Boing! Deva Curl B'Leave In review

Here it is! My long awaited B'Leave In review. Am I a B'Leave - er? Will you have to suffer through a million puns? Read on to find out.

About DevaCurl B'Leave-In:

What it is:
Deva Curl (via Sephora) says B'Leave In is "a leave in curl booster."

Yeah, I guess so. I mean, you don't rinse it out. But this is not a leave in conditioner, and I certainly don't saturate my hair with it. So, minus one point, Deva Chan, for your strange and misleading product naming.

What it does:
Deva Curl (via Sephora) says "This botanically enriched curl volumizer enhances fullness and strength and is ideal for fine delicate curls."

Yeah, I guess so. At least they give some hint as to what the product is, but they're still being vague.

Read on for my review!
The ingredients:

Water (Aqua, Eau), Glycerin, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Propylene Glycol, Triticum Aestivum (Wheat) Peptide, Avena Sativa (Oat) Peptide, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Peptide, Melissa Officinalis Extract, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Diazolidinyl Urea, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Fragrance (Parfum)

I have been testing this product for about two months. Why so long? My results have varied heavily, ranging from HG! HG! to Most.Evil.Product.Ever.

I think I may have found the culprit: PEG 40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil.

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil seems to cause buildup on curly hair. It's in a ton of products, and I'm not so well off that I can put it on my ingredients-to-avoid list. It doesn't show up in my Living Proof products, so I am willing to deal with it in B'Leave In.

Review:

Texture: Gloppy, gooey and runny. Wash your hands and styling tools afterwards. It doesn't feel gloppy or gooey in the hair; it actually provides a very natural hold. I don't think it would stand up to humidity.

Scent: Weird Deva Curl Scent. I can't put my finger on what the scent is, but I'm not the hugest fan. It usually dissipates pretty quickly.

Packaging: This product has THE WORST packaging I have ever seen. As I said before, it's gooey and slimy and drippy, so to package it in a container where the dispenser is on the bottom, where the product sits, is a recipe for disaster. I have to store it upside down, propped up against a wall. BIG. PACKAGING. FAIL. I am considering putting the product in travel containers.

My thoughts:
I love this for creating curl with a diffuser where it wasn't before. It makes things go boing! I only use it on areas of my hair that need curl enhancement and volume. I would only recommend this to people with fine curly hair or wavy hair who want a curl enhancement and are willing to use a heat appliance. This isn't a gel, and it isn't a leave in, so don't expect a lot of hold or any moisture or frizz control from this product. This also does not seem to do anything without heat.

Pros:
- Creates great, shiny, voluminous waves or curls when used with a diffuser
- Can be layered with other products
- Does not have any adverse affect on hair (i.e. isn't drying etc)

Cons:
- Is marketed as a leave in? I think?
- Terrible packaging. Worst.
- Can build up over time. Should only be an issue for those who co-wash. Any mild sulfate free poo should remove this (a.ka. Deva Curl Low Poo would be fine).

So, this has turned into a staple product for my curls in Colorado (just the top layer, for volume!). I'll report back when I move to hot, humid Chicago over the summer. For now, it gets an A- from me, due to the terrible packaging and wacky promotion.