I’m soo confused which styling products to choose from the Emporium for my Type 2 waves.

For all the type 2 ladies - which styling products do you use?

Im looking for any CG styling product that is: fairly light, won’t weigh hair down too much, will enhance waves/curls (obviously!), isn’t too sticky or crunchy when dry….

I dont mind what formula, whether it’s a gel or w/e - just needs to be suitable for fine-medium type 2s.

Can anyone pleeeease make any suggestions that i could try? - im driving myself crazy trying ot decide.  xx

I tend to use a leave in, watery gel, curl creme (if using one), then a harder more tacky gel.

At the moment it goes Asda Jojoba, Boots Purple Gel, Trevor Sorbie Long Curl Creme (old version), then Garnier Endurance gel.

I find the base layer of the purple gel repvents frizz, starts the curl going, and putting it before curl creme helps with shine. The Garnier Endurance is my favourite product though, for me its great for defintion.

I would LOVE to try some stuff from the Emporium but I just can’t afford it…I may hopefully treat myself in a few months, once I’ve managed to stop spending my (very low, one day of work a week) wages on clothes for sixth form.

CloClo - 31 August 2010 12:16 PM

I tend to use a leave in, watery gel, curl creme (if using one), then a harder more tacky gel.

At the moment it goes Asda Jojoba, Boots Purple Gel, Trevor Sorbie Long Curl Creme (old version), then Garnier Endurance gel.

I find the base layer of the purple gel repvents frizz, starts the curl going, and putting it before curl creme helps with shine. The Garnier Endurance is my favourite product though, for me its great for defintion.

I would LOVE to try some stuff from the Emporium but I just can’t afford it…I may hopefully treat myself in a few months, once I’ve managed to stop spending my (very low, one day of work a week) wages on clothes for sixth form.

Hey CloClo sweetie - thanks for the reply.

Sooo… you use the regular Jojoba Co from Asda as a leave-in?  It never ocurred to me that you could do that, so i may give it a go sometime.  I’ve got some for my co-wash - but i kinda wanted to treat myself to some Emporium goodies for everything else (not that iv got much spare cash either lol, but i could do with a treat to cheer up me n my miserable barnet! - and i love the idea of using some nice natural ingredients on my hair).

Im gona order the Boots Pink creme and Purple Gel to see how i get on n im looking for the garnier Gel too - I’ve never used Gel before, coz i prefer BIG hair from mousse etc, rather than reeeeally defined smooth hair, but we’ll see.

Im still DESPERATE for some Styling product recs for Type 2s from the Emporium - if anyone can offer some suggestions?

CloClo - if you had the cash available which Emporium styling products would YOu choose babes?  xxx

OK, so i’ve narrowed it down to these CG styling products:

CJ Curls In A Bottle
CJ Coffee Cocoa Creme Light,
JC Rockin Ringlets,
JC Confident Curls,
CHS Curl Keeper.

Pleeeeease could someone choose for me?!.. or knock some off the list at least?! - LOL im driving myself nuts trying to decide which 1 or 2 to buy for my type 2, med-coarse, fine-med thickness, long wavy hair. 
I’d like the styling product/s to encourage wave/curl formation mostly.  I really dont want anything to weigh my hair down as i also like to encourage volume in my hair.  Im not too concerned with controlling frizz, so mostly its just whatever product will enhance & hold my waves/loose-curls w/o reducing volume too much.

Could anyone help me to choose, pleeease?! Id be sooo grateful, and id be able to hurry up and place my emporium order so i can get started on CG at last!    xxx

I really want to try the Curls in a Bottle - although reading a thread on NC.com it seems its better in higher dewpoints. So I’m thinking of holding off until around April/May time before buying that.
I also quite like the look of the Hair Rules Wavy Mousse - from what you’ve said that may suit you?
And I’m interested in the Jessicurl brand as well.

And yes, I use the ASDA as a leave in as well - I used to use a richer leave in (the garnier), but quite a few people on here found it built up, despite being cone-free. Its fine as a rinse out though.

I do like to encourage volume, diffusing definitely helps for me - upside down, or somewhere between to the side and upside down (sorry, weird description!).

