Product Review: Tigi Curlesque Strong Hold Mousse

Ever since I committed to the Curly Girl lifestyle, one of my big beefs with styling my curls is that I hate the consistency of gels. I realize they are very effective and do a superb job of keeping styles in place, but the crunchiness and the wild, zany zig-zag curls I end up having to water down after plopping have been mildly annoying. That said, I've found 2 gels I really like, one that is an anti-humectant (Biosilk Rock Hard Gelee) and one that is a humectant (Kinky Curly Curling Custard). I've been reading up on curl mousses, but the general consensus from the curly masses are that mouses just don't hold up as well as gels, no matter what the brand or the claim. I tend to agree, but the thought of not having slimy hands every time I style my hair has kept my eyes peeled for a fantastic curling mousse that holds like a gel.

Tigi Curlesque Catwalk Strong Hold Mousse 

Enter the Tigi Curlesque line. Not all products in this line are CG friendly, but this mousse is (it contains PEG Dimethicone, which IS water soluble) and is also alcohol-free, which is a plus. It has a fresh smell, not too strong and a nice, thick mousse consistency.

To test this product, I Co-washed and used my regular rinse-out conditioner, squished a little conditioner into my hair at the end of my shower as a leave-in and applied ONLY this product to my hair. Two large handfuls covered my whole head.

I plopped into my Jaconet as I normally do and sat under my dryer for about 25 minutes. The results were wonderful!

Left: Immediately after plopping and drying.

Right: about 36 hours later, after a day in the heat and humidity.

I immediately noticed that the mousse held my curls very well without the zig-zag craziness I normally get after using gel. But.... great results post-wash aren't enough for me to throw my hat in the ring and put my seal of approval on a product. I go two days in between washes, so a product has to hold my curls during that entire amount of time for me to deem them successful.

The picture on the left is me just after washing and drying, but the picture on the RIGHT is after almost 2 days of going in and outside, sweating in the humidity, and just doing some good ol' fashioned day to day living. This mousse kept my curls soft and defined through all of it! The only thing I added on day 2 was a little bit of DevaCurl Styling Cream to my dry hair. 

MY BOTTOM LINE: 

I highly recommend this product. In fact, I love this product. It may end up being a "holy grail" at some point, time will have to tell. Will I use gel in the future? I think I will. There will be times when life will call for the use of gel, so I'm definitely not tossing it for good, but I plan to use this mousse for the foreseeable future. I have read from others and would recommend using a light curl enhancer underneath if you don't feel it gives you enough hold and definition, but I try to be a minimalist when it comes to product on my hair. Other than a leave-in conditioner, I try to use only 1 styler if at all possible. Also, I don't feel like I can really review a product if I've combined it with a bunch of other products. I'm sure I'll tweak as I go, but this mousse is on my shelf to stay.

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