Product Review: Camille Rose Naturals Curl Love Moisture Milk

Have you ever come across a product that has never failed you...no matter what you did? Wet hair, dry hair, product already on hair but you used it anyway?

That's how I feel about Camille Rose Naturals Curl Love Moisture Milk. What's funny is that this particular product was never really on my radar to try. I was always hawking for a sale opportunity to try the Curl Maker, and definitely re-stock on the Fresh Curl and Algae Renew Deep Conditioner. Curl Love Moisture Milk didn't come into my purview until I was moseying around Target one afternoon, and couldn't believe my eyes -- I saw the Curl Love Moisture Milk for $7.48. The price was right, so I bought 3. Yes, 3. And I've been on a mission to keep this stuff stocked ever since.

Ingredient List: Deionized Water, Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetearyl Alcohol, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice Bran) Oil, Aloe Barbadenis Leaf, Ricinus Communis (Castor Seed) Oil, Ternifolia (Macademia Nut) Seed Oil, Sorbitol, Camellia (Green Tea) Sinensis Leaf, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Milk, Rosa Canina (Rose Hip) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth 20, Slippery Elm (Ulmus Fulva) bark, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Scent and Love

Ingredient Analysis:

• Behentrimonium Methosulfate: Mild detangling ingredient made from the rapeseed (canola). Known for great detangling without leaving product buildup on hair.
• Cetearyl Alcohol: Fatty alcohol and emollient conditioner known for giving products a creamy, thick texture and feel.
• Avocado Oil: Omega 3-rich nourishing oil extract that can enhances shine, moisture retention, softness, and elasticity in hair.
• Rice Bran Oil: Antioxidant oil rich in vitamin E that helps prevent free-radical and oxidative damage to hair. Also rich in ceramides which penetrate the hair and restore moisture within the cortex.
• Aloe Leaf: Acts as a natural conditioning agent that restores the hair's sheen, luster, and shine. It not only makes the hair soft, but it also enhances strength and suppleness.

Availability: Pretty widespread. Camille Rose Naturals products in general and the Curl Love Moisture Milk are available at Target and Whole Foods stores nationwide. If all else fails, you can find them at www.camillerosenaturals.com

Affordability: At $15 for 8oz, this product is slightly more expensive than your typical natural hair moisturizer/butter/lotion that falls in that $8 to $12 range. But the ingredients are stellar and the products are made by hand still (an amazing feat for a brand with nationwide distribution). I'm lucky enough to live not too far from a Target that for whatever reason, carries them for $7.48 (I'm sure this is a mistake...but grab it while you can! Head over to Instagram for the deets)

Product Claim/Description: LOVES! All Curl Types and Textures. Natural milks, oils, and butters to nourish, moisturize, and elongate dry, withdrawn curls The Natural Way!

Hydrate. Soften. Strengthen.

Hi Beautiful! Camille Rose is bringing you back to natural by nourishing your dry and frizzy curls. Every curl needs some LOVE! Our handcrafted milk is blended with natural oils, butters, and milks. This leave-in daily moisturizing cream will provide shine, lasting moisture, and decrease shrinkage to enhance the driest hair.

Performance/Delivery: 

•  Nourish? Check.
• Moisturize? Check.
• Shine? Check.
• Enhance Hair? Check.
• Decrease Shrinkage? Not so much.

To be honest, I just now realized the bottle said something about shrinkage. Just to clarify, no product is ever going to elongate your hair without some sort of alteration. The closest you can get to combating shrinkage is the Beautiful Textures Texture Manageability System. But this isn't about that. So let's just set shrinkage-combating aside, and deal with the rest of the product. As you can see in the rundown above, the Curl Love Moisture Milk does everyyyyyyyything you could ask and more.

See why it's called Curl LOVE?

The first time I used the Curl Love Moisture Milk, it was instant love. But I used it about 4 more times just to make sure it was real. And I'm happy to report that this stuff is the real deal! Not only are the ingredients phenomenal, but they work amazingly on my hair. Seriously, my mane can't get enough of this stuff. I use it as the moisturizing layer of product in my wash and go's, and it plays nicely with every single product I've used. It keeps my hair feeling soft and shiny for days, but I just end up reapplying regularly because my hair loves it so much. I live in LA, and the weather is heating up and the air is drying out. Curl Love Moisture Milk is great because it keeps my hair super hydrated and soft feeling, despite the desert dry air. It is also one of the few products that I feel actually penetrates and moisturizes my hair. Some products sit on the hair and never go in, others disappear before you can even work it through. Curl Love Moisture Milk penetrates and hydrates, but doesn't leave super greasy residue. I just can't get enough of this stuff!!! I keep it in supply, seriously. I'm halfway through my second bottle, and I've got 4 more stashed away #dontjudgeme. This is definitely one of those products I don't ever want to run out of. My hair loves anything with Avocado Oil and Aloe, and I'm all about ceramides these days -- so the Rice Bran Oil is right on time.

As far as fragrance goes, it is a light, sweet vanilla caramel-esque aroma that is not overbearing whatsoever. Some may even liken it to cake batter. I'm tempted to taste and see (lol). But seriously, it smells goooooooooood. Edible good. It doesn't linger and is in no way offensive. As far as texture, this stuff is THICK! Most milks tend to be on the watery/runny side, but Curl Love Moisture Milk Packs a punch. I rather like the thickness, and even though it is very rich, it doesn't weigh my hair down at all or give me the greasies. Curl Love Moisture Milk is total LOVE for curls. Seriously.

It's THICK!

Drawbacks: The $15 tag may be a little off-putting for some, but I've got to admit -- I'm willing to pay the price. At this point in the game, I'm all about products with great ingredients that work. Curl Love Moisture Milk fits the bill for both, so I'm okay with the full price (although I'll gladly take it at half price while it's still there). Other than that, I can't think of a single solitary drawback.

Bonuses: Curl Love Moisture Milk being glycerin-free is a huge bonus in my book. As I mentioned previously, I live in LA. Although it's only April, temperatures are heating up and the air is drying out. In fact, it's 90 degrees right now while I'm typing this review. I say all that to say that glycerin is no bueno for natural hair in dry air. Glycerin is a humectant, and when there is moisture in the air, it draws it to your hair. But when there's no moisture in the air? Sucks it right out. The absence of glycerin in Curl Love Moisture Milk means that I get to keep the goodness inside my strands for longer.

Best Practices: Honestly, you can't go wrong with this product. On wet hair, damp hair, dry hair. As a refresher, leave-in, or daily moisturizer. Heck, in a pinch I've even used it as lotion on my arms. I will say that as with all moisturizers, mix on the backside of your hand or do a patch test to make sure it plays nicely with your other products. I haven't had any issues yet.

Bottom Line: Must Have for 2014, hands down. Without a doubt. If you feel like your strands aren't being nourished and hydrated by your current moisturizers, I highly recommend giving this one a shot. You won't be disappointed.

I use Curl Love Moisture Milk in practically ALL my wash and go's.

Overall Product Rating: 5 stars, period. I thought about docking for the price, but I can't even let that bother me. I love this product so much, ya'll! Seriously!