ad. I’m always a bit wary when a curl product promises the world, because most of them just don’t get on with my hair. If you’ve read my Umberto Giannini review, you’ll know my hair is wavy rather than curly (Type 2, for anyone who speaks that language), so when Aussie sent over their Bouncy Curls range to try, I wasn’t sure how it’d get on with waves rather than actual curls.
I’ve used the Aussie Bouncy Curls Shampoo (300ml), Hydrating Conditioner (200ml), Curl Leave-In Cream (160ml), Epic Volume Mousse (200ml), Lightweight Hair Oil (95ml) and the 2nd Day Curl Reviver (200ml) a handful of times now, so I’ve given the whole routine a decent go.
What’s In The Range
The shampoo is sulphate-free and vegan, and it’s infused with jojoba oil, coconut oil and macadamia nut oil, which is a nice trio of ingredients to see in a supermarket-shelf product. The conditioner is silicone-free and leans on macadamia and castor oil to do the conditioning work. Both are aimed at 2A–4C hair, so anywhere from loose waves through to tight coils.
The leave-in cream is where things get more curl-specific. You apply it to dripping wet hair rather than towel-dried, which wasn’t new to me as I’ve always used a leave-in, just different brands before this one. I apply mine in the shower once I’ve turned the water off, while my hair’s still soaking wet, then wrap it up in a microfibre hair towel. It’s meant to give 48 hours of frizz protection. The mousse claims a proper Level 3/3 hold with 24-hour frizz and heat protection, again worked through soaking wet hair before you dry. The oil is Aussie’s actual anti-frizz product, it’s a finishing step for once your hair’s fully dry, and it’s what breaks the cast and adds shine. Then there’s the 2nd Day Curl Reviver, a silicone-free spray for non-wash days that’s meant to bring your curls back to life without a full re-wash.
You don’t need every product in the range to get results, but it does depend what you’re after. If loose, beachy waves are the goal, the shampoo, conditioner and leave-in cream will do the job on their own. If you want more defined curls though, you’ll want the mousse or a gel in there too, that’s really what gives the curl pattern its shape rather than just waves.
My Honest Results
I was really impressed with how my curls looked using this range together. My waves felt more defined than my usual routine gives me, and I even had a few spiral curls form straight away, which doesn’t usually happen for me, my hair normally only forms ringlets gradually throughout the day as I move about. There’s a lovely lightness to it too, it doesn’t weigh hair down the way some richer curl creams can.
I used the oil to scrunch out the cast once everything was fully dry, and it worked well for that bit, my hair looked shinier and less crunchy straight away. But even with their actual anti-frizz product doing its job, my hair overall still felt frizzier than it does with my usual products, especially by the end of the day. I don’t know if that’s just my waves needing a bit more hold than this range gives, but it’s the one thing stopping this from being a total win for me.
The 2nd Day Curl Reviver wasn’t a massive win for me either. Used as directed, it felt too sticky and product-rich on my hair. On non-wash days I much prefer my usual method, wetting my hair with a mist spray, working a gel through on day two, letting it dry and scrunching out with oil, and that gave me better results than the reviver did on its own.
Is It Worth Buying?
I’d say start small rather than buying the whole range in one go, but think about what you actually want first. The shampoo, conditioner and leave-in cream are enough if you’re just after loose waves, but if you want actual curl definition you’ll need the mousse or a gel in there from the start, it’s not something the leave-in cream does on its own. The oil’s the one I’d add next. The 2nd day reviver wasn’t really for me (more on that above), but that’s down to how I like to refresh my curls between washes, it might well suit your hair better than mine. My curls did look better across the board, it’s just the frizz control that needs some help alongside it, a gel or a stronger-hold product layered in would probably sort that.
I’ll keep using what’s left of mine, mostly on wash days when I’ve got time to diffuse it fully, but it hasn’t replaced my usual go-to just yet.
You’ll find the full Aussie Bouncy Curls range in Boots, Superdrug and most of the big supermarkets.
Have you tried the Aussie Bouncy Curls range? I’d love to know if you got on better with the frizz than I did.