Recently, I was introduced to ColorWow’s Coconut Cocktail Bionic Tonic. This light treatment gave my curls life, bounce, and serious hydration. The product was created to help restore the damaged lipid layer on the hair’s cuticle, a common-problem for curls that have been color-treated. As soft, shiny, and moisturized as the product left my hair, I expected that it would have come with the usual negatives (greasy, straggly, limp ends”>, but it did not. This is a product that helps fine hair look fuller while still retaining curl definition. Based on these unexpected results I took Coconut Cocktail on a serious trial run, trying it in numerous routines as I’ve outlined below, and it passed with flying colors.
Leave-in
Used as a leave-in, the product is different from what you might be used to. It is much lighter than a cream-based leave-in, making it perfect for finer textures that still require a lot of moisture. I recommend applying it to fully saturated, detangled hair, starting with the drier sections first. Using your fingers, work the product into any extra-thirsty ends. You can then follow up with your styler (s”>. Although the product works with heat, you can achieve good results without it.
Image Source: Color Wow Hair
Moisturizer and Refresher
I regularly mix leave-ins with water at various ratios depending on their consistency. One of the challenges with some products is that they will lay on top of the hair shaft unless the hair is soaking wet. While this does not pose a problem in warmer months, or when, on rare occasions, I diffuse my hair, it can be inconvenient when I just want to quickly refresh and go. With a 50/50 mixture of Coconut Cocktail, water, and my trusty fine-mist sprayer, I am able to lightly spritz the curls that crave moisture or that have lost their shape, and they spring back up. I like to mist my hair about an hour before going to bed, scrunch it, and then allow it to dry. Afterwards, follow my normal pineapple routine. The next day, I am able to quickly and easily refresh with a few more sprays of this mixture.
Double-Cocktail: A Lighter Version of the LOC and LCEG Methods
A double-cocktail can help you seal in moisture into fine, low-density, high-porosity hair without weighing it down. To do this method, you will need the Coconut Cocktail, a rich cream-based leave-in (for example, Tgin Green Tea Super Moist Leave In Conditioner“> and a water-based, medium-hold gel (for this method, I like Curl Junkie Pattern Pusha“>. On wet, detangled hair, apply approximately a quarter-sized amount of the Coconut Cocktail to your hair, starting with the sections that need moisture the most. Work it through the hair, massaging it into the ends as you go. Make sure that it is evenly distributed. Next, mix a cocktail of 50% gel and 50% leave-in. The amount you use is dependent on your hair’s density and length. I prefer to use a nickel-sized amount of each of these two products. Emulsify, and then apply this second cocktail to your hair using the praying hands method, ensuring that the mid-shafts to the ends of your hair are covered. Scrunch and shingle your hair, and then dry it as you normally would.
Have you tried Coconut Cocktail Bionic Tonic? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. For more information on Pattern Pusha and other great gels to double-cocktail, click here.
