Brand comparison
Miss Jessie's vs Ouidad: Which Curl Brand Should You Choose?
Two brands with gels people use for years. Ouidad's is built for humidity; Miss Jessie's is softer and has almost no critics.
| Compared | Miss Jessie’s | Ouidad |
|---|---|---|
| What reviewers think | Loved, with a catch: Soft definition. Divisive scent. | Mostly positive: A cult gel. Not for everyone. |
| Curl Score | 3.9 Good | 3.9 Good |
| People with an opinion | 70 | 107 |
| Best-liked product | Pillow Soft Curls | Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel |
| More promising for | Waves, curls and coils that want soft definition without crunch, if you can live with the fragrance. | Curls that frizz in heat and humidity, and anyone who wants soft, touchable hold that lasts for days. |
| Think twice if | You are sensitive to fragrance, you avoid silicones, or your fine hair is quickly weighed down by creams. | You want a hard cast or very strong hold, your hair is fine and builds up easily, or you're sensitive to strong scents. |
Miss Jessie's and Ouidad are both long-established curl brands with similar Curl Scores. Each has a gel with years of loyal fans. Ouidad is a salon specialist whose reputation rests almost entirely on its Climate Control gel. Miss Jessie's has a broader range of creams, gels and leave-ins.
The main difference
Gel: two very different favorites. Ouidad's Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel is a holy grail for frizz in heat and humidity, though a sizeable minority get no cast or a sticky finish. Miss Jessie's Jelly Soft Curls has far fewer reviews, but almost no critics, and gives soft, lasting definition.
Creams: only Miss Jessie's is strong here. Pillow Soft Curls is its most recommended product, and Feather Soft and Multicultural Curls cover fine and thick hair. Ouidad's creams are rarely called life-changing.
Leave-in: Miss Jessie's Leave In Condish is the better liked. Ouidad's Moisture Lock Leave-In is a go-to for some, especially with the gel, but its strong scent puts others off.
Scent: both brands get complaints. Miss Jessie's smells like fabric softener, and Ouidad's leave-ins are described as strong and lemony.
Which to choose
Choose Ouidad if humidity is what ruins your curls. Its gel is built for exactly that, and it's often half price at TJ Maxx and Marshalls.
Choose Miss Jessie's if you want soft, uncrunchy definition from a cream and gel routine, in most climates.
Skip Ouidad if your fine hair builds up easily. Skip Miss Jessie's if you avoid silicones.
The verdict
In humid climates, Ouidad's gel is the one to beat. Everywhere else, Miss Jessie's has more well-liked products and fewer people who couldn't get it to work.
Head to head
Each brand's strongest product of each type, by what reviewers say.
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Conditioner and leave-in
Miss Jessie’s
9 positive·1 mixed·1 negativeA leave-in that reviewers use as a first step for years, loved for detangling and a light feel, with the fabric-softener scent as the catch.
Best for Tangle-prone hair, and fine curls that need a light leave-in
Ouidad
Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner
3 positive·1 mixed·1 negativeA long-time go-to for some, especially paired with the gel, but its strong scent puts others off.
Best for A leave-in under the Climate Control gel
Gel
Miss Jessie’s
15 positive·1 negativeThe best liked gel in the range: reviewers repurchase it for years, with one clear exception on fine hair.
Best for Anyone after soft, lasting definition
Ouidad
Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel
46 positive·10 mixed·18 negativeA long-time holy grail for frizz in humid weather, though a sizeable minority get no cast, no hold or a sticky finish.
Best for Curls that frizz in heat and humidity and want soft, lasting hold
Which suits your hair
What reviewers with each kind of hair report.
Fine or wavy hair
Miss Jessie’s
Feather Soft Curls is the one reviewers with fine hair pick over Pillow Soft, and all five who mention it like it. The Leave In Condish is another that fine-haired reviewers say doesn’t weigh curls down.
Ouidad
Opinion splits. Reviewers with fine 2C, 3A and 3B curls call the gel amazing and say a little goes a long way on soaking wet hair.
Thick, dense or coily hair
Miss Jessie’s
Multicultural Curls is the one reviewers with thicker hair name most: a reviewer with low-porosity 3B-4A curls highly recommends it, and another rates it above Pillow Soft on 3B-3C hair. Opinion isn’t unanimous.
Ouidad
Reviewers don't single out Ouidad for this.
Strong hold
Miss Jessie’s
Jelly Soft Curls is the gel, and the best liked product in the range. Reviewers say the curls stay soft and intact all day, even when dancing and sweating, and that it avoids the scrunchy feel of other gels.
Try Jelly Soft Curls
Ouidad
The original gel gives soft, touchable hold with no hard cast, and several reviewers wanting a crunchy cast found it too weak. The Advanced Climate Control (red label) is stronger, and its fans say it gives a cast other gels haven't, but others still found it weak or sticky once the cast was broken.
Humid weather
Miss Jessie’s
Reviewers don't single out Miss Jessie’s for this.
Ouidad
This is what the Climate Control gel is for, and reviewers in Texas, Florida and Savannah say it keeps their curls defined through humid weeks. It isn't universal: reviewers in Miami, humid Georgia and very humid sea-level climates got no cast and frizz within hours.
Sensitive scalp or scent-sensitive
Miss Jessie’s
This is the brand’s weak spot. Feather Soft Curls is the one reviewers call mild, and a reviewer who is very sensitive to scents says the Leave In Condish has been good to her.
Ouidad
The leave-ins draw the most complaints: reviewers describe the Moisture Lock leave-in as strong, lemony and chemical, or a stale perfume they threw away. Others say the range smells low and neutral, and one uses the shampoo and conditioner as a fragrance-free option, so experiences vary by product.
Starting out or on a budget
Miss Jessie’s
Pillow Soft Curls is the most reviewed and the most recommended, and paired with Jelly Soft Curls it is the routine reviewers call their daily go-to. Because the scent is such a deal-breaker, try it in a shop or a small size before you commit.
Ouidad
Reviewers don't single out Ouidad for this.
Based on what commenters with similar hair reported. Hair varies.
What reviewers like and dislike
Miss Jessie’s
- Praised: Soft definition without crunch or a stiff cast
- Praised: Second-day hair that still looks good
- Praised: Staples that reviewers have repurchased for years
- Praised: Lightweight options for fine hair, such as Feather Soft Curls
- Praised: A range made for many textures, from fine waves to coils
- Complaint: A fabric-softener scent that some find nauseating
- Complaint: Heavy or greasy results on fine hair, for a few
- Complaint: Silicones in many of the products
- Complaint: Skin or scalp reactions, for a handful of reviewers
- Complaint: Price and availability, especially outside the US
Ouidad
- Praised: Frizz control in heat and humidity
- Praised: Soft, touchable curls that last for days
- Praised: Decades of loyal use from some reviewers
- Praised: Often cheap at TJ Maxx and Marshalls
- Praised: A big bottle that lasts
- Complaint: No cast or hold for some reviewers
- Complaint: A sticky or heavy finish on some hair
- Complaint: Expensive at full price
- Complaint: Strong scents, especially the leave-ins
- Complaint: Buildup on fine hair