Beauty of Five: 5 Kinky Curly Clip-Ins You Need to Try This Summer
Beauty Of 5: The Top 5 Kinky Curly Clip-Ins You Need to Try This Summer - Page 5
Source: Brandi Fowler / Brandi Fowler
When you have naturally curly hair, straightening your hair over and over again isn’t the healthiest option or easiest to maintain as temps heat up.
I tried just that when summer hit, but after a few weeks in the heat, my pressed hair kept puffing up from the humidity and it became a waste of time (and money since I was getting my hair professionally straightened). I switched my hair regimen up to wash and go looks, but the shrinkage was so real that it was giving me a ton of grief. I’m also not a pro when it comes to twist and braid outs, so that also didn’t do the trick for me.
I wanted a natural curly look for summer that had length, fullness, and didn’t shrivel up into a short, puffy curly style that I wasn’t looking for. That could’ve quickly been solved with a sew-in weave, but I wanted to have the flexibility to change it up as much as I wanted to. After a bit of research, I found the solution: kinky curly clip-ins to match my curly coily 3C/4A hair.
I was thrilled that they existed – not only for my hair type, but for 4B and 4C hair types too. So, I went on the hunt for the best kinky curly clip-ins on the market, looking for the best clip-ins that had lush, quality hair that blended well with mine, sturdy clips, versatile texture, and that were worth the investment.
Take a peek at the five kinky curly clip-ins you need to try this summer, including my experience with clip-ins from two amazing black-owned brands that I tried and swear by.
Source: Brandi Fowler / Brandi Fowler
KinkyCurlyYaki, $173.00 – $271.00
Four words – I. Love. This. Hair. I was obsessed with the packaging of it, so when I opened up my box topped with a woman rocking a naturally curly fro, I couldn’t help but smile. Inside of the box were step-by-step directions, a satin bag that held the clip-ins, a hanger to hang the hair after I washed it, a rubber cushion brush ($2.00, kinkycurlyyaki.com), and Eden Coconut Shea cleansing co-wash ($9.25, edenbodyworks.com). All of the products are available on the site and I highly recommend buying them to care for the hair if you don’t have them already.
For women looking for kinky curly looks, there are three types of KinkyCurlyYaki’s clip in curls, which come in 14”, 16”, and 18” and range in price from $173 to $271.00 depending on length and the amount of coverage you want. The types are: My Curls for 3C curls, My Coils for 4A/4B Curls, and My Kinks for 4C Curls ($173.00- $271.00, kinkycurlyyaki.com). I tried the My Coils Clip-ins in 16” (the longest length they had available at the time), which are designed to match type 4 curl patterns and 160g for 75% coverage ($206.00, kinkycurlyyaki.com).
The hair was so soft, dense, and thick as soon as I pulled it out of the package that I knew it was going to look amazing when I clipped it in. When I washed the clip-ins – which you must do if you don’t order it pre-washed – the hair got even better.
After co-washing, conditioning, and air-drying the hair overnight, I clipped in my clip-ins over my hair without braiding it to keep it in place and swooned. It matched my hair perfectly without much work and fell about shoulder length. I loved that I could just clip this hair in and go. Everyone thought it was my hair and I got so many compliments when I wore it.
More things to know: This is real hair and it needs extra moisture. Make sure to use an ultra-hydrating conditioner on it to keep it from drying out.
If you want hair that’s a little longer, definitely go for the 18” length, and if you’re trying clip-ins for the first time, I think your best bet will be 220G for 100% coverage, so that you can play with several different styles. The 160g hair with 75% coverage was enough for me.
Source: Brandi Fowler / Brandi Fowler
Kurly Klips, $79.00-$388.00
I am obsessed with Kurly Klips’ clip-ins too. It’s a Black-owned brand as well and I loved the customer service (that’s beyond important when you’re shopping for hair of any sort). Before I even got the hair, a Kurly Klips rep made sure to tell me the product that she loves the most for the hair – Camille Rose Curl Maker ($22.00, camillerose.com) – and why it was necessary to have it on hand.
Kurly Klips has three types of clip-ins geared towards kinky curly locks: 3C curls, Fro, Spirals and Blowouts (for days when you want to straighten you want to straighten your hair). They range from $79.00-$388.00 depending on the length, hair type, and amount of clip-ins that you want to purchase.
I couldn’t decide between the 3C Curls and Fro for the right texture to match my hair, but after taking a peek at several photos on Kurly Klips’ ‘gram and chatting with a customer service rep, I went with the Mermaid 3C Curls in the Normal and Petite ($99.00 and $199.00, kurlyklips.com). As a heads up, purchasing the clip-ins in Normal and Petite will give you enough hair to cover about 75 percent of your hair. To cover your entire head, purchase the Grand size clip-ins.
When I received the hair, it was gorgeous. Super soft curls that I could run my fingers through as soon as I took it out of the package. The hair was pre-washed, but I co-washed it again (as recommended and put a healthy helping of leave-in conditioner and Camille Rose’s Curl Maker on it and let it work its magic. When I first clipped it in, I was a little worried. The hair was gorge, but the curls were a little too defined to match my wash and go. If you clip in the hair and feel this way though, do not fret.
Kurly Klips gave me a tip that made me love the clip ins even more: brush and fluff out the roots. They also send digital video tutorials to your e-mail and a hair care booklet with the mailed package with more tips too. In addition to brushing the roots, I also separated the curls with my fingers, and kept doing it until it matched my hair. I loved it – and the length gave me all of the life. It’s 24″ straightened and 16″ curly, and fell past my shoulders and down my back.
The versatility of this hair makes it great for 3C hair, but also for 4A curly girls who want to wear wash and go looks, but also want a more defined curl for twist outs.
Source: Heat Free Hair / Heat Free Hair
Heat Free Hair $189.00 – $239.00
Black-owned Heat Free Hair has three clip-in types for kinky curly girls: For Kurls, For Koils, and For Kinks, and each come in 16”, 20”, and 24” lengths ($189 – $239, heatfreehair.com). You can clip them in without braids since the clips are made out of silicone-tipped metal, and each set comes with six clip in pieces. Heat Free Hair recommends buying two sets of clip-ins in your desired length for a full head.
Source: Heat Free Hair / Heat Free Hair
For Koils: These textured springly ringlet curls are densely packed together in an elongated s-pattern with medium coarseness, and match 3B-3C hair.
For Kurls: This curl type blends with 3C-4A hair, and matches fine, tightly curled ringlets that form an s-pattern.
For Kinks: This is the brand’s kinkiest texture – fine, coarse strands that are densely packed together in a z-pattern with a low luster. It blends best with 4B-4C hair.
