I have curly hair and it has taken me years to figure out what works best. The best thing I did was try a bunch of different techniques and products that were suggested by other people until I found the best combo for me. My hair is fine so I find that I need to focus more on holding products like mousse and gel vs a curl cream. Also, I know this is not something that everyone has access to but see if there is a curl specialist/ curly hair stylist in your area. They can give you a lot of insight into what might work well for your hair and tips for consistent styling (can be pricy so definitely a bit more of a luxury)