Two completely trivial hair events happened last week almost simultaneously, and of the two of them I really thought the arrival of my Q-Redew hair steamer would be the more exciting development so I blogged about it first – because never let it be said that I won’t write about trivial matters here over subjects of substance. Sadly, that steamer thing turned out to be a bust – seems my hair doesn’t need more moisture right now, but that might change once winter arrives and the air turns dry. So, that $80 might still end up being well-spent if it helps me out once the humidity outside dies down. For now, though, all it did was make my already-frizzy hair frizz more.

Exhibit A – volume yes, but also frizz, and not a lot of curl definition

I was in Ulta last weekend stocking up on No-Poo shampoo and spied a little sample bottle of DevaCurl’s Mirror Curls, and decided what the hell, since it was one of the few products by this line I still hadn’t tried. I’d always bypassed it because the reviews it gets on Amazon are sketchy, and it isn’t recommended for the type of curls I have. Plus, as the title implies, it’s primarily meant to add shine, and most shine-enhancing products leave my hair looking oily (since my hair has a tendency to be oily anyway). Certainly the Shine Spray I bought awhile back had that problem, but it was there and I was in the mood, so I gave it a go, along with DevaCurl’s Flexible Hold Hair Spray, which came in a small travel size, so I didn’t mind giving it a try.

Mirror Curls looks like a serum when you pump it into your hand, but rub your palms together and it feels like syrup or glue – incredibly sticky. The first thing I discovered was that you need the tiniest bit of this stuff to work; I use less than a dime-sized amount for my shoulder-length hair. And although the directions say you can use this stuff on dry hair, I found that to be awful. But when I put it on my hair wet, it performs MIRACLES; excellent hold that retains curl definition without much frizz. I wash my hair at night and let it air-dry, so in the morning I have to re-wet it and use a diffuser to revitalize the curls, and adding Mirror Curls to my nightly routine has changed my hair overnight. People actually noticed how much more spring my hair had once I started using this stuff; it’s been pretty amazing.

Both of these pictures were taken in the same week, the first one on a day I didn’t use any of the Mirror Curls because I decided to play around with the Q-Redew instead and I wanted to see if it would give me a similar effect. They were also both taken at the end of the day, after I’d been out about and all morning and afternoon.

Without using Mirror Curls

With Mirror Curls – yep, it’s THAT good.

Finally I have fairly frizz-free curls with a lot of definition! It’s a tiny bottle that feels like a ripoff at $25, but I use so little of it, it works out. Of all the crap I’ve tried this summer for my permed hair, this is the tip-top, number-one ingredient in my opinion, the one I’ve noticed the most marked improvement when using. It’s made me love my perm again (I even took down the post I wrote a few weeks ago about regretting getting it done), so even though I just wrote a product review a few days ago, I had to share this one too, sorry. The hold also lasts all day – I’ve abandoned my long-loved KMS hair wax and started using the DevaCurl Flexible Hold instead, so I’m 100% Curly Girl method now (meaning so sulfates or silicones in any of my hair products).

I’m also rather amazed at how much longer my hair looks than it did back in July, but perhaps that’s because the perm has relaxed?

Right after my last haircut mid-July

I don’t know, it sure looks longer to me anyway. However, tomorrow I am going to a haircut appointment at a salon in the city that specializes in curly hair, so it may be shorter again soon. The salon uses the dry-cutting technique that Lorraine Massey recommends for curly hair, and I’ve never had that done, so I’m interested to see how this works out. As a plus, the woman who is cutting my hair also is experienced with perms, so I’m hoping I like her and she can be my next go-to stylist when and if I decide to perm my hair again. We’ll see how it works out!