African Pride Moisture Miracle and Olive Miracle Review

The Moisture Miracle Aloe & Coconut Water Detangle & Condition Pre-Shampoo is designed to detangle the hair in preparation for styling, which also aids in preventing breakage. This Pre-shampoo has a jelly-like consistency and a pleasant scent that seems equal parts fruity and perfumy. I tried this first when I was taking down a set of twists after four weeks. It was absolutely amazing. The detangling properties were immediately evident upon application. After rinsing, not only was my hair tangle-free, my curls were separated and defined. My shampoo process was definitely easier after using this product.

The Olive Miracle 7-in-1 Leave-In Moisture Restore Curl Refresher is touted as a jack of all trades, detangling, conditioning and refreshing curls, controlling frizz and adding shine, offering heat protection, and preventing split ends. I don’t typically use a refresher spray, simply because liquidy products tend to shrink, and subsequently tangle, my hair after it has been stretched. I was also hesitant to use this particular product because of how many silicones are present. Granted, most appear to be water-soluble, but I still did not want to deal with potential buildup from daily use.

The scent of this product (as well as the others in this line) reminds me of a green apple body spray. I used this as a leave-in prior to blowdrying and for a twistout. It did initially assist with detangling. It also seemed to aid in overall smoothness. However, it did not do much for me in the way of refreshment for my curls. I initially ended up with hair that was a bit oily, but I eventually ended up with dryness a few days post-wash, presumably due to build-up.

The Olive Miracle Non-Flaking Foam Setting Mousse is your standard solution for controlling set styles. I used it first for refreshing my twists, then for a wash and go, a bantu knot set, and to set a twistout. The foam did a great job of laying down my twists and sealing in any flyaways and loose hair. In terms of the wash and go, it did set my curls and did not leave them hard or crunchy.

Now, concerning the Bantu knot set, I wasn’t particularly satisfied with the results. My hair was indeed smooth, soft, and shiny, but it didn’t have much hold. I must be fair, though – I did this style on blowdried hair. My hair has historically taken Bantu knots better on dry hair, but the product instructions do not make provisions for that – only damp hair. My ends are also a bit frayed and the mousse was no match. I also tried to salvage the style with a flat twist set to no avail. Furthermore, my hair was a bit oily to the touch.

With that experience behind me, I decided to give the foam one more try on my old faithful twistout. I decided to use the foam to set my style after my typical leave-in and cream styler, which has no hold. My twists did come out fairly defined and soft. As with the other styles, the product delivered on the promise of not flaking. However, I did not experience lasting hold – my style was lost after a day or so.

Last but not least, the Olive Miracle Weightless Heat Protectant & Shine Mist is the heat protectant in the bunch. I used this as a heat protectant for both the blowdryer and curler iron, as a finisher to my set styles, and as a frizz guard for my takedowns.

All of my hair reverted back without any damage from heat styling. As a matter of fact, my hair started shrinking as soon as I took it down. My hair was shiny but not necessarily frizz-free. I also experience my hair being a bit oily to the touch. However, I will also be fair here, as I may have used more product than necessary, especially in concert with the Curl Refresher.

Interestingly, this heat protectant has two silicones vs. the four in the Curl Refresher. There are actually 10 different oils in this heat protectant, which may have lent itself to the oiliness of my hair as well.