I haven't reviewed a hair product in a while which is very weird because I try new products pretty much constantly. This gel was my last impulsive buy because I heard nothing but good stuff about it and also because they make it in the travel size so I don't have to commit.
The Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly Scrunching Jelly is a cult favorite at this point. It's a styling gel suitable for all curl types and porosities. It promises to banish frizz, add shine and managebility to the curls together with great definition. It should not create a cast and it provides medium hold. It is vegan, cruelty-free and also CGM approved. The travel size retails for around 3 Pounds.
It comes in a pink tube with 50 ml of product. The gel itself is slightly pink and it has quite thick and sticky consistency. The ingredients actually agree with the claims as it does not contain any humectants or other ingredients that might cause frizz. It should be a perfect candidate for the autumn weather gel.
I heard very good things about it but also some mixed reviews. Since it is a medium hold gel it is possible that it won't be strong enough for my wavy 2B hair. My hair usually requires very lightweight but strong hold stylers and a lot of combinations are just not enough for it to last. In this case we have the humidity-resistance so even if this gel is not enough on its own for my hair, it could be a great top styler which is going to keep the frizz at bay.
Wear test
I applied the gel as my last step after a moisturizing leave-in milk, styling serum with protein and a mousse. The crunch was there even though it wasn't as strong as I expected. One plus was fast drying time because the gel is not super wet and gulpy and it worked nicely with the products I paired it with.
Even though the cast wasn't super strong, the diffusing did not cause almost any frizz and the overall result was very smooth, frizz-free, pretty defined with a nice hold to it. My hair after scrunching out the cast felt great, very soft and just weightless.
This is my hair the day when I washed it (also dyed it). You can tell that the definition is there and there some serious spirals in the hair.
This is my hair on the third day because I forgot I should be documenting every day. It's not looking too bad. There is still a lot of hold and definition and considering the weather there is like no frizz at all.
This is the day 4 when I decided to finish the night by washing my hair because of an event I had the next afternoon.
Overall the hair lasted pretty considering the current weather and humidity. I was outside every day and it's been pretty windy and humid lately so I am more than impressed with these results.
I protected my hair every night sleeping in my bonnet but as usual one side just doesn't last as well as the other because I usually sleep on the side. The hair has great volume and even definition so I am not mad at this combo at all. I would say that the gel is a good fit for this moody autumn weather.
Final thoughts
I must admit that I really expected the gel to be a little too overhyped but it really impressed me. It's affordable and very lightweight so I feel like it could be a fit for many curlies and wavies out there.
It does create a weak cast to your hair won't feel like bunch of wires once you dry it but it won't be super frizzy with a lot of flyaways either. It's just the right amount of hold in my opinion. It's also very lightweight and has enough slip to be easy to work with.
I love that it's an affordable option for a good autumn gel when the weather really does stuff to our hair. It lasted through wind, rain and high humidity so I would say it's going to be my go-to anti-weather gel this season. I really like it and it's easy to combine with different gels too because it's quite lightweight texture as well. It's a little glue-like but not too much so you can still layer it.
I would just recommend it to anyone who really struggles with frizz and humid weather and also like a decent hold and medium crunch to their hair. This is a great gel for all that.
Have you tried any Umberto Giannini products? Let me know in the comments and thanks for reading!