My SECRET to beautiful hair.
Written: Mar 16 '02 (Updated Mar 28 '02)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Beautiful hair: smooth, shiny, frizz-free, non-greasy, great smell.
Cons: Beauty takes time, money & hard work (right, girls?)
The Bottom Line: Which hair product to choose? There is a huge selection out there. I have done all the research and experimentation, and these products are simple 'must-have's.
|
|
|
| dentalstudent's Full Review: Hair Care Products |
Today I will tell you which hair products that I swear by. Unfortunately, the list is not short (and some products may be a bit pricey), but I promise you, each and every product is a true miracle.
I cannot tell you how many people marvel at how my hair looks/smells (boy, do I sound cocky.. I apologize - but I have to be honest here! sheesh.)
I will start by giving a short description of my hair. It is the type of hair that's not naturally straight or curly, it's kind of in between. You have to work hard to get it to either extreme; I have to either blow-dry it straight or manipulate it to get the curls. And it's long (almost waist-length.)
I cannot characterize it on the scale of "Dry/Damaged," "Color Treated/Permed," "Normal," or "Oily." I have all of the above! For the last 7 years, I have been color treating my hair with highlights and complete dyes (mostly done professionally but sometimes at home). Since I blow-dry it at least twice a week, it can get pretty dry/damaged. I also use some gels and mouses when I wear it curly, and those tend to be very drying also. My roots tend to get oily a couple of night after I wash my hair. But, all in all, I think my hair looks pretty normal and healthy.
So, how do I handle this confusing combination??
Using a combination of products. I tell you, it took me lots of years and money to arrive at what I know now.
I have noticed that what I use for shampoo doesn't make a whole lot of difference. That is why I won't emphasize any shampoos (I normally use TRESemme European Shampoo, Deep Cleansing for All Hair Types, because it's cheap ($4.49 for a huge 32 fl oz bottle), or if I feel like indulging, I use Infusium 23 Shampoo, Moisturizing Formula ($5.99 for 16 fl oz), or any Matrix Biolage shampoo.) But as I said before, the shampoo part does not matter. I can use something harsh or something super-moisturizing and I will get the same results in the long run. This is because it's what I do after I shampoo that matters.
Ok, ok! Here it is...
The List
1)TRESemme European Instant Self Warming Hot Oil Treatment, for Colored/Highlighted Hair.
Right now, this is my favorite conditioning treatment. It costs about $3 per box of 3 tubes. I have long hair so I use an entire tube during each shower. That translates to $1 per shower. Quite expensive, but I also use other conditioners, read on. Also, you may choose to use only half a tube per shower. I don't put this oil on my scalp (I know, these things are made for that. But I already have enough oil forming there!)
I would write an epinion on this special hot oil, but the product is not in the database. So this will serve as a short review. The oil is a quite light, orangy and liquidy. It smells phenomenal, phenomenal. It has a clean, fresh scent, almost like a good men's cologne, but very feminine at the same time. (I am sniffing my hair right now, it's so good.) It instantly warms as you put it on. And it lathers as you massage it into your hair. I leave it on for as long as I can, for at least 10 minutes. Before I rinse it off, I add my shampoo to it and lather. Then I rinse completely. My hair does not feel greasy at all, but it does feel soft and smooth and moisturized (by the way, this product contains aloe.) This is a new TRESemme product, so you may have trouble finding it. I bought mine at Wal-Mart.
2) Fantasia Frizz Buster Serum.
This serum is better than both John Frieda's Frizz-Ease and Redken's Glass, if you've tried those. It works amazingly after showering with the above hot oil. It also smells wonderful, almost like candy. On towel-dried hair, I massage a small portion of the serum all over (excluding my roots.) I brush, using a big brush, and add some more of the serum to areas that still feel dry. I add enough until I feel soft, smooth hair all over. This stuff is not greasy at all, unlike other anti-frizz serums, like John Frieda's Frizz-Ease (which I hate.)
This product is also not in the epinion database. Unfortunately, it's also hard to find in stores. I bought my big 6 oz. bottle for 6 dollars at a small beauty shop. Look for it in beauty supply stores. After I put it on, I blowdry my hair straight.
A Little Aside
This is how I blow dry my hair: I use a powerful professional blowdryer called Plimatic 2000 Super Turbo. I part my hair in the middle and make 2 big sections. Then I use a regular jumbo brush, and I blow dry straight down, making sure to keep the dryer about 3-5 inches away. Then, I touch it up by using a big round-bristle brush around the crown area.
Back to the List
3) Farouk Systems Silk Therapy, by Biosilk.
I have used this product consistently for the past 4 years, after every shower (in the same way I use #2 above.) After so long of using the same product, I kind of needed a change, so I started using #2. I still believe that it's one of the best anti-frizz products. I intend to always have a bottle of it handy.
It costs about $18 for a 5.64 oz bottle. This anti-frizz serum that smells awesome, almost powdery, and many of my friends swear by it.
4) ion anti-frizz Glossing Mist.
If you have not used this product, you have not seen how shiny your hair can be. It comes in a small spray bottle (4 fl oz) that costs about $7. I spray this product on dry hair, curly or straight, when I feel it needs some extra shine. It really helps define curls and tames away the frizzies.
You have to be careful with this one, though. If you spray too much, you'll be a grease-ball. Just spray from a foot away, so it isn't so concentrated. Run a brush or your fingers through it to even it out. The smell is very nice and powdery.
5) Aussie Natural Gel, Light Hold.
Aussie is a great brand. If you haven't tried their products - do! I use this gel only on curly hair (it makes straight hair too sticky to work with, and you get too much build-up). I put it on towel-dried, brushed hair. I apply a small portion and scrunch up. This stuff really holds, with very mild stickiness. It's got a lot of fruit extracts and other goodies, and you can smell it from a mile away. I don't brush my curls after I put this on. I use this stuff maybe twice a month, because I usually wear my hair straight.
I find that this product is a bit drying, so when I do use it, I make sure to follow with a nice conditioning treatment, like TRESemme Hot-Oil Treatment.
6) Aussie 3-Minute Miracle.
I use this sometimes because it's such an excellent conditioner. It makes my hair super-soft, softer than any other conditioner, but I hate its smell. That's just me, though - I know people who love it. I won't say any more about it, because there's plenty of information here on epinions about it.
7) tcb Conditioner & Blowdry Lotion.
tcb is a brand tayloring to African American women. After my white (blonde) hairstylist told me that this is the only product she uses, I decided to buy a bottle (under $3). Wow! It is soooooo good. I put a tiny bit of it on towel-dried hair, after showering. It's super-moisturizing, and your hair will become super-straight after blowdrying. Be careful, though, this product is a little heavy, so don't use too much of it. You can find this product in the African American beauty section.
Whew! I hope that I have been helpful. I truly believe in these products. If you haven't tried one of them, I urge you to, especially if you have my type(s) of hair.
Thanks for reading, and have a great day.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
dentalstudent
|
|
Location: Manhattan
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 2 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.