So I've been hearing about this product since May on naturallycurly.com (my daily haunt!) and how great it is and even better than KCCC for a wng, etc. It took a while for it to get to my Whole Foods compared to people in the midwest and other states, so I basically forgot about it after checking a couple times. Then one day earlier this month I popped in WF and it was there. I got as far as the line with it and decided to stop my pj'ism. I was so proud of myself :D Even though I was looking for a KCCC replacement since it's not exactly kind to the pockets being $17 for 8oz., I held off because I still had 1/2 jar left and other stylers/gels I wanted to play around and compare it with first. I've tried Eco Styler gel, Herbal Essences, Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream, Curl Junkie, etc. After trying many styler/li combo's, they all gave me the same results as each other, more of an afro-curl when dry, more poufy, which I like, but nothing gave me the curl definition that the custard does, which is a defined corkscrew, a look I sometimes also want. So I finally caved yesterday and bought QH's creme at Whole Foods for $7.95 (15oz) because my custard jar is getting down there! Of course I couldn't wait to try it out so yesterday evening I did a wng using:
Shampoo- Garnier Fructis Pure Clean (has sulfates, but I've been using 'cones, so I wanted to get rid of them)
Then I used some of the plant poo mixed with Giovanni 50:50 Shampoo for extra clean :D
Condish- Garnier Fructis Color Shield
LI- KCKT, then combed through to get rid of any knots
Then applied the cream in sections on soaking wet hair, shingling it (pulling it through with my fingers and shaping the curl), spritzing with water first
Sealed with KBB's hair oil
Here's the blurb from their website:
"In a hive, there’s only one queen whose diet is only Royal Jelly, a nutrient packed super-food with 17 amino acids, vitamins A, C, D, K and multiple B-vitamins. We use the Queen Bee’s Royal Jelly in Curl Shaping Créme to naturally tame frizz, define curls and smooth waves with silky hold. Pure Aloe Vera Gel and Agave Nectar quench your hair’s thirst without the grease, while powerful Green Tea antioxidants and intense moisturizers defend against damaging heat and humidity.
Applying it was smooth as it really is like a jelly, and it's very light. Once fully applied, there wasn't a lot of white product on my hair like I usually get when I do KCKT and KCCC, which is great because I can't leave the house with my hair that way. With the creme, you can totally leave the house with your hair wet and not get any stares. I still diffused a bit to help it dry faster, not fully, and it really looked great! With KC, I get a tight coil that springs right up, which I love and absolutely no frizz. With QH, it was a looser curl, almost a wave. So it did lengthen my curl as they claim on the jar. Not much frizz.
When my hair was dry, there was shrinkage, but it was shiny and I didn't have to wipe my nape and hairline off to remove any sticky residue (like with the custard). It was a little crunchy, but no more than when I use any other gel.
I love that it's all natural and doesn't have any harsh chemicals in it. The smell is nice and fresh like any regular mainstream hair product. The custard smells like marshmallow, which I ADORE! The true test will be seeing how many days I get out of this one wng. With KC, it can literally last about 5 days with me just steaming it in the shower and spritzing with water before I leave, no re-applying of any product. QH claims this will combat humidity and heat, which I find interesting since glycerin is the second ingredient...but we'll see since NYC has been all of the above! :/
I slept with my sleep cap last night as usual and when I woke up this morning, yes it looked jacked up, but with the KCCC, all I have to do is my steam/spritz routine and tousle a little and it's all good. We'll see.
UPDATE:
It didn't give me as many days at KCCC, but that doesn't really matter since it's cheaper and in a bigger jar, so I can afford to re-do it ;)
