Brand comparison
Curlsmith vs Aunt Jackie's: Is the Premium Brand Better?
Aunt Jackie's is cheap and better rated, and suits medium to coarse curls. Curlsmith is the brand for fine hair, humidity and damage.
| Compared | Curlsmith | Aunt Jackie’s |
|---|---|---|
| What reviewers think | Divides opinion: Standout products. Divisive brand. | Mostly positive: Big results. Small price. |
| Curl Score | 3.7 Good | 4.2 Great |
| People with an opinion | 183 | 51 |
| Best-liked product | Weightless Air Dry Cream | Curl La La Defining Curl Custard |
| More promising for | Waves and curls that want light, humidity-resistant hold, starting with the Flexi Jelly in a travel size. | Medium to coarse curls and coils, children's detangling, and anyone who wants reliable results on a budget. |
| Think twice if | Your scalp reacts easily, you dislike strong scents, your fine hair turns greasy with creams, or you are paying full price. | Your hair is fine and easily weighed down, or your scalp reacts to rich creams. |
Aunt Jackie's sells generous tubs at drugstore prices. Reviewers point out that 18 ounces of its gel costs about $7. Curlsmith is a premium brand, and its products cost several times as much. Yet Aunt Jackie's has the higher Curl Score.
That doesn't make it better for everyone. The two brands suit different hair.
The main difference
Curl cream: Aunt Jackie's Curl La La Defining Curl Custard gives soft, defined, bouncy curls, and few reviewers dislike it. Curlsmith's Weightless Air Dry Cream is its most-reviewed product, also for soft definition, with more critics in proportion.
Gel: Aunt Jackie's Don't Shrink Flaxseed Gel is a budget gel that rivals pricier ones for medium to coarse curls, though a few found it gummy or drying. Curlsmith's Hydro Style Flexi Jelly is light and humidity resistant, and is better for fine hair.
Fine hair: Aunt Jackie's gets complaints about weight on fine hair. Curlsmith's lightest products are among the best liked we track for fine curls.
Extras: Curlsmith has the Bond Curl Rehab Salve for damaged curls and a Fragrance Free line. Aunt Jackie's has children's detanglers that parents rave about.
Which to choose
Choose Aunt Jackie's if your curls are medium to coarse, you want reliable results on a budget, or you're buying for children.
Choose Curlsmith if your hair is fine, you need hold that lasts in humidity, or your curls are damaged.
Skip Aunt Jackie's if your scalp reacts to rich creams. Skip Curlsmith if your scalp reacts easily to scent, unless you use the Fragrance Free line.
The verdict
For medium to coarse curls, Aunt Jackie's gives similar results for far less. Curlsmith earns its price on fine hair, in humid climates and on damaged curls.
Head to head
Each brand's strongest product of each type, by what reviewers say.
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Curl cream
Curlsmith
23 positive·1 mixed·8 negativeThe most-reviewed Curlsmith product: a leave-in most reviewers like for soft, defined curls, though too heavy on some fine hair.
Best for Waves and curls that want softness and definition; fine hair if used sparingly or diluted
Aunt Jackie’s
Curl La La Defining Curl Custard
13 positive·1 mixed·1 negativeA well-liked custard for soft, defined, bouncy curls and refresh days, though too heavy for some.
Best for Soft definition on medium-length curls, alone or under a gel
Gel
Curlsmith
20 positive·1 mixed·7 negativeThe best liked Curlsmith product: a light, humidity-resistant gel that fine-haired reviewers love, though some found the hold too soft.
Best for Fine to medium waves and curls that want light, flexible hold
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
Curlsmith
Start with the Hydro Style Flexi Jelly: several reviewers with fine waves and curls call it their favourite, and say it is light. Fine-haired reviewers were also the ones most likely to find the brand greasy, stringy or flat, and the Air Dry Cream and Curl Soufflé were too heavy for some.
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.
Dry hair
Curlsmith
The Oil-in-Cream has only a few reviews, but all of them are positive: reviewers say it leaves hair moisturised and works well under a gel. The Air Dry Cream is the lighter choice, and fans say it softens and defines.
Aunt Jackie’s
Reviewers don't single out Aunt Jackie’s for this.
Strong hold
Curlsmith
The In-Shower Style Fixer and the Curl Soufflé are the firmer options, and fans describe a strong hold that, for the Style Fixer, lasts several days. Neither is a sure thing: the Style Fixer left several reviewers’ hair tacky, and one who needs high hold says the brand’s strongest gel hadn’t lasted by the time their hair was dry.
Aunt Jackie’s
Reviewers don't single out Aunt Jackie’s for this.
Sensitive scalp or scent-sensitive
Curlsmith
Scalp trouble is the most common complaint that isn’t about styling: itching, burning, redness, and pain from the protein line. Reviewers name the In-Shower Style Fixer and Effortless Waves Spray, and one guesses the fragrance.
Aunt Jackie’s
Reviewers don't single out Aunt Jackie’s for this.
Damaged hair
Curlsmith
The Bond Rehab Salve is one of the best-liked Curlsmith products. A reviewer with fine hair who was considering a pixie cut says it brought their curls back to life within about 20 minutes and made them tangle less, others call it a must-have, and one says it's the only product their hair likes.
Aunt Jackie’s
Reviewers don't single out Aunt Jackie’s for this.
Children's hair
Curlsmith
Reviewers don't single out Curlsmith 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
Curlsmith
Several reviewers say to start with travel or sample sizes, and the brand’s free curl quiz recommends a routine. Many buy Curlsmith at TJ Maxx or Marshalls for about half price, and some say it isn’t worth paying more.
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
Curlsmith
- Praised: The Air Dry Cream and Flexi Jelly, its most-loved stylers
- Praised: A Bond Rehab Salve that revives damaged curls
- Praised: Gels that hold up in humidity, according to fans
- Praised: Travel and sample sizes for trying products
- Praised: The free online curl quiz
- Praised: A Fragrance Free line
- Complaint: The price, for results that cheaper products can match
- Complaint: Greasy, heavy or stringy results, often on fine hair
- Complaint: The scent
- Complaint: Itchy or burning scalps and reactions
- Complaint: Hold that fades after the first day
- Complaint: Stylers that leave hair tacky
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