Review: Marc Anthony Dream Waves Collection

The one thing I've been naturally blessed with when it comes to beauty is the fact that I can easily achieve "beachy waves" when I use the right combination of products. Since my hair is naturally wavy and fine in texture (although I have a lot of it), it's relatively easy for me to get long, loose ringlets (thanks, genetics!).

THANK GOODNESS beachy waves have been a strong trend these past several years (trust me, I'll be VERY sad when this look is completely out of style). I don't need a curling iron, or any heat source at all actually, to achieve long, loose, piece-y ringlets, but I do need that perfect combination of products. So when Marc Anthony sent me their line of Dream Waves products for review recently, I was so excited to try them.  

Marc Anthony is one of those brands that I've seen at the drugstores for a long time but, due to their extensive array of products, I've always been kind of overwhelmed about what to try first. So if you're like me and new to this brand, I hope this review can help you navigate through their product line a bit easier! 

(PS: I will be reviewing additional Marc Anthony products in the coming weeks, so if beachy waves aren't your thing, don't worry--I've got you covered).

Marc Anthony Dream Waves Collection

Dream Waves Amplifying Shampoo and Conditioner

(retail: $7.99 each, 8.4 oz)

Dream Waves Amplifying Lotion

(retail: $7.99, 4.7 oz)

Dream Waves Beach Spray

(retail: $8.99, 4.2 oz)

All of the products in this line are sulfate-free, and also paraben free:

Shampoo ingredients:

Something I noticed when I read the ingredients on the shampoo (above), was that this product contains Magnesium Sulfate. Since the labels on the Dream Waves products say "Sulfate Free", I decided to ask Marc Anthony for clarification regarding this ingredient. Here is Marc Anthony's response:

With respect to the Shampoo, Dream Waves products are free of the SLS surfactant Sulfate deemed to be harmful (Sodium Laurel Sulfate). Magnesium Sulfate (commonly called Epsom Salt) is not a surfactant. Along with conditioning Polymers, Magnesium Sulfate helps to enhance wave. This works the same way as the salts in the ocean, helping hair constrict as it dries to get the most out of your natural movement.

Conditioner ingredients:

Beach Spray ingredients:

Amplifying Lotion ingredients:

So, now that we know that these products (all but the conditioner) contain Magnesium Sulfate (aka Epsom Salt) to mimic the effects of ocean water on the hair, let's take a look at some before-and-afters, taken on two separate days. (I want to apologize for not doing before-and-afters on some of my past haircare reviews--I had no idea how much you all enjoyed seeing these types of pics so I'll definitely do them from here on out when possible):

My hair on a "normal" day, after using a standard shampoo, conditioner and leave-in spray:

As you can see in the pics above and below, my hair has wave to it, but it doesn't really have that piece-y, beachy feel to it. The waves all sort of clump together:

My hair after using Marc Anthony Dream Waves shampoo, conditioner and Beach Spray:

 

I hope you can see in these "after" pics my hair doesn't have the same shine as the "before" pics. It's got that "day at the beach", salt-water-and-sun type of of look to it, and my ringlets are loose and definitely more piece-y:

In the above pics, I shampooed and conditioned using the Dream Waves shampoo and conditioner, and then when my hair was still damp, I applied a generous amount of Beach Waves spray, gave it a good "scrunch" and let my hair air-dry.

All of the products in the Marc Anthony Dream Waves family have the same fragrance. They all smell like tropical coconut so, if you're a coconut fan, you'll probably enjoy the scent of these products as much as I do. I think the fragrance of the products in this collection perfectly matches the whole "day at the beach" vibe.

Dream Waves Sulfate Free Amplifying Shampoo and Conditioner: A long time ago, I used to love using volumizing shampoos and conditioners because they didn't weigh my hair down. But then, I realized that many volumizing shampoos and conditioners also tend to leave my hair feeling dry. This makes sense because in order to bring volume to the hair, you can't really pack a shampoo and conditioner full of moisturizing ingredients. So after I realized this, I stopped using volumizing shampoos and conditioners and was actually a little afraid to try these Dream Waves products. Well, I'm happy to tell you that neither the shampoo nor conditioner seem to give my hair a dry feeling. In fact, the conditioner is more moisturizing than any other volumizing conditioner I can remember using. Both product leave my hair feeling soft, but not heavy or weighed down. As for increasing volume, it's been nothing terribly dramatic, but they do seem to give my hair some added texture and they don't leave my hair feeling coated or waxy. 

Dream Waves Amplifying Lotion: This product sort of has the consistency of a cream-gel hybrid. It's not a full-on cream, yet it's not a traditional hair gel either.  I've tried this product a number of times but I just can't seem to make it work for me. It doesn't really give my particular hair type any added volume, but it does give it some slight added texture. I can't see myself reaching for this product in the future, but if you have a different hair type from mine, it could possibly work for you. For me personally, it's a skip.

Dream Waves Beach Spray: If you were to only purchase one product from the Dream Waves line, I'd highly suggest getting the Beach Spray. For me, this is truly the star of the show. Aside from the delicious coconut fragrance, I find this product to work wonders for my waves. It's a snap to apply, and I've found that even on the occasions when I was a little overzealous with application, it never left my hair feeling crunchy, stiff or greasy. I just spray it throughout my hair when it's still damp and let Mother Nature do her thing! After my hair dries, I get exactly what you see in the pictures above: long, loose, piece-y ringlets. LOVE this stuff.

FINAL VERDICT:  The Marc Anthony Dream Waves Collection has some great, affordable products to help you get those summertime beachy waves. The one product that didn't work for me was the Amplifying Lotion, but the shampoo and conditioner exceeded my expectations. By far, the star of this collection is the Beach Spray. I love, love, love how easy it is to use (spray it on damp hair, give your locks a good scrunch and you're DONE) and I also love that no matter how much I apply, it never seems to get crunchy or greasy. I highly recommend this product if you hair has any sort of natural wave to it, although I obviously cannot tell you how it would work on stick-straight hair, since my hair is not naturally straight.

You can find Marc Anthony haircare products at CVS, Duane Reade, Fred Meyer, Harmon Stores, HEB, Rite Aid and Ulta. You can also find Marc Anthony products in Canada and other countries. For more information and store locations, click here.

Do you already own any Marc Anthony haircare products? Do you have any favorites? Please stay tuned for more Marc Anthony reviews in the near future.

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.