Fudge For Hair Sherry L. LaBree

Introduction

Mmmmm....fudge! Just the word immediately takes me back to warm summer nights at the Jersey Shore. 

One could smell the enticing aromas of caramel popcorn, rich fudge, and tasty taffy from a half mile away. 

While all of
those yummy treats were divine in their own way, I always made a straight line to the fudge factory... my favorite was (and still is) peanut butter.

However, as yummy as writing about rich summertime treats is, you and I know that this is a place to talk hair.  So instead of discussing the kind of fudge that will pack on the pounds, I would like to talk about another treat... a treat for your hair... FUDGE for your HAIR!!

I discovered FUDGE FOR HAIR while surfing through the numerous curly hair posts at a different site.  Many of the friendly folks on the chat board had begun to rave about the Fudge haircare line and in particular their styling aids. 

Now, anyone out there who has curly hair knows that it can be terribly difficult to control, let alone be coaxed into beautiful ringlets.

However, from the tone of the posts from previous Fudge users, ringlets were what they were getting.  I couldn't resist, I HAD to try out the line!

I purchased the following products on the Net from A Beauty Of A Site.

Fudge Putty........... $16.00 for 3.5oz
Fudge Gum ........... $16.00 for 5.2oz
Fudge Licorice........ $16.00 for 3.5oz
Fudge Skrewd......... $17.00 for 4.2oz
Fudge Shaper.......... $14.00 for 3.5oz

(Note: Fudge products are also available from Diamond Beauty.)

All of the products that I listed above are styling aids.  Fudge also makes a shampoo, conditioner and deep treatment in addition to about 3 or 4 other styling aids.

Before I tested any of the Fudge products, I checked out each container. The Putty, Licorice and Shaper all come in cute pots and although each pot is only 3.5oz, a little of these guys goes a long way as you will see shortly.

Continued below ↓

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The Gum and the Skrewd are in gel form and come in convenient squeeze tubes. 

The entire Fudge line is manufactured 'down under' (Australia) and all Fudge products are, 'tested on hair, not animals'. Now, onto the testing......

FUDGE PUTTY 3.5 oz

I always start with wet hair when I apply styling products.  Before each Fudge products was applied, I washed with Paul Brown Hawaii Wash Elite and conditioned with Paul Brown Hawaii Resurrect conditioner. 

After a quick 'pick-out' session, I was ready to try the first of the five Fudge products. Fudge Putty is a "medium hold styling clay giving volume and control."   It is also touted as an "excellent blow-drying aide."  Fudge Putty is a white, thick cream (almost like real putty, I guess).  It has an almost non-existent smell and it spreads readily in a warm palm. 

The directions say to apply a small amount to palm of hands and rub hands together.  Next, work through hair from roots to end.  I modified this second step a bit and actually 'scrunched' it into my curls.  Finally, I diffused my hair dry.

FUDGE PUTTY RESULTS

I have to tell you, I really did NOT like this product at all.  Even when I mixed it with a styling gel (either Biolage Gelee, Fudge Skrewd or Fudge Gum), it added NOTHING extra. 

Alone, it provided way too soft of a hold for curly hair. I am going to guess that this light, non-greasy product would work GREAT as a volumizer on straighter hair that is on the fine side.  For my curly hair however, Fudge Putty was a dud!!!

FUDGE GUM 5.2 oz

Fudge Creative Hair Gum is defined as the "ultimate hair controller".   Fudge Gum offers a "firm hold whilst thickening the hair and creating volume."  It is also water soluble (after reading the solubility part, I was a bit worried.... was this stuff soooo thick that I would need to worry about how soluble it is??). 

Again, after washing and conditioning I followed the labels directions and worked it through my damp curls.  Fudge Gum is a VERY thick, clear gel with a light, pleasing scent.

FUDGE GUM RESULTS

My first problem with this product was its thickness.  Since I was going after a defined, curly look I had to scrunch the thick gel through my hair.

