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44 Comments

  1. Hey Gabriella, thanks a lot for this post and for your recommendations. Also curious what you think of Wella Shockwaves Volume 5? Lots of people have been recommending it, but wondering what your advice was. Thanks!

    1. Gabriella says:

      I’ve tried it, but I wasn’t wowed by it like it was the Umberto Giannini Curl Whip. Like it’s okay, but I wouldn’t purchase another can or be recommending it as the one to get as a replacement to the Pantene Mousse.

  2. The Totally Twisted is also a different formula (with propylene glycol) and the Giannini mousse is not available to buy in the US! Please test some US mousses and report back if you find a dupe for us American curlies!! Thanks.

  3. Hi Gabriella thanks for all of your brilliant advice. I only started using Pantene mousse early this year as (of course) the Redken full effect 04 mousse that I used was discontinued. Pantene mousse was perfect and so cheap (compared to €24 a can for Redken )-I cannot believe they have discontinued it. I tried Umberto Giannini curl whip and it was really awful-my hair felt like it had an entire can of dry shampoo in it. It felt matted and dirty. So I tried Wella Shockwaves No. 5 yesterday and it was much better. Good definition, not sticky and hair feels soft. Hoping it will be a keeper. Although they’ll probably discontinue that too now that I’ve discovered it…!

  4. Joanna Dunn says:

    I would highly recommend Wella Deluxe Definition and Protection mousse. I have tried so many mousses and gels after Pantene discontinued their mousse and all of them have been unsuitable for my frizzy, unruly curls.
    The Wella Deluxe mousse is in my opinion even better than the Pantene discontinued Mousse and has done wonders for my curls!

  5. I’m in the US. Looks like all of these products have been discontinued. I can’t get the Umberto Giannini here either. I don’t know what to use or what to try. My hair is not looking great and I’m so disappointed. I can’t seem to get more than one or if I’m lucky 2 days of nice curls. I’m so frustrated. I tried the Tres Luxe styling serum and it just doesn’t give me the curls I’m used to. Are there any other mousse products that might work?

    1. Curl Maven Assistant says:

      Have you tried the new Herbal Essence mousses? They have two new ones, Curl Boosting and Volumizing. I saw them at Target recently.

  6. Thanks so much for posting this! It’s super helpful. I’ve been using the Tresemme Volumizing mousse for 15+ years. They just changed the formula & it is awful. The old ingredients made my curls so soft. The new formula makes my hair frizzy & it feels like straw.

    I’ve been trying out new brands but sadly nothing seems to compare. It sounds like several different mousse brands all changed formulas around the same time.

    1. Curl Maven Assistant says:

      Glad to hear that this post helped you! Hopefully you find something that your hair likes, soon!

  7. I literally just came on here to see if what I suspected is true I’ve just run out of my Pantene Defined Curls mousse and couldn’t find it in any of the shops! I’m so sad! Thank you for recommending it in the first place and for putting in all that work to find a substitute. They say change is good but I’m not feeling it!!

  8. Thanks so much for all this help. Have tried the umberto curl whip mousse and scrunch jelly together, dried using a diffuser and was impressed with the crunchy cast so was so excited to see the next morning. Its just not the same for me unfortunately my hair felt very dry and stray like by the end of the day, tried just the mousse again on the next wash day and still the same. My hair also felt very matty while washing so did a cleanse with the Sunday shampoo. Have just used the last of my pantene now this evening and I’m devastated have the shock waves to try on next wash day so fingers crossed

  9. Umberto Giannini Cutl whip
    Is awful on my hair! I am still trying all sorts of mouses and still can’t find one like Pantene no 5
    It looks like wella and tresseme are the closest ones when it comes to ingredients. Praying I find a match soon

    1. Gabriella says:

      So sorry it’s not working for you, I feel the same way about Not Your Mother’s Nature Curl Talk Mousse, it took me a solid month of clarifying my hair weekly to get whatever is in that stuff, out of my hair. I tried a Wella mousse last washday and didn’t find the results great at all, so it’s really about finding what works for you. However, make sure you’ve clarified recently, and you’re using the right products, nothing that’s too rich, heavy or moisturizing for your hair. In order to get the best results from your styling products.

