ORS Curls Unleashed Color Blast Hair Wax Colored My Super Curly Hair Without Damage

I've always had a complicated relationship with my hair. I've tried literally everything—relaxers, weave, permanent color, braids, you name it. Cutting off my tresses in 2018 to recover from years of ever-changing styles that had led to a host of issues (think: breakage, hair loss, and heat damage) was freeing. Two years later, my hair is full, dark, and healthier than ever after giving it a break, but I can't help miss the fun I had with it. That's when I discovered colored hair wax.

I came across colored hair wax while browsing hair accounts on Instagram. I saw a spectrum of people with curly 'dos—from fine waves to kinky coils like mine—experimenting with wax in bright, eye-catching colors, including hot pink and electric blue. The wax allowed their personalities to shine through, while still helping them to maintain defined, luscious, healthy-looking curls.

As I started my search for the perfect hair wax, I wasn't pleased with what I found. Many of the product ingredient lists I saw contained harsh components, such as drying alcohols that could make my hair stiff and cause even more breakage. It wasn't until I stumbled upon ORS Curls Unleashed Color Blast Temporary Makeup Wax (from $9; amazon.com) that I began taking the idea of coloring my hair more seriously.

To buy: ORS Curls Unleashed Color Blast Temporary Makeup Wax in Golden Bars (from $10; amazon.com)

Unlike hair dye and bleach, you don't have to worry about the same kind hair cuticle damage to your strands with this wax —it even doubles as a moisturizing treatment, since it's made with nourishing beeswax and cetearyl alcohol (a hydrating alcohol) to revive and protect curls. Even better? If you like to change your color to reflect your mood, or just aren't crazy about whatever shade you've chosen after it's applied, the wax is temporary and comes out in just 1-2 washes.

The ORS Curls Unleashed Wax comes in nine shades—from metallic gold Bombshell ($10; amazon.com) to precious lilac Mystic ($10; amazon.com). I opted for an orange-y hue called Peachtree ($10; amazon.com), as well as Golden Bars (from $10, amazon.com) which is a pretty bronze color. I decided to mix them together to create a unique copper color just for my hair.

Before applying the wax, I washed my hair thoroughly and smoothed on a leave-in conditioner. I then pulled on gloves and a towel to protect my clothing and raked the wax through my hair with my fingers in sections. I was immediately in love with how defined, moisturized, and pigmented my curls looked with just one coat! I decided to apply a second coat, this time setting my hair in a series of twists and letting the wax dry during the day. I protected my hair with a silk bonnet at bedtime and was surprised to see zero color residue in the bonnet.

The next day, I unraveled my twists by coating my fingers in coconut oil, which not only helped them to slip out easier but also helped add shine. The color wasn't as bold or bright as when I first applied the wax, but could easily pass for a dye job! Super impressed, I immediately shared the result on my Instagram stories, which was received with plenty of enthusiastic compliments from friends.

I will say that the only downside to this wax is that I definitely applied ~way~ too much, leading to teeny tiny copper flakes on my pillows and phone when I wasn't wearing a bonnet. I think one coat would have been enough to get the desired pigment I was going for, but I can deal with a few flakes in exchange for gorgeous hair color and zero damage (compared to ammonia-based dyes that strip your natural oils and the natural pigment of your hair—no thanks).

The biggest plus of the ORS Curls Unleashed Color Blast Temporary Makeup Wax is being able to switch up my look as often as I like. Thanks to my super curly hair type (and not being outside nearly as much), I can get away with holding onto this hair color for at least two weeks before easily rinsing it out to apply another fun shade. I currently have my sights set on Dragon Fruit, which I'll mix with Golden Bars for a true rose gold shade. I'm so glad that we curly, kinky, coily folks can now change our hair color hassle-free without sacrificing our unique hair texture.

Sign up for our Health Shopping newsletter to get your daily dose of retail therapy with great deals handpicked by our editors—straight to your inbox