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You know you really love a hair product if you attempt to extend its life by pouring a tiny bit of water into the bottle as it runs out. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing with Crown Affair The Leave-In Conditioner. I was sad and in denial about running out of the ultra-hydrating, lightweight cream, until news of a launch from the brand hit my inbox. On January 27, Crown Affair Smoothing Air Dry cream will join the brand’s lineup of nine hair-care and styling offerings as the first curl product, three years after founder Dianna Cohen realized it was needed. “There are people who love the leave-in but need 10 pumps of it. So that dilemma was where this product’s journey began,” Cohen tells Allure.
I am one of those people who uses copious amounts of the leave-in (hence why I tried so desperately to extend its life). My coarse Type 4 hair is made up of tight coils that are prone to frizz, and though I love the leave-in, it is admittedly a bit too lightweight for my texture (and watering it down probably didn’t help). For styling, I tend to reach for heavier curl puddings and creams to achieve a defined twist-out, so the thought of only using an air-dry cream raised my eyebrows. Would it actually define my hair? Was it technically even a styling product? How do I use it? These were a few questions that went through my head as I ventured into testing the air-dry cream.
Some of these questions (like how to use the product) were answered in a Zoom chat with Cohen. “So, first wash, condition, and towel-dry,” says Cohen. “I personally will put my towel on, get my hair partially dried…Then I use more than a nickel, but a nickel-size amount is recommended on the bottle, and just start to distribute it through the hair,” Cohen tells me. Though she has wavy hair, Cohen still loves and uses the product and says it gives her hair more softness than the brand’s original air-dry mousse. Unlike the mousse, the air-dry cream is meant to be used in place of the leave-in instead of after.
The Smoothing Air Dry cream is formulated to “define, hydrate, and soften natural texture,” says a press release. After a glance at the ingredient list, cosmetic chemist Amanda Lam feels confident that the product can actually do what it says it’s meant to do. “It appears that they have swapped the traditional styling polymers and fixatives for hydroxypropyl starch phosphate, which is a modified starch that offers styling properties like curl retention and frizz management without a whole lot of crunch,” says Lam. The product also promises curls that are soft to the touch, which Lam says is achieved by “classic conditioning agents,” in the formula like coconut fruit extract and squalane.
Many of Crown Affair’s products are packaged in luxe frosted glass bottles that look chic on your bathroom counter long after they’re empty. The Smoothing Air Dry Cream, however, comes in a plastic mint green tube, which is equally as stylish. “We love the glass bottle, and it's beautiful, but we really considered how this would be used,” says Cohen, referencing how slippery things can get when styling your hair after a wash.
How I Tested It
I tested the air-dry cream on my kinky human hair clip-ins. The extensions generally match my hair’s texture (the curls are just a bit looser), so I figured I’d still get a good feel for how the product performs on my hair. (Plus, I leave the front section of my hair out when wearing these extensions.)
I wasn’t due for a wash day, so instead of doing a full wash, I just wet my hair until it was damp, then applied the product.
My hair before using Crown Affair Smoothing Air Dry Cream.
Annie Blay-Tettey
I sectioned my hair into four parts and worked a nickel-size amount of the product into each section. Immediately, the pleasant, clean scent of bergamot and green tea (which is present in most of Crown Affair’s products) transported me to an upscale spa. The cream is noticeably thicker than the leave-in, but not as dense as some of the curl creams I tend to use—it has a slightly airy feel to it.
As I worked the cream into my hair, it felt immediately moisturizing and made my curls soft and easy to comb through. I put each section into twists for the night and wrapped my hair with a silk scarf. The instructions on the packaging don’t indicate that this is an overnight product, but the styling method that works best for my hair is a twist-out that’s had a few hours to air-dry, so using the product overnight was the easiest route.
My hair immediately after applying the Crown Affair Smoothing Air Dry Cream.
Annie Blay-Tettey
My hair the morning after applying the Crown Affair Smoothing Air Dry Cream.
Annie Blay-Tettey
In the morning, I unraveled the twists to find soft curls that were noticeably flatter than the night before. While the cream worked to smooth my hair, my curls weren’t as defined as I would’ve liked, and there was still a bit of frizz, leaving me unsatisfied.
I lightly dampened my hair with a spray bottle and reapplied the cream, this time working it through my hair (no sections) and focusing on defining my curls by smoothing the cream onto the strands with my fingers and lightly finger coiling. After using this method, the hair looked a lot more defined yet still soft to the touch.
My hair after re-applying the Crown Affair Smoothing Air Dry Cream.
Annie Blay-Tettey
The cream did create a slightly hard cast after a few hours (which is expected of any product that defines), but my hair still looked and felt very soft. If you’re not a fan of any cast on your hair at all, I found that a small amount of lightweight oil (I used the SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Oil) scrunched into the hair breaks up the cast without completely disrupting the curls.
