Whelp, I'm done experimenting w/ "no gel wng".
I did however find another good leave-in/gel combo.
I washed my hair w/ HE Blue Ginger & Micellar Water shampoo. I gave this, Curls (Green Collection) Green Tea Hair Rinse, another go. It's definitely a trial & error product. I followed this up w/ Silicon Mix Bambu as my d/c.
I chose to use the Curls Blueberry Bliss Twist-N-Shout cream as my leave-in, it works well under the Wetline Xtreme Aloe (Green) gel as my styler.
I remember what happened last time w/ the Design Essentials mist, but it goes well on top of Wetline Xtreme Aloe (I haven't tried it on clear Wetline gel).
I used the DE Almond & Avocado mist as a sealant, then I topped it off w/ OGX Orchid Oil spray as a finisher. I'm currently air-drying my hair.