Well, scrunching requires that the gel be a bit fluid or else it is VERY tough to cover every inch of your curl.  The thickness of the Fudge Gum really limited how well I could actually cover each strand and in the end, I ended up with some unwanted frizzies.  

A positive aspect of the Gum was that it didn't dry nearly as firm as I believed it would.  I would say that it was more like a medium hold gel-- firm to me is CRUNCHY STIFF-- while this did dry slightly stiff, I wouldn't call it the 'ultimate hair controller.

FUDGE LICORICE 3.5oz

Ahhh, the Licorice!  This is one of the most intriguing products I have ever used, I only hope that I can accurately describe it. 

The Licorice comes in a pot similar to the Putty, only slightly deeper. The consistency of the Licorice is unlike anything else I have EVER encountered (and believe me, I've tried A LOT of products).  It is a very fluid white cream that is loaded with oils (mineral, silicone, lanolin). 

It kind of reminds me of Elmer's glue, except that with the Licorice you can always see some clear oil floating on top of it. 

In order to the Licorice, you need to fist mix it.  I just used to stick my finger in the pot and give it a swirl (shaking the container wont do, you MUST stir it).  The fragrance is that of a light licorice scent (probably due to the addition of Oil of Aniseed). 

The label says that, "Hair Licorice is an easy to use styling tool that gives superior shine, texture and manageability for all hair types."  It further reads that Licorice, "seals split ends and smoothes hair leaving it glossy and healthy looking."  WOW!!!  If that label didn't read like a curly head's DREAM, I don't know what would!

FUDGE LICORICE RESULTS

The Licorice is really NOT a product to be used alone, unless you aren't in the need for any type of hold, since the Licorice has ZERO hold! 

I did try it once alone on my wet hair, but since I need big-time hold for my curls, I was not impressed.  I did however, LOVE the Licorice mixed with other gels. It really gave off HIGH GLOSS shine, even on my dry, curly hair. 

Moderation is KEY with using the Licorice though. If you use too much, I can guarantee you an oil slick!  I used to just stick my finer in the pot, give it a swirl and pull it out.  Whatever was left on my finger was what I used in my hair.
If you really want high shine, this product would be the way to go. 

In addition, I estimate that one 3.5oz container could last you at least 6 months when used once a day.

FUDGE SKREWD 4.2oz

Fudge advertises this product as its solution for curly hair. The label reads, "Fudge Skrewd puts the life back into tired, saggy curls.  Delivers volume, bounce and definition to permed or naturally curly hair."  Hurray!!!

A product that strictly addresses the needs of curlyheads!  I couldn't wait to try it out!  Fudge Skrewd is pink colored, thick gel (but not as thick as the Gum). 

It has a light, pleasant scent that is reminiscent of a feminine
musky scent.  I applied a small amount to my palm and scrunched it through my freshly washed hair.  It spread through my hair well, but I would have preferred if it were slightly more fluid.  I then diffused dry.

FUDGE SKREWD RESULTS

In the end, I actually liked this product less then the Fudge Gum.  It really did nothing for curl definition or frizz.  I was just left with a stringy mess. 

The hold was also SUPER light, which leads to frizzies.  Now
in my opinion, what Fudge needs to do, is produce a a  gel with the consistency of Skrewd and the hold of Gum.  Presto-- the perfect product :)

This gel was a big let down for me-- I really had high hopes for it.

FUDGE SHAPER 3.5oz

Ok!  I REALLY need to be cautious when writing about this product....basically, because I LOVED it SOOOO much that I could probably go on forever! 

I actually did not initially order my first container of Fudge
Shaper from Beauty of a site.  I totally received the Shaper by PURE ACCIDENT!! I was doing a product swap with another girl and she accidentally sent me the Shaper instead of the Licorice which I had wanted.

That swap turned out to be the best one I ever made though, since I would have NEVER tried the Shaper on my own (it didn't seem to fit my hair's needs). 

