Do you guys remember back in April when I tried LUS with disastrous results? Well, this post isn't going to be anything like that one. In fact, I'm here to talk to you about how I've been having the best hair days of my life.

I've said this before, and I'm sure I'll say it dozens more times in my lifetime, but if you have curly or wavy hair, finding the right products is kind of like playing scientist. You mix a little of this with a little of that. You plot out the best wash days. You hoard your favorite products, and you're resigned to the fact that you're going to waste your money on something that promises awesome results but doesn't deliver.

I have a drawer in the bathroom that is filled with hair products, but I haven't found myself reaching for any of them in the past month, and - dare I say it?! - I might even clean that drawer out for good soon.

Ever since I tried LUS, my hair has been struggling. I've tried so many different things, but nothing has offered me consistent results, until now. So what's got me loving my natural hair once again? Monat.

I'll be honest. I was not familiar with this brand at all, but a mom friend of mine reached out to me during one of their big sales and convinced me I should give it a try. So I did, and the results from day one blew my mind.

Before we dive into my review, I want to be as transparent as possible. These products are by far the most expensive hair products I have ever bought, even with the major sale I took advantage of, but at least in this case, you truly get what you pay for.

Like I said, my friend, Shannon, reached out to me at the beginning of July to gauge my interest in trying Monat. After struggling for months to get my hair back on track, I was ready to try something new, and Shannon's passion for these products as well as the before-and-after stories she shared with me had me really intrigued.

We talked about my hair, the concerns I have with it, and my goals, then she recommended several products to help get me there. I ended up getting shampoo, conditioner, curl cream, gel, and a volumizing mousse. I also joined the VIP group and received a free hot tool (I chose a new hairdryer since mine has been dying a slow death) plus a jar of the scalp purifying scrub, which is by far my favorite product. All total, I spent a little over $100, but had I paid full price it would have been closer to $300.

Here's what makes these products so great. You don't have to use a ton of each to get the results you want. In fact, I'm not even using a quarter of the amount of any of the products I was using before, and my hair looks the best it's looked consistently since I decided to embrace my natural texture back in 2017-18 (can't remember which year it was exactly). And since I'm not using nearly as much product, they're lasting forever -- as in, I shouldn't need a refill on anything for at least another three months.

Have I convinced you to give these products a try yet? Let's take a look at my results and how I achieve it!

For a regular wash day, I use the Renew Shampoo. I squeeze about a quarter-sized amount into my palm and work it into my scalp without getting it all sudsy and let it sit for two minutes. Rinse, then repeat but work it into a lather. I follow that with the Intense Repair Conditioner, using only about a nickel-sized amount, finger comb it through my hair, and let it sit for the rest of my shower, then rinse with cool water to seal in the moisture. About once a week, I use the scalp purifying scrub instead of the shampoo.

The above picture is my towel-dried hair right after a shower on wash day (I use either a micro-fiber towel or my perfect hair care towel only). As you can see, the waves/curls are already starting to form, which was not a usual occurrence for my hair pre-Monat.

I apply my products to towel-dried hair, meaning it's still pretty wet but not dripping. If I wait until it's damp, the results aren't as good.

I start with Frizz-Fix smoothing hair primer. I use two pumps and finger comb it from root to tip, then give it a minute or two to absorb into the strands.

Then, I combine the Curl Defining Cream and Flexible Hold Gel. As you can tell from the picture above, I use the smallest amount possible. For the gel, it's like a tear-drop and the cream is maybe twice that. Then I mix them together in my palms and scrunch them into my hair starting from the ends. I do not go all the way to my roots. I also make sure to start away from my face so that I don't end up applying too much to the thinner hair there and weighing it down.

Finally, I apply a small amount of The Moxie Magnifying Mousse to my roots only for volume.

You can let these products air dry if you want to, but my hair will literally stay wet all day long if I do that, so I diffuse it until it's at least 75% dry with my roots being fully dry.

And the results are in!

My hair is a mix of 2c and 3a waves and curls. With Monat, I have a lot more definition and ton more volume. The styling products don't dry crunchy so I don't have to deal with "scrunching out the crunch," which is a super annoying side effect of most other gels and mousses. The anti-frizz cream does a really good job keeping the waves/curls smooth considering I live in south Alabama where the heat and humidity are on overdrive this time of year.

The products smell amazing and my wash day styling lasts through two full days. Then all I do is dampen it with water to reactivate the products that are already there, gently use my fingers to detangle, apply a miniscule amount of gel to tame the flyaways, and let it air dry.

I was prepared to be underwhelmed by these products, but from the very first day I have been impressed. My hair is healthier and has honestly been getting better the longer I use the products. I can't explain the science behind any of it, but these results speak for themselves.