Dark and Lovely Au Naturale – My Honest Review

Hi guys! 

Last week I received a gift hamper from a well known South African brand, Dark and Lovely.

Goody basket from Dark and Lovely

It might interest you to know that Dark and Lovely products (Relaxer, Shampoo, conditioner, etc) were a staple back in the days when I still had relaxed hair. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that all four products in my hamper had been specifically formulated for Afro textured women. 

Moving on, the content of the hamper included but was not limited to a shampoo, a conditioner, a plaiting pudding cream and, an Afro moisturizing butter…All of which I had the pleasure of experimenting with this past weekend and, just like any other experiment, I’m here with my report, better known in this premise as, a review,  and this review promises to be honest, transparent and, unbiased. 

L-R: Moisture-Replenishing Shampoo, Knot-Out Conditioner, Plaiting Pudding Cream and Afro Moisturizing Butter. 

The Good:

• The shampoo lathers pretty well (a little goes a long way)
• The knot out conditioner has great slip and the ingredients constitute a majority of hair friendly alcohols. Read more about alcohols in hair products here
• The Plaiting pudding cream is impressively hydrating and it neither left my hair dry nor flaky
• The Afro moisturizing butter has great creamy consistency, is non-sticky and can be used to tame frizz in the hair, around the edges and along the nape.

The Bad:

• The “moisture-replenishing” shampoo performs the exact opposite of replenishing moisture. I found that my hair was dry and very dull after washing. This could most likely be due to the high percentage of Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)  in the shampoo. Read more about alcohols in hair products here

The Ugly:

• Nothing yet

My Verdict:

Although the shampoo left my hair dry, an easy way to work around it would be having to do a pre poo either with pure honey or even with the Afro moisturizing butter since that contains honey also and is super moisturising.

Rating each product on a scale of 10: 

Moisture-Replenishing Shampoo (4/10)

 

Shampoo Ingredients

 

Knot-Out Conditioner (10/10)

Conditioner Ingredients

Plaiting Pudding Cream (9/10)

 

Pudding Ingredients

Afro Moisturizing Butter (9/10)

Moisturizing Butter Ingredients 

Did I mention that these products have a uniting factor?!

Well, due to the presence of Mango seed oil and Bamboo milk, they all have a pleasant mango scent that soothes the senses, with the exception of the Afro Moisturising butter which clearly contains guarana root and honey. 

Products at a glance

Products at a glance

In all, I enjoyed experimenting with the Dark and Lovely Au Naturale mango oil and bamboo milk line and I recorded the complete process of how I used all four products mentioned in this review, so if you are not already subscribed to my YouTube channel, please  click here to subscribe so you don’t miss the styling tutorial video when it goes up. 

Turns out the Knot out conditioner was my favorite from the Dark and Lovely Au Naturale Mango Oil & Bamboo Milk line. I’m not sure why I held onto the Plaiting pudding so lovingly. 

Click here to watch the complete video of how I used all four products (from washing to styling) 

Have you tried any product(s) from the Au Naturale line? Please share your experience(s) below.

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