I Finally Found The Best Curl Cream To Enhance My Subtle Waves – Here’s My Review

I owe my newfound confidence with curls to none other than the SheaMoisture Smoothie Curl Enhancing Cream, which they claim is their “#1 curl defining hair cream product for thick, curly hair.” It’s meant to reduce frizz, smooth your hair, and facilitate soft, bouncy curls.

I honestly tried this product on a whim, not expecting it to any of those things for me. I mean, I definitely don’t have thick, curly hair naturally. But, knowing I’ve spotted a few curls in my hair here and there, I thought there wouldn’t be any harm in at least giving it a try. I thought it’d be nice to be able to style my hair heat-free, especially in summer. The worst that could happen is I invest a few dollars in the curl cream, and if it didn’t work, I could pass it off to one of my friends!

My first trial with this curl cream was not successful by any means. I ignored any instructions the packaging had to offer. Call me a rule-breaker!

The first go-around, I had applied a quarter-sized amount to the ends and mid-sections of my hair (post-shower) after it had dried a considerable amount. This was not the move, since it appeared to really weigh down my locks and surprisingly, added a weird texture that felt thick and oily. (Which, side note, shouldn't have come as a surprise since the cream has both coconut and neem oils in it).

The second, third, and fourth trials were really where I started to find my footing with the SheaMoisture Smoothie Curl Enhancing Cream. I slowly found that using a small amount of the product (pea-sized squeeze) worked best for me, especially on mostly-wet hair.

I would part and brush my towel-dried hair straight out of the shower, then “scrunch” the product into my wet locks as evenly as I could. From there, I wouldn’t dare touch a brush again. I would simply scrunch my hair incrementally to guide my curls as they dried, also making sure to push up around my root area for volume. And voila, they stayed in place! I had curly, bouncy, and smooth semi-curly hair.

I can’t give the curl cream total kudos to my ideal curls, though. After my hair would dry a bit using the SheaMoisture Smoothie, I would use a light layer of the amika Smooth Over Frizz-Fighting Treatment Mask to further eliminate frizzy flyaways (of which I have many), and it helped define my curls even further. Might I say, ‘power duo’?

I actually bought a 3.2-ounce tube of the SheaMoisture Smoothie Curl Enhancing Cream fromTarget for a little under $4 since I wanted to start small and see if it worked for me, but you can also snag a 12-ounce tub of the same product on Amazon for $9 (originally $12, so buying it from Amazon is a better value).

If you don’t have naturally curly hair and want to give this curl cream a try, my best advice is to go very light with the amount you apply. I definitely recommend putting it exclusively on wet hair, ideally after you shower or drench your second-day hair with a spray bottle. From there, brushing or running your fingers through your hair is a no-go, as I found it disturbs the formation of the curls.

SheaMoisture Smoothie Curl Enhancing Cream

The SheaMoisture Smoothie Curl Enhancing Cream has earned 4.5/5 stars from shoppers on Amazon and a 12-ounce pot is currently on sale for $9 (was $12).

amika Smooth Over Frizz-Fighting Treatment Mask

The amika Smooth Over Frizz-Fighting Treatment Mask has earned 3.8/5 stars from shoppers on Amazon and a 6.7-ounce bottle currently goes for $32.