Yeah i was looking at the Hair Rules Mousse but i dont think it’s CG so i wouldnt be able to use it :(

What do you think about the Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper?  I liked the look of that b/c its just the one product, but not sure if its really suited to Type 2s?

Otherwise i guess i’ll go for the JessiCurl Rockin Ringlets & Confident Coils - hopefully they wont weigh hair down or prevent volume?

And then i can wait to try CIAB next spring maybe.

So its between the JC products or CHS Curl Keeper.  Do you think either of those two choices would be best for us type 2s? 

This is driving me crrrazy! - I know its a lot to do with trial and error but i defo cant afford to buy something that most likely WONT work for type 2s.

Well, Keisha Jo suggested i try Jessicurl products when i emailed her, so i guess i might go with the JCRR & JCCC - unless someone thinks CHS Curl Keeper would work better?

Arggghhh! - i really need to get my order in - what do you think?  xxxx

Damn I forgot to check if it was CG.

I personally want to try the JessiCurl, I heard good thing about it from other internet sites. And I’d definitely trust Keisha Jo!

I know what you mean about not spending money on something that won’t work - I’m terrifed of wasting the little money I’ve got!

CloClo - 02 September 2010 08:51 AM

Damn I forgot to check if it was CG.

I personally want to try the JessiCurl, I heard good thing about it from other internet sites. And I’d definitely trust Keisha Jo!

I know what you mean about not spending money on something that won’t work - I’m terrifed of wasting the little money I’ve got!

Same here babes - its driving me nuts.

I just joined the american NaturallyCurly site and i just got warned off the JessieCurl products - she said they make your hair limp, lank and stringy… FFS! ~ just when i think iv made a logical decision about which CG products to choose someone tells me its worse than useless!

Grrrrrr! Has anyone else found JessieCurl styling products pretty useless for wave formation w/o limiting volume? (especially RR & CC) - My brain hurts! xx

LittleSnowflake - 02 September 2010 10:09 PM

CloClo - 02 September 2010 08:51 AM

Damn I forgot to check if it was CG.

I personally want to try the JessiCurl, I heard good thing about it from other internet sites. And I’d definitely trust Keisha Jo!

I know what you mean about not spending money on something that won’t work - I’m terrifed of wasting the little money I’ve got!

Same here babes - its driving me nuts.

I just joined the american NaturallyCurly site and i just got warned off the JessieCurl products - she said they make your hair limp, lank and stringy… FFS! ~ just when i think iv made a logical decision about which CG products to choose someone tells me its worse than useless!

Grrrrrr! Has anyone else found JessieCurl styling products pretty useless for wave formation w/o limiting volume? (especially RR & CC) - My brain hurts! xx

How annoying!! But what doesn’t work for someone may work amazingly for someone else…which obviously doesn’t help as you still don’t know if it will be a waste of money or not!

I’ve tried the CHS curl keeper and it did nothing for my hair except straighten it a bit!!! I’m trying boots pink curl creme at the mo which works well but leaves my hair feeling a bit dry. I intend to try CJCIAB and CJCCCL next along with some Jessie Curls Too Shea conditioner as there’s no protein which I’m trying to avoid with having coarse porous hair
MrsM

CloClo - 03 September 2010 04:05 PM

LittleSnowflake - 02 September 2010 10:09 PM

CloClo - 02 September 2010 08:51 AM

Damn I forgot to check if it was CG.

I personally want to try the JessiCurl, I heard good thing about it from other internet sites. And I’d definitely trust Keisha Jo!

I know what you mean about not spending money on something that won’t work - I’m terrifed of wasting the little money I’ve got!

Same here babes - its driving me nuts.

I just joined the american NaturallyCurly site and i just got warned off the JessieCurl products - she said they make your hair limp, lank and stringy… FFS! ~ just when i think iv made a logical decision about which CG products to choose someone tells me its worse than useless!

Grrrrrr! Has anyone else found JessieCurl styling products pretty useless for wave formation w/o limiting volume? (especially RR & CC) - My brain hurts! xx

How annoying!! But what doesn’t work for someone may work amazingly for someone else…which obviously doesn’t help as you still don’t know if it will be a waste of money or not!

Haha true! - TBH im starting to see why trial and error is the best method - for every 10 people that rave about a product theres often another 10 who detest it! ~ even within the same hairtype group.

