The lovely Tami of NJ has found her Holy Grail styler/leave-in, and wants to share it with us! Check her out:
Hi Nikki,
I love your blog. I’m only sorry I found it right after moving out of North Carolina. I’d been living there for the past 5 years for my grad program at Duke. Go Blue Devils! Sorry, I know you’re a ‘Heel fan, but I had to get that out 🙂 I’m writing about a product I use that works pretty well for me: Marc Anthony’s Strictly Curls Conditioner. I used to use Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding with great results, but besides the cost (yikes!), lately I’ve felt that it makes my curls too sproingy. The Strictly Curls I use the same way as Curly Pudding–comb it through my hair and use as a leave-in. It prevents frizz, doesn’t get hard or flake, and holds my curls together nicely without them being too tight. The only strange thing is that they seem to use a different product in the small vs larger bottles they sell: I’d been buying the large bottle from Ulta in Raleigh when I lived there, but I’ve only been able to find the small (12 oz) bottle in the drug stores here–and the product in the smaller bottle seems runnier for some reason (which means you end up using more of it). The result is fairly close, but I recommend going for the larger size.
Hope this helps another curly girl & keep up the great blogging,
Tami
Pics of Tami’s curls with Strictly Curls:
your curls and colour is nice.
yay, someone else who loves this stuff , thought i was the only one lol
Your curls look so pretty.
I was going to use this conditioner…but I'm pretty sure the ingredients contain mineral oil or petroleum…one of those…b/c I accidently bought it and quickly returned it!
Thanks everyone for such great feedback.
@Trish–I do a deep conditioner every 2 weeks or so to moisturize, but this style in the photos is just with the conditioner. I don't use it to detangle (it's not very good for that since it doesn't get slippery enough for me, but I've used different generics from Sally's for detangling with good results).
@ Cygnet–I'm with Shones, it's a lot like Sephora, but without the 'boutique-y' feel. The one I used to go to is across the street from Southpoint Mall (technically in Durham), but it's a chain, so I think they'll all be pretty much the same.
@puff–This style is really just a wash and go–I wet my hair, comb a generous amount of conditioner through and sort of rake my fingers all over to puff it up (thanks so much for the compliment. It took me a long time to love my curls). Sorry I don't have more useful info on styling 🙁
@PrettyLady–I know! The lotion makes my hard really hard and flakes up the minute you touch it. I like the conditioner much better, but either will do in a pinch. Also, I just found Bed, Bath, & Beyond sells Mark Anthony Strictly Curls yesterday (and for less than the drugstores I've found!)
@Alice–that's saddening news, but it doesn't surprise me (if anything, it makes me feel vindicated–I KNEW the stuff in the smaller bottles from the drug store felt different). The color is Dark & Lovely Golden Bronze #379. I do it about 2x a year.
@ Everyone–thanks again for all the positive reinforcement. This is such a great forum for curly talk and support. Thanks! Tami
Some drugstores "water down" designer (Paul Mitchell and possibly this line in particular) to make them cheaper. I've never heard this confirmed from an actual drug store/ingredient comparison/company, but it explains why brand names often have "results only guaranteed if purchased from a salon" on the bottle and I've been told the same thing at every salon I've been to.
I'm glad you like it though! And quick question: What hair color did you use in the second picture? It's lovely 🙂
Her curls are so pretty and clumpy. Too cute!
i'll try it since the hair in that photo looks wonderful
my hair is 4b so i hope it works
Thanks for posting this. I use the Marc Anthony Strictly Curls curl defining lotion and I love it! It has a great citrus smell and defines and holds my curls really well.
Cygnet, the ULTA with which I am familiar is in Northeast Raleigh near Triangle Town Mall (next to DSW and Dick's Sporting Goods). It's kind of like Sephora, but without as many boutique line products. They sell make-up, hair care products, perfume, face lotions, etc.
Love the spirals curls…How do you do that? And your color is cute 😉
yea they do look good. I used the MA Strictly Curls Curl defining lotion. It was flake city! But yours look good. Maybe I should stick to conditioners…….
your curls are gorgeous!! i have a question though: how exactly do you apply the conditioner to get that effect (i fail at wash-and-gos =/)?
I like the curls, Tami. The way you have it styled is how I'll probably wear mine, once it grows out more. Tell me please, where is Ulta? I live in Raleigh, but I've never heard of it. What kind of place is it?
Do you also use a oil for a moisturizer, or do you only use the Strictly Curls conditioner. Oh, and do you also use it to detangle?
Pretty!!! Thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to look into this. ~KF519