When True Shade Cosmetics (TSC) launched Your True Shade make-up line in 2015 its single mandate was to ensure that women with even the most sensitive skin could enjoy a premium Jamaican make-up product without fear of skin irritation or breakouts. Interpret the many repeat customers and demand for the product to mean it was a success.

Fast-forward three years and TSC is once again hoping to raise the bar with Royal Curl, a line of haircare products for kinky to curly and every hair texture in between. Expertly made with natural and local ingredients by CEO Dianne Plummer and chemical engineer Juline Asquith, Royal Curl equips every Jamaican naturalista with a trio of go-to products to flaunt her mane with pride.

Recalling the fact that YTS was launched as an answer to Plummer’s own lack of make-up options, it was no surprise to hear that Royal Curl had a similar inception story.

“In 2017, my best friend Juline Asquith and I did the ‘Big Chop.’ Seeing that we are both chemical engineers, we decided that it would be a good opportunity to start a haircare line that would work for both of our hair types. This was a bit challenging at first because I have Type 4A (tightly curled) hair and she has 4C (the tightest of all curl types); Plummer shared with Under The Dryer. After two years they created: Royal Curl Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Royal Curl Edge Control and Royal Detangler.

Royal Curl Jamaican Black Castor Oil

This Jamaican Black Castor Oil helps to transform thinning hair to strong and thick hair. It has the ability to improve the hair’s condition by fighting against hair damage and breakage. It is beneficial in cases of temporary hair loss and makes hair shinier and stronger.

“We developed our Traditional Jamaican Black Castor oil first because we wanted to stimulate our own hair growth and then as it grew, we perfected our detangler to help soften curls and make it more manageable with ingredients such as Marshmallow Root and Slippery Elm,” Plummer pointed out.

Royal Curl Detangler

The Royal Curl Detangler is a lightweight, oil-free moisturising spray that has superb conditioning, detangling and shine properties. The low molecular weight formula allows penetration of hair for optimum detangling, defining and sheen maintenance. Women with 4C hair, rejoice! This detangler was improved over time until it became the perfect product to wrestle those tresses into smooth submission.

“We spent the longest time on our detangler, trying many different ingredients because we wanted it to cater to 4C hair types, which is often forgotten by other brands. Our patience paid off and now we have a product that can detangle pretty much any hair — including extensions. When this was complete, we moved on to the Edge Control, which can be paired with our products or other brands,” Plummer noted.

Royal Curl Edge Control

A super hold, non-flaky, non-sticky, paraben-free gel helps to get perfect edges with added protection from Jamaican Black Castor oil.

Royal Curl Pops Up at Pricesmart Jamaica

Royal Curl products are currently available at The UWI Bookshop Cosmetic Corner and online at yourtrueshade.com. Indeed, on Monday, March 25, Royal Curl made history as the first locally made haircare line sold at Pricesmart Jamaica. Plummer and the True Shade Cosmetics team will be on location at Pricesmart Jamaica today, Saturday, May 30 and tomorrow, Sunday, May 31 with exciting offers, product bundles, live demos and lots of giveaways of the new Royal Curl haircare line and other TSC brands.

Under The Dryer applauds Dianne Plummer and her team at True Shade Cosmetics who have, since their launch in 2015, gained numerous accolades, including the New Exporter of the Year from the 2018 JMEA Awards, becoming the first Caribbean cosmetics brand to be certified by Cruelty Free International in the United Kingdom (2018).