Have you ever heard of Mizani? Chances are that if you have a kinky-curly hair type and have ever sat down in a salon to get your hair done that you have. As L’Oréal’s “premier haircare brand for textured hair,” the brand’s creators recently launched their new Style Shifter Society Collection to cater to the women who are always switching up their look.
According to Mizani’s press release on the launch, “Google Analytics search inquiries for braid-related hairstyles have grown 654% year-over-year while searchs about scalp concerns have grown 304% year-over-year — indicating that women are increasingly looking to augment their hair but perhaps at the expense of their scalp.”
With that in mind, the brand created its newest launch as a way for “style shifters” to continue keeping their hairstyles versatile without the guilty feeling over potentially sacrificing their hair and scalp’s health. In essence, the line gives consumers a realistic range of three products that can be added to their routines to protect and nourish any hairstyle they have going on while also preventing any damage.
Out of the two products I tried from the launch, Coco Dew ($22) was my favorite. Being described as a “2-in-1 pre-styling and re-styling spray that adds grip and hold to your style,” I found that using it as a light leave-in conditioner in between my wash day routine was how the product served me best. After washing my natural hair, I would spray Coco Dew on my kinky curls before sealing in its provided extra moisture with a whipped hair buttercream. I used it in that order three separate times to do either flat twists or individual twists on my natural hair — and genuinely thought my hair felt more moisturized and softer after each usage. I’d definitely recommend it.
That being said, Heat Screen ($22) didn’t hit it out of the park for me in terms of results. The brand says it’s, “A lightweight spray with a UV Filter and heat protection up to 450°F to help protect hair from heat damage” — and noted that the product is “formulated with rose water to give sleek and frizz-controlled results with a glossy shine finish.” Admittedly, since it’s extremely rare that I use heat on my natural hair, I tried this protectant on a human hair, lace front bob wig that I have after giving it a wash and letting it air dry. The wig was already a fairly straight texture to begin with — but I hoped spraying a light coating of Heat Screen on it would help give it a more refined and sleek look while taming any pesky flyaways.
In all honesty, I didn’t find that the spray made much of a difference in terms of the wig’s shine after it was straightened — or regarding any hairs that were left sticking out of place. Since this product seemed to be a miss for me — at least concerning its performance on a wig — I’d suggest you pass on it.
As a side note, keep in mind that the collection also carries a foaming pre-cleanser for your scalp called Wonder Crown ($24) that sounds amazing. Even though I didn’t try it myself, it’s said to use its key ingredients of “cannabis sativa seed oil, tea tree oil, peppermint oil, menthol, and honey” in its effort to remove product build-up, dirt, and oil, leaving your scalp refreshed and balanced.
Check out Mizani’s haircare products — including Coco Dew — all at Sephora.