Products for “real women” – the Coy Hair review
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We’re not shy with our love of this new hair care collection!
photos: we heart this
I’m sorta obsessed with hair care and am always on the quest for the latest and greatest. Because I have long straight hair that I abuse on a daily basis with a hair dryer and straightening iron, I feel like I need to use high quality products that will help protect my locks from all the potential damage. I also live in a pretty humid place that wrecks havoc on my straight hair. By the end of a typical Texas day, I have frizzy fur balls living on top of my head. Not attractive to say the least.
When I was sent several products from Coy Hair to try out, I was more than willing to put them to the test. Not only did I try them out here at home, but I also took them to Florida and the Texas gulf coast with me…two even more humid places than where I live. I knew if Coy could make my hair look beautiful in these environments, then we would be friends for life.
Coy Hair was created by two great friends on a quest to make hair care products for real women who style their hair at home. Coy Hair founders, “feel that too many professional lines focus on editorial styling and unrealistic hairstyles.” A line created for real woman sounded perfect to me and I couldn’t wait to put it to the test!
I tested three products from Coy’s carefully crafted collection and and we’re going to start by talking about one of my favorites, the Canvas Foundation Spray, that preps hair for the day (or night!) by “detangling, evening porosity and smoothing the cuticles.” And let me tell you, smooth cuticles were just what the doctor ordered for my hair issues.
The Canvas Foundation Spray ($17) comes in a bottle with a large pump. I love the packaging design, but do wish the spray came out in a little bit of a finer mist. The smell of this product is delightful. It reminds me of vanilla sugar and leaves me and my young daughter’s hair smelling amazing!
I was grateful every humidity-filled day I had this with vacation with me! The Canvas Foundation Spray leaves my hair feeling soft and manageable, without weighing it down. It gives a very light conditioning sheen, with a hint of shine but never turns oily. And it kept my frizziness to a minimum.
Next up, I tested Groom Styling Cream, a medium hold styling cream that “sets your style with pliable structure while adding texture and mobility.” I typically don’t use a styling cream because they weigh my hair down, but I was eager to see if Groom ($24) could change my mind.
Housed in a simple squeeze tube, this cream can be used by both men and women, and conditions and adds shine to styled hair. The first time I used this product I think I applied too much as my hair was too oily on the ends. A little bit of this cream goes a long way.
Since then, I’ve been using just about a pea size amount and have had much better results. My hair does hold it’s shape better, but I’m still not sure I’m a styling cream fan (I think it’s a personal preference).
Lastly, I tested the Polish Finishing Serum which promises to “magically transform dull or fly-away hair into a soft, shiny, lustrous mane.” Again, a small drop of product goes a long way, and a bit of this serum is the perfect finishing touch for my hair. Just use your fingertips to spot apply or rub a small amount all over your locks, if needed.
This serum was a life saver on vacation. Just a little bit of Polish ($24) in the morning helped keep my frazzled hair happy all day. Even better, this serum tackled those lovely frizzy fur balls I mentioned earlier. Spot treating the flyaways on top of my head helps to keep them from forming – more bonus points for Coy!
Some of my fellow review team members tested additional Coy products, so make sure to check the comments for their thoughts on these items:
Lift Thickening Spray ($20) – a lightweight spray that pumps up the volume of your hair! It thickens the hair shaft and adds texture, while soothing the scalp.
Kink Curl Cream ($26) – a must for curly locks, this creams uses Jojoba and avocado oils to naturally enhance curls, smooth fly aways and control the frizzies.
Construct Matt Pomade ($22) – great for men and women, this is a strong-hold, but moldable pomade. Use this pomade in short hair for a sweeping, retros style or in long hair hair for that piece-y look always popular during the summer.
Overall, from the simple packaging and effective formulas to the reasonable price tag, I was really impressed with Coy Hair. This line offers something to suit every hair type…curly, straight, damaged, dry, fine and more – and I happily recommend that you don’t be coy, and grab some Coy Hair care for yourself!
we heartsters and testers – meet me in the comments to chat about Coy Hair!
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
I tested the Kink Curl Cream. And let me tell you that this stuff is way more than just a clever name! It is so good. You don’t need to use a lot. So yes, it is expensive but it lasts quite awhile. It defined my curls in a very soft and natural way. I was left with no frizz and no crunchiness. And the scent was very mild. I really enjoyed this curl cream. It is certainly one of the best that I have ever tried and I would certainly purchase it again. 5 stars!!
Really great review, @tiffany; but your comment as a fellow curly girl makes me more likely to try this, @kellie76!
I’m NOT a fan of creams when it comes to my hair, it usually needs to be beaten into submission with serums and gels. But the idea of soft natural curls, (especially on the weekend when I don’t want to mess with anything BUT I also don’t want to LOOK a mess,) makes me super curious.
