A few times a week, someone sits in our chair at Sølvi and asks the same thing: is Davines Love Curl Conditioner actually worth the shelf space, or is it just a pretty bottle with a nice smell? We sell it, we use it on clients, and we run it through our own hair on the weekends. So here is the honest answer from the stylists behind the chair, the good and the parts we would change.
What Love Curl Conditioner actually is
Love Curl Conditioner is the curl-care step in the Davines Love line. It is built for waves, spirals, coils, and everything in between. The two ingredients doing the heavy lifting are almond and olive extracts, which help define the curl shape while the formula hydrates without weighing the hair down or building up over time. That last part matters more than people think. A lot of curl conditioners feel great on day one and turn greasy by day three. This one stays light.
You can read the full breakdown on the Love Curl Conditioner product page, but the short version is simple. It is a daily-to-weekly conditioner that plays well with the rest of the Love Curl system, from the shampoo through the styling cream.
How it performs in the chair
We have used this on fine wavy hair that goes flat by noon and on dense coily textures that drink up product. The thing we keep noticing is consistency. The curl pattern reads cleaner after a wash, and the hair has slip without that coated, heavy feeling. For our Boise clients, that is a real selling point. The dry Idaho air pulls moisture out of curly hair fast, and frizz shows up by the time you walk from your car to your office downtown. This conditioner gives the cuticle enough hydration to fight that without making the hair limp.
Let us talk about price
Here is where the honesty kicks in. The travel size is 17 dollars for 2.5 fluid ounces, the standard 8.45 ounce bottle is 36 dollars, and the liter is 102 dollars. The standard bottle is a premium price for a conditioner. If you have curly hair and you condition every wash, that bottle will move. We tell clients to grab the travel size first if they want to test it before committing. The liter only makes sense if you are fully sold and go through product fast.
Who it is not for
This is a curl product, full stop. If your hair is straight or only has a slight bend to it, you will not get much from the curl-defining extracts and you would be paying a premium for hydration you could find cheaper. We would steer you toward a different conditioner in that case. We would rather lose a sale than sell you something that sits in your shower unused. It is also worth saying that no conditioner replaces a good cut. If your curls are not behaving, the shape of the cut is usually the first thing to look at.
How we use it at home
Shampoo first, then work the conditioner through mid-lengths and ends. Let it sit while you finish your shower so the almond and olive extracts have time to do their job. Rinse, then style on damp hair with the Love Curl cream and scrunch to define. That combination is what gets the curl pattern we are after, not the conditioner alone.
The verdict
For curly, coily, and wavy hair in a dry climate like ours, Love Curl Conditioner earns its spot on our shelf. It is hydrating, it does not build up, and the curl definition is real. The only honest catch is the price and the fact that it is useless on straight hair. If you fit the texture, we think it is worth it. Start with the travel size, see how your curls respond, and go from there.
Curious whether it fits your hair? Come see us. You can browse our full list of services at our downtown studio at 104 S Capitol Blvd, or book an appointment online and we will take a look at your curls in person.