Recently, I went to an actual curly hair stylist for the very first time and got some earth-shattering news. She told me to cut creams out of my 3b hair routine and, instead, add in a high-quality gel.
Apparently, for my hair type and climate, hair gel is a gamechanger. We live in New Orleans, where there’s already plenty of moisture in the air, thankyouverymuch. Rather than adding more moisture, I need to focus on keeping each curl in place and fighting the humidity.
And so here I am, on a quest to find a hair gel that I actually love. First up: the new Swirl Curls Gel Styler from Genedor Beauty.
In the past, I’ve avoided applying gel to every one of my curls, mostly because I’ve never found one that really inspires me, you know? Each one of them seems to have a major con. They might make my hair perfectly defined but then also dry it out. Or they’re lightweight and moisturizing, but also make my hair feel sticky. You get the picture. Instead, I usually only put hair gel on my edges and crown.
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But now I need a gel that works all over, and I hoped that the Swirl Curls Gel Styler would be the one. I tested it out for review, and here’s what I found.
Ingredients
Genedor Beauty’s gel is designed to provide a soft to medium hold. It features pracaxi oil and jojoba oil, which both moisturize and seal. The gel also contains marshmallow root extract and glycerin.
First Impressions
Swirl Curls Gel Styler comes in a pump bottle, which is promising for a gel that I intend to use all over my head of long 3b curls. I much prefer pump bottles to jars – they feel more neat and sanitary.
The author’s wet hair after applying Genedor Beauty Swirl Curls Gel. Photo by Kim Wong-Shing
The gel itself is clear and has the consistency that I’d expect from a medium-hold gel – not too stiff, not too liquidy.
The product has a strong smell, though, which is not usually my thing. I’d prefer not to smell like my hair products all day, although it’s usually unavoidable! This one smells exactly like candy, somehow. It took me straight back to childhood – lollipops and Gushers.
Applying It
Because I’m impatient, I took a glob of this gel and used it for a quick updo soon after it arrived to my house. I wasn’t immediately a big fan – it left my hair feeling a bit dry and crunchy. But maybe I used too much? Not wanting to jump to hasty conclusions, I used it the proper way on freshly conditioned hair to see how it panned out.
I applied a dime-sized amount to each section of my hair and combed it through, both with my fingers and with a Wet brush. I focused the gel on my ends, as well as the top of my head and my edges, which usually get frizzy first.
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Then I air-dried until my curls were dry. Here are the results.
The author’s dry hair after applying Genedor Beauty Swirl Curls Gel. Photo by Kim Wong-Shing
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Concluding Thoughts
Swirl Curls Gel Styler left my hair defined, smooth, and mostly frizz-free. However, my hair was just a bit on the dry side; this definitely isn’t a moisturizing gel for me. It also felt a little sticky and gunky – like there was a lot of product in my hair.
I’m thinking that this gel is better used sparingly, on my edges and on the ends of my hair, rather than for all-over definition. I definitely wouldn’t use it for a twist-out or braid-out, but I know it would keep my edges in check!
At $21, the gel is definitely a bit pricey, but the bottle is 12-oz big, which is plenty because a little goes a long way.