Overall, I really do like this cream. I get the sense that it works best on wet hair instead of damp hair. While it adds some definition, it’s not in the same category as heavy-duty curling puddings and defining gels. It’s in a class of its own, and I definitely plan to incorporate it into my styling routine as a lightweight alternative to thicker curl creams.
More Allure Reviews
Bianca Richards, Social Media Manager, Type 2C
Bianca Richards’ wearing the Crown Affair Smoothing Air Dry Cream.
Bianca Richards
Bianca Richards’ hair after using Crown Affair Smoothing Air Dry Cream.
Bianca Richards
When the office started buzzing about a Crown Affair launch, I was instantly locked in—especially when I discovered that the new product is an air-dry cream designed for curly hair types.
While a lot goes into maintaining the health of my curls, besides just the basics of washing and drying, I’m admittedly lax about my styling routine. That’s why Crown Affair’s entire lineup aligns so seamlessly with my approach to hair care: simple, intentional, and straightforward. I’ve gone through bottles of the Leave-In because it gives my curls that natural, effortless, tousled look. The air-dry cream is even better.
Bianca Richards’ hair before using Crown Affair Smoothing Air Dry Cream.
Bianca Richards
It helps keep my curls slightly more defined without sacrificing that undone, lived-in finish I love. I applied the product to soaking-wet hair, and the rich texture locked all the moisture into my strands. I noticed that a section of hair would be dripping wet, and after applying the cream and brushing it through, there would be no more water droplets! The cream also gave my curls great slip, which made it easier to detangle. And, of course, the signature scent lingers just enough to make my curls smell luxe throughout the day.
Melanie Curry, Associate Audience Development Manager, Type 3C/4A
Melanie Curry’s hair while using the Crown Affair Smoothing Air Dry Cream.
Melanie Curry
Melanie Curry’s hair after using the Crown Affair Smoothing Air Dry Cream.
Melanie Curry
I decided to do a twist-out with the Crown Affair Air Dry Cream instead of a wash-and-go because my wash-and-gos require more product (gel and a mousse) than a twist-out, and I wanted to see my hair's reaction to the cream without any other products in the mix.
While I didn’t start with freshly washed hair, I shampooed, conditioned, and masked a few days before, so my strands were still clean after three days in twists. I detangled my twisted sections, misted them with my spray bottle to get my hair damp, and began applying the cream to each section.
The first thing I noticed when I opened the bottle was the smell. It's hard to describe the scent in words, but it smelled like luxury. It wasn’t overpowering to the point of giving me a headache, but it was definitely noticeable.
The cream was soft and easily melted into my hair. I have 3C to 4A strands, with the hair near my nape being coarser and harder to penetrate. The 3C curls in the back of my head didn't really react to the cream much—my hair curled a bit, but nothing like what my go-to products would normally achieve.
As I got near the front of my head (where my hair is looser and less dense), I noticed the cream added more definition. Just a quarter-size dollop defined my curls, making them springy and bouncy.
After working the cream all over my hair, I applied the Curls Botanical Gel for extra hold before using the Bestool Tangling brush to make sure the products were evenly distributed.
I used less gel in the front because the styling cream did more than enough to transform my curls from super frizzy to defined and bouncy. I twisted my hair and kept my twists in for two days to maximize drying time.
Once my hair was ready to be untwisted, I drizzled the Camille Rose Cocoa Nibs hair oil on my fingertips and began separating each twist. The result? A cute, fluffy twist-out with minimal frizz.
Now, was this the best twist-out I've ever done? No, but it wasn't bad. My hair was moisturized and bouncy, and I'm still rocking a fluffy twist out, even as I write this review on day-three hair.
I would use this cream again in the future, except I'd make sure my hair is soaking wet and not just damp, so the styling cream can deeply penetrate each and every strand. While the Crown Affair Air Dry Cream doesn't define kinky hair as well as my other products, it did help reduce my frizz and boost the softness of my hair.
Pricing and Value
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Crown Affair
Smoothing Air Dry Cream
Sephora
The Crown Affair Smoothing Air Dry Cream comes in a 6-ounce tube and costs $38. My go-to curl creams range between $6 and $17, so this cream does feel a bit pricey—though it’s on par with Crown Affair’s other products and overall luxurious vibe.
The formula does justify the price, in my opinion. Lam notes that the cream uses alternative styling polymers that make it “cleaner” than some other curl creams on the market.
Those with Type 2 and Type 3 hair will love this cream for the effortless smoothness, definition, and moisture it brings to the curls. If you have coarse Type 4 hair, this likely won’t be your go-to for a defined wash-and-go or twist-out, but you may like it as a leave-in conditioner to soften and detangle your curls before applying your heavy-duty stylers.
Crown Affair Smoothing Air Dry Cream is now available on thecrownaffair.com and in stores and online at Sephora.com.