    2. Joanna Dunn says:

      Umberto Giannini Curl Whip is awful on my hair too!
      I have just discovered the Wella Deluxe Definition and Protection mousse and am so relieved after trying so many mousses and gels! I was dismayed when Pantene discontinued their mousse, which I used for many years but I actually think the Wella Deluxe is better and is great for my frizzy, unruly curls. I’m just praying that this one never gets discontinued!

  10. I tried the Herbal Essences Twisted Mousse with Ouidad Climate Control gel and am very pleased with the results. I can’t compare to the Pantene because I never used it. I’m excited to see how my second day hair will be tomorrow. Thank you for the recommendation. For those looking in the US I found it on Amazon.

  11. De'Anne Hite says:

    Has the Umberto Giannini Curl Whip Mousse been discontinuee? Can’t find it anywhere!

  12. This is wild. The Umberto Giannini Curl Whip Mousse isn’t available on Look Fantastic or Amazon for the US.

    And I’m a freak who can’t seem to get Treluxe to work for me. Argh.

    1. Curl Maven Assistant says:

      Oh no!! Have you tried the Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Mousse? That is easily accessible in the US.

      1. The Totally Twisted has been discontinued, too. They now have Curl Boosting but it doesn’t have the same ingredients. I emailed Herbal Essences and they confirmed they no longer have Totally Twisted. Thanks!

        1. Gabriella says:

          oh no, that’s disappointing because that was such a great mousse! Thanks so much for the info though, really helpful!

  13. Elizabeth says:

    Hi, there. Thanks so much for all the work and money you put into this. I live in the US and can’t seem to find the Totally Twisted, Umberto Giannini or the Wella Shockwaves ones. I did try to go to the Canadian Look Fantastic site as well as the company websites and can’t find them there either. I’m willing to try the Innersense and Treluxe brands. I typically follow the LMG method. Do these products have the same effect as the old Pantene does? I’ve never tried a serum really. Thanks again!!

    1. Curl Maven Assistant says:

      Hi there! You can usually find Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Mousse on Amazon in the US. Herbal Essences has two new mousse that have replaced the Totally Twisted line. One is called Curl Boosting and the other is Volumizing. I recently saw those two at Target.

  14. Archie The Wonder Dog says:

    Thank you for doing all this work (and buying all those mousses) to help us find a replacement mousse. May I ask what the smell of the Umberto Giannini mousse is like?

    1. Gabriella says:

      Aww thank you so much. It smells like…my teenage years…I don’t know how to describe it. But everything about the packaging and scent feels like it’s been designed for a teenager. Someone else commented on Instagram that they don’t like the scent. I’ll admit, it’s quite strong at first, but it doesn’t linger. I have used some hair products in the past where the scent lingers right until the next washday, and it isn’t like that. It’s kind of sweet, floral with a hint of bubble gum….?

      1. Archie The Wonder Dog says:

        Thank you for your reply. The fact that the scent doesn’t linger is reassuring, I think I’ll try a tin when my (little) stock of Pantene runs out. Thanks again.

  15. I can’t seem to find the Totally Twisted in stores or on their website. There’s a curl boosting but it doesn’t look like it has the same ingredients as listed above. Is anyone else having this issue?

    1. Curl Maven Assistant says:

      Hi there! You can usually find Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Mousse on Amazon in the US. Herbal Essences has two new mousse that have replaced the Totally Twisted line. One is called Curl Boosting and the other is Volumizing.

