Welcome to our First Impressions series, where the Viva team puts their faces, tresses and bodies on the line to trial the newest beauty launches and find out whether they live up to the hype.
Ceremonia’s arrival at Mecca was hotly anticipated; the brand was founded by Babba
Unlike other haircare brands, Ceremonia is turning the hair industry on its head with its fresh approach — prioritising hair wellness over hair styling.
With this in mind, we tasked our resident curly heads, deputy editor Johanna Thornton and fashion and creative director Dan Ahwa, with trialling three Ceremonia products for one month and giving their honest feedback.
Read on to find out which products were worth their $49 price tag.
WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN
A four-in-one detangling spray that works overtime to protect hair from UV with hero ingredient guava, while butterfly ginger and avocado defend against blue light, pollution and heat styling tools.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.Dan Ahwa: I do feel like I am doing something good for my hair with this as the guava smells great. The spray is perfect for easy use when I need to put something in my hair that will keep it protected while I’m at the beach or out in the sun. As for styling support, this won’t necessarily do much unless you’re a spray-and-walk-away air-dry type of curl, and helps “re-organise” your curls.
Johanna Thornton: From the name, I thought this was a curl reviver spray, so initially I spritzed it liberally on to day-two dry curls hoping for a miracle (which did not come, but it didn’t make my curls worse, and did help define them to a degree). It’s actually a detangler and heat protectant spray, something I haven’t incorporated into my curl routine before, but that would come in handy over summer, or when I choose to diffuse rather than air dry.
HONEST THOUGHTS
DA: I find this to be an easy way to maintain the quality of my curls without too much work, which is perfect when you’re lazy and need an easy solution. I recommend combing this through thoroughly and letting your curls air dry.
JT: I wasn’t sure when in my routine to apply this spray, so applied it to freshly washed wet hair, before the curl serum and gel. It seemed to add a layer of shine and moisture, but it was hard to tell if it was from this spray, or the other products I was trialling. I gave it another go as a last step, spritzing it liberally on wet ends, just before diffusing to protect them from heat. My curls need all the love they can get, so this felt like I was doing myself a favour.
RATINGS
DA: 5. Smells great, feels good in my hair and doesn’t weigh my curls down.
JT: 2. Still on the fence about whether I need this product in my life.
WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN
A weightless, milky curl-boosting serum that harnesses the power of Brazilian superfruit pequi to maximise curl definition, alongside castor oil and murumuru butter to condition and hydrate.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
DA: A slightly watery texture, this is good when hair is damp. For those who have curls that are prone to frizz, the serum helps activate your curls so they’re ready for styling, which I quite like.
JT: Absolutely love the smell of this with its hints of bergamot and citrus. It has a great lightweight texture too, just right, and feels great to apply. I have high hopes.
HONEST THOUGHTS
DA: I could live without this step, unless I was doing this maybe once a week to maintain curl health.
JT: I think it’s an absolute riot when curl products’ instructions read like this curl activator does: ‘Apply a coin-sized amount on damp mid-lengths and ends, then use a diffuser to dry’. As if it were that easy. I thought I’d put this one to the test and do exactly that (my actual curl routine involves multiple products, brush styling and finger coiling). As my curls started to dry I could see early signs that this styling session wasn’t going to end well, as a halo of frizz and wispy ends emerged, the final result resembling Michael Bolton’s curly mullet after a bender. It was not a good look. I gave the Curl Activator another go by incorporating it into my usual routine as a first step after washing my hair, and followed it up with the Ceremonia Gel: read below for those results.
RATINGS
DA: 3. Take it or leave it.
JT: 3, but only because of the smell and packaging.
WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN
A “clean” hair gel that defines curls and enhances shine thanks to its blend of superfood ingredients (without the stickiness of traditional gels). Brazilian pequi oil restores vitality to lifeless hair, acai extract fortifies and strengthens hair fibres, while aloe vera boosts hair growth and lends the ultimate shine to strands.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
DA: Straightforward packaging with a distinctive Latinx flavour, says what it is, which I like about my grooming products. I also like that you squeeze this from a tube for easier distribution. The texture wasn’t as dense or overly sticky as with other gels I have used and the smell wasn’t overly fragrant, which was good.
JT: I can tell straight away that this gel won’t have enough heft for my 3B curls. It’s quite a liquid consistency and my tried-and-true products are a lot thicker. I persevere though, ignoring the instructions to use a coin-size amount (as if!) and distributing it through soaking wet hair before brush styling in sections, and finger coiling some key front pieces. I applied some more to my hands and scrunched through the ends in sections.
HONEST THOUGHTS
DA: I can imagine this working well as support for finer waves, but my type 3A curly head of hair needs something much more supportive than this, particularly if I need my hair to stay in place. Fine for days off duty when a little gel buffer is all you need to run through damp hair, but for denser curls it would be good to see the brand deliver a gel that is perhaps more supportive and hard-wearing.
JT: Despite using quite a bit of gel, this one didn’t create a gel cast, which is key for defining my curls and providing any sort of longevity. That was the first red flag. The second was that any curls I hadn’t finger-coiled were loose and frizzy by the time my hair had dried. The third is having to sweep my curls into a bun by the end of the day because I couldn’t face leaving the house with the aforementioned messy Michael Bolten mullet look. Not a good day to be a curly girl. On a brighter note, the gel was quite good for slicking down my bun.
RATINGS
DA: 3. It’s a decent product but needs a little more guts to be able to support my type of curl.
JT: 2. If you need a gel for your curls, it has to have some oomph, and this one doesn’t.
From go-to gadgets to treatments to try.
Is This New Facial The Secret To Glossy, Healthy Hair? There’s a new treatment in town that’s geared towards your scalp. We tried it.
Salon Etiquette: 5 Things Your Hairdresser Wants You To Stop Doing. The must-dos and please-don’ts, plus how to ask for a silent appointment.
What Hair Tool Should You Buy? A Guide To The Latest, Greatest Gadgets. Straighteners, curlers, dryers, and our thoughts on the Dyson Airwrap.
How Do You Care For Your Curls? 6 People With Luscious, Curly Locks Share Their Game-Changing Tips. We asked for detailed descriptions. The result: concise curl CliffsNotes.
