stopped using it to find an alternative but havent yet. Has great hold but lots of flakes. Every strand of my hair had flakes. If you did the frizz test it wouldnt frizz up but youd create more flakes. I would recommend if you dont mind lots of flakes
1
curly girl from the metro D from Pontiac, Michigan
Dannie528 from CT
If you have fine, porous, loose curls that tend to over moisturize easily then you really need this gel. I often find that gels deemed "strong hold" aren't very strong hold on me, but that's not true of this gel. I've been playing around with it for over week and have been consistently impressed. It works great on washday but I've found it's really amazing at refreshing my hair. I wish live in New England where dew points fluctuate like crazy. If it's rainy or humid my hair sucks up all the moisture in the air and falls flat and frizzy. I just used this gel to refresh day 3 hair and I really should have taken before and after pics. My hair was so frizzy and stretched out from the moisture in the air and now it looks like I just washed it. This gel is not for everyone though. if you tend to have dryer hair, I suspect this gel with dry your hair out as it tends to add grit and hold. My fine hair really needs grit and hold but I know that's not true for everyone.
3
Chg6 from Virginia
I could honestly say for a hard hold gel this definitely lives up to its name. Considering the fact that I've tried other hard hold gels that were a miss or still wasn't as strong. Besides the amazing strong hold this gel provides it leaves my hair with flakes and my hair also feels on the drier side when I use it. Whenever I refresh its leaves my hair with a weird like film. I'm still 50/50 on whether to keep or return. If you're looking for a strong hold gel that will actually hold your curls I'd say give it a a try.
Kristy from Mt. Vernon, OH
I have now used this level five gel and the level three gel, and I think I'm going to stick with level five from now on! I have thin, type 3A/3B hair, so a little bit of this product goes a LONG way. I always ran through the level three gel quickly, so I'm happy to have found this firmer hold. My curls are lasting much longer, so I would definitely recommend you try this out!
mia from dc
this product has such a great hold. it even makes me hair last until the next day. but, it does produce white flakes after a while.
Jessica A from FL
I wanted not your mothers to bring back the beach babe texturizing hair cream for so long now because that product made my curls so pretty and last for days. I was on the hunt for a similar product so I figured I'd try this gel because it said it had a strong hold. I am so happy I did because it holds my curls for days.
from VT
This gets immediate holy grail status from me. My hair is fine and thick which seems like an oxymoron but it is what it is. I only need to use a small amount and it leaves a nice firm cast. It smells light and pleasant and the texture is smooth and not too sticky. It's also very light weight so it doesn't weigh my curls down too much. My curls are 3a/b type. I like that this gel makes it really easy to refresh/reshape curls by just adding water after wearing a hat or sleeping which I appreciate!
Strong curls from Hilliard Ohio
I bought this because of an influencer's review and she was spot on. I have fine 3a curls and this gel goes a long way with my hair. I use much less than some other gels and get a very strong cast. It's a little more sticky feeling than other gels I've used and not quite as good of a slip, but it's not terrible. My hair likes protein and this gel has enough that it makes my curls nice and bouncy once the cast is broken. If your hair is protein overloaded do not use this line.
Sandra from Delray Beach Florida
This gel is amazing for hot humid weather (south florida humid), is has very strong hold you have to play with the amount you use, i have fine hair 2C/3A medium porosity, it doesn't weight my hair down (a little can go a long way) very strong cast, i scrunched it with jojoba or tea tree oil!
Natalie from Wyoming
I bought this gel a couple weeks ago during Ulta's sale, as I had finally run out of both tubs of Eco Krystal gel that I bought two years ago. I've always loved strong gels, and since I didn't wanna break the bank with gels such as Ouidad or Pattern, I decided to give this one a shot. Something that surprised immediately is just how strong of a hold this gel gives me. The Eco Krystal is rated as maximum hold, but I had to use a lot of it to get a strong cast. With this gel, I use a quarter size amount and it gives me insane hold, way more than the Eco. It doesn't feel sticky like the Eco gel, and seems to disappear into my wet hair until the cast forms. Scrunching is a bit more work with this gel, but the hold is great. I usually combine it with a mousse in wash day and my waves/loose curls last a few days without refreshing. Overall, I really like it!
Schoolteacher001 from Boston, MA
I mix this gel with the curl cream before applying to my thin, Anglo, curly gray hair. Works great for a few days. No crunch but very effective.
jkd28 from NJ
I did not really know what a holy grail product was until I found this. I have tried countless gels and this is it. It prolongs my washday for a week sometime more. It is thick (which I love) but putting a pinch of water with it solves that problem. I love love this product. It is my go to and I could throw out every other curl gel and be good with just this one!
Mel from Austin,TX
I love this brand but this gel was a disappointment. This has great hold, a crunch cast which I like so I and scrunch it out with oil, and smells wonderful. The downside is that my ends felt like hay/ had a strawlike texture and it leaves white residue when you scrunch it out. I love the hold and definition but I can't get past the residue and texture of my ends.
gabe from allentown, pa
if you're someone who likes a strong hold gel, this will definitely not disappoint. it defines my curls nicely and i get no frizz, but i want a little bit more volume than it gives me. still really good tho especially if you like super defined hair. also it didn't flake on me.
Bethany from Kingsport, Tn
I do not know how many times I have rebought this gel since it came out!!! It has really strong hold and a strong cast. I glaze and scrunch the gel in my hair on really wet hair. I have a looser curl pattern.
jkd828 from NJ
This gel is incredible. I could never use the other cause if the glycerin and was so excited to try this. It far exceeded my expectations. My wash day was extended further than any other product I used ever and that is a lot. This is def a holy grail product for me and I highly recommend!!
I have re-purchase this product over and over and over again for about a year now. I love it has Protein and it gives lots of hold and definition. Favorite gel so far.
2
Jen513 from Detroit MI
I bought this in a pinch because my holy grail gel was out and it can't be purchased at Ulta. It turned my healthy feeling hair into straw as soon as I applied it. I couldn't get a wide tooth comb through my hair. I think I ripped out a ton of hair. There is absolutely no slip with this.
Kimber from Seminole, Florida
I can only find this strong hold #5 at Ulta. It's one of only two that I use. Gives a great strong cast but once dry and I scrunch out the crunch- beautiful defined curls with minimal frizz (I use Ouidad Advanced Climate Control with it). I have 2b-c 3a curls. I highly recommend. No scent.
Christina from Branson, Missouri
This product leaves curls soft without the stickiness. Long hold time a plus!