The Search For The One That Got Away

We've all had it. That one product. That product that we loved and then lost because the manufacturer discontinued it. For me that product, that lost love of my life is L'Oreal Pumping Curls. For some reason it was the only product for curly hair that turned my kinda curly hair into something amazing. Every time I pumped a couple of sprays into my hair it was like magic. Soft well-defined waves curled around my face. It was one of those products that made you look like you could style your hair even when you couldn't. Plus it smelled delicious.

When it disappeared about 10 years ago I started the elusive search for the replacement product. The problem was that all my friends suggested spray gels which added the dreaded crunch to my waves (curly haired girls know what I'm talking about). Curl creams usually made my hair too greasy, weighing down my wavy hair. Mousses did nothing for my curls. Pumping Curls did resurface a year or two ago in a new package but it's not easy to find (I think the closest store that carries it for me is Wal-mart).

Recently I started thinking about the sprays that are supposed to give you that "fresh from the beach" look. They are sprays that don't have gels in them but are curl activators. Because they sounded similar to my beloved Pumping Curls I decided to give them a try. First up was one from Joico, the Design Collection Texture Spray. I sprayed it on my half dry curls, scrunched them with my hand and let it air dry. The curls were defined and held throughout the day. But the smell of the product was weird and my hair looked pretty frizzy. I could have used a defrizzing product too but in my vision of the perfect product it's perfect because I don't have to use multiple products to achieve my multiple needs (well defined frizz-free curls).

Next I tried Bumble and bumble's surf spray. The curls were defined and the smell was weird but in a good way. I guess you can't avoid the weird smell with these beachy products kinda like how silk sweaters always smell funny. The defrizzing properties weren't fantastic. And I found that the best curl came after my hair dried which means that I probably need to carry it with me. Yeah, that's not gonna happen.

Pic of my Bumble and bumble curls:




I guess it's back to the drawing board. If anyone out there has some suggestions on a spray curl enhancer without gel let me know!