LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel vs Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo
94 facts in comparison
Based on 1,271 Reddit opinions. Sport GelLA Looks Extreme Sport Gel leads by 9 points.
1.3K opinions
Sport Gel leads by 9pts
VS
Reddit's Pick
89%
A-
Based on
1,117 Redditors
Winner
LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel
~$4.29
777 opinions
tldr; LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel is highly praised for its very strong hold, excellent frizz control, and ability to create a great cast, all at a very affordable price.
Check pricesVS
80%
B+
Based on
821 Redditors
Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo
~$16.99
494 opinions
tldr; Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo is a popular and effective choice for curly hair, praised for being a gentle cleanser that enhances curls, though some may find it too mild.
Check prices⭐CUR
⭐HOL
⭐MOI
⚖️PRO
⭐ING
61
Points
67
Points
Score by Category
Curl Definition
97%70%
Hold
89%70%
Moisture & Hydration
8%47%
Product Weight
42%50%
Ingredients
31%64%
Why is Curl Care Shampoo better than Extreme Sport Gel?
- Better ingredients (64% vs 31%)
- Better weight (50% vs 42%)
- Better moisture (47% vs 8%)
- ⭐ Praised for taking curls to "a whole other
Based on 1,938 Reddit opinions
Slight Edge
Reddit prefers the Sport GelLA Looks Extreme Sport Gel
Winning by 9 points (89% vs 80%)
Better hold
Better curl definition
Provides strong hold & awesome frizz control.
High confidence (1,938 mentions)
💬Reddit Sentiment
Based on 1,938 Reddit mentionsOverall Rating
Sport Gel
8.9/10
1,117 mentions
Care Shampoo
8.0/10
821 mentions
VALUE
Sport Gel10.0/10
Care Shampoo9.8/10
HOLD
Sport Gel8.9/10
Care Shampoo7.0/10
MOISTURE
Sport Gel0.8/10
Care Shampoo4.7/10
CURL DEFINITION
Sport Gel9.7/10
Care Shampoo7.0/10
WEIGHT
Sport Gel4.2/10
Care Shampoo5.0/10
INGREDIENTS
Sport Gel3.1/10
Care Shampoo6.4/10
⚔️
Head to Head
| Topic | Sport Gel | Care Shampoo |
|---|---|---|
Value | 100% | 98% |
Hold | 89% | 70% |
Moisture | 8% | 47% |
Curl Definition | 97% | 70% |
Weight | 42% | 50% |
Ingredients | 31% | 64% |
Category Wins
Sport Gel: 2|Care Shampoo: 3
Head to Head
Sport Gel: 2|Care Shampoo: 3
Value
Sport Gel100%
Care Shampoo98%
HoldSport Gel
Sport Gel89%
Care Shampoo70%
MoistureCare Shampoo
Sport Gel8%
Care Shampoo47%
Curl DefinitionSport Gel
Sport Gel97%
Care Shampoo70%
WeightCare Shampoo
Sport Gel42%
Care Shampoo50%
IngredientsCare Shampoo
Sport Gel31%
Care Shampoo64%
Sport Gel
89%
80%
Care Shampoo
Sport Gel89%
Care Shampoo80%
Sport Gel wins by 9 points
Key Specs
| Spec | LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel | Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo |
|---|---|---|
| Hold Level | 10+ (Extreme Hold) | — |
| Formula | Alcohol-free, non-sticky | — |
| Key Ingredients | PVP, Sorbitol, Keratin Amino Acids, Rahnella/Soy Protein Ferment | Rice Curl Complex (rice, keratin amino acids, enzymes), Shea Butter |
| Technology | TriActive hold | — |
| Brand | L.A. Looks | Not Your Mother's |
Key Highlights
LA Looks Extreme Sport GelWinner
⭐ Provides strong hold & awesome frizz control.
✓ Extremely budget-friendly ($2.99 for 16 oz).
⚙ Creates the "best cast" and is lightweight.
⭐ Many users find it works better than other gels
Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo
⭐ Praised for taking curls to "a whole other
⭐ Described as a gentle cleanser.
⭐ Recommended as a lighter shampoo option.
