4U by Tia Review

I grew up watching Sister Sister and it’s no secret that I’m slightly obsessed with my hair (did you catch that mega exaggeration?) so when I saw that Tia Mowry was launching a curly hair line, I had to try it.

Instagram Ads get me every time

My hair product addiction is fueled by IG ads, no lie. I tell myself that I won’t buy any more products until I run out of my current stash, and then I get an ad showing me a new product and I decide I need it.

That’s how I found 4U by Tia. I followed the pre-launch campaign and once the products were available to order, I bought the entire line.

The Products

When I’m trying out a new line, I can never be sure which products will be the right ones for me, so I tend to buy the whole collection (something that was easy to do with this brand because the products aren’t expensive, but more on that in a minute). I got everything that was on offer:

  • Moisturizing Shampoo

  • Moisturizing Conditioner

  • Clarifying Shampoo (for that once-a-month deep clean)

  • Lightweight Conditioner (which I use as my co-wash)

  • Leave-In Curl Cream

  • Curl Defining Gel

  • Curl Refresher Mist (which smells ahh-mazing!), and

  • Multi-Use Hair Oil

I literally left nothing out, and while it’s not absolutely necessary to buy everything (you can choose which shampoo and conditioner are best for your needs), my curls need different things on different days, so it was a necessity for me.

My Routine

The two products I use the least are the Clarifying Shampoo and the Moisturizing Shampoo. I co-wash more often than not and I use the Lightweight Conditioner for that. The Clarifying Shampoo is good for removing product buildup and/or the first wash after I take out a protective style (like braids). Other than that, everything gets used pretty regularly.

My day 2 hair - Give me ALL the volume ;)

1. Co-Wash and Condition

After I co-wash with the Lightweight Conditioner, I condition with the Moisturizing Conditioner. It may seem like over-kill to use two conditioners but my hair needs extra moisture, especially in the Texas summer heat (I could literally be walking around looking like an alpaca if I didn’t moisturize enough).

2. Style

I have to put my styler on in the shower, while my hair is still sopping wet. I section my hair into 4 parts and use the Leave-In Curl Cream first, then add the Curl Defining Gel. I used to style my hair all together but, now that I’ve got a little length (praise the curly hair Gods!) I have to do it in sections to make sure it’s even. Then I plop it with a microfiber towel while I get ready and am completely hands-off once I let it down. (The more you touch, the more frizz you’ll have…write that down).

3. Refresh

My favorite part about using these products is that I really don’t have to refresh until day 3 or 4. It looks pretty phenomenal on day 2 (if I do say so myself). When it is time to refresh, though, I spray the Curl Refresher Mist on my roots, and use the Multi-Use Hair Oil on my ends. I’ll add a tiny bit of gel to both areas to keep frizz away. I have to be careful not to use too much because, since the gel is pretty liquid-y (that’s a very technical, curly hair term), using too much will make my curls shrink up. By Day 3-4, I’ve got some nice stretch and my hair might actually touch my shoulders. I don’t want to mess with that.

Let’s talk about the price

You saw how many products I got, right? I bought the entire line for less than a hundred dollars, and that includes shipping! Each product is around $12 on its own, so it’s super affordable. When it first launched, you could only get it online but now it’s available at Wal-Mart, so I don’t have to worry about paying for shipping and I don’t have to wait for it to come in the mail. (I don’t know about y’all but, patience is not one of the virtues the good Lord blessed me with).

The downside

No product is perfect, unfortunately. My biggest complaint about this line is that the styler isn’t a strong hold, which means that I have to use a lot to get the level of hold I want. I can see the benefit to having a medium hold gel if you’re someone who doesn’t like that crunchy feeling but, for me, the crunch means I can go more days between refreshing. (Read: I like the crunch).

On the flip side of that, since the gel is only $12, I can stock up without breaking the bank, but it also means I run through the gel pretty quickly.

4u by Tia review

Day 4 curls - I did a quick refresh with the mist and some extra gel

The ingredients

I remember a time when I didn’t care as much about whether or not my products were made with clean ingredients, but now I find myself reading the ingredient list - #growth

The whole line is made with clean ingredients but I have a couple of favorites. First, the gel is made with aloe vera. I don’t know if it’s because I’m an islander or what, but aloe vera is my jam. I’m like the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding - I put it on everything. So the fact that it’s in my gel makes me feel like I’m giving my hair something to keep it healthy.

Second, the Clarifying Shampoo is made with apple cider vinegar. I love a good ACV rinse to keep my curls poppin’ so having it in my shampoo saves me a step when it’s time for a deep clean.

Should you try it?

Most definitely! I’ll admit that I was kind of skeptical about it since a lot of celebrity haircare brands end up falling flat and, in my experience, products that are easy on the wallet haven’t worked as well on my hair. This stuff is inexpensive, made by one of my favorite celebs, and it works! You should absolutely try it for yourself.

I should mention that I have 3b, low porosity curls, so I can confidently say it’ll work for you if you have a similar hair type.

If you do decide to try it, let me know what you think!







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