I Found the Magic Styler (for me): Living Proof Nourishing Style Cream Review

Feeling rather lazy, I decided to skip my usual Sunday regimen of washing, deep conditioning, twisting my hair. Instead, I laid on my pillow and went to sleep with visions of a wash and go in the morning. Before though, I prepped my greek yogurt treatment and placed it in the fridge. This morning, I wet my hair, put on the treatment and went about prepping my clothes and making my morning smoothie. After 20 minutes or so, I jumped in the shower and rinsed myself and my hair (used As I Am Coconut Co-Wash). I then immediately applied my leave-in Paul Mitchell The One Conditioner to prep for styling. Normally I just apply EcoStyler Pink and leave. On a whim (and because it was mean-mugging me from the counter), I decided to add the Nourishing Styling Cream by Living Proof.

I stumbled upon this product thanks to my husband who works at Sephora (he does the work, I get the perks). It managed to make it home last month amongst a bag of other goodies. Aside from reading the front rah-rah about not having any oils or heavy silicones, I ignored the ingredient list. As snobby as I am about products, I trusted sight unseen because I liked the feel of it on my hands. It's very light and creamy without being too heavy. I initially tried it out on my twist sets with pretty amazing results (definition and stretch without first drying my hair).

Twist out with LP Style Cream

Even after the twist out, I wasn't ready to judge because I teach Zumba most evenings. As a result of the workouts, my hair often looks great during the day but comes off as a freak when you see it at night. :D 

I've tried many cream-based products that proclaimed to enhance curls but did very little for my hair alone. It was like adding absolutley NOTHING. The other products also didn't mix well with gels which I've always seemed to need for hold or risk the shrunken-brillo-pad-effect by the end of the day. This is why I resorted to gel and conditioner only styles. My only complaint was major shrinkage after it began to dry. When I added the Nourishing Styling Cream this morning, it was like my hair finally surrendered. The heavens opened and music began to play as my curls bowed down, even while wet. Well, actually the music was just my cellphone telling me it was time to get up and out. But seriously, I think the heavens did open. The styling cream seemed to elongate my curls rather than cause them to withdraw. For the first time in forever, I thought that perhaps I did NOT have to apply EcoStyler afterward. But I chickened out and did it anyway. After all, 8 hours is a long time to go around work looking like a Crunchy Side-Show Bobbi with no spray bottle! Either way, as soon as I came out the bathroom to grab the gel, the husband said my hair looked longer and asked what I did differently. Still pretty wet at this point...



Wet hair with the cream added

Later, a natural friend at work asked me what I did today and when I told her it was a wash and go, she repeated "wash and go-ooo?!" in a very shrill voice! And right then, I knowed there was a God! Normally, I try to fluff my hair after it dries to make it bigger but with this product, it stayed pretty elongated without help. Most notably, it elongated most of my hair and not just the bangs which usually hang without much effort. Unfortunately, the back of my hair ALWAYS shrinks and it couldn't change that particular fact. But-- we'll see what happens after a few tries. Here's a pic after it dried today..: It's almost as big as my twist-out hair which is no easy feat!

 I'm going to try it again tomorrow without the gel just to see what happens. This is a fairly pricey product/line developed by a group of founders who used the studies of an MIT professors and his colleagues who were looking to develop beauty products in more innovative ways. I like what they have done so far. Stay tuned!

Have you tried Living Proof products? Which ones and what do you think?