nuNAAT Real Me Group Review
nuNAAT Real Me Group Review
nuNAAT's Real Me Curl-to-Coil Collection is perfect for naturals of all textures. The line features the brand's unique “Joint Complex,” a blend of five natural oil extracts, including avocado, coconut and argan. It's designed to moisturize and soften from beginning to end, so it contains everything from a cleanser to styling aids.
There are no:
The quality that stood out the most to me about this collection is that everything is so lightweight.
If you hate heavy products that weigh your curls down, the Real Me group is definitely worth trying.
Real Moisture Conditioner
The shampoo isn't pictured, but it looks just like this conditioner bottle, except for the wording. The cleanser is almost translucent and not heavily scented, so if your nose is the sensitive type, it won't be bothered by this light fragrance. I lathered up twice because my hair had oils in it. I got plenty of suds each time, so unless your hair is especially oily or you're trying to get a lot of products out if it, shampooing once will probably be enough.
I followed up with the conditioner, another lightly-scented product that made it very easy to comb through and detangle my hair.
Blast of Shine Hair Mask
This hair mask is a good treatment for dry hair. Leave it on anywhere between five and 15 minutes. I tried it both ways and didn't really notice a difference in leaving it on longer. I didn't use heat, only put a plastic cap over my head for 15 minutes and then rinsed it out.
The mask contains the most fragrance of all the products. It's floral and pleasant, though, so unless you strongly object to smells like this, it's not bad at all.
Natural Curl Activator
Don't let the name "Curl Activator" scare you! This is nothing like the greasy spray activators from the 1980s.
It's actually a nearly-clear gel with a good amount of thickness to it. It's not runny, but also not so thick that it's gloopy. It spreads easily, though I always recommend working in sections. It leaves curls very bouncy and springy, which is what I liked most about it.
I had to try it a few different times to get optimal results:
Pick Me Up Sheen
This is a light serum that you can use with the conditioners for an extra boost. I used it on dry curls to add a bit of shine. It can also be used before heat styling as an added layer of protection. Because it's a serum, it's a good option for adding sheen to straight hair, whether you flat iron or relax yours.
Perfect Do Pomade
I love this pomade. Like everything else in the line, it's light, unlike a lot of heavy, almost gummy pomades I've used in the past. I used it to smooth down my edges, and it works beautifully, without leaving behind a heavy, greasy feel.
Like the Pick Me Up sheen, this is another product that works for various textures, so naturals and relaxed ladies alike will find a use for this.
These are my results after shampooing and conditioning, first with the Hair Mask, followed by the Real Moisture Conditioner, as suggested. I did apply a leave-in conditioner (Curl Care by Dr. Miracle's Boosting and Defining Leave-in) because my hair tends to frizz. I like creamy leave-ins over liquid ones for that reason. Another one I love is Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner.
I applied the Curl Activator in several sections, using about two dime-size dollops per section.
I only used my fingers to apply the Activator; I didn't use a comb at all. I sometimes use a comb when using gels, but I wanted to see how this performed without a comb-through. While combing gels through can give you better clumping, it also often contributes to more shrinkage.
I sat under a bonnet dryer on low-medium heat until my hair was about 85% dry, and I let it air dry the rest of the way. The curls were a little crunchy once completely dry, but that works out with gentle scrunching (just make sure your hair is 100% dry before you do this or it may frizz).
Just the other side of my head, what I consider the "shorter" side.
I'm happy with the definition, especially since this is the only product I used over the leave-in. I've used other gels in the past that needed help from other products to give me a good degree of curl defining, and in my experience, the more products I apply, the more weighed down my hair gets.
The Real Me Collection is available fall 2013 at select retailers and beauty supply chains nationwide.
For more information and to find products online, please visit nuNAATonline.com.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
nuNAAT's Real Me Curl-to-Coil Collection is perfect for naturals of all textures. The line features the brand's unique “Joint Complex,” a blend of five natural oil extracts, including avocado, coconut and argan. It's designed to moisturize and soften from beginning to end, so it contains everything from a cleanser to styling aids.
