This Must Be What Hell Smells Like: Drybar Hot Toddy Heat Protector Frizz Fighter

Sephora $33 (out of stock)

Let me preface this post with a disclaimer: I used this product precisely once before returning it (you can probably tell why from the title), so I can't speak to how it works. That being said...

Welcome to my first "This must be what hell smells like" post. You know how in my banner it says the scent can make or break a product? Well, I'm putting this one in the "break" column. When I bought this, I had just cut my hair short for the first time in a while and I had grand plans of straightening my hair regularly (Ha! Tell that to my lazy self when I'm trying to get ready in 15 minutes or less in the morning). With that in mind, I began carefully comparing products on Sephora's website to see what might help cut down on frizz while also giving me heat protection and shine. I settled on Drybar's Hot Toddy Heat Protector and Frizz Fighter. It claims to "naturally enhance shine and bounce" by "sealing split ends" and "creating a protective barrier against heat." It's cruelty free and safe for use on keratin and color-treated hair. Sold.

It came in the mail and I decided to try it immediately. The first thing I did after I smoothed it into my hair was run my head under the faucet and rinse it all out. I can't even describe the smell. Reviews online say it smells fruity and other people thought it smelled great, so maybe my nose was off that day. Maybe I got a bad bottle. All I know is that I literally could not stand to live with the smell. I actually stuck my head in the sink because I couldn't even wait to get in the shower. The scent was overwhelmingly strong, and not in a good way. I returned it and went for a cheap drugstore heat protector while I looked for something better. Two years later I think I've straightened my hair once, so I'm glad I didn't end up spending a lot on a product I did need.

What's the last product that made you say, "Oh my gosh, no. You could not pay me to use this again"?

DevaCurl Styling Cream

DevaCurl Styling Cream $25

This one's an oldie but a goodie. I've been using this styling cream for a while now (just checked and it's been 11 months) and I'm still on my first bottle. When I first bought it, I remember thinking, "Should I really be spending this much on a styling cream?" but 11 months later, I've definitely gotten my money's worth out of it. 

Anyway, I'm writing about this cream because when I first got it, I remember saying, "Oh my goodness, I don't even care what this does to my hair. It was worth $25 just to smell it." And the smell is heavenly. It's always reminded me of grapes for some reason, but don't buy it or not based on that description, because that's more of a feel than a smell. I can't explain how a smell can feel like a grape, but... Okay, this is veering into bizzare-o rambling territory, so let me try this again. A commenter on the Sephora website described this as smelling like Starburst candy, and I actually think that's a great description. It's sweet and fruity and I seriously want to eat it every time I do my hair (don't eat it!). 

Remember how I said I didn't care what it did to my hair as long as it kept on smelling just that delicious? Well, this cream actually works really great for me. I have super thick, wavy hair. Too much product and it's crunchy and flat. Not enough and I get a vaguely triangular, frizzy mess. About a pump to a pump-and-a-half of this (My hair is shoulder-length now. I used 2-3 pumps when it was mid-back-length) and I'm good to go. I rub it between my hands, run my hands through my hair until most of the cream is off, scrunch, then flip my head over and shake my hair out. The flipping and shaking probably undoes the scrunching, but that's what works for me, so I keep doing it. The DevaCurl cream helps give my hair a little more curl definition while keeping the frizz at bay. The description says it works best with "Botticelli and corkscrew curls" (I have no idea what Botticelli curls are. Anyone?), so it's probably even better if you are lucky enough to have real curls, but I've been happy with what it does for my wavy hair. 

I'll probably buy this again when I run out unless I find something I love even more first. Any suggestions? I'm always looking for ways to make my hair look styled just by tossing in some product. 

On a side note, I'm looking for some blogs to nominate for the One Lovely Blog Award (it's a fun way to get to know a little bit about some great new bloggers, spread the love to some blogs your readers may not be familiar, and get some links back to your own blog). All you have to do is write a few facts about yourself and provide links to a few other blogs. Super simple. So if you have or you know anyone who has a blog you think would like to participate, leave a comment below with a link to the blog. Thanks!