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Side by side

Andalou Naturals Sunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Hair Spray vs Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Defining Gel Custard

89% function match · 7 of the 8 functions we compared match Formula overlap 14%. Andalou Naturals Sunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Hair Spray and Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Defining Gel Custard share 3 ingredients among each other's most prominent.

Based on your consultation

Which of these fits your hair?

We check your pattern, moisture need, scalp, fragrance tolerance, weight sensitivity and more against each formula — and say which one lines up.

Your profile at a glance

  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here

When each one is the right call

What each formula is built for, from its own ingredient list.

  • Sunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Hair Spray — curl definition
  • Curl Talk Defining Gel Custard — protein-sensitive hair

Side by side

Every trait, aligned

One row per trait, read from each product’s own ingredient list and record. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a “no”.

Price, size & price per ounce
$10.99 8.2 oz · $1.34/oz
$11–13 12 oz · $1.12/oz
Value / price positioning
Lower cost than most hairsprays $$$$$ Drugstore tier · costs less than 81% of the 95 hairsprays we’ve priced
Lower cost than most gels $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs less than 77% of the 155 gels we’ve priced
Best for hair types
All types Nothing in the formula or the claims narrows this to one pattern. Your hair
Wavy–Coily Co-washes, curl creams, and gels are built around wave and curl. Your hair
Moisture level Same
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
Hold (as stated)
Light A light hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Strong A strong hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Slip / detangling Same
Little Nothing here is built to reduce combing force. Your hair
Little Nothing here is built to reduce combing force. Your hair
Fragrance
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Same
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
None Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Low Your hair
Low Your hair
Weight on hair
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Protein
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Hold system Same
Mixed Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Mixed Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Oil absorption Same
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
Oils and butters Same
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. Your hair
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. Your hair
Fast-drying alcohol Differs
High in the list Fast-drying alcohol in the first three ingredients. Your hair
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. Your hair
Cast risk
Unlikely Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Covers the core
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Tight budgetsit sits in the lower price tiers
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
  • Styles that must holdthe brand states a light hold at most
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Soft, touchable finishesthe brand states a firm hold
from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
More facts about each one
Type
Stylerspray
Styler
Where to buy
Brand website · Grocery / mass
Brand website · Grocery / mass
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · label states
Scent
Scented, not described
Hold
light
strong
Finish
shine

Facts as we recorded them. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a "no".

The bottom line

The bottom line depends on your hair

Which of these two suits you is a question about your hair, not about them. The consultation answers it — and tells you what your routine needs around it.

Take the consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

The detail behind the table

Where the readings above come from: the ingredient lists themselves, each brand’s claims checked against them, what owners report, and cost per ounce in context.

Shared and distinct ingredients

Shared and distinct ingredients

Computed from the ingredient lists as printed. "Shared" means both lists carry it; where it sits on each label is stated, because position is what tells you how much.

What both formulas carry

IngredientSunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Hair SprayCurl Talk Defining Gel Custard
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Polysorbate 20
Stabilizes
#5Supporting
#6Supporting
Fragrance
Fragrance
#28Below the 1% line
#13Below the 1% line
Linalool
Fragrance
#30Below the 1% line
#17Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#31Below the 1% line
#16Below the 1% line
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#18Below the 1% line
#2Leading
Xanthan Gum
Holds
#23Below the 1% line
#8Supporting

What only one of them carries

Full ingredient list — Sunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Hair Spray (31)
Full ingredient list — Curl Talk Defining Gel Custard (21)

Claims check

What each brand says, against what each formula shows

Claims are quoted from each brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when that product’s ingredient list actually speaks to it.

VerdictsSunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Hair SprayCurl Talk Defining Gel Custard
Supported
0
5
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
3
0
Potential conflict
0
0

Sunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Hair Spray

  • Weightless setting spray that shields hair from humidity for smooth, lustrous hair without a sticky or crunchy finishStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Apply on dry hair before hot tools or as a setting spray for flexible hold with volumeStated by brandHow to use it, not a claim.
  • Dries fast, benefits all hair typesStated by brandSee the fit panel instead.

Curl Talk Defining Gel Custard

  • Extends the length of your curls, while fighting frizz and adding shineSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • Flake-free, no crunch finishSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.
  • Silicone free and protein freeSupportedNothing that needs a strong wash.
  • Safe for color-treated hairSupportedLess fade per wash.
  • Firm holdSupportedStructure that lasts the day.

What owners say

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings, and we never balance one product’s themes against another’s by inventing them.

Both praised for hold and a clean rinse-out. Andalou Naturals Sunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Hair Spray draws complaints about the packaging.

Sunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Hair Spray

Several long-time buyers with sensitive skin or allergies say this hairspray is gentler than other brands they have tried.

reviewers with skin sensitivity or allergies

Reviewers describe a light-to-medium hold that adds noticeable shine and body without making hair feel crunchy or stiff.

general reviewers

A repeated complaint is that the spray nozzle dispenses a wet stream rather than a fine mist, soaking part of the hair if not applied carefully.

reviewers commenting on the bottle mechanism

Fine-haired reviewers are split: some feel it weighs their hair down while others say it is too light to hold big curls in place.

fine-haired reviewers

Curl Talk Defining Gel Custard

Delivers exceptional curl definition with a reliable hold that keeps curls visibly defined and structured throughout the day without excessive crunchiness.

Reviewers with naturally curly hair who used the custard for styling and found it provided the hold and definition they needed.

Creates visibly hydrated and well-defined curls with a non-greasy feel, making curls look healthier and more polished without weighing them down.

Reviewers who noticed their curls looked and felt better defined, hydrated, and lighter after using the product.

Provides a versatile hold that can be easily broken through the week or refreshed with light products, allowing curls to move and stay softer without feeling locked.

Reviewers who appreciated the flexible nature of the hold, which does not create a rigid or hard cast on the curls.

Requires hand dipping to apply from the jar, which some reviewers find inconvenient for professional or frequent use, though it remains effective for personal use.

Professional curly hairstylist who appreciated the product's performance but found the jar packaging required workarounds for client application.

Price check

Cost per ounce, in context

Cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in. Value labels are computed from that percentile and from how many products that do the same job cost less; they are comparisons, not judgements about a brand.

$1.12/oz vs $1.34/oz — Andalou Naturals Sunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Hair Spray costs about 1.2× more per ounce than Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Defining Gel Custard.

Sunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Hair Spray

Against 95 hairsprays with a computable unit price.

Curl Talk Defining Gel Custard

Against 155 gels with a computable unit price.

Value readSunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Hair SprayCurl Talk Defining Gel Custard
Label
Lower cost than most hairspraysCosts less per ounce than most hairsprays we have researched.
Lower cost than most gelsCosts less per ounce than most gels we have researched.

Computed from cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, and from how many products that do the same job cost less. It is a comparison, not a judgement about the brand.

Compare with something else

Close formulas to each of these, as their own comparison pages.

Sunflower & Citrus Brilliant Shine Hair Spray · Curl Talk Defining Gel Custard · All hairsprays in the library

How this page was made

  • This page is assembled from the same researched records the individual product pages render: identity, each ingredient list as printed, each brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. Nothing on it is written per comparison.
  • We do not rank these against each other. Which of them suits you depends on your hair, and that is what the consultation works out.
  • The formula similarity percentage is a stored, precomputed number: position-weighted overlap of the two ingredient lists blended with agreement on the attributes we derive. It measures how alike two formulas are, not how well either works.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 10 sources were consulted across the products on this page.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice. We do not sell these products and take no placement fees.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.

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