The Beauty Ed®s Note: As part of THE LAB, my student mentorship program where I oversee the work of the next generation of beauty writers, I’m so happy to share this helpful piece (especially if you suffer badly with frizz) by Contributing Editor, Gia. I introduced Gia to the PR agency who handle the press for Moroccanoil in the UK as she is the perfect candidate to road test their frizz fighting formulas. And here, she gives an honest review as she trials a complete curl care routine during her travels in hot and humid Italy 🇮🇹
This is a PR/Gifted Review with no obligation to post
After years of bleach, heat styling and trying to force my hair into being something it simply isn’t, this summer in Italy has become an unexpected turning point.
For most of my teenage years, my relationship with my hair was built around control. Blow-dries, straighteners, and endless attempts to tame the frizz. If there was humidity in the forecast, I immediately assumed it would be a bad hair day.
Perhaps it’s the wider beauty conversation moving away from perfection. Perhaps it’s getting older. Or perhaps it’s spending summer in Italy, where the heat, humidity and reality of everyday life quickly make you realise that fighting your natural texture is exhausting.
So this summer, I’ve decided to embrace my natural hair properly…
Coincidentally, I was kindly sent the Moroccanoil Curl Collection to test just before leaving for Italy. Having used Moroccanoil products since my early teens, I wasn’t completely new to the brand. In fact, the original shampoo, conditioner and iconic treatment oil have been staples in my hair routine for years.
What was new, however, was committing to an entirely curl-focused routine and seeing how it performed against the ultimate challenge: an Italian summer.
The Best Routine For Thick, Frizz-Prone Wavy Hair
For context, my hair is naturally thick, dry, wavy-curly and extremely prone to frizz.
When I say frizz-prone, I mean it. If a drop of rain touches it, it expands. If there’s humidity, it expands. If someone merely mentions moisture in the atmosphere, it somehow expands.
Years of bleach certainly didn’t help matters, and whilst my hair is far healthier today, hydration is still something I have to prioritise constantly.
Because of that, I tend to judge products quite harshly. If something weighs my hair down, leaves it sticky or makes my roots oily, I notice immediately.
How To Properly Prepare Textured Hair For Styling: The Clarifying Step
Before using any of the Moroccanoil products, I started with my favourite OUAI detox shampoo.
This is something I’ve become increasingly strict about because so many people underestimate how much product buildup accumulates on the scalp.
If you’re using mousses, curl creams, oils, dry shampoo or hairspray throughout the week, your regular shampoo is not enough.
A clarifying wash essentially gives you a clean slate.
Only after doing this did I move on to the Moroccanoil Curl Enhancing Shampoo, followed by the Curl Enhancing Conditioner. One thing I immediately noticed was that the shampoo doesn’t foam nearly as much as the Moisture Repair Moroccanoil shampoo. The scent is also softer and less distinctive.
The conditioner, however, was lovely.
Because my hair is naturally dry, I applied a generous amount throughout my lengths and ends. A professional stylist once told me that most people with textured hair simply don’t use enough conditioner, and ever since then, I’ve become much more generous with it.
🐄 I also used the “milking method” that Gustav Fouche previously taught me during an appointment at his Notting Hill salon. It sounds unusual, but it involves taking small, manageable sections of hair and gently running the conditioner down each strand from root to tip with your fingertips, almost as if you were slowly pressing moisture into the hair.
It helps distribute moisture evenly and has genuinely transformed how hydrated my curls feel.
Moroccanoil Curl Defining Dream Review: Is It Worth The Hype?
The standout product in this entire routine was, without question, the Moroccanoil Curl Defining Cream.
In fact, this product had been sitting on my wish-list long before I received it.
My best friend Maria has been telling me to buy it for months and absolutely swears by it, and now I understand why.
I applied around three pumps through damp hair when it was approximately 90% wet.
The first thing I noticed was how lightweight it felt.
So many curl products promise definition, but leave the hair feeling coated or sticky. This did neither. It almost disappears into my hair.
The second thing I noticed was how smooth my curls looked. Not stiff, nor crunchy, but soft and defined.
The scent is also beautiful without being overpowering, and it gives the hair that luxurious salon-product feeling that makes styling feel less like a chore and more like self-care.
❤️ If I could only recommend one product from the entire collection, it would be this one.
How To Protect Curls and Waves From Summer Humidity
After the cream, I followed with the Curl Control Mousse. Again, I was pleasantly surprised.
I’ve used mousse since I was around thirteen years old, desperately trying to understand my hair texture before I really knew what I was doing.
Many mousses leave a sticky residue or make curls feel hard; however, this one didn’t.
I scrunched it throughout my hair, concentrating particularly around the roots where frizz tends to appear first.
I then added a small amount of gel to the ends of my waves. (This is something I always do during the summer).
No matter what curl products I’m testing, a small amount of gel helps lock everything in place and prevents humidity from undoing all my hard work within the first hour.
The Ultimate Hair Oil For Shine and Smooth Ends
Once my hair had dried slightly, I finished with the Moroccanoil Treatment Oil.
This is the product I’ve used the longest from the brand.
I’ve been buying it since I was thirteen years old, and it remains one of the most reliable hair oils I’ve ever tried. It adds shine, smooths the ends, and somehow manages to make hair feel healthier instantly.
I used a few pumps throughout the length and then headed out into the Bologna heat.
The Honest Verdict: Which Moroccanoil Curl Products Are Actually Worth It?
The Curl Defining Cream is exceptional.
The mousse is excellent and will be a product that I repurchase.
The conditioner is lovely.
The shampoo, however, was my least favourite product.
Whilst it may work beautifully for someone with a different hair type, I found it made my hair feel slightly heavier, and my roots became oilier more quickly than they usually do.
Interestingly, this is something a few friends of mine have also experienced with Moroccanoil shampoos generally…
That doesn’t mean it’s a bad product. It simply means it wasn’t the best fit for my particular hair.
And I think that’s important to say. Good beauty journalism isn’t about telling people everything is amazing. It’s about explaining what worked, what didn’t and helping readers decide what might work for them!
Final Thoughts
This summer has been less about achieving perfect hair and more about learning to appreciate the hair I already have.
The curls, the volume and even the frizz! Because the truth is, hair doesn’t need to be perfectly sleek to look beautiful. Sometimes it just needs to look like yours.
And somewhere between the heat of Bologna, countless scoops of gelato, and finally letting my natural texture take up space, I’m beginning to think my hair agrees.
I think this blog was made for me! Thanks Gia - need to get these as my curls need it!