  16. I mentioned on your IG post that Umberto Giannini products aren’t readily available in Canada where I live. At least I can’t find them. I tried the Curl Jelly as it was in a Winners store, very reasonably priced (Like a TK Maxx, I think where you live). It made my head itch terribly. I think it may have been the scent. Even if I could get the mousse here I fear I’d have the same problem.

    Can’t get the Wella one either, as well have to order Innersense and Treluxe. It’s very frustrating, lol.

    I was using a Joico mousse but it’s not specifically for curly hair, and I even bought an extra tin. Used it forever, but lately I think it’s weighing down my curls.

    Currently trying Ouidad ACC gel (red bottle). Not enough hold.

    I’ve really run into an issue lately with styling products, lol.

    I’ll be interested to see if anyone suggests anything that is easier to purchase in Canada. Pantene was available everywhere! I’m tired of paying shipping, duty and exchange on products; gets pricey.

    1. Gabriella says:

      I don’t really get too caught up if something is “specifically” designed for curly hair. Most brands think curly hair just needs a tonne of heavy, rich, creamy products – not true. And other brands like Innersense Organic Beauty have some of the best products on the market and technically only 2 of their products were designed for curly hair! However, Umberto Giannini should be available in Canada via the LOOKFANTASTIC site, and my code is valid. I hope that helps x

      1. Kelly Marin says:

        Not your mothers curl talk mousse works better than anything for me , curious if you e tried, I think it def comes down to what works for your hair!

  17. I’ve been using Totally Twisted since May 2022 after my curl clinic with you (I could never find Pantene). I have not noticed any change in the formula. I can still find it in the DC/VA/MD area in the US. Thanks for all you do for the curl community!!

  18. Have you tried the new innersense “I create definition”? I think that is next on my list to try. Curious your thoughts on it.

    1. Gabriella says:

      Yes, I just posted a review and my recommendations for it about 2 weeks ago, see my older posts x

  19. Have you tried the Pantene Pro-V soft curls?

    1. Gabriella says:

      The new mousse that they’ve launched as a replacement? Not yet!

    2. I did try this one and my results weren’t good. It was definitely too soft for my hair.

        1. It’s a waste of money no hold whatsoever

  20. Yes please, PLEASE do the post with mousses that haven’t worked for you. It would be so helpful just to have examples to compare other formulas to.

  21. Stephanie Cramp says:

    I would be interested to hear your thoughts on the Wella curl mousse (Professionals Care EIMI Nutricurls Boost Bounce Curl) please.
    Both as a comparison and generally, as I have gotten on with it pretty well.
    Thanks!

  22. Thank you for this post ! You read all of our minds. When the pantene mousse became obsolete I then switched to another recommendation of yours- the Treluxe serum. I have been loving that as it works beautifully to define. I have been following you for many years and your advice & wisdom never disappoint. Thank you for all you do !

  23. Thanks for the recommendation- I’ve got a bottle of the curl whip in the cupboard and this has persuaded me to give it another try- my results weren’t great first time round!

    Since the departure of Pantene I’ve discovered the wella shockwaves volume (number 5) mousse and have been finding it’s giving me even better results than the Pantene used to (which I absolutely loved!) Also budget friendly!

  24. Martha Pecoraro says:

    Endless thanks for your hard work. I’ll be ordering Umberto Giannini Curl Whip Mousse today. I was living in the UK and am now in the US. As I wasn’t able to find any Pantene here once I returned here, I started getting Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse. Then I noticed, with sheer panic, that their packaging and product was changing. It’s almost too much for a curly to take. I also have 25 years of consistent results with Pantene. I actually dispensed nearly an entire bottle of the “new” Pantene mousse into a sink in anger over its pathetic results. And any Pantene girl knows you wouldn’t do that with the holy grail product unless it was changed. I will be trying Umberto Giannini as soon as it arrives. Thank you, thank you.

  25. I loved the Pantene mousse! But now I’ve been using the Shockwaves Volume mousse and I love it just as much – great results and so easy, no build up either! ❤️