Brand comparison
Camille Rose vs Aunt Jackie's: Is the Pricier Brand Better?
Two well-rated brands for curls and coils. Aunt Jackie's costs far less and its gel is as well liked; Camille Rose's smells are a bonus.
| Compared | Camille Rose | Aunt Jackie’s |
|---|---|---|
| What reviewers think | Mostly positive: Well liked and consistent, but pricey. | Mostly positive: Big results. Small price. |
| Curl Score | 4.1 Great | 4.2 Great |
| People with an opinion | 45 | 51 |
| Best-liked product | Curl Maker | Curl La La Defining Curl Custard |
| More promising for | Thick, dry, low-porosity or coily hair that wants hydration and soft definition. | Medium to coarse curls and coils, children's detangling, and anyone who wants reliable results on a budget. |
| Think twice if | Your hair is fine and easily weighed down, you want a firm cast, or you live somewhere humid and want hold that lasts. | Your hair is fine and easily weighed down, or your scalp reacts to rich creams. |
Camille Rose and Aunt Jackie's both suit medium to thick curls and coils, both are rated highly, and both have a gel as one of their main products. The big difference is price. Aunt Jackie's sells large tubs at drugstore prices, and price is Camille Rose's most common complaint. Aunt Jackie's has a slightly higher Curl Score.
The main difference
Gel: a close match. Camille Rose's Curl Maker is hydrating, with a silky finish and medium hold. Aunt Jackie's Don't Shrink Flaxseed Gel is cheap, lasts a long time and rivals pricier gels for many. The two have similar numbers of fans. Each has its own complaint: Curl Maker flakes for a few and loses hold in humidity, and the Flaxseed gel is gummy or sticky for some.
Cream and leave-in: Aunt Jackie's Curl La La gives soft, defined, bouncy curls, and its Quench leave-in is its best-loved product. Camille Rose's Moisture Milk is wonderfully soft on coils, but thick.
Scent: most reviewers enjoy Camille Rose's smells. Some reviewers can't stand certain Aunt Jackie's scents.
Children's hair: parents rave about Aunt Jackie's Knot On My Watch detangler.
Which to choose
Choose Aunt Jackie's if you want reliable results on medium to coarse curls without spending much, or you're detangling children's hair.
Choose Camille Rose if you want a gel that hydrates as it holds, you love a fragrant product, or your hair is thick, dry and low porosity.
Skip both if your hair is fine and easily weighed down.
The verdict
For most people, Aunt Jackie's gives similar results for far less. Camille Rose is worth the extra if you want Curl Maker's hydration and silky finish, or you simply prefer its smells.
Head to head
Each brand's strongest product of each type, by what reviewers say.
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Gel
Camille Rose
8 positive·4 mixed·1 negativeThe favourite: a hydrating, silky gel that most reviewers like, whose medium hold gives out in humidity for some.
Best for Soft, hydrated definition on fine to coily hair, alone or under a stronger gel
Aunt Jackie’s
Don’t Shrink Flaxseed Elongating Curling Gel
9 positive·1 mixed·3 negativeA cheap, long-lasting gel that rivals pricier ones for many, though gummy, sticky or drying for some.
Best for A budget gel for medium to coarse curls
Which suits your hair
What reviewers with each kind of hair report.
Fine or wavy hair
Camille Rose
The Curl Maker is the safest bet: a reviewer with fine 2B/3A hair is on her fifth bottle and says one lasts six months or more. The thick, creamy products are riskier.
Try Curl Maker
Aunt Jackie’s
Go carefully. A reviewer with fine 3A/3B hair found the Flaxseed gel gummy on sopping wet hair, a reviewer with fine, long hair says the whole line left it straw-like and greasy, and Curl La La was too heavy for another.
Thick, dense or coily hair
Camille Rose
This is where the range gets its warmest reviews. A reviewer with type 4 coils says nothing leaves her hair as soft as the Moisture Milk, and a reviewer with 3C/4A hair loves the Curl Maker alone or under a stronger gel, though it flakes on her.
Try Moisture Milk
Aunt Jackie’s
Reviewers don't single out Aunt Jackie’s for this.
Strong hold
Camille Rose
The Curl Maker is a medium-hold gel, and reviewers who wanted a crunchy cast or hold through humid weather found it too soft. Its humectants can keep curls flexible or even swollen in humid air.
Aunt Jackie’s
Reviewers don't single out Aunt Jackie’s for this.
Children's hair
Camille Rose
Reviewers don't single out Camille Rose for this.
Aunt Jackie’s
Parents are some of the most enthusiastic reviewers. The Knot On My Watch detangler is described as a miracle on a son's matted neck curls and the best detangler for a curly 'nest', and Curl La La worked wonders for one reviewer and their daughter.
Starting out or on a budget
Camille Rose
Start with the Curl Maker, the most reviewed product and the one most reviewers like. One buys it on sale, and another says it is cheaper than a similar gel depending where you buy it.
Try Curl Maker
Aunt Jackie’s
This is the brand's strength. Reviewers say the Flaxseed gel gives results very similar to Kinky-Curly Curling Custard for a fraction of the price, and one reviewer with coarse 3B hair uses only the gel for a cast that lasts up to a week.
Based on what commenters with similar hair reported. Hair varies.
What reviewers like and dislike
Camille Rose
- Praised: Smells that most reviewers enjoy
- Praised: Hydration and a silky finish from the Curl Maker
- Praised: Deep softness on thick and coily hair
- Praised: A solid, consistent brand
- Praised: Thick formulas that can be diluted to last longer
- Complaint: The price, and trouble finding it cheaper
- Complaint: Medium hold that gives out in humidity
- Complaint: Flakes from the Curl Maker, for a few
- Complaint: Hair that felt dry or like straw, for a few
- Complaint: Thick, heavy formulas on fine hair
Aunt Jackie’s
- Praised: Very cheap for the amount
- Praised: The Quench leave-in
- Praised: Soft, defined, bouncy curls from Curl La La
- Praised: A Flaxseed gel that rivals pricier gels
- Praised: Detanglers that work on children's knots
- Complaint: Gummy, sticky or drying gel, for a few
- Complaint: Heavy on fine hair
- Complaint: Stopped working for some long-time users
- Complaint: Spray bottles with a straight stream
- Complaint: Scents some can't stand