⭐ Part of a popular and effective overall routine.
⚠ Might not be cleansing enough for some users.
Topic Battles
Sport Gel: 2|Tied: 0|Care Shampoo: 3
⭐Curl Definition
Sport Gel winsSport Gel
97%
Care Shampoo
70%
⭐Hold
Sport Gel winsSport Gel
89%
Care Shampoo
70%
⭐Moisture & Hydration
Care Shampoo winsSport Gel
8%
Care Shampoo
47%
⚖️Product Weight
Care Shampoo winsSport Gel
42%
Care Shampoo
50%
⭐Ingredients
Care Shampoo winsSport Gel
31%
Care Shampoo
64%
Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories
📈Where They Rank
💬What Redditors Actually Say
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel
Best Praise
+247 pts“We have very similar hair though I’m a chick lol. Wash & condition hair as usual. For a wet look that lasts all day, put more conditioner in your hair and leave it in. Brush through then add a ton of heavy gel like LA looks and scrunch it in. Style how you like but make sure it’s soaking wet with conditioner and gel. It should not be wet frizzy at all. Don’t scrunch out the crunch.”
r/curlyhair
ViewTop Criticism
+14 pts“I agree with the others. You're hair type likely doesn't need super thick heavy "cream" products. La Looks gel might also be too heavy of a styler for your hair. It's a pretty thick product and if you are applying too much with your hair type, especially if it is getting clumped in certain spots and not spread out thoroughly, could cause the unevenness in which areas are keeping definition. What type of styler did your hair dresser use? The results looked perfect for your hair type. Even the extra volume at your roots on pic 8 looks fine and is to be expected with most curly hair as it dries and "poofs" a bit as the day goes on.”
r/curlyhair
View3 more quotes available below
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo
Best Praise
+1151 pts“I have very similar hair and I use herbal essence orange mousse followed by nym curl talk gel and it works awesome neither are expensive.”
r/curlyhair
ViewTop Criticism
+35 pts“My husband hates the scent of the Curl Talk line. I got two different variations of NYM, kids and curl definition shampoo/conditioner, and he has no problem with it. But if I touch the refreshing foam, he knows immediately. Turned the bathroom fan on it offended him so much 🤣”
r/curlyhair
View3 more quotes available below
Sentiment Over Time
Sport Gel
Care Shampoo
📈Historical Price Data
LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel
Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo
LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel
All-time low: $1.5(2014-06)
$1 below 90-day avg
Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo
All-time low: $5.85(2022-08)
$7 below 90-day avg
Which is Better?
LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel Wins
89%
Gel
vs
80%
Shampoo
LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel leads by 9 points based on 1,938 Reddit opinions.
Why Sport GelWinner
- ⭐ Provides strong hold & awesome frizz control.
- ✓ Extremely budget-friendly ($2.99 for 16 oz).
- ⚙ Creates the "best cast" and is lightweight.
- More discussed (1,117 vs 821)
Why Care Shampoo
- ⭐ Praised for taking curls to "a whole other
- ⭐ Described as a gentle cleanser.
❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown
Sentiment Breakdown
62%Positive
Positive
62%Neutral
31%Negative
7%Based on 1,117 Reddit opinions
Sentiment Breakdown
49%Positive
Positive
49%Neutral
39%Negative
12%Based on 821 Reddit opinions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel or Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo?
Based on 1,938 Reddit comments, LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel is the preferred choice with 89% positive sentiment vs Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo's 80%. LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel leads by 9 percentage points.
Should I buy LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel or Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel has stronger approval ratings (89% vs 80%). However, Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel?
Reddit users highlight: Provides strong hold & awesome frizz control.. Extremely budget-friendly ($2.99 for 16 oz).. Creates the "best cast" and is lightweight.. With 1,117 mentions and 89% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo?
Reddit users highlight: Praised for taking curls to "a whole other. Described as a gentle cleanser.. Recommended as a lighter shampoo option.. With 821 mentions and 80% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 1,938 Reddit comments: 1,117 about LA Looks Extreme Sport Gel and 821 about Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Curl Care Shampoo. Data was sourced from Curly hair products community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.
1,271 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 6/12/2026