Review: Generic Value Products Version of Sebastian Potion 9

I promised I'd return to product reviews soon, and I meant it! Today I'd like to talk about Generic Value Products Concentrated Leave-in Treatment (compare to Sebastian Potion 9), which is available at Sally Beauty. This is going to be a tandem review, which means that the fabulous and hair-savvy Anthony at The Art & Science of [beauty] is actually reviewing the real thing, Sebastian Potion 9 (click here for his review), while I review the generic version. Anthony and I did a tandem review a while back for Joico K-PAK (I reviewed the Generic Value Products version and he reviewed the real thing) and it was so much fun--I'm glad we're doing it again for Sebastian Potion 9!

GVP Concentrated Leave-in Treatment retails for $6.29 at Sally (I bought it for $5.49 with the Sally Club Card) and the squeeze tube is 6.8 oz, which will last a very long time since you really only need a pea-sized amount per use (since my hair is long I use two pea-sized amounts).

(I had an incredibly difficult time photographing this without light reflecting off the tube--these pics were taken without flash and it still isn't great--sorry!)

So just like Anthony said in his review, all these years of seeing this product, I assumed Sebastian Potion 9 was a treatment. Heck, it even says "treatment" on the tube. But actually, this performs much more like a styling product for me, and I don't know if it has any long-term benefits (like a treatment does). But don't let that scare you off because, for what it is, it ROCKS.

I have been using this product for about a month now, and honestly, it's become something that I miss desperately if I don't use it. Let me back up and tell those of you who aren't loyal readers of this blog a little about my hair, so that you can judge if this might be a good product for you:

My hair is long (it goes a little past my bra strap, for reference). The texture of my hair is fine, but I have lots of it. My hair is color-treated and dry at the ends, but oily at the roots. Also, I have a natural wave to my hair that can result in long ringlets (if I take the time to style it right) or a frizzed out weird mess (if I don't style it right).

So if you hair is anything like mine, then this review might help you. If your hair is thick, coarse, stick-straight or extremely curly, then I have no basis for telling you if this product will work for you. You'll have to try it and see. Otherwise, for the ladies (and gentlemen) out there that might have similar hair to mine, let me cut to the chase and suggest that you give this product a whirl. And here's why:

If you apply this to clean, wet hair and work it from about midway down to the ends, you'll notice that it feels very slick. It's got a lot of slip, and it might even feel like it's not touching your hair, but rather floating on top of it. Don't let that deceive you. Comb it through your hair and let it do its magic.

Here's a picture of what it looks like--the consisency is a little bit thin and runny, but not so thin that it will drip down your hand when you squirt it out of the tube:

Now, what's the magic? For me, this product does two things. If I let it air-dry (as Anthony mentioned in his review) I am left with defined, consistent ringlets. My hair is soft, bouncy, and much more full. No crunch and no residue. Totally awesome. Oh, and the smell is pretty yummy as well. It's sort of a cross between fruity (apricots, maybe?) and clean (soapy).

If I blow-dry my hair, OMG OMG OMG. Look OUT, people! I don't even need a round brush! I can literally just flip my head upside-down, blow-dry with my fingers and when I flip my head right-side-up, I am AMAZED at what this product does! Instead of a weird, slightly frizzed out head of hair (what usually happens when I blow-dry without the use of a round brush or other styling tool), I've got soft, bouncy hair that's full of body and void of any frizz whatsoever. Seriously, my hair looks like it did back in high school, before the years of damage did a number to my hair. It feels and looks amazing, I tell you! So much so, that I really can't imagine not using this when I choose to straighten my hair now.

So...if you're in need of a good styling product for the days when you want to blow-dry your hair or let it air-dry, and your hair is similar to mine, I highly recommend giving GVP Concentrated Leave-In Treatment a try (and of course tell me what you think!). And if you hair isn't similar to mine, and you choose to give this a try, I would absolutely love to know what you think of it as well!

And before I forget, here's a pic of the side-by-side comparison of ingredients. I checked it twice and it looks like the exact same formula:

If you have already used Sebastian Potion 9, or the GVP version, I would love to know your thoughts.