I think I have a Coy Kink sample from Sephora that I haven’t tried yet; time to rip that puppy open! :-)
I received two samples from Coy Hair. Kink Curl Cream and Polish Finishing Serum. I approve! I liked them both and would buy them again. I have a lot of ornery hair which equals taming it with a lot of product. I’ve tried so many products that it makes my head spin and many of which failed miserably in their touted capabilities! Side note: I found I liked using these as a pair and the product helped to smooth away those frizzy flyaways! I blended them in the palm of my hand, worked them together then applied to my towel dried hair and then combed it out. After I blew out my hair it looked great, nice and smooth- adding just a smidgen more of the finishing serum.. I would purchase this product. Four solid stars.
@tiffany , with East Coast summer humidity just around the corner, your post makes me want to check out the entire Coy line!
I received a sample of Coy Polish Finishing Serum, which I used the same way @irene did– applied it all over before blowing my hair out, then a little more to “finish.” It’s nice, very nice. My hair really did end up soft, shiny, and frizz-free, and I liked this product enough to put it on my future-shopping list. 4 stars.
I received a sample of Coy Kink Curl Cream, and I think I’m here to break up the party. :(
I’m picky about not only how my hair looks but also how it feels. I want soft, loosely defined curls that are totally touchable. I know, while I’m at it I should ask to win the lottery, right? Anyway, from what I’ve read about Coy I was expecting this dream to become at least a partial reality.
The product isn’t too thick or too thin, the smell is barely noticeable and not offensive, and the typography on the sample was cute. Looks good to start with, right? I started running the product through my hair and it seemed okay, but once my hair dried later on and I touched it I was physically grossed out. It felt dirty and tacky. I wanted to wash my hair as soon as I got home, but I couldn’t before my husband managed to get his hands into it. He asked me if I got “crud” in my hair during my morning hike in the woods!
I didn’t use much of the product, about a nickel sized dollop, so I don’t think it was the amount. It left my hair looking smooth (not much curl definition because my curls were too weighed down by the product and just straightened out a bit) and there wasn’t a flyaway to be seen, but I can’t see myself using this product on a daily basis. Maybe to smooth out the top of my hair when I’m wearing a ponytail.
Overall I can only give Coy Kink Curl Cream 2 stars. The price is a bit too high and I just couldn’t get the product to work for me. For people with out the hair texture hangups, give it a shot, you may like it! For those like me, you should probably avoid this one or at least try a sample size before committing to the bottle.
It is amazing how many different experiences people can have with the same product. That is why wht is great. It is a forum for many types of testers to relay their unique experiences.
I had no texture problems with the curl cream. I applied mine sparingly and when my hair was wet. I also usually never blow dry. I only got soft and pretty locks with this method. No dullness.
I guess that every hair texture is different.
I received the Polish Finishing Serum and it has been my best friend lately. Minnesota’s weather is so extreme and it does not agree with my naturally wavy hair. But this serum not only tackled my static induced flyaways during the colder weather but it’s been doing a bang up job of keeping my frizz down now that we’re back to the warmer humid days. And it definitely does not take much to get a great shiny, smooth finish. I would definitely buy more of this product and check out the rest of their line as well. 5 stars!
I just finished up my bottle of the Canvas Foundation Spray and boy have I been missing it! My hair hasn’t been behaving at well at all without it. I have a feeling this item is going to become a permanent staple for me. The Polish Finishing Serum has been getting lots of use lately. My favorite thing about it is that it doesn’t weigh my hair down or leave me feeling too greasy as some serums can. 5 solid stars from me!
I received the Construct Matt Pomade, and I’m going to give it 4 stars. I mostly used it for going out, when I wanted to add definition and a piece-y feel to my hair, it was great for giving my bob a lot of texture. I didn’t particularly notice a matte finish, but it wasn’t shiny. This gave great texture, wasn’t too sticky, and lasted well through a night of dancing. My boyfriend also used it for a few days when he ran out of his hair products, and liked it a lot. It worked great on his short hair, gave him plenty of texture and hold. My only complaint was the scent, I wasn’t a big fan, it was a little too sweet, kind of hard to explain. But it didn’t really seem to stick around, so it wasn’t too much of a problem. Over all a good product, great texture, very easy to use.
Great review, @tiffany! I received the Coy Kink Curl Cream and, although I can completely understand Amanda’s experience, I’m happy to say that I did get this one to work for me.
For reference, my hair is long, wavy (I can achieve loose ringlets with the right product), fine in texture, oily at the roots but dry at the ends. I have issues with frizz, and I’ve tried probably hundreds of curl creams in my lifetime.
There was a learning curve with Kink Curl Cream, and the first few times I used it, I experienced that same dirty and tacky residue that Amanda described. But then I tried applying less, and using it when my hair was still sopping wet, and I noticed that my hair didn’t have that same feel to it, and no residue at all. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised that it completely eliminated my frizz, and it made my waves more pronounced, without giving them any crunch. My hair has been soft and bouncy and frizz-free since I’ve been using this styling product, and for that I’m grateful.
I’m taking away one star for the price and also for the lack of shine my hair has when I use this. I’ve noticed that it does tend to dull the shine in my hair a bit, but I still think it gets 4 stars for eliminating the frizz, and being so easy to distribute throughout my hair.
PS: I’m so sorry it didn’t work for you, Amanda. :(