I’m really excited to talk to you about today’s curly girl approved product: Mane N Tail Conditioner.
I’m been looking for a good rinse out conditioner for a while. I’ve tried a bunch in the past several months, and while none were bad, I wasn’t too impressed either.
I tried this product on a whim because I had success with it once with a stylist a long long time ago (well before I started the Curly Girl Method).
I’m not sure why I never bought it then, but I came across it recently and was pretty excited to find it was curly girl approved!
I clearly loved this product, so let’s get into this and break down the pros and cons of Mane N Tail Conditioner.
Keep in mind, I can only speak from my experience with my 3a/3b hair. My hope is that this review will be a good guide for all the curly girls out there, but your results may be very different from mine.
Side note: This page does contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase something using the product links on this page, I may get a small commission. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps keep this site running. Thank you!
Also, I follow the simplified version of the Curly Girl Method most directly derived from the Curly Girl Handbook. This means the only ingredients I look to avoid are sulfates, silicones, and drying alcohols. If you have more ingredients that you look to avoid, it would be a good idea to check the ingredients for yourself before making a purchase.
Pros
Moisture level
This conditioner packs some serious moisture! I also love that I didn’t feel like it weighed my hair down all that much in the process.
Slip and Consistency
This conditioner has great slip and does a great job of detangling my hair. It also has a nice thick pudding-like consistency, which I love in a conditioner.
Scent
It has a little more of a salon scent, so if you’re into more fruity or flowery scented hair products, this might be something to consider. But overall, I find the scent to be clean and not overpowering.
I also don’t really notice it too much once my hair is dry.
Versatility
This is one thing that impressed me the most about this conditioner. Not only was it a good rinse out, but it’s actually a really good leave-in too.
I only intended to use this as a rinse out, but the instructions on the bottle say you can use it as a leave-in too. So, I decided to give it a try.
I’m really glad I did! If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you may know that not too long ago, I struggled to find a leave-in conditioner that worked for me. And while I landed on a few that I loved and adopted, this surpasses all of them by leaps and bounds.
So, not only have I made this conditioner my staple rinse out, but it’s also my everyday leave-in.
Price
I paid $5.99 for a 32 oz bottle, which makes this an affordable conditioner for Curly Girl Method beginners and veterans alike!
A solid replacement for Tresemme Botanique
Honestly, I’d say this is probably a pretty good replacement for anyone who’s been looking to replace their Tresemme Botanique conditioner since this recently changed the formula.
However, I say this with a bit of a disclaimer; I haven’t used the Tresemme conditioner in well over a year. It was starting to feel like it was too heavy on my hair. So I can’t compare the two conditioners directly with my hair’s current level of health.
But with the moisture level, consistency, bottle size, and price point, it’s probably the best possible replacement I’ve come across so far, and it’s what I’ll be recommending in the future in its place.
Get it on Amazon or at Target.
Cons
Could be too think for some hair types
I honestly struggled to come up with a con for this product because it just did so well for me. But, no product is perfect for every hair type, so this seems worth mentioning.
Because this is a bit of a thicker conditioner, I suspect it might be too intense/heavy for wavy or finer hair. But since my hair is not fine or wavy, this is not based on experience.
This is purely my own judgment based on what I know from all my curly hair/curly girl method research. It’s possible wavy and fine hair types may find success if they use less.
Bottom Line
I loved this conditioner. I think it’s probably a good substitute for anyone who used and loved the Tresemme Botanique before the recent formula change. Though again, keep in mind I’m saying this as someone who hasn’t used Tresemme recently.
I can’t give you a sound comparison as to how the two conditioners compare with my hair at its current level of health. However, I can tell you that I found this conditioner to have a similar consistency and give my hair serious moisture. They also have comparable size and price points.
So if you’re looking for a Tresemme replacement, I think this is worth a shot. Similarly, if you’re just looking for a great conditioner, this performed great for me. It’s officially my new favorite, and I’d say it’s worth a try!
Get it on Amazon or at Target.
Looking for more guidance on your curly hair journey?
For beginners
If you’re new to curly hair care and looking for some help, you should check out the No-Stress Guide to Curly Hair Care!
After spending two years learning and caring for my curly hair, I wanted to create my own, in-depth guide to help fellow curlies create incredible curls in the easiest way possible.
It took me a while, but I eventually found an approach that helped me create a curly hair routine that fits into my life in the simplest way possible. And now I want to help you do the same!
For more intermediate/advanced guidance
If you’ve been on your curly hair journey for a while but still have some struggles, check out Curly Hair Problems!
After spending hours scouring the internet looking for solutions to my own curly hair problems, I found myself wishing for an easier, more comprehensive guide to the most common problems.
So that’s what I created!
Curly Hair Problems offers you 78 total solutions to the five most common curly hair care problems, including frizz, curl clumps, limp curls, product issues, and scalp issues.
Sound off: Have you tried Mane N Tail conditioner? Tell us about your experience! Be sure to tell us a little about your hair type too!
Thank you for the write-up! I haven’t used Mane n Tail in years but am going to give it a revisit after reading your review! What shampoo are you using with it? Do you find that it pairs nicely with most shampoos?
I only use Cantu’s Txtr Scalp Relief shampoo. You can read the review on that here (it was looking like this shampoo was discontinued, but luckily it popped back up online). So, I can’t speak to how it pairs with “most” shampoos, but honestly, I tend to look at each element in my hair care routine independently. You’ll have to let us know how it works for you! Thanks for reading!