Vo5 Salon Series Hydrate + Nourish Shampoo and Conditioner
(retail: $2.99 each, 14.2 oz)
When I finally saw this new line in person, I was a bit surprised to find that the bottles are the exact same bottles as all of the other Vo5 shampoos and conditioners, only with a metallic red wrap about the bottles. The wrap gets a bit loose and wrinkly when you squeeze it (see above). Not a big deal, but I just wanted to point it out.
Just like many other Vo5 shampoos, this one is 'cone-free:
The conditioner is NOT 'cone-free, but it does contain some interesting ingredients such as quinoa, honey, and lots of different fruit extracts (the shampoo does too):
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here's what my hair looks like after I use this shampoo and conditioner (after air-drying). No styling products were used in either of these photos:
If you will recall, my hair CAN look like this when I air-dry (without the aid of styling products). I have naturally wavy hair that's fine in texture but I have a lot of it. My hair is oily at the roots, dry at the ends and color-treated. If I don't use the right shampoo and conditioner, my waves can look irregular, frizzy and flat, which is what you see above.
So let's start with the shampoo: It's thin and watery, just like all of the other Vo5 shampoos I've ever used. And just like all of the other Vo5 shampoos I've used, it doesn't take much effort to get a good lather. This shampoo rinses easily and doesn't linger in the hair. But for a formula that's called "Hydrate + Nourish" my hair feels awfully dry after I rinse. I'd say it's comparable to a clarifying shampoo--absolutely no coating is left behind after rinsing. Not even a tiny bit.
The conditioner: It's a TINY bit thicker in consistency than the other Vo5 conditioners I've used, but not by much (most Vo5 conditioners are pretty watery). Again, for a product that bills itself to "Hydrate and Nourish" I don't get either one from this conditioner. I have to use a lot of it to get even a tiny bit of detangling and when I rinse, my hair doesn't feel softer at all--not even a little bit. After my shower, I've noticed that I really put my Wet Brush to good use. My hair is tangle-prone as it is, but this conditioner really does nothing to help alleviate that and because my hair feels so dry after I get out of the shower, I have to spend more time brushing it out than I normally do.
Both the shampoo and conditioner are opaque white in color (nothing interesting there, so that's why I didn't include a pic) and they do SMELL amazing. I think I posted a press release a while back about this line and how Vo5 was introducing a new fragrance specifically created for these products. It's absolutely intoxicating to me when I'm using these products in the shower. I get lots of peach and maybe even a bit of pineapple, and there's a "clean" note in the background. Both the shampoo and conditioner smell heavenly but, sadly, that's the best part of the experience when it comes to these products.
FINAL VERDICT: If you're looking for an affordable shampoo and conditioner to help add hydration to your hair, I'd say that you should keep on walking right past these. I've had MUCH better luck with other Vo5 shampoos and conditioners (I'm actually LOVING the new Ocean Refresh shampoo and conditioner, which I find waaaaay more hydrating than these products) and the regular Vo5 shampoos and conditioners are usually just a buck a piece (versus $2.99 for the Salon Series). I'm sad to say that the lovely fragrance is the best part of this new shampoo and conditioner. Not a love-match for me. At all.
Have you tried anything from the new Vo5 Salon Series line yet? Thoughts?
The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.
My hair is alot like yours. So I'll definately have to dig around to see what you've posted works for you. I've been trying to figure out how to make my waves look better so that I can embrass them rather than be a slave to the flatening iron.
ReplyDeleteThe shampoo is not silicone free. Cyclopentasiloxane is a silicone, as is dimethiconol.
ReplyDeleteI was about to point that out too, as I was pretty sure it was. Also, this is the first beauty product I've seen around to contain quioa, which is interesting. Red algae is nice too see listed. I've been taking blue-green algae as a supplement for almost a yr now and definately noticed a difference in my new hair growth...seems to grow a bit faster. I have always loved White Rain Ocean Mist, but recently they changed the ingredients (added cones, removed the sea salt etc) and I'm not too happy w that. So I'll be looking into the V-05 Ocean that G referenced in this post...
DeleteI was excited to try this when you originally posted on this. However, if it weighed your hair down, it would definitely make mine a stringy mess. I will always live their Kiwi Lime shampoo, though. It's hands-down the best drugstore clarifying shampoo for me.
ReplyDelete