In the natural hair world, perfecting second- (third-…and fourth-) day hair is a perpetual hot topic. If it were a TV show, it’d be Scandal. If it were a celebrity it’d be Kimye. And as a beauty editor with natural hair, I’m always looking for The Next Big Thing: A product that reduces second-day frizz but allows me to retain the length I’ve achieved through a restful night of pineapple-ing.
When Klorane Leave-in Cream with Desert Date ($14) arrived in my office, I was intrigued. First, the scent is outstanding. Klorane calls it “a sensual blend of aromatic fruits and exotic spices.” I call it heaven. It’s so delightful that I’ve taken to giving myself a curl-stache, stretching a lock across my top lip so I can get a good whiff (Is that awkward?). Olfactory excellence aside, the lightweight cream really works for my type 3C curls. It’s lightweight enough to use a few days in a row (I’ve applied it up to five). The formula contains desert date extracts and wheat proteins which are said to strengthen and restore the internal structure of dry, damaged hair. I can’t tell if all that foundation repair work is really happening, but the façade sure looks nice. And in the morning, instead of spritzing my hair until it’s soaking wet, I can lightly mist then apply a half-dollar amount of the leave-in throughout my curls. The result is softer and cooler looking than a full-on soak. But let’s be clear, Desert Date—we’re on nickname terms now—won’t give you the same super smooth, separated curls you get on wash-detangle day. But I think that ramen-noodle perfection is a little bit too, well, perfect. I need some edge: Fluff with a moderate helping of definition. Desert Date helps me achieve that delicate balance.
The entire Klorane Desert Date range—shampoo, mask, and leave-in conditioner—will be available tomorrow at Klorane.com.
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