Before I dive into this review, I want you to promise me something:
that you won't judge me for using a kids product on my grown @$$ hair.
You've skipped to this line, so apparently you've agreed not to judge me (and even if you are secretly judging me in the back of your mind, thanks for the clicks boo!). Let's get on with this thing.
If you know me, then you know that I've got a soft spot for a handful of brands, and Eden BodyWorks is one of them. What's not to love about a brand created and ran by a young Black woman (who also happens to be a brilliant engineer...#lifegoals) that has responsible ingredients, stellar performance, and affordability at its cornerstones?
You can only imagine how excited I was when I saw their booth at BeautyCon LA this past weekend. I was super stoked! They were running an insane deal -- 2 of any product for $10. Now, by the time I got to the booth, most of the stuff was gone (save for edge control and a few products from the peppermint line). But there was a good amount of their new kids products left, and the Berry Natural Smoothing Gel caught my eye -- because it's a fairly new release and not available on the ground anywhere out here yet. Because I LIVE for the wash and go, and it smelled like a sweet berry dream, I had to try it out. Plus, I was NOT about to pass up $5 a jar.
So how did it fare against some of my faves? Keep reading to find out!
Availability: Right now, I'm only finding the Eden Kids Cocoa Shea Berry Natural Smoothing Gel on the Eden BodyWorks website. Like I mentioned previously, I purchased mine on the ground at BeautyCon LA. I'm hoping that it hits Sally's soon, like the rest of the Eden Kids line has.
Affordability: On the Eden BodyWorks website, the gel is listed for $7.99 for an 8oz jar. To me, that's affordable -- especially when ingredients and performance are factored in.
Ingredient List: Water, Glycerine, Polysorbate-20, Carbomer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Coco Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Aminomethyl Propanol, Fragrance
Top Ingredients 411:
- Glycerine: Generally vegetable-based humectant that absorbs and retains moisture from the air.
- Polysorbate-20: Emulsifier that enables oil and water to mix. It helps product disperse, is a thickener, and stabilizer of essential oils.
- Carbomer: Chemical composed of acrylic acid monomers that acts as a viscosity controlling agent (thickener).
- Aloe Vera Juice: Acts as a natural conditioning agent that restores the hair's sheen, luster, and shine. It not only makes the hair soft, but it also enhances strength and suppleness.
- Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein: Emollient moisturizing protein, also adds some strength to hair by temporarily attaching to damage and cracks along the cuticle of the hair.
Performance/Delivery: Oh. My. Goodness. Can I just be honest here and say that I really don't want to write anything -- I just want to flood you with a picture testimonial. Soooo..that's what I'm gonna do.
As you see, I'm feelin' my curls. They're springy, well defined, shiny, frizz-free, and just all around awesome. Yes, these curls are 100% dry!!! The Berry Natural Smoothing Gel has DELIVERT my curls! You guys know I'm all about the wash and go, and this summer is no exception. I've been in a bit of a slump lately, as far as styling goes. It seems like many of my favorite curl definers are not doing it for me as of late. I was just preparing to resign to a summer full of tubs of Eco Styler Gel, and Berry Natural Smoothing Gel came along to save me -- or at least give me something to rotate with.
Off the cuff, the smell is amazing. I've sniffed around the Eden Kids collection, and it has a gentle, sweet berry scent. It's not overwhelming at all, and an absolute pleasure to get a whiff of throughout the day. As far as the consistency and texture is concerned, its not quite like anything I've ever encountered. The thickness is somewhat of a cross between old school Let's Jam and Obia Natural Hair Curl Enhancing Custard. The spreadability and overall result really reminds me of Aunt Jackie's Don't Shrink Flaxseed Gel (which I loved, but the company paid me dust), minus the janky-ness. In fact, the top ingredients are very similar. I loved Don't Shrink, but refused (and still do) to give Aunt Jackie a single coin of my money. I'm so glad that I've found an alternative from a brand that I can fully support.
Speaking of Don't Shrink, I've noticed something else interesting with Berry Natural Smoothing Gel. Now, don't run out and buy up all the product when I say this, but I did notice an elongating effect with this gel. While it did not completely and totally prevent shrinkage, I will say that my curls seemed a lot more smooth and elongated. They didn't poof, frizz, or shrink up as much as normal. I didn't even pin my hair back in the front to stretch -- I just let it hang all out all day.
Drawbacks: Performance-wise? Absolutey none. The Berry Natural Smoothing Gel is truly the perfect product! I only wish it came in a 12 or 16oz jar, and that I had access to it on the ground. Keeping my fingers crossed -- I wished for Eden BodyWorks to put their Coconut Shea Hair Masque in a jar (instead of those darn packets) and my wish came true! So there's hope...
Or maybe Eden BodyWorks will come out with a similar Coconut Shea gel.... #pleaseJesus
Bonuses: I love that the Berry Natural Smoothing Gel works as an edge control (even though I am addicted to the glory of the Coconut Shea Control Edge Glaze), and that it provides phenomenal hold. I was a bit skeptical of a kids product, but this totally blew me away. And, it plays nicely with a variety of leave-ins and creams. But the REAL bonus? IT TAMED MY CROWN. My janky, never-wanna-curl-let's-just-frizz-and-not-let-Christina-be-great crown got served.This is all without a mud rinse, too! Allow me to introduce more photo evidence:
| Pardon the reddish... #leftover henna stain + red color boosting conditioner |
Overall Product Rating: 5 stars. Hands down.
Best Practices: For wash and go styling, apply on soaking wet hair that is already covered in leave-in conditioner or moisturizing cream. Apply generously from root to end, smoothing and raking to distribute product thoroughly. For more tips on the perfect wash and go, click here.
Wash Day: Eden BodyWorks Coconut Shea Cleansing CoWash Review
Have you tried anything from the Eden BodyWorks Kids line? What did you think of them?
from The Mane Objective http://ift.tt/1gwybMp
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