MopTop Curly Hair Gel Custard - Styling Gel for Moisturizing and Defining Soft Curls, Lightweight and Anti Frizz, Curly Hair Products for Waves, Coils & Kinks (Citrus Kumquat, 8oz)Compact by Design (Amazon-developed Certification)

Most of my childhood I was made to hate my curly hair that cascaded down my back and made me look like Diana Ross. Each Sunday after church my hair was washed, saturated in Johnson and Johnson's No Tear Detangler [LIARS! I can still feel the comb pulls as I type this 50 years later!!!] blow dried for an hour while being tugged and combed, then braided in Laura Ingalls pigtails. When it was all over my eyes were swollen nearly shut from crying, my nose a stuffy mess and my throat raw from yelps and mouth breathing. I'd get a dose of 8 baby aspirin or more depending on my age and sent to bed to sleep off my migraine before dinner. Often I would sleep through to wake for school the next morning.This was LONG before Kelly Foreman dreamed she could climb out of her crib and crawl to the Fisher Price Little People in her toy box and decades before Mop Top Hair Custard was whipped into existence. But thankfully she fulfilled her curly hair science project and Mop Top Hair Custard is here to save the curls of the world. It is a pretty pricey item, but it does work on just about all hair types. I say all hair types because I have curly kinks on the top and soft fine straighter hair underneath and this works to manage all my hair.My routine: I wash and condition with Tresemme Moisture Rich formula then comb any tangles out in the shower. I towel dry, comb again then rub in a few globs of Mop Top Hair Custard all over and comb again. No tears, no migraine, no need to nap. I leave it to air dry which takes hours and hours unless I'm outside in the sun (God's way of saying I NEED to manifest living in a beach house...). So if I need to I can blow dry on high heat with the finger diffuser attachment to speed things up.The results is an adorable Shirley Temple mop top with glossy defined curls no frizz. My hair is light and bouncy and it doesn't feel greasy or creamy. I can go out in a rainy mist with just my umbrella and no pouf effect. I can scrunchy it into a bun or pony tail that is curly, sporty and fun. If I want to go for something like a Bridgerton updo look all I have to do is gather what I want to and pin it with combs, clips, pins or... wait for it... add a tiara and I am ready to meet The Ton. Heck add some Olay eye cream and Hydration serum then top it off with Drew Barrymore's Afterglow on the cheeks and there would be whispers of "Diamond" potential :PHumor aside this product really does work like it says it does. The world has changed and kids today are much kinder and forgiving of differences then back in the day (unless they have parents who can only teach the pain they know) but I still hear kids making fun of curly hair or glasses or different shades of skin color. If you have a cute curly mop top in your life, help them embrace what the Good Lord gave them and get this hair product. A little does go a long way.

Love, love LOVE this product. I have long, thick, very curly hair. Have spent decades trying to find something to hold the curls. The expensive stuff could never do. Settled for a less expensive gel that was like liquid concrete. It held the curls but was seriously drying out my hair. Then I found Mop Top. This curl custard combined with the curl cream (use that one first) is the bomb. All day curls that are soft and hold their shape. The curls lasted 2-3 days. All I did was give them a little spritz of water to redefine them. Two thumbs up and 10 stars if I could give it that.Make sure to use it properly. It’s easy, but follow the instructions for best results. You won’t be sorry.

I loved this custard! It smells like citrus fruit in your hair when wet and becomes lighter when your hair dries. I bought this product when looking for something to help define my curls. For context, I have VERY short curly hair with layers and loose bits from consistent heat damage, and there's a good amount of frizz. I shampooed and conditioned my hair in the shower and towel dried it. Afterwards, I split my hair into four sections and distributed a quarter-sized amount to each section. I noticed that if i use more than that, the gel will become flaky when dry, so be mindful of that. I personally let it air dry and it worked well, minus a few slightly crunchy bits. When that happened, i give my dry hair a gentle scrunch and it softened things up. My hair looks so much better and is so much easier to manage!

Update: after using up the jar, I'm giving it 3 and 1/2 stars (and as there's no half, it's 3 stars). I was all set to give it 4 stars when I tried Biolage All Purpose Styling Gel and decided by comparison it fares a bit worse off. Biolage offers better hold (though both are medium-hold) and is sold in a larger bottle (it's $.70/oz. less expensive). Moptop works rather well for me ONLY if followed up with a hair spray. My favorite combination so far is with W8tless Hairspray by Rusk. I also have to use a lot; none of that "glaze" or "scrunch it in" approach here: I cover every lock of hair with some gel and brush it through, scrunching with a tee-shirt to get the excess out once I've finished a section. Once all my head is done, I add hairspray and then diffuse. Unlike hard hold gel, it leaves hair soft and shiny yet prevents almost all my frizz though again, though it does need the spray to keep my waves from drooping and encourage the best definition. The overwhelmingly sweet smell is still way too much.---First and foremost, it has a fantastically strong scent: very much like artificial candy. If you're sensitive to strong fragrances, I don't recommend it. It also comes in a jar, so it travels well but application means scooping up gobs of product with your fingers. If you're looking for lighter hold and definition (i.e. you're curly rather than wavy) then this might be more to your liking. I have thick, coarse, wavy hair and this didn't offer as much as i wanted. I suppose if I added more of this product, I might get some decent hold -- I'll update as I continue to use it. This time around I added a layer of mousse and a light layer of Rusk's W8less hairspray but Giovanni's L.A. Hold Styling Gel remains my favorite.