Testing: Argan Magic Nourishing Hair Cream

I grew up in Texas, where summers stretch for half the year and are invariably punishingly hot. Two things save the season from being completely unbearable: powerful air conditioners and an absence of humidity. Sadly, I have neither of these things going for me during summers in Boston; and as the weather has heated up, I’ve found myself cursed with an increasing number of bad-hair days. So needless to say, I was intrigued when on a recent trip to CVS, I spotted a bottle of Argan Magic hair nourishing cream.

Because I don’t live under a rock, I’d heard of the Argan oil craze; but because I also have to eat — and am also generally skeptical of beauty products heralded as miracles — I had not yet been willing to shell out more than $20 for a bottle of the upscale MoroccanOil brand. Argan Magic was less than half the price (the website lists the price as $15, but I found it for about $9). So despite the awful name it seemed worth a try.

And I’m glad I shelled out for it. The stuff is a bit sticky at first, but finger-combed through damp hair it provided an extra dose of sleekness. And once my hair dried and I applied the flat iron, the stickiness disappeared and left my locks soft with fewer frizzies and flyaways. The light hold added a little shape, which gave my sadly grown-out layers a much-needed boost, and the smell is great — sweet but not overpoweringly so. The only downside? After seeing what the drugstore version can do, I’m more tempted than ever to splurge on the pricier stuff.

So tell us: Have you jumped on the Argan oil bandwagon? Or is there another miracle-making hair product you swear by?