There are no:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Mineral oils
- Sodium chloride
The quality that stood out the most to me about this collection is that everything is so lightweight.
If you hate heavy products that weigh your curls down, the Real Me group is definitely worth trying.
Real Moisture Conditioner
The shampoo isn't pictured, but it looks just like this conditioner bottle, except for the wording. The cleanser is almost translucent and not heavily scented, so if your nose is the sensitive type, it won't be bothered by this light fragrance. I lathered up twice because my hair had oils in it. I got plenty of suds each time, so unless your hair is especially oily or you're trying to get a lot of products out if it, shampooing once will probably be enough.
I followed up with the conditioner, another lightly-scented product that made it very easy to comb through and detangle my hair.
Blast of Shine Hair Mask
This hair mask is a good treatment for dry hair. Leave it on anywhere between five and 15 minutes. I tried it both ways and didn't really notice a difference in leaving it on longer. I didn't use heat, only put a plastic cap over my head for 15 minutes and then rinsed it out.
The mask contains the most fragrance of all the products. It's floral and pleasant, though, so unless you strongly object to smells like this, it's not bad at all.
Natural Curl Activator
Don't let the name "Curl Activator" scare you! This is nothing like the greasy spray activators from the 1980s.
It's actually a nearly-clear gel with a good amount of thickness to it. It's not runny, but also not so thick that it's gloopy. It spreads easily, though I always recommend working in sections. It leaves curls very bouncy and springy, which is what I liked most about it.
I had to try it a few different times to get optimal results:
- The first time, I didn't use enough, so my curls had no weight to them at all, and I still had a lot of frizziness going on.
- The second time, I used too much, and when it dried, I noticed little flakes throughout.
- Finally, on the last try, I used just enough to get good definition. I also got a little weight, but no flakes this time. (I detail exactly how I applied it later in this review.)
Pick Me Up Sheen
This is a light serum that you can use with the conditioners for an extra boost. I used it on dry curls to add a bit of shine. It can also be used before heat styling as an added layer of protection. Because it's a serum, it's a good option for adding sheen to straight hair, whether you flat iron or relax yours.
Perfect Do Pomade
I love this pomade. Like everything else in the line, it's light, unlike a lot of heavy, almost gummy pomades I've used in the past. I used it to smooth down my edges, and it works beautifully, without leaving behind a heavy, greasy feel.
Like the Pick Me Up sheen, this is another product that works for various textures, so naturals and relaxed ladies alike will find a use for this.
These are my results after shampooing and conditioning, first with the Hair Mask, followed by the Real Moisture Conditioner, as suggested. I did apply a leave-in conditioner (Curl Care by Dr. Miracle's Boosting and Defining Leave-in) because my hair tends to frizz. I like creamy leave-ins over liquid ones for that reason. Another one I love is Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner.
I applied the Curl Activator in several sections, using about two dime-size dollops per section.
I only used my fingers to apply the Activator; I didn't use a comb at all. I sometimes use a comb when using gels, but I wanted to see how this performed without a comb-through. While combing gels through can give you better clumping, it also often contributes to more shrinkage.
I sat under a bonnet dryer on low-medium heat until my hair was about 85% dry, and I let it air dry the rest of the way. The curls were a little crunchy once completely dry, but that works out with gentle scrunching (just make sure your hair is 100% dry before you do this or it may frizz).
Just the other side of my head, what I consider the "shorter" side.
I'm happy with the definition, especially since this is the only product I used over the leave-in. I've used other gels in the past that needed help from other products to give me a good degree of curl defining, and in my experience, the more products I apply, the more weighed down my hair gets.
The Real Me Collection is available fall 2013 at select retailers and beauty supply chains nationwide.
For more information and to find products online, please visit nuNAATonline.com.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
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