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What reviewers say
No Curlsmith product has more fans. Reviewers with fine and medium waves and curls call it their all-time favourite, say a little goes a long way, and one who has finished a couple of bottles calls it very humidity resistant and super consistent, if not the best hair you’ll ever have. One fan’s advice: if you only try one Curlsmith product, make it this one. The complaints are about hold: one reviewer found almost none and a sticky feel, another found it had gone by day two, and a reviewer with fine 2A hair says it looked dirty used with the Air Dry Cream.
Praised for
- Light, and a little goes a long way
- Holds up in humidity
- Consistent results wash after wash
- Works on fine waves and curls
Complaints
- Too soft a hold for some
- Hold gone by day two, for one
- Sticky, for one reviewer
- Did nothing for some
Every review
Positive
One of their products I really REALLY liked -- the hydro flex jelly.
A deleted accountr/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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Buy their sampler sizes to give it a shot. One of their products I really REALLY liked -- the hydro flex jelly, the other (curl sofflee) made my hair so stringy it was awful.
Positive
Definitely creates hold/a cast; I kind of like the cast. Would like an oil to soften it.
u/_rovvan_ (OP)Fine, thin, med-high porosity, ~2Br/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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I'm considering switching out basically my entire routine to that of Curlsmith, once I have money for it. I did their quiz and suppose I should probably follow their suggestions, but want to hear more opinions about them. I recently bought the Hydro Style Flexi Jelly, Air Dry Cream and Volume Foam from them, but have yet to try them out. Thinking of buying the Miracle Shield if I can find it, since summer is coming. For the record, I have fine, thin hair that's probably medium to high porosity. I think 2B when styled properly. Struggle with lack of volume (probably too much/heavy products now and in need of a trim) and frizz. Update: Alright. I haven't used it all that much, but I personally like the smell a lot. The Hydro Style Flexi Jelly? Definitely creates hold/a cast. I should probably look into some oil to soften it up, but I kind of like the cast? 😂 Air Dry Cream feels nice and soft. Volume Foam, I'm unsure of.
Positive
Finished a couple of bottles. Great all-purpose gel, very humidity resistant, low/no protein, low glycerin. Doesn't give the best hair you've ever had but super consistent.
u/AbirdwhofliesFine, medium porosity 2Br/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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Fine, medium porosity 2B here—extensive use of their line—here are my thoughts— ✅Curling Souffle— Love. Used up a jar or two. Can cause frizz in high humidity (rain) or cause hair to fall flat in very low humidity (<40%) due to high glycerin. Functions best in mid-humidity and operates much like Kinky Curly Curling Custard or other light humectant gels. ✅Hydro Style Flexi Jelly- finished a couple of bottles. Great all-purpose gel that is very resistant to humidity. Low or no protein, low glycerin. It’s a great one stop shop. It doesn’t give you the best hair you’ve ever had, but it’s super consistent and great for people living in variable climates. ✅Shine Jelly (6)- Unscented!! I’ve used at least one bottle. Light hold thin gel. I tend to need a lot of it, but I like it. Reminds me of Jessicurl Confident Coils. Humidity resistant due to lower glycerin. ✅Shine Gel (9)- Unscented!! On my 2nd tube and it appears to be discontinued. It’s strong hold and does have a learning curve for finer hair. It’s easy to use too much and make your hair sticky and buildupy. Use a lot of water with it. I mix it with water and leave-in. But it’s such good hold you can sleep in it wet and be ok. Be careful of flash drying. Definitely use leave-in conditioner first. Humidity resistant due to lower glycerin. ✅ Curl Quenching Conditioning Wash- on my 3rd bottle. Good co-wash. Does build up, so I don’t use it more than once a week. And then I clarify once a month. But more cleansing than just using conditioner. Not stripping. Fantastic for outdoorsy trips in which I need to just remove sweat or dirty from my hair. ❌In Shower Fixer— heavy and sticky with flash-drying ❌Shape Up Aqua Gel— Thin gel, strong smell. Not good hold. I have to layer it over the souffle or under a foam to get good results. It works ok as a 2nd or 3rd day product add-on. Struggling to use it up. ❌Hold Me Softly Balm— I do love this for when my hair is dry and I’m getting a lot of flash drying with gel because it creates a nice barrier to stop flash drying. But the buildup is insane and it causes a cycle of dryness by building up and blocking out good moisture. ❌Effortless Waves spray— good spray gel in a pinch. I used half a bottle. I find it dries sticky and I can’t get a second day out of it. It works to add product if you didn’t use enough gel originally, but there are better products for that, and I don’t think this performs better than the drugstore ones. Not worth the price. ❌Double Quench mask- too heavy. Builds up.
Positive
I love love love the Hydro Flexi Gel!
u/Academic-Nerve-71422b/2c/3a, high density, short cutr/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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2b/2c/3a, high density, short wolfish cut, black. I love love love the Hydro Flexi Gel!
