Review: NEW Alberto VO5 Shine, Glow & Go Beauty Oil for Hair & Skin

Press Sample 

I'm excited to be able to share with you a brand new product from VO5 that is just now starting to hit stores. I don't remember the last product that VO5 made for both hair AND skin (have they ever?), so I was happy to have the opportunity to receive this product for review in advance of its release. Let's take a look!

NEW Alberto VO5 Shine, Glow & Go Beauty Oil for Hair & Skin

(retail: around $4.99, 5.9 oz)

Keep reading for my full review...

Looking above, you can see that this product does not contain silicones, mineral oil or parabens. I probably don't have to tell you that this is sort of rare when it comes to inexpensive hair/skin products at the drugstore level. The main ingredient in this product is sunflower oil, followed by isopropyl palmitate, which Paula Begoun gives a "Good" rating (it's a palm-based thickening/emollient agent). The third ingredient is burity oil (I believe it's also spelled "buriti") which, according to Wikipedia, can help with skin's elasticity and is good for dry and brittle hair. Further down the list are macadamia, argan, shea, coconut and grapseed oils. Overall, this product contains ingredients that I'm very familiar with (and know how to pronounce), which is nice.

Made in USA

From VO5:

Unlike many other beauty oils available at drug, grocery and mass retailers, VO5 Shine, Glow & Go Beauty Oil is free of mineral oils, which can clog pores and strip skin’s natural oils.  VO5’s new product consists of an all-natural, proprietary blend of oils -- argan, macadamia, sunflower, shea, grapeseed, and coconut – that allow skin and hair to breathe and let in natural oils for nourishment. 

Also free of parabens and dyes, VO5 Shine, Glow and Go Beauty Oil delivers an amazing value for the money - with a suggested retail price of only $4.99 for 5.9 oz in a fine-mist spray bottle for easy and quick application.

It's difficult to photograph a product that is both clear and oily, but the photo above was taken after one small pump onto the back of my hand, with the nozzle held very close to my skin.

This photo was taken about five minutes after rubbing the product into the back of my hand. As you can see, this oil does not leave a shiny or greasy look to the skin.

FOR HAIR: I have tried this product both on wet hair and dry hair, and I much prefer the results when applied on wet hair (keep in my mind that my hair is fine in texture, so any type of oil applied to my hair when dry can weigh it down). The first time I used this, I applied it rather liberally right out of the shower. I found that it helped to detangle before brushing, which I love. After I finished brushing my hair, my boyfriend commented that my hair "looked healthier" than how it normally looks after a shower, so I felt like I was off to a good start. I almost always allow my hair to air-dry, and when I did this after applying this product, I had less frizz than I usually have. My hair was quite smooth and soft, and a bit more shiny than usual. 

The only issue I had after that first try was that my hair looked greasier earlier than usual. I have very oily hair and it usually looks a bit greasy about 1 to 1-1/2 days after shampooing, and I felt like my hair looked a little greasy in a little less than a day after using this product. So the next few times I used this product, I reduced the amount and focused more on the lower third portion of my hair, and that really helped. Overall, I like this for my hair--used sparingly. It provides some nice, light hydration to my dry ends, while keeping frizzies at bay. Oh, and I prefer to spray this directly into my cupped hand, then I work it through the hair that way. This prevents any mist from hitting the floor, which means the boyfriend won't yell at me for "gunking up" the bathroom!

FOR SKIN: This isn't exactly a dry oil, meaning it doesn't instantly absorb the way dry oils do. However, I find that it does absorb a lot quicker than other non-dry-oils I own. I can apply one spritz to my forearm and I have plenty of time to work it in from my wrist to my elbow before it absorbs to a nice, soft (but not greasy) finish. I don't really know how to describe it other than to say my skin just looks soft when I use this product. Not shiny, not oily--just softer than before. And very soft to the touch. I brought this bottle to my parents' house to let them try it too, and both my of my parents (who are in their 70s) loved it on their hands and arms (I mean, they loved it to the point where they wanted me to leave the bottle there). 

I've also used this product on my legs and feet, but I feel like it's not quite moisturizing enough for me in those areas, where my skin tends to be extra dry. But I really love it on my upper body (especially my arms and décolleté area). I find that hydration lasts quite a long time for me in those areas and I really only need to apply this once after the shower and I'm good to go for the rest of the day. And just like with hair application, I like to spray this directly into my cupped hand and then apply to my skin from there (it helps to avoid slippery floors that way).

FRAGRANCE: The first time I smelled this, I immedately though, "honey and flowers!" There's a sweet honeysuckle note here (probably due to the fact that there is both honeysuckle flower extract and honeysuckle extract in this product) which is quite lovely. I also get a fresh, clean note that sort of reminds me of a nice-smelling shampoo. And waaay in the background, I get the tiniest whiff of coconut. Overall, it's a very pleasant scent that I enjoy quite a bit. I actually would buy this scent if it was available in a body mist or linen spray!

FINAL VERDICT: It's great to have an affordable, mineral oil-free and silicone-free skin and hair oil available at the drugstore level, and this one is quite nice. I of course love that it serves double-duty, giving you more bang for your buck, and I think it works well in both capacities. You might have to play around with it a bit to find the amount that works for your hair, but if you suffer from frizzies or flyaways and just generally want a bit of nice, light hydration to either your hair or skin (or both), I think this is one to consider. 

Have you spotted this product at your local drugstores yet? Do you already own it? I'd love to hear from you! Also, if you'd like to know where it's available in your area, CLICK HERE for a store locator.

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. For more information, click here.