I slapped this on my mostly-straight hair after a shower. No prayer hands. No diffuser. Just air-dried like a heathen.
The real question isn’t if it defines curls — it’s whether it’ll leave you looking greasy or crunchy. Spoiler: it didn’t. But it also didn’t give me magical ringlets.
It’s $25 for 8.5 oz. Not cheap, not insane. The claim that made me buy it: “defines without crunch.” Bold for a gel.
Hold Level
Medium-firm. Won’t freeze your hair, but won’t let it go wild either.
Texture
Thick, almost like honey. Takes 20 seconds to spread through palms.
Scent
Coconut and something floral. Smells expensive — doesn’t linger all day.
It’s packed with aloe and agave nectar — humectants that grab moisture from the air. For straight hair, that’s risky. Too much humidity and you’ll get frizz, not hold.
- Aloe Leaf Juice: Lightweight moisture, no grease
- Agave Nectar: Natural hold without alcohol dryness
- Hydrolyzed Quinoa: Protein for strength, not slip
- Glycerin: Humectant that can backfire in high dew points
Smooth, thick, almost sticky. I rubbed it between palms and prayed. On damp hair, it absorbed in about 30 seconds — left a slight cast that disappeared when I scrunched.
Week 2 update: I used too much day one and looked like I’d dipped my head in oil. Less is aggressively more — a dime size for shoulder-length hair.
My waves got slightly more defined — think “I just left the beach” vibes, not “I spent 2 hours with a curling wand.” Zero crunch, but also zero volume at the roots.
Pattern’s gel is a solid product for wavy hair, but straight-haired folks will be disappointed. It’s not a miracle — just a really good gel that knows its lane.