My hair texture is exactly like yours and Aida's. Aida was the one who finally set me on the right path after years of trying to beat the curls/waves/fizz into submission.
The inverted angled bob Aida sports is a really good cut for our hair type for a couple of reasons: first, the cut provides a structure and shape that comes through even when our hair starts to frizz and do its own thing. The cropped layered back just looks more interesting if you use some product like sea salt spray (like B&B Surf Spray) or a fibre gum (Osis Thrill) to keep the uplifted look going at the back--think drama instead of a frizzy undefined mass.
And the Oribe curl mousse (thanks so much for this rec, Aida!) isn't the same as other curl mousses and serums. It's pricey, but it works like nothing else if I want a defined curl. If I'm in a hurry, it alone makes the difference between a bad and good hair day. I'll sometimes mix in a dab of curl cream (Osis Curl Me Soft) with the mousse if I'm airdrying to eliminate any crunchiness. If I'm blowdrying for smoother, wavier look, I've become a huge fan of Kevin Murphy's Anti Gravity Oil Free Volumizer and Smooth Again Anti-frizz Treatment. Aida is right in saying that our hair type requires products, so it pays to experiment because the results given by different products can differ dramatically. We have "fussy" hair, it seems.
Finally, I found it easier to think "French girl " hair instead of "American" hair. If you google "French girl hair", you'll see a much looser, softer, more "undone" look than deliberately shaped styles so common in North America. Those defined, deliberate curls produced at a hair salon are really hard to do on your own with our hair type.
