I am a  big fan of the As I Am product line found at Sally's and like the others from this line, the As I Am Smoothing Gel did not disappoint. The gel has a unique texture from a lot of other gels I've used.  It is really thick, so a little bit goes a long way!  The first time I used it, I deviated from its original purpose and used it for a twist out along with my homemade shea butter whip.  The definition was was really popping!  The twists were very firm but not crunchy.

I then used the smoothing gel, to smooth my hair into an updo that I created.  It worked well, but I find it works even better with water and oil mixed in a spray bottle.  My hair stayed put the entire night, but it was more of a natural looking hold, versus the dry, crispy hold you might experience with some more common gels on the market.  This gel is also good for defining curls of a wash and go.  I used it to define the curls of a side swept dutch braid and puff.

I really like this product and it was only about $6 at Sally's.  My only gripe is that I wish the container was bigger.  Even though a little goes a long way, I'm sure I will go through the 8oz bottle pretty quickly because I have been using it for twists and smoothing.  I know most naturals swear by Eco styler gel, but this gel is a better fit for me.

Product Grade: A-

This product was found in the December curl box and I must say I was a little skeptical to try yet another "curl defining pudding".  I mean, how many curl defining puddings must I be tempted by?! lol.  They all promise to define, condition, elongate and defrizz curls.  When it's all said and done, some of these defining puddings leave my hair hard, frizzy and thirsty! After trying this product, I must say that it made good on its promises. Here's how I styled my hair using the ELASTA QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter Curl Defining Pudding:

1. I washed and conditioned my hair as normal ( using the LOC method, LOC method post is found under tutorials and blog posts section).  

2. Once my hair was washed, detangled and conditioned, I divided my hair into sections and worked small amounts of the product through my hair from root to tip. I started from the back of my head.

3. Part your hair to your liking once you make it to the front of your head and continue to work the product through.  

4. DON'T manipulate your hair any further once you are ready to dry it.

5. Air dry your hair or sit under a hooded dryer.  Once your hair is dry you can pick it from the roots for more volume.  


The results were a well defined, SOFT, elongated curly fro.  I loved it and this will definitely become one of my most used wash and go methods.  
**If you would like to see what I mean when I say "work the product through my hair, check out this YouTube Video below that I did using a different product but the same method**