I got a deluxe sample of this from Sephora, I'd heard so much about it that my expectations were mixed. I have very long, naturally wavy hair that tends to go flat on top when I let it dry into its natural texture. I used this before blow drying and unlike most gels, it left virtually no residue and seemed to make a difference in the overall smoothness. When I used it in combination with a serum and let my hair dry naturally, it didn't leave it stiff or crunchy. I am going to get another bottle when my sample runs out since I need something I can use in the summer, I rarely use heat styling when it's that hot out. The gel is pretty thin so I'm not the biggest fan of the packaging, its pretty hard to get out of the bottle for me. Since this doesn't seem to provide much hold or structure it's unlike most gels, it probably isn't enough on its own for very thick or coarse hair. Still, it's worth trying if you're looking for a way to make friends with your naturally curly or wavy hair.

I got this as part of a sephora combination pack, with the leave in conditioner and the botanical boost for $35. I love all three products, especially the gel. It works so well in combination with the leave in. I apply it to my hair right when I get out of the shower, and even when I only air dry, it forms perfect curls with just a little bit of scrunching and doesn't leave my hair sticky or dry frizzy. I love it!

My friend's mom, who is my hairstylist, recommended I use this for my curly hair. I could NEVER find any product that didn't make my hair frizz out or get crunchy. This life-saving product eliminates my frizziness and makes my hair soft, NOT crunchy. Sure it's expensive, but it's worth having a long-lasting, great product than a gross cheap product you can go through in 2 weeks! I'm just now out of this product and I've had it since June... JUNE! This product is a must-have, along with the other Ouidad products.

I have tried to like this product, I really have, but I simply can't. I used it a couple years ago and it worked pretty well, so I do not know if they changed the formula or what happened. It makes my thick, course hair extremely crunchy. I have found, at least from my experience, that most of the ouidad products only work well when combined with one another.

Based on the reviews I've read here, I guess this is one of those products you either really love or hate. I am very fond of this gel. I had been using Mizani's True Textures Defining Curl Cream Gel for ages now and thought that it was my HG gel. Once I tried this one my mind was changed. You have to learn which amount of product works best for your situation. I'll admit that it can leave that crunch factor if you use too much/don't distribute it well, but I find that even in those cases, once your hair has dried and can be disturbed, scrunching the hair takes away most of that feeling. Even so, I think the definition and shine that my curls have after using this is well worth it. I also find that my curls don't draw up as much using this product and, living in a humid climate, there has been no frizz. This product has lived up to its promises for me.

Worked really great the first couple of hours--the waves/curls in my hair were beautifully defined, and I was frizz-free. By the end of the day though my blasian hair went nappy and frizzy again, and the next day had fallen back to flat frizzy waves. Plus there were small flakes on my hair--always a big NO.

This gel is wonderful for getting a natural curly look out of your already naturally curly hair. I'm very curly and wear my hair in medium to long lengths/layers. My hair is also color treated and somewhat lightweight, but I have a lot of it. A friend of mine with hair much more course than mine gave me this product because it did not work for her at all. Her hair is also not as curly as mine.

My hair looks great all day long, no frizz. However, I'm only giving it 4 stars because I can get the same results from a Garnier product for a fraction of the price. Between the two, other than price, I think the Ouidad curls are slightly nicer, but the Garnier static control is better.

I tend to use a lot of product (I have a lot of hair and it's long so maybe this is normal?) And, I always apply wet, right out of the shower. Often I blow dry until almost dry--never blowing fully dry. Rarely (mostly on weekends) I air dry. I get similar results either way.

Not a fan. Made my 2b curly hair TOO curly and crunchy looking. I've tried mixing it with leave in conditioner and Curl Keeper, and I just don't like the way my hair turns out using this gel. On the up side it doesn't flake, and it does do a decent job a keeping the frizzies at bay. Will not repurchase though.
Edit: I'm changing my review. I'm actually liking this gel now because I'm using it differently. I only use this on DRY, second day hair...just to tame the frizzies and fly aways. It works great!

I used this product for about two weeks before I had to stop. This gel contains cones and it significantly dried out my hair. I do not recommend this gel at all. Even though it was decent at helping me to keep curl definition in humidity, the curly girl method and healthy hair is a much better way of keeping curls defined and lasting all day. Also, this product made my hair greasy and stringy.

i really wanted to love this set, ive seen all the infomercials (i got the 4 piece mini set from sephora that contained this the botanical boost and a shampoo and conditioner) and im reviewing this once because i feel like this is the product most people would be enticed to buy. However the set did make my curls better than they looked without fancy hair products however, not good enough for me to keep the product. But the ONLY thing i wished this product would do was make my hair unfrizzy BUT THIS PRODUCT DID NOT HELP WITH FRIZZ. im saying this because this was marketed to help with frizz outside in hot climate. unfortunatly if this couldnt help my frizz in an air-conditioned home then it would do nothing for me outside.