I was first introduced to the Kinky Curly line after years of searching for a great curly hair styler. Kinky Curly brand is ever expanding but has the basic shampoo, leave-in, and styling products of many other lines. Kinky Curly website recommends their products not be used with sulfates or oils and therefore use of their complete system will give the best results. With that being said, I do not own the Kinky Curly Come Clean shampoo so maybe my results could improve. (Take it with a grain of salt, I like the Johnson’s baby shampoo.) Nevertheless, I do own the Knot Today Leave-In/Detangler, the Curling Custard, and the Spiral Spritz curl refresher. I like that these products are all organic.
Knot Today, as previously stated is a Leave-In conditioner and Detangler. It has a jelly like texture and is very thick. It does remove the tangles and provide an easy comb out. It has a tropical fragrance (that seems to be an ongoing theme in my products) and has minimal residue left after applying to hair. However, I do not feel this product is a sufficient moisturizer. I find that after a few days of using the Kinky Curly system, my hair is dry and in desperate need an oil treatment or conditioning balm. The collection does not have a daily conditioner that isn’t a leave in which kinda sucks. This is not my favorite leave in and in fact I only continue to purchase because I like the way it interacts with the Curling Custard.
The infamous Curling Custard has become a cult classic for curly haired girls. This styling gel is very concentrated and has the consistency of actual custard. They definitely gave it the right name. This product does not have the coconut/tropical fragrance of its detangling counterpart. In fact, I can’t really describe the scent of the gel. It by no means smells bad; rather it’s a smell I can’t necessarily identify. Let’s just say that it smells organic. I love this styling gel. I loved the fact that my hair didn’t shrink, BIG points for that. I also loved that my curls were soft and moving, although I must admit, it took me a long time to determine how much was just enough to balance the hold I wanted with the softness I craved. It applies smooth into the hair, yet I find it leaves a film on my hands after applying. I also recommend placing a towel around your neck to prevent the wet hair from transferring product to your skin. Because this product is so concentrated, soaking wet hair is necessary, especially if you forgo the Knot Today (another reason for the dryness). I find that it takes my hair hours to air dry which can create a problem on cold winter mornings. Welp good thing for me, I’m definitely not a morning person =). I tried this product without the Knot Today (back in 2010) and I noticed my hair had a lot more volume and less definition.
Lastly, I have the curl reviver, Spiral Spritz. To be honest I haven’t really found a true purpose for this product yet. It has a lemon scent that reminds me of Whole Foods, not bad just different for a hair product. It is also a gel but it does not leave behind any residue. It comes in an unnecessary spray bottle. I say unnecessary because this product is too thick to spray rather it just squirts all over the place. There is little control over product placement if you use it straight from the bottle. A pump would have definitely worked better. In fact, I actually squirt this product in my hands and then work it into second day curls. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. However, I don’t blame the inconsistency on the product rather my before bed laziness that causes frizzy, unmanaged curls. I do like this product as a curl refresher for my nights out on the town after a long day of work or school. When used along with a spray bottle, I believe this product is worth it.
Here's my wet hair with freshly applied product
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| Notice the length |
Here my completely dried hair
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| Still has great length |
At the end of the day, I highly enjoy the results from these products. I would repurchase each of these, but I before I settle for another Knot Today, I’d like to use the Curling Custard over some other leave ins, particularly the Shea Moisture Curl and Style Milk.
Kinky Curly Knot Today and the Spiral Spritz are both available in an 8oz bottles for $12.00 each. Kinky Curly Curling Custard is available in two sizes with the smallest being 8 ounces for $17. The products are available here, Target, and Whole Foods Stores
