“American in Style. Rugged in attitude. Defiantly creative.”

That’s how Bad Ass Hair describes themselves as a hair care company. My first thought, upon reading that on their packaging was ‘Well! Don’t we think highly of ourselves?’! That is, until I tried this fantastic line of products from this up-and-coming company.

A complete curl care line is what I received in the sassy black bag, which included seven products for optimum curl care, as well as complete instructions for the best results using the entire line.

The packaging was the first thing to really catch my attention – cute, trendy, modern with a rocker edge, but not so cluttered and overdone that it looked like Tommy Lee himself had been the inspiration; a clean look with a little glam to make it stand out amongst a neverending sea of hair care products, begging to be bought.

But, looks aren’t everything. I’m a huge smell junkie, and if it doesn’t smell good, it sure as heck isn’t going in my hair! I popped the top on Light It Up; the shine spray included in the kit, and immediately found a little piece of heaven. It smells softly of watermelon gum, which in my opinion is a huge plus. Strict, the firm hold hairspray, and Spray In Condition, the leave in conditioner, have a similar smell. Yet, even as much as the smell of watermelon gum floats my boat, it has nothing on the smell of Ecstasy (the shampoo), Vanilla Ocean (the conditioner), Phat (a curl defining crème) and Sweet Nectar (smooth and shine serum), which smell of warm, decadent vanilla. A rich and creamy pure vanilla bean smell that lingers even after hair is dry – and my hair won’t retain the scent of anything.

What really impressed me was the way these products perform.

On its own, my hair is shoulder length, coarse and kinky (you know – wave that wants to be curl when it grows up), but I wear a lot of waist long human hair extensions, especially clip in ones. For anyone who has ever worn human hair extensions, you know they do not like to hold a curl. Something about the way they’re processed before being sold makes them harder than hell to style so that they will keep a curl for longer than an hour. Not anymore! While I have used the products on my natural hair, and was impressed with the way they smoothed frizz, added shine and left my hair soft and manageable (especially after I bleached – a true test of a good conditioner is how it leaves my hair after I bleach), what really sold me was how my extensions kept their curl all night long and even the next day. Firm, well defined, bouncy curls that didn’t budge after a night out on the town (and I’m a vicious pool player!) and were still in top form after I slept on them! I was shocked and very, very impressed.

So, without any further ado, I want to break down the products one by one (in their recommended order of use).

Ecstasy Luxury Shampoo ($20.00) –

“A luxurious intense moisturizing shampoo without weighing or flattening your hair. Great for all hair types for daily use.”

This sums it up. If the luscious vanilla scent wasn’t enough, the fact that it rinses out easily and leaves the hair feeling squeaky clean should be. It also features an all-star cast of ingredients like aloe (which is a fantastic moisturizer), kiwi fruit extract (which is a natural emollient/moisturizer), lemongrass extract (to soothe and smooth) and olive oil (an amazing conditioning agent). Don’t be freaked out by the low lather – this shampoo definitely does its job. I assumed the low lather meant this shampoo was sulfate free, but it's not.  It's just so rich and creamy, it doesn't need a lot of lather to get the job done.

Vanilla Ocean Luxury Deep Treatment ($30.00) –

“Contains bionutrient spheres of vanilla bean for optimum nourishment and shine. Can be used as a everyday conditioner or a once a week deep treatment. Scientific innovation brings bionutrient spheres of vanilla bean, conditioning deep into the hair follicle to provide renewed shine and optimum nourishment. Even damaged hair will look and feel healthier, shinier and more luxurious. Deep treatment without buildup allows continued use and won't over condition.”

Again, ditto. I used this after bleaching, which normally leaves my hair dry, dull and brittle, and was pleasantly surprised to have soft, shiny, manageable hair that felt as if it had never met bleach or a blow dryer. Vanilla is conditioning, smoothing and protecting, and this conditioner has a double dose of it. Not only does it utilize the extract, but also the bean. Soy protein, wheat protein, jojoba oil and witch hazel (which is what helps to keep this wonderfully deep conditioning treatment from building up on the hair) are also ingredients in this amazing moisturizer.

“Light weight leave in conditioner that detangles, strengthens and smoothes. While increasing flexibility and shine, it decreases damage during styling. Great for men, women and children.”

The tangles literally fell out of my extensions after using this product! And combs were gliding through my natural hair after bleaching. A couple sprays did my entire head and I couldn’t even feel this product in my hair. Aloe and silk, two of the ingredients in Spray in Condition, are surely responsible.

“Dual purpose cream. 1. Enhance and define wavy or curly hair for a soft separated finish. 2. Thicken up fine thin hair for a thicker fuller Phat finish. Transform fine thin hair into luxuriously thick, tousled, sensual looking hair. Give wavy or curly hair a natural lived-in appearance with incredible definition and sex appeal.”

Oh yeah! This product gives straight hair body and volume and definitely worked with the heat from my curling iron to give me firm, crisp, defined curls. Since I don’t wash my hair every day, on day two I could re-curl with an iron for the same effect, or I could just brush the curls out for a soft, voluminous wave, reminiscent of 1950s movie stars. You do feel this product in your hair at first – until you use Sweet Nectar, which smoothes and de-frizzes, eliminating the heavy, gooey feeling of Phat immediately.

Sweet Nectar ($24.50) –

“Sweet Nectar is specially designed to give straight, wavy or curly hair a smooth and shiny finish. Sweet Nectar is like no other product. Loaded with organic extracts, it transforms and redefines any texture hair. It makes curly hair smooth, shiny and natural looking. Straight hair will be sleek and full of shine.”

Aside from instantaneously resolving the texture issues from Phat, this product does exactly what it claims. I’ve also used it on dry hair to tame any last minute fly-aways or frizzies without a heavy, greasy, sticky feeling.

“For an instant brilliant shine. Alcohol and oil free spray shine with sun filters to protect from sun damage without weighing your hair down.”

A lightweight, user-friendly shine spray with UV filters and tons of good stuff in it so it acts as a leave in conditioner as well? I’m hooked! Olive, jojoba and safflower oils all add moisture to hair while protecting it from the sun as well as fluorescent lights (yeah --don't think that just because you sit at a desk or work in a kitchen all day that your hair and your hair color isn't suffering!). A couple sprays is all it takes for superior shine and primo protection. A lot of UV products I've used still leave my beyond blonde hair brassy -- this one was the exception.

“Humidity resistant, firm holding hairspray for a more piecy, textured look.”

Absolutely true! I’m not a hairspray kinda girl, but I love Strict! It holds without feeling like you have hairspray in your hair and tames even the finest fly-aways. When I used it after curling my hair, it kept the curls well defined and in place; when I didn’t use it strictly after curling, my curls stayed plump and full of body, but without the definition. This non-aerosol spray contains lots of natural ingredients like rose, geranium, aloe and kiwi to add moisture, body and strength back into the hair while it holds.

The end result? Fabulously full hair that kept its curl for hours on end! If you’ve been searching for the perfect hair care line for your tendrils, Bad Ass Hair is the line for you! My only complaint is the price – more than I can afford on my meager salary. But, I can say one thing…this line of products is definitely going to be on my list to Santa this Christmas!

(It should be on your list as well!)

Get Badass Hair Care online at BadassHair.com.