Positive
The Hydro Flex Jelly is my all time favorite product - it works wonders for my hair.
u/chilled-tapiocaFine 2b/2cr/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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I have used a variety of their products over the years with hit or miss results. The Hydro Flex Jelly is my all time favorite product - it works wonders for my hair. I also like the air dry cream. However, I cannot stand the way the pink mousse makes my hair feel. I bought it recently looking for more volume, but it makes my hair so insanely hard and starched feeling. Just got a few other products I’m trying out; have used their shampoo/conditioner on and off. I have fine 2b/2c hair.
Positive
Really lightweight and a little goes a long way.
u/Loose-Chemical-49823a/b, low porosity, fine, denser/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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3a/b, low po, fine, dense, silver and black. I like the miracle shield when I'm going to diffuse my hair, but it does have protein in it so if your hair doesn't like protein you shouldn't use it. The air dry cream and the flexi jelly are both really lightweight and a little goes a long way.
Positive
I love the Hydro Flex Jelly more than anything. Curlsmith is expensive but I still love that gel.
u/oooh_biscuit2c/3ar/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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Same! I love the Hydro Flex Jelly more than anything but hated the In Shower Styler. Curlsmith is expensive but I still love that gel.
Positive
Also use the CS Flexi gel.
u/stilljustguessingFine, thin, 2b, med porosityr/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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Hi OP, I'm fine, thin, 2b, med porosity. I like some Curlsmith styling products but they're generally too heavy for me. After I shampoo and rinse out conditioner, I hang my head upside down and put two pumps of the protein foam in the hair near my scalp and leave in. Into two separate Flair spray bottles (the kind with extra fine mist) I have diluted some of the Culsmith Air Dry leave in and Trelux Reflex. I then spray the diluted CS Air Dry then Reflex on my mid-lengths and squish. I also use the CS Flexi gel. Either of those two diluted products are also good for refreshing. Good luck.
Positive
Use every wash day. If you can only try one item from them, try the hydro flexi jelly.
u/SwirlingGalaxiesMedium density, likely medium porosity, tends dry; sensitive skinr/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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Most of my products nowadays are curlsmith. My hair is pretty normal, medium density, likely medium porosity but tending towards dryness. However some products give me contact dermatitis so I have to be careful. Curlsmith stuff is the only brand that seems to please both my hair AND skin consistently. I use their hydro flexi jelly and their soothing hair mask every wash day. I've tried their 3-1 protein mask roo before and liked that as a mask and a leave in. The oils are great too, only oils I've tried that don't leave my hair greasy. As long as I don't use too much of course. Tldr: curlsmith good and sensitive skin friendly. Blue line is great along with some purple mask products. If you can only try one item from them, try the hydro flexi jelly
Positive
I love the hydroflexi jelly.
u/taigalily253a/2c, low porosityr/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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FWIW, I really like some of their products, but the best thing I think that the brand has going for them, is the curl quiz. I know of no other brands that have such an extensive questionnaire for you to independently discover your curl and hair type, and then, get a whole recommended regimen for free. Now, I have mixed feelings about their products. I love the hydroflexi jelly, but wasn’t impressed with the in-shower cream. I do like their curl oil. I also like the curl in oil styling cream. I have 3a/2c curls, low porosity. I’d recommend first buying the travel sizes to sample before investing in the entire line.
Mixed
Looks good for one day. Hold is gone by day two.
u/BrookSong2b/2c, medium porosityr/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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Sometimes I can find Curlsmith products discounted at Marshall’s. They are usually about half off. I’m ok with paying that amount. Not worth the full price I have 2b/2c medium porosity hair. The in shower style fixer and volume moose leave my hair really tacky. Hydro flex jelly looks good for one day. Hold is gone by day two. The shampoo/conditioner’s seem decent.
Negative
Not enough hold even with a different leave-in; used with Air Dry Cream looks/feels dirty.
A deleted accountFine 2ar/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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The combination of Weightless Air Dry Cream and Hydro Style Flexi Jelly did not work for my fine 2a hair. I think my hair dislikes all that castor oil. I've also tried HSFJ with a different leave-in, and it's still not good for me--just not enough hold. If I use enough of these products to hold my waves/curls, my hair looks and feels dirty. I don't mind the scent of the products, though.
Negative
The Hydro Flex does nothing for my hair.
u/gwinnsolentr/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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I’m the opposite. The Hydro Flex does nothing for my hair and I can’t live without the In Shower Style Fixer.
Negative
Hated the flexi jelly - almost no hold, sticky feel. Waste of money.
u/maraqr/curlyhair, 2025Original comment
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I hated the flexi jelly - it has almost no hold and made my hair feel sticky. Waste of money IMO. I would never just buy an entire lines recommendation of products. Try things one at a time as you likely don't need 4 products anyhow. I do like some of their deep conditioners and the shape up aqua gel and the volume foam was ok but overall I am not loyal to their products - I prefer some living proof and ouidad options. Learning product application techniques are really going to the heavy lifting more so than the specific products you use.
How we collated these reviews
Our reading of 14 comments in 1 Reddit discussion, not verified customer ratings.
Method and sources
We read every comment in the threads below and logged each product a commenter had an opinion on. The review text on this site is our condensed version of what they said; the full comment is one click away. The verdict is our reading of each comment as positive, mixed or negative. People who said they hadn't used a product are shown, but left out of the counts.
