I have to say, I'm REALLY enjoying CurlBox. I mean, look at the curls in that second photo! This is hair I haven't seen since I was a toddler.
Now this 50ish something has to learn how to style it.
June's box wasn't as impressive to me as May's, but still a pretty good box. We received the Maui Moisture Heal + Hydrate Shea Butter line which included the shampoo and conditioner (of course, $8.99 each), the Detangler Leave-In ($8.99), the Hair Mask ($8.99), and their Strength & Anti-Breakage Agave Raw Oil ($10.99) . Total Value: $46.95
One of the things I like about having the CurlBox products (in addition to the great things they're doing for my hair), is that I use them a lot more than the cosmetics I receive, so I'm able to give more in depth reviews here on tumblr. With that said, let's get to it!
Maui Moisture Heal + Hydrate Shea Butter Shampoo :: This is the only product in the box that I ended up having a major problem with. It's thick and creamy, but I noticed a bit more tangling as I rinsed. It lathers up quite a bit, but it gave me the dreaded squeaky clean squeak, which indicates the product is stripping your hair. I also noticed less "wet curl" (how much curl I have after rinsing and gently removing excess water, but before wrapping in a towel). I ended up pulling it from my products for my hair...I use it for hand soap now. lol Now, to be fair, this may be a hair type/shampoo routine issue: a number of people on IG have indicated that the shampoo leaves their hair feeling very moisturized, but all the ones I noticed have kinkier hair than I do.
Maui Moisture Heal + Hydrate Shea Butter Conditioner :: This is VERY thick, almost to the point of being difficult to get out of the bottle (I really feel this could have used a pump). It did seem to help with the extra tangling I noticed with the shampoo: my hair was silky after rinsing. The first time, I didn't use my support mask (I use the Whole Blends repair mask for my ends), and while they didn't feel dry, they did feel like they could use the extra moisture the mask provides. It performs much better with the Shea Moisture shampoo: my hair felt silky down to the ends and I had more wet curl than when using this conditioner with its companion shampoo.
Without the extra conditioning support, after using both the shampoo and conditioner, my hair felt drier when scrunched with my microfiber towel. It needed more of my hydration serum and gave me less curl after all my leave-ins were applied. My hair felt softer in the sense of...hold?, but it was also frizzier once dry. The oil helped some, but it seems this conditioner needs the support mask or a more moisturizing shampoo to be effective for me, whereas the Shea Moisture from May did just fine on its own.
Maui Moisture Heal + Hydrate Shea Butter Detangler Leave-In :: while this did seem to help me run my fingers through my dry hair a bit more easily, I actually don't get much tangling now days in the first place. I also noticed a little less curl. Nothing hugely significant, but enough to notice after the curl explosion I experienced in May. For me, it just feels like additional product that I probably don't need, and that could be weighing down my curls...and I'd rather have the curls. ;)
Maui Moisture Heal + Hydrate Shea Butter Hair Mask :: So this heavy, thick mask can be used either in the shower or as a leave-in. I've tried it as both.
As an in shower mask, it helped with how the shampoo dried out my hair, and my hair felt smooth and silky. However, my hair still needed more of the hydration serum—less than without the mask, but still more than when I used the Shea Moisture products. My curl did look better than without using the mask, so this might also be a good support in shower mask, but as a mask on its own, I don't think it's quite enough for me.
I actually prefer using it as a leave-in. Because it's so thick, I have to go VERY easy on it. My hair feels soft and supple after plopping, and I can see/feel the natural curl without needing to encourage it with finger curls. And the amount of curl in the morning is astonishing some days. There is a bit less definition when I don't finger curl, but it's still a beautiful amount of curl. I'll probably continue to use it as a leave-in rather than an in-shower mask (the Whole Blends is cheap enough to continue purchasing).
Strength & Anti-Breakage Agave Raw Oil :: Haven't used this much, but I've liked it when I have. It needs time to soak in (note: my hair is on the lower end of porosity), but once it does, it helps add moisture and definition to dry hair and reduces frizz. And it adds beautiful shine. I like the scent—not as much as the Moroccanoil, but it's very pleasant.
Overall, this was an okay month. I like them enough to keep using them (with the exception of the shampoo and probably the detangler), but I wouldn't purchase them after this despite the curl results: I don't like feeling like I need to use more products to get the base products to work. The detangler will probably end up going to my daughter for her girl since it doesn't really do that much for me, and I'll probably continue to use the shampoo as hand soap.
Supposedly this month we're getting SIX products! And from the one spoiler they've given, it looks like a honey line. I can hardly wait! :D
