diaspora

Anyone love this gel like I do? Only thing I don't love is the price-- for 5.5 oz, it's $15. That's more expensive than CJ products, Deva products... But it's my favorite gel by far and I've been searching all spring for one that does the job and doesn't contain ingredients I avoid (my hair and I are picky!).

If you also love this gel, have you found any cheaper alternatives? I'll keep paying for it if I have to and try to reserve it for the really muggy days, but that's almost every day in the summer for me, lol.

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Formerly Urbancurl.
Medium-high density, fine-medium, low-normal porosity, 3b/c, permanent color.
CG, no heat, combs, brushes, parabens.
Fall/Winter HG=Alba Botanica Soft Hold Style Cream.
Spring/Summer HG=MGA Sculpting Gel
Current fave LI=Madre Labs Made by Nature for Baby Conditioner.
Limit oils, butters, glycerin.

sheilacurl

Just curious, do all of their products smell alike? I tried the conditioner but had to swap it due to the over powering and lingering smell of strong herbs. I'd buy a bottle to try it if I knew it didn't smell strong.

diaspora

They do not all smell alike. I haven't tried the conditioner, but have used the Paste too. I don't remember the paste having much of a smell at all.

The sculpting gel smells kind of licorice-y (I believe licorice is the 1st ingredient-- if it is in the conditioner too, you might not like the scent of this). I don't particularly like it (or licorice, lol), but it fades. I can't smell it all in my hair now that it is dry and it isn't overwhelming unless you put your nose right up to the bottle.

I don't know if the same smells irritate us, but I can say that some scents in products have triggered my asthma and allergies (like SM Curl & Style Milk most recently) and this one does not cause me any reaction at all.

__________________
Formerly Urbancurl.
Medium-high density, fine-medium, low-normal porosity, 3b/c, permanent color.
CG, no heat, combs, brushes, parabens.
Fall/Winter HG=Alba Botanica Soft Hold Style Cream.
Spring/Summer HG=MGA Sculpting Gel
Current fave LI=Madre Labs Made by Nature for Baby Conditioner.
Limit oils, butters, glycerin.

Spiralli

Is this the one in the tube? If yes, it's HG for me. I hate the price too.

I like the scent, but my sense of smell is distorted since nasal surgery many years ago. Smells powdery to me!

I am due to place an order soon. Where are u getting it from? I used to get it from Pharmaca.com or Amazon because the MGA shipping seemed pricey to me.

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Location: Texas
Type: 3b/3c (i), below shoulder length. Modified CG since 5/2004; growing gray since 5/2007.
CO wash: A-O GPB LYY, Salon Care Honey Almond, Devacurl OC
Leave-ins: BWC, KCKT, jojoba oil overnight
Styling: BRHG, MGA Sculpting Gel, Aubrey Organics Mandarin Magic Gel, LOTD AVG, LALSG
DT: Terax Crema, Moroccan Oil Restorative Mask, Je Veux Mud Mask

Curlsnswirls

Anyone know what the difference is between the styling gel and the sculpting gel as far as performance?

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Botticelli-ii-med texture-norm porosity & elasticity-Dry Climate
Wash: Low Poo+oil, poo bars, Deva NP, DB CC
LI/RO:MD RCLI, GDLI-GVPCB, DB pumpkin, TN, Giovanni SAS, Kenra, CJ CR
Stylers: LALSG, LALPSG, CHS CK, AOMM, BRHG, KCCC, UFDCM, Gel-les'C, MDCSC
Seal:MO+EVOO, EVCO, Argan or EO's

$5 off 1st order under $40, $10 off over $40...at iherb use code KEY066

diaspora

Yes it is the one in the tube.

I am lucky enough to at least be able to get it on the ground-- a salon I can ride my bike to sells it, with tax it's $16 and change. I looked online to see if I could find it cheaper but I didn't find anything.

Do any of the gels in your sig perform similarly to the Max Green? I can't use BRHG because of the parabens, and the AOMM had 0 hold for me, maybe you use it as a curl enhancer?

__________________
Formerly Urbancurl.
Medium-high density, fine-medium, low-normal porosity, 3b/c, permanent color.
CG, no heat, combs, brushes, parabens.
Fall/Winter HG=Alba Botanica Soft Hold Style Cream.
Spring/Summer HG=MGA Sculpting Gel
Current fave LI=Madre Labs Made by Nature for Baby Conditioner.
Limit oils, butters, glycerin.

diaspora

The styling gel didn't do anything for my hair. Way less hold. Even the styling paste has more hold than the styling gel.

The sculpting gel is very crunchy as it dries, and you have to do a lot of scrunching to get that crunch out, but then curls are soft and shiny and hold up to mugginess.

__________________
Formerly Urbancurl.
Medium-high density, fine-medium, low-normal porosity, 3b/c, permanent color.
CG, no heat, combs, brushes, parabens.
Fall/Winter HG=Alba Botanica Soft Hold Style Cream.
Spring/Summer HG=MGA Sculpting Gel
Current fave LI=Madre Labs Made by Nature for Baby Conditioner.
Limit oils, butters, glycerin.

Curlsnswirls

Thank you diaspora. I found it For $12 here with free shipping over $20. What other gel does this compare to as far as hold?

__________________
Botticelli-ii-med texture-norm porosity & elasticity-Dry Climate
Wash: Low Poo+oil, poo bars, Deva NP, DB CC
LI/RO:MD RCLI, GDLI-GVPCB, DB pumpkin, TN, Giovanni SAS, Kenra, CJ CR
Stylers: LALSG, LALPSG, CHS CK, AOMM, BRHG, KCCC, UFDCM, Gel-les'C, MDCSC
Seal:MO+EVOO, EVCO, Argan or EO's

$5 off 1st order under $40, $10 off over $40...at iherb use code KEY066

diaspora

That is actually the styling gel and it doesn't have much hold, this is the sculpting gel Max Green Alchemy MGA Scalp Rescue Sculpting Gel 5.5 oz at Pharmaca.com
and it is also $12 on the same website. Thanks for finding that! If we have other stuff we can get from there to total $20 so the shipping is free, that is cheaper than the $15 retail price. ETA: (Or 2 bottles of the gel for $24 instead of $30, duh, LOL.)

Of the gels I've tried, the hold is similar to Biolage Gelee and ArcAngel. I can't speak to how it to compares to BRHG as I only used it a couple times years ago and didn't like it, but I bet others can.

More hold (for my hair anyway) than AnGel, AIF, AOB12, Aura Flax Seed and Aloe, CIAB.

__________________
Formerly Urbancurl.
Medium-high density, fine-medium, low-normal porosity, 3b/c, permanent color.
CG, no heat, combs, brushes, parabens.
Fall/Winter HG=Alba Botanica Soft Hold Style Cream.
Spring/Summer HG=MGA Sculpting Gel
Current fave LI=Madre Labs Made by Nature for Baby Conditioner.
Limit oils, butters, glycerin.