Cream of the Curl Crop — Ouidad Introduces Two New Ringlet-Defining, Coil-Moisturizing Cream Products
It’s only been three years since Ouidad landed in Sephora stores across the nation, but the woman behind the soon-to-be-ubiquitous line was far from a newcomer to the beauty industry — in fact, before her eponymous line’s Sephora launch, she’d spent 25 years tending to curly-haired gals like herself (in 1984, she opened the country’s first salon catering to curly hair). Offering shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, leave-in treatments, serums, pomades, and styling gels meant to moisturize strands, keep humidity at bay, control frizz, protect hair from UV rays, and define ringlets and coils, Ouidad has been making Curly Sues everywhere say a resounding “oui” at the cash register.
For Spring 2012, the brand is launching two new styling products, both boasting a deliciously creamy texture: the Ouidad Curl Quencher HydraFusion Intense Curl Cream ($26 at Ouidad.com and Sephora.com) and the Ouidad Moisture Lock Define & Shine Curl Styling Gel Cream ($24 at Ouidad.com).
As someone with dehydrated curls that have gone limper than week-old noodles due to years of bleaching, highlighting, and heat styling, the Ouidad Curl Quencher HydraFusion Intense Curl Cream has proven to be an oasis to my parched, listless, cotton mouthed strands. A leave-in conditioner and styling cream in one, this product strengthens and tightens curls thanks to the sweet almond extract, soybean seed extract, and milk thistle in its formula, while hydrolyzed silk protein envelops each strand to lock in moisture and create a smooth, frizz-free texture. Not only does it accentuate your curls’ natural form, but it does so without hindering any tactile properties, leaving your mane soft enough to caress and amplifying its volume to make each spiraling strand all the more vibrant and perky. To use, you simply press your palm down on the pump dispenser and squeeze the desired amount into the palm of your other hand (from a dime-sized to a quarter-sized amount should suffice, depending on the length and thickness of your hair), then rub hands together and smooth the product onto your damp mane, working it from roots to ends. To make sure the product is evenly distributed, follow this step by combing hair thoroughly, thereby basically raking the product through strands.
While the Ouidad Curl Quencher HydraFusion Intense Curl Cream adds definition, locking in moisture and plumping strands from within, it’s the Ouidad Moisture Lock Define & Shine Curl Styling Gel Cream that ensures your ‘do stays in place all day long — as you tackle stifling humidity, exercise and dance until you break a sweat, and flip, toss, and pin your hair a hundred times over. Unlike old-school hair gels loaded with alcohol that leave strands feeling tacky or give them a helmet-like hardness, this gel provides hold without weighing hair down or even compromising its softness. Unlike the sticky, almost glue-like texture of traditional gels, then, the Moisture Lock Define & Shine Curl Styling Ge Cream boasts a lightweight, almost milky feel and it’s easily absorbed by strands so that it does more than simply rest atop the cuticle layer. Even better, the gel’s formula includes moisturizing agents like hydrolyzed silk and hydrolyzed vegetable protein so that it actually tends to your curls as it locks them in place, making sure moisture remains at an optimal level.
Since my curls are so painfully dry, I tend to use both of these products as part of my “natural hair” routine. First, I apply the Ouidad Curl Quencher HydraFusion Intense Curl Cream to my damp strands and, once the product has been fully absorbed by my hair, I apply the Ouidad Moisture Lock Define & Shine Curl Styling Gel Cream, scrunching up sections of my hair as I blow dry them using a diffuser. The result is bouncy, shiny, squiggly curls that would make Felicity Porter (yes, the TV character played by Keri Russell) green with envy.