Fudge Shaper is an off-white colored creamy-goo that smells deliciously of Cocoa Butter!  It can tend to be a bit gummy-gooey in your hand, but it melts nicely when you rub your palms together. 

The only thing that the lab says is that Shaper is a, "superior styling formulation.  Mould it, scrunch it, comb it, or simply brush through and leave it."  Now here is the good part... Shaper is humidity and temperature resistant (great for those fighting the frizzies).

As with the other products, I scrunched Shaper through my freshly washed, damp hair and then diffused dry.

FUDGE SHAPER RESULTS

YA-HOOOO!! (Can you tell how excited I am?)  This product was awesome, even on its own!  My hair was SOOO soft and it held up to those fiercely hot and humid days that we had in July. 

Even better, when I mixed the Shaper with a bit of Licorice and a smidge of Paul Mitchell Sculpting Foam (for added
hold), I got the BEST curls that I have EVER seen on my head! 

They were soooo shiny and soft and DEFINED!!  After further experimentation, I found that the Shaper can be mixed with just about ANY other gel out there and still produce truly spectacular results!  This product will be on my shelf for years to come!

SUMMARY

Reviewing the Fudge line was truly a pleasure!  These products are all very unique from the majority of other mousses and gels available on the market.

And while some worked better then others, all of the Fudge products were fun to use, which is half the fun of hair styling anyway :)

So I encourage you to experiment with all the products that you possibly can and to have FUN while doing it.  Who knows, perhaps you too will get lucky and find that something you never thought would work, would become your dream product (of the moment anyway).

I truly hope that you enjoyed reading this review, as much as I did writing it for you.

INGREDIENTS

FUDGE PUTTY-- purified water, PVP/VA copolymer, cetearyl alcohol, cyclomethicone, dimethiconal, dimethicone, ozokertite, ceteareth-20, PVP, carnuba wax, kaolin, cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolysed wheat protein,
acetamide MEA, lactamide MEA, glyceral stearate, cetearyl alcohol, behentrimonium methosulfate, magnesium aluminum silicate, PEG 100 stearate, PEG-20 stearate, citric acid, phenoxyethanol, diazolindinyl urea, fragrance.

FUDGE GUM-- aqua, PVP/VA cpolymer, PEG-20M, PVP, cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolysed wheat protein, PEG-20 methyl glucose sesquistearate, propylene glycol, diazolindinyl urea, methylparaben, propylparaben, methylchlorosiothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone, sodium salt of PVM/MA decadiene crosspolymer, parfum.

FUDGE LICORICE-- water, mineral oil, dimethicone, synthetic beeswax, PVP/VA, laurylmethicone copolyol, cetyl aceatate and Acetylated lanolin alcohol, hydroxylated lanolin, cyclomethicone and dimethiconal, propylene glycol, cetyl alcohol, glyceral stearate, PEG-7 hydrogenated castor oil, methyl glucose dioleate, cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolysed wheat protein, titanium dioxide, oil of aniseed, sodium borate, preservatives.

FUDGE SKREWD-- water, PVP/VA coploymer, carbomer 940, tetrasodium EDTA, magnesium sulfate, dimethicone copolyl, hyrdolysed wheat protein, polyq-7, octoxynol-9, benzopnenone-4, DMDM hydantoin, triethanolamine, parfum.

FUDGE SHAPER-- water, SD ethanol F2, lanolin wax, petrolatum, cetearyl alcohol, PVP, mineral oil, octyl palmitate, PVP/VA coploymer, ceteareth-25,
carnuba wax, propylene glycol, ozokerite, PEG-40 castor oil, cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolysed wheat protein, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, fragrance.

**All opinions expressed above are entirely that of the author**.

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• ARTec's Control Gel - Sherry had some very interesting results with ARTec's Control Gel. Sherry found that the ARTec Control Gel is most definitely worth a try, especially for those gals and guys with curls.
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