Im starting to think i should do some more playing with cheaper products 1st to see what kind of formulas i like best… but i’d still like to treat myself if i get brave enough to take a risk on a more expensive quality styler.

Oh btw, i got the Boots pink curl creme and i LOVE it!  I was suprised how great it was and i had the best hair day ever yesterday when i used it for the 1st time ~ along with Boots Ingredients Coconut & Almond Intensive Mask. 

Does anyone know if the CJ CCCC Lite is anything similar to Boots Pink? - i never used a curling creme before so not sure how they compare?  xx

MrsMoby - 04 September 2010 10:52 PM

I’ve tried the CHS curl keeper and it did nothing for my hair except straighten it a bit!!! I’m trying boots pink curl creme at the mo which works well but leaves my hair feeling a bit dry. I intend to try CJCIAB and CJCCCL next along with some Jessie Curls Too Shea conditioner as there’s no protein which I’m trying to avoid with having coarse porous hair
MrsM

Hi MrsM.  I like the Boots pink curling creme too - i was surprised how well it works.

I was looking at CJ CIAB and almost ordered it until i read an article, supposedly by the creator of CJ, who said the the CIAB wasnt in fact a curling product at all - he/she said that it smoothes and defines curls that are already there, but it doesnt enhance or create curl like, say, a curling gel or creme would. 

Gah! Confused? Yup! - especially with a name like CIAB you would expect it to help create extra curl when scrunched in, but apparently it was never designed for that reason - purely for those who have plenty of curl already and just want to make the curl they already have to look better by decreasing frizz etc.. 
It would seem you still need a curling gel or creme to increase curl.

Seeing as im a 2a/b i want my curling products to create MORE curl during srunching/diffusing - just making my limp waves frizz-free & silky is now what i espected from a product called CIAB! :( 

Im disappointed that Curl Keeper didnt enhance/increase your curls either - that was what i was going to go for. 
I would want such a pricey product to work much better than my Boots pink Curling Creme and its not sounding very promising that either of those two will do that. :(

Now im wondering how JC CCCCLite compares to Boots Pink?  xx

May try the CJ CCCL and compare. Also high street have you tried frizz ease spiral style curl gel? Think its cg I’ve put the ingredients in a post about it on High Street Forum. I found it works really well especially over curl cream and athigh street price worth a try
MrsM

Hi LittleSnowFlake

I have tried the CHS curl keeper and the Jessicurl Rockin Ringlets and confident coils as a combo.  I’ve not tried the others

When I put them on they go on soaking wet hair I put both of them on soaking wet hair, then scrunch with a t-shirt.  For me the curl Keeper is better at controlling frizz but all of them encourage curl quite well.  I think a harder hold gel on top might help give you bigger hair potential, especially if you then to the upside down scrunching diffusing thing.  All of them are quite runny and light products - which works best for my type 2 curls.  A harder hold gel will probably give you some stickyness which will help you pump up the volume.  If I want bigger hair then I can get it with these products, plus biosilk rock hard gelee by fluffing up and scrunching when it’s dry but not encouraging too much volume during the drying process!  I’ve never found the Jessicurl stuff gives me stringy hair.  For my preferences the curl keeper just edges it - but I tend to try for clumpy defined curls.

thanks for this, im going insane!!!!!!! I really am

Im done LOL

Maybe not what you asking for but this info may help when you are making choices.

I have a unique head of hair with type 2b/c through to 3c curls. I have found that making sure my hair is correctly pH balanced does the miraculous in creating / defining natural curls. In fact I didn’t know I HAD curls until I learnt about the structure of hair and the imnportance of pH balance.

My HG product is Aloe Vera gel. Yep, plain ol’ Aloe Vera gel. You see hair has a natural pH balance of 4.5 - 5.5 and the divine aloe vera gel has a pH of 4 - 4.5 (depending on brand). Using aloe vera gel as my ‘gel’ restores / ensures the correct pH level of my hair making my waves and curls POP!

So when choosing products to ensure curl definition look for pH balanced products (4-5.5) or those which feature aloe vera juice / gel for the best natural curl definition your hair can have.

I hope that helps a little. And good luck in your search. I look forward to hearing what you do choose and how it works for you.