A week ago I visited my usual curly hairdresser like I do every half year or so. I always walk away content with the way I look and I can’t help but to admire the passion Irina always hopes to put in her work, even when it, no, just when it gets harder to do so when your business starts to grow like crazy. Curly Girls usually want the best and almost never succeed at a regular hairdresser, exceptions aside, and therefore Morango Curls opened in 2016 has become a booming salon in Rotterdam within two years, welcoming all types of curly hair. It’s always a pricey expense, but in my own opinion wort hit.
Own product line
As a regular customer who has never yet had a bad experience, I was excited to know Morango would release their own product line they had been working on for years. And so they did, last Sunday! After working with a lot of known products, Irina knew they were all great, but not quite ‘it’ and so she and her partner Bouchra (if I’m correct) developed their own products. They will still be using the products we know, but will also offer the use of their own line. The choice will still be yours!
The launch
The Wednesday before I had a bit of luck and had my hair styled with their own gel and mousse, which gave a great result on my type 2 hair. It lasted a couple of days, something that normally never happens. At the counter, I received an invitation for the launch and with my happy head and an interest in entrepreneurship and the growth of Irina’s business I had all the more reason to take a peek at their line! I mainly wanted to write this article to inform you on the new products and tell a bit about the salon I go, and so I must say: this article isn’t sponsored and solely based on personal interest.
Around 15.45 I left home and cycled to my car, where I found out that I totally forgot my invitation and therefore couldn’t remember the address :’) The perks of burnout. Luckily I could take the car home to fix that little problem. About 45 minutes later I made it!
First of all, I have to tell you that the lodge where the launch was held, looked incredibly cute! It wasn’t just nicely dressed, it was dressed to the brand without being becoming too much and every one including regular clientele was personally greeted: sweet, classy and simple. I met two other Curly Girls from the Curly Girl Forever Group and they had the same thought: not just hairdressers, but entrepreneurs with taste and value personal approach. And for a small, almost private event, the pop-up shop was buzzing.
Meeting these two girls had me thinking how large the curly girl community is, just in the Netherlands, and how connected it is. Interesting kind of group to whom hair is so important because for some it is a journey of struggle and acceptation. I must say I’m a lucky one, though!
But! I can imagine most of you aren’t just interested in Morango’s journey – I personally do love a good story. Someone else following their passion, sparks things in me, because it’s beautiful to see someone in their flow – but also have a lot of questions about the new product line. What kind of products? What does it do? What’s in it? Does it contain protein or not? Questions I’ll try to answer for you today.
I took with me Curl Me Bad Hydra Gel and the Curl Me Bad Hydra Mousse and it came in a lovely bag filled with other little extra’s such as a satin scrunchie, rose water and a soft microfibre towel. To answer your questions I had a chat with the girls in the pop-up.
What products does the Morango line contain?
Wash Me Already Moisture Shampoo
This shampoo, according to the salon, is a shampoo to cleanse your curls of which you need just a tiny bit and mostly for your head and is a perfect way to start your regime. Thé shampoo for wash day. The shampoo does not contain silicons, parabens and sulfates and is water-based. The cleansing ingredients are Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate (one says it is CG, others not), cocamidopropyl betaine (CG, unless you’re allergic) and sodium lauryl sulphoacetate (see first).
For Co-washers and Curlies who are very strict it might not be your shampoo, but as far I’m concerned it is still a CG shampoo unless your scalp or hair is sensitive to these cleansers! Shampooing is something we do when only necessary, right?
Additional, in all products, I’m told, instead of the use of perfume, the products contain essential oils, such as Rosemary, Olive and Peppermint. For the ones concerned about (no) protein: the shampoo does contain hydrolyzed keratin (not high).
Wash Me Already Cleansing Conditioner
Perfect for the lovers of Co-wash or those who try to reduce the washing days per week. As they say: for the in-between wash day or to refresh. This conditioner is also free of sulphates, silicons and parabens. It’s water based and the main cleanser is cocamidopropyl betaine.
The ingredients that are nourishing for your hair are Shea Butter, the essential oils and the humectant glycerin. For the (no) protein question: hydrolyzed wheat protein and humulus lupulus (not high).
Curl Wow Wow Hydra Conditioner
It’s advised to leave the conditioner in for at least 10-20 minutes and rinse it with cold water afterwards to maintain the moisture in your hair. Once again free of sulphates, silicons and parabens. After water, the oils are high on the list. In this case also coconut oil, which is handy to know for people who avoid it. (No) protein: no, but has coconut oil.
Curl Bon Bon Hair Mask
When it comes to names I think they nailed it, because I heard many girls giggle. The Curl Bon Bon is a deep co and contains more moisturizing ingredients than the conditioner. Jojoba, Shea Butter, Cocoa, Olive, Coconut and Rosemary to name a few. Low on the list, you find horsetail. Of course free of sulphates, silicons and parabens.
Stylers
Curl Me Bad Hydra Gel
The gel is a leave-in gel, which I think is a great outcome when your hair tends to get heavy easily and you’d like to skip a leave in, but still want the moisture and the definition of a gel. It’s advised to work in sections and apply on soaking wet hair, but when you want to refresh it’s possible to use it on dry hair.
The gel is a bit orangy and has the same colour as the mousse, is waterbased and feels the same as a regular gel. If you’re a strict Curly Girl the gel might not be for you, because it has Witch Hazel. It contains aloe vera, but it’s not extremely high on the list and has a lot of extracts from flowers, plants and fruits. I’m not completely sure, but it doesn’t seem to contain protein.
For me it gave a lot of hold, so I purchased it. I usually switch stylers after each wash-day, so I won’t use it every time to prevent possible dryness.
Curl Me Bad Hydra Mousse
As for the mousse, you have to use around 3 pumps after the use of the gel to get volume, body and hold. Then if needed you take microfibre towel and then air dry or diffuse. It does contain protein like hydrolyzed rice protein and is CG proof. In combination with gel it did give me great hold, which is mostly hard to obtain with my type of hair!
For those who fin dit important, all products are vegan and not tested on animals.
DIffusing
Another extra is the Morango Curls diffuser, which is basically the silicon variant of a diffuser.
For all the ingredients per product, you can take a look at their renewed website www.morangocurls.com, where you can now shop & ship the products and have a closer look at the use and contents of each product.