As much of a household name as Ouai has become among beauty buffs, it still has that new-hair-care-brand feel, don't you think? Perhaps that's because, aside from looking so modern and chic, it just keeps launching fantastic new products that refresh everyone's enthusiasm for the collection. The brand is now five years old — can you believe it?! — but Jen Atkin is keeping things fresh with its long-awaited latest launches, which mark two kinds of firsts for her celebrity-celebrated line.
Although plenty of Ouai's existing products work wonderfully on curly hair — shout-out to Air Dry Foam in particular — the aptly and simply named Curl Crème is the first product from Ouai made specifically for curls. Curl Crème also marks the first time in the brand's history that it's simultaneously launching a fragrance-free version of a product, so shoppers have the choice between the beloved signature North Bondi scent and an absence thereof.
Both versions, more than two years in the making, promise the same thing: to work for every curl type and pattern. And that means working for every kind of styling routine, too, whether it's an air-dried wash-and-go situation, cocktailing with other products, or plopping with a diffuser. The silicone-free formula relies primarily on beneficial oils. linseed and chia seed oils help define your optimum curl shape — cosmetic chemist Ginger King tells Allure they're both rich in nourishing omega fatty acids — while babassu, coconut, and soybean oils retain moisture and add shine, King says.
It sounds pretty great, and we basically trust Jen Atkin with our lives — especially considering the product received detailed input from more than 150 Ouai community members — but we couldn't just not try it before sending you off to a store or site, so here's what three Allure editors with three different types of curls had to say about their first time using Ouai Curl Crème.
If there's one thing Atkin knows, it's hair. As someone who uses Ouai's refillable Thick Shampoo and Conditioner religiously, I couldn't wait to slather the new Curl Crème on my hair.
With both a fragranced and non-fragranced version to choose from, my nose sent me straight for the North Bondi floral and white musk-scented tube. In typical Jen fashion, there was enough product to last for a month of continuous use (which says a lot for the mane of hair I style). The creamy, lightweight texture allowed easy application as I brushed it through my damp, post-wash hair using nothing but my fingers.
Within a few hours, my type 2C hair started to take shape, and loose curls began to form. Since the Curl Crème contains oils derived from linseed and chia seed, my hair not only looked but felt notably softer and even airy. As for the hold, I may need to double up on a gel to achieve tighter curls, but if you're looking for that beach wavy S-curl, this is all you need.
At the time I used this curl cream, I was about to go to bed — not a good time for a wash-and-go, which is what I think this type of cream would work best for on my 3C/4A hair texture. So, in the interest of not waking up to hair that was a ball of frizz, I did the styling method I've been sticking to as of late: sectioning my hair into fours, adding a leave-in, then raking in a styler before braiding each quadrant.
When I added the Curl Crème, I could see my curls forming. The cream, though it might be heavier on some textures, didn't feel so heavy on mine. My hair was still a bit damp when I took it out, which is not ideal when you braid your hair — it should be completely dry — but for time's sake, I took it out. There was definition in the dry parts, but there was a bit more frizz than I have been going for lately. I think that was because my hair was still a little damp at the base. And even then, there wasn't as much frizz as you would expect with hair as damp as mine still was.
That said, given the way my curls reacted to this when I put it in, I think this is something that I would use if I was going for a chill vibe with my hair, if I wanted a more lived-in, fluffy, soft-looking day-two look. It's definitely a look that I've been enjoying more these days, and now I know exactly what to use to get it.
Other than that, the product does give your hair a good amount of moisture without making it feel oversaturated. I did notice that my curls were not as elongated as they typically are when I do a braid-out (which could also be a symptom of the dampness), but my curls were shiny after I used it, which is always the look I'm going for. Still, even when my hair was still in the braids, it was tightly curled at the ends, and the curl was holding, so the product was clearly doing its job.
I used the unscented formula, and I have to give props to Ouai for creating a version like this because not everyone wants to deal with competing scents in their hair. Let's keep it a buck: Most of us use different brands for each step in our routine, and different products have different smells. Sometimes, you don't want to deal with that, so a lightly scented or unscented product is really a welcome thing, in my opinion.
Knowing that both my colleagues planned on air-drying with the Curl Crème, I decided to throw caution to the electronically propelled wind and use a diffuser. That may not seem like a big deal, but I air-dry my hair 99 percent of the time, so if the Curl Crème could make my hair look great despite blow-drying my curls for the first time in I don't know how long, it would be a true test of its greatness.
I happen to love the North Bondi scent, so I went for the fragranced version of the formula, which I appreciate because I'm not loving the scent of the shampoo and conditioner I'm currently using, so it was more than welcome to help cover it up. So as not to add any additional weight to my hair, I skipped over my usual leave-in detangler and evenly distributed a generous amount — perhaps a little too generous considering I sort of forgot I'd recently cut off more than half a foot of my hair and was applying it as if my hair still reached my waist. Oops.
But that wasn't at all detrimental to the outcome, thank goodness. I helped it along by twisting a wrapping individual pieces around my finger, and then flipping my head over for a little scrunching. I attempted to dry my hair in this position, but my back was not having it, so after giving it a few minutes to emerge from a soaking-wet state, I diffused a little in this direction, a little in that direction, until my hair was dry.
And by "dry," I only mean not wet anymore, because it was definitely still moisturized — that was apparent from both look and feel. I can thank Curl Crème for how bouncy yet flowy my curls came out, because I definitely can't thank my diffusing skills. There was no crunch, decidedly less frizz than usual, and the kind of shine I don't expect from my hair when it's not straightened. I have a feeling I'm going to run out of this stuff pretty quickly despite the big bottle, and when I do — well, I'll just go through the fragrance-free bottle next. But I'm definitely going to be replenishing my supply of the scented cream ASAP.
Ouai Curl Crème is now available for $32 at theouai.com now.
More on curly hair:
- The 27 Best Hair-Care Products for Curls
- The Science of Beauty: How to Take Care of Curly Hair
- The 5 Best Curly Hair Tricks I've Learned From Stylists
Now check out 100 years of curls:
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