Sleek and slicked-back hairstyles are only just beginning people. What was once considered a last-resort style reserved for sweaty wedding receptions and long workouts is now the key look at fashion shows (I would know; I've been to the last four seasons of NYFW shows, and legit every single one has been filled with sleek buns). So it's no surprise leave-in conditioners and styling creams like Dae Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream are legit blowing up on TikTok and flying off Sephora shelves—they're the best way to get smooth af hair. This is exactly why Dae just launched the Cactus Fruit Styling Cream Taming Wand.
Essentially, Dae took their best-selling hair cream and put it inside a travel-friendly wand that you can brush on to slick back your baby hairs and edges, smooth flyaways, or give an updo a slick, wet effect. Keep reading for all the product details, plus all the insights from our four editors who tested it on their different hair types. From curly hair to thick hair to bangs to edges—we covered the whole gamut, TBH.
Dae Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream with Taming Wand
Pros
- Formula smells *so* good (according to legit everyone who smelled it)
- Great for smoothing down frizz and sleek, pulled-back styles
- Doesn't leave hair crunchy or oily
Cons
- The bristles were a bit too soft for some coarse-textured testers
About the Cactus Fruit Styling Cream:
FYI: Dae Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream is one of the best-selling hair products at Sephora. This styling cream can be used to prep wet hair for blow-drying, define curls, add shine, and smooth and moisturize hair. The cream is loaded with botanical extracts, including dragon fruit to help hydrate and cactus flower to help smooth. But it's also got a slew of oils and butters to seal in moisture, like prickly-pear oil, coconut oil, and shea butter. In typical Dae fashion, it's also clean, cruelty-free, and vegan.
What is a taming wand used for?
This wand can be used a bajillion ways, but essentially, it's got a built-in spoolie applicator with ultra-soft bristles (think: mascara wand, but way fluffier and wider) to help smooth down any flyaways or frizz or style bangs, edges, and more. Dae noticed people were obsessed with the feeling of the O.G. Cactus Fruit Styling Cream for slicking back their hair, but the packaging was a bit bulky to bring traveling or on the go. Insert: Taming wand.
And whaddya know, it's got the exact same formula that everyone's in love with. But keep reading for our reviews from four different editors with varying hair types and styles:
Our reviews:
Beth Gillette, beauty editor
- Hair type/current style: Straight, fine, short
- How I tested: In a slicked-back bun on a 12-hour day of running around Paris
I got the pleasure of testing the Cactus Fruit Styling Cream Wand months ahead of the drop (humblebrag), so I secretly stashed it into my suitcase when I jetted off to Paris last month (humblebrag²). I already was a fan of the formula, but wouldn't say it's particularly travel friendly, especially considering it's much too hydrating to use for anything but sleek styles on my ultra-fine hair. So this wand? Basically answered all my prayers.
Here's the thing: I've used dozens of waxes, creams, and gels to slick back my hair. You'd think it'd be super easy—my hair's so damn greasy that its oils practically do the job for me. But there's one itsy-bitsy lil problem: my bangs. I've diligently trained my bangs to sit exactly where I want them, so when I try to push them back onto my scalp, they immediately spring back to their regular spot. But as it turns out, when I brush them onto my head with this wand, then smooth my hair down with my fingers, they actually stay in place. It's a miracle.
Shockingly, this formula does so without leaving my hair feeling crunchy or oiled up. It's easy to get the cream out of my hair with a quick shampoo, which I love, since it definitely does make my scalp a little bit greasy (granted, legit any product that isn't a powder does as such). My bangs held on tight for about five hours, and then I was able to keep smoothing them down for a few more hours before they just gave up and tried to become bangs again. But for a decently lightweight cream that doesn't require me to sulfate the F outta my hair to remove it like many hair-wax sticks, that's pretty damn good in my book.
Chaise Sanders, associate editor
- Hair type/current style: Coily, 4B/4C, but currently in box braids
- How I tested: To slick down my edges before an afternoon of tennis
First of all, I love love love the fresh scent of the wand's formula. I often find that a lot of edge control formulas can be very heavy and dry with a white-ish hue. That isn't the case at all with this wand from Dae. The wand is soft and gentle on my baby hairs, but this makes it a smidge too soft for my edges since I have coarse hair. I wish there was an option for a rougher/stronger wand that I could use just for my edges.
Because I did really love how the product itself isn't annoyingly sticky. While I don't usually do my edges, I do like that the product is buildable so I can keep the amount of product going into my hair the lighter side.
Sarah Maberry, commerce writer
- Hair type/current style: Curly, 3a hair—on like day three or four of a blowout in the pic below!
- How I tested: Taming my frizz and flyaways during a humid NYC heatwave
The Dae wand has taken up permanent residency in my handbag, and it won't be leaving any time soon. It's so compact and convenient that it's ideal for on-the-go use, especially when the weather is less than ideal. The cream itself is surprisingly lightweight and non-greasy, so it's not just for slick buns. Swipe it juuuuust above the surface of your hair, and it'll smooth down that halo of flyaways that appears when it's humid out. When it comes to updos, I loved how the little brush acted like a fine-tooth comb and smoothed everything out for a sleek look. Also, it smells AMAZING.
My only con would be that I wish it was refillable or easier to refill, but I also understand from a product perspective why they wouldn't do that bc they want you to keep buying more. Tbh, I will be attempting to refill it using my full-size bottle of Dae styling cream when it's empty.
Hannah Chubb, lifestyle editor
- Hair type: Naturally curly/frizzy/thick but use a lot of hot tools (I know, don’t @ me)
- How I tested: In a slicked-back bun for 10 hours of summer wedding festivities on the waterfront in Massachusetts (including a boat ride for cocktail hour!)
Okay, I’m into this!!! I’ve long been the girl who keeps a big honkin’ wax stick in her purse during special occasions, but I’m def going to be swapping in the Dae after this showing. Not only does it do the same job as wax—keeping my ever-present flyaways down for the count—but it’s honestly so much better, for so many reasons.
First things first, the packaging is about the size of a large tube of lipgloss, so it fits way better in a purse, and the formula smells incredible. I love the brush because it catches every little baby strand, and somehow never got stuck in my hair when I reapplied it halfway through the night, during dinner. But the best thing, in my opinion, is that the product didn’t feel stiff or heavy on my head—which, honestly, is kind of a miracle. Most wax sticks make my ‘do feel instantly dirty, but I actually went a few days without washing my hair after using the Dae stick. It will absolutely be in every bag I haul around this summer, especially in this NYC heatwave!
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
