I consider myself a curl gel expert and after Olaplex launched its own I was keen to put it to the test—here's how I got on

Among the many haircare brand names that line the shelves of stores like Space NK, Boots and John Lewis, only a select few are almost always guaranteed to get viral attention every time they launch a new product. Suffice to say when the Olaplex No.10 Curl Gel came onto my radar, I was excited.

For one thing, though the wider Olaplex range is suitable for all hair types, this is the brand’s first curl-specific product—and, as a beauty editor who always uses a hair gel when styling her hair curly, it sounds right up my street.

I’ve tried almost all of Olaplex’s other hair products, some of which I rate far more highly than others. The question is, does the No.10 rank among them? Here’s my full review, complete with pictures of the results.

Those familiar with the best Olaplex products will know that the hero ingredient throughout the range is a patented molecule—bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate—that heals broken bonds within the hair to repair it from the inside out. The concentration of this ingredient varies depending on the product, so it is higher in the in-salon treatments and No.3 Hair Perfector, but is found throughout the range, including in the full Olaplex shampoo range, and it’s also in the No.10 Curling Gel.

There are no huge surprises with the gel's packaging; it’s the same minimalistic colour scheme and design seen across the entire range, but housed in a generous-sized squeezy tube that makes dispensation easy. So far, so good. The gel itself is slightly dense, clear and has good slip that makes it easy to distribute through hair. It’s not too sticky and scrunches into hair with ease.

To test the results, the only other product I used on my hair while wet was one of my go-to leave-ins, which I applied before the Olaplex gel. I then diffused my hair dry as I usually would whenever I style it curly (using the Dyson Supersonic Nural, in case you’re wondering). Once dry, below, my hair was fairly well defined and smooth, with the curls retaining a nice amount of bounce.

As for how my hair actually felt once styled, it had a nice amount of hold but didn’t feel at all crispy; I didn’t feel in danger of applying slightly too much that it’d leave my hair looking super crunchy or with a 'wet look' vibe. Because of this, I can imagine (because it’s a style I never wear nor would I suit) that it’d lend itself well to a slicked-back bun, too.

That being said, I do think there are stronger curl gels out there, so bear in mind that this doesn’t have the best amount of hold if that’s the number one thing you look for in a formula. The flip side to this is that, should you wish to style your hair differently a day or two later, it’ll be undetectable to the touch—hair feels smooth and soft without any of the barely-there residual grip other formulas would retain for days. All in all, I think this is a nice addition to the Olaplex range.