Curly hair in Boise is its own kind of project. Our high desert air pulls moisture out of every strand, and by mid afternoon a curl that looked soft in the morning can feel like straw. At Sølvi Salon, in our downtown studio at 104 S Capitol Blvd, Love Curl Primer is one of the products we reach for most often when a client wants definition that survives an Idaho day. Here is how we use it behind the chair, and how you can get the same result at home.
What Love Curl Primer actually is
Love Curl Primer is part of the Davines Love Curl line, built for waves, spirals, and coils. It uses almond and olive extracts to help define the curl shape while it hydrates, and it does that without weighing curls down or leaving buildup. We think of it as the leave-in step that sets up everything that comes after. You can read the full details on the Love Curl Primer product page. It runs $32 in our studio, and a little goes a long way, so a bottle lasts most of our clients a couple of months.
Start with clean, damp hair
Primer works best on freshly washed hair that is still wet. We shampoo, follow with the Love Curl conditioner, and then gently squeeze out the excess water with a microfiber towel or an old cotton t-shirt. Avoid rubbing, which roughs up the cuticle and turns smooth curls into frizz. You want your hair damp and dripping a little, not soaked and not towel-dry. That window of moisture is where the product distributes most evenly.
How we apply it
Section your hair into four parts so nothing gets missed. Work a small amount of Primer through each section from mid-length to ends, raking it with your fingers so every curl gets coated. We tell clients to think of it as a base layer rather than the final styler. Once the Primer is in, that is when we follow with the Love Curl cream on damp hair and scrunch upward toward the scalp to encourage the curl to coil. Scrunching is where the shape really comes alive, so do not skip it.
Drying it down in dry air
This is the step Boise clients tend to rush, and it costs them. In our dry climate, air-drying alone can leave curls feeling crunchy or undefined by the time they fully set. We like a diffuser on low heat and low speed, cupping sections of hair into the bowl and holding rather than moving it around. If you prefer to air-dry, try plopping your hair in a t-shirt for fifteen or twenty minutes first to soak up water and lock in the curl pattern before it sets. Once everything is dry, scrunch out any stiffness with your hands to soften the finish.
Who it is not for
We will be honest. If your hair is straight or only has a slight bend, Love Curl Primer is not the product for you, and it can leave fine straight hair feeling coated. It is also a single step in a curl routine, so if you are a wash-and-go minimalist who wants one product and out the door, paying $32 for the priming layer alone might feel like more than you need. The Primer earns its place when curl definition and frizz control genuinely matter to you, which in our experience covers most curly clients living through Idaho winters and dry summers alike.
Bring it to us first
If you are not sure whether your texture will love this product, that is a great thing to test in person. Our stylists work with curls every week and can show you exactly how much to use for your density and pattern. Take a look at our full services menu, and when you are ready, you can book an appointment online. We will get your curls primed, defined, and ready for whatever the Boise air throws at them.