Biolage ColorLast Shampoo and Conditioner

I have been faithfully using the Matrix Color Care line of shampoo and conditioner and then I was informed on my last salon visit that the products will not longer be available and that I am going to need to find a different core shampoo and conditioner.  I decided that I would trust whatever formula that my stylist recommended and would try it out.  Over the past few months of visits, she has used either the Matrix color line or the Biolage ColorLast line on my hair so it was an easy decision to purchase the shampoo and conditioner from that line.  I haven't had the best experiences from Biolage products in the past (think college) but I doubt that many of those products are even offered in the line anymore and formulas have been revamped over the years. 

This collection contains both shampoo and conditioner and then some targeted products to hydrate and style color treated hair.  I started with the shampoo and conditioner as I am in no need of any more styling products in my collection.  "Forget about de-saturated color. These state-of-the-art formulas and color-treated hair care products, inspired by nature, help protect hair, balance moisture and even out the hair’s surface for saturated, shiny, vibrant color that stays truer.", is the description of the overall line.  I have been using the shampoo and conditioner for several days now and I am happy with the results so I think that I will be buying more of the styling products once I begin to use some of my current ones up.

We will start with the shampoo and then move onto the conditioner.  "Color-treated hair can fade and lose it's luster over time. Inspired by nature's fade-defying orchid,  Biolage COLORLAST Shampoo helps maintain the color depth, tone and shine for vivid color-treated hair. Give her hair salon-vibrant color for up to 9 weeks.  (When using the system of COLORLAST Shampoo and Conditioner vs. a non-conditioning shampoo.).  The following are the features and benefits of use of the shampoo:
 - Low pH shampoo for color-treated hair helps prolong color vibrancy.
 - Gently cleanses to prevent unnecessary stripping of color.
 - Paraben-free formula is suitable for color-treated hair.

Now we will move onto the matching conditioner.  "Color-treated hair often loses it's color and luster over time.  Inspired by nature's fade-defying orchid,  Biolage COLORLAST Conditioner helps maintain the color depth, tone and shine for vivid color-treated hair. Give her hair salon-vibrant color for up to 9 weeks.  (When using the system of COLORLAST Shampoo and Conditioner vs. a non-conditioning shampoo.).  The features and benefits of this product are:
 - Low pH Conditioner moisturizes hair, extending the life of your color.
 - Hair is left soft and detangled with extra shine and depth of color.
 - Paraben-free formula is formulated specifically for color-treated hair.

I really like this combination and am very happy that I have been able to easily replace my Matrix formulas.  The shampoo requires only a nickel-sized drop to completely foam up and clean my shoulder length hair.  It rinses clean and doesn't leave any type of build up on my hair.  I haven't needed any type of clarifying formula ever since I began using this on a daily basis.  The conditioner performs just as well, if not better.  This is one of my favorite daily conditioners that I have every used and I have used a lot over the years.  It is thicker than most daily conditioners and more on par with a deep conditioner.  A quarter-sized drop covers my hair and I leave it on for about three minutes in the shower.  It hydrates well and detangles my hair, I can run my fingers through my wet hair right after rinsing with this formula.  The smell of these two products is herbal but no major notes stand out to my nose.  I don't mind the fragrance but I don't love it.  I have no issues with color fade out and this group performs very similar to the Matrix in that respect.  I will not make it to nine weeks since I get my redone every four to five weeks.

What could have been a beauty disaster for me was quickly adverted and I believe that it is for the better too.  This formula is more hydrating than the Matrix formula and makes my hair soft and shiny even after all the heat styling that I subject it to.  I will need to start using some of the styling products in this line over the next few months.

photo courtesy of Biolage

Matrix Color Care Intensive Hair Mask

About two months ago, I ordered and reviewed the Monoi Hair Mask from the Carol's Daughter hair care line and I have been using it happily ever since.  I love that mask so much that it makes me want to buy more from Carol's Daughter and see how all the different products in the line perform, a task that I will taking on once I begin to run on some of my different hair care products.  Due to the fact that I highlight and color my hair along with heat styling it nearly every single, I take very careful care when I pick out my shampoo and conditioner formulas and will alternate formulas every few days so that I do wash my color down the drain or create a build up issue on my strands.  One of the sets that I always use is the Matrix Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner (the set recommended to me by my hair stylist) and then I alternate the other set between many different brands.  With my last purchase of the Matrix Color Care set, I received another free product from this collection.  The last time that I bought the set, I received a small size of the leave-in spray and this time I received a small version of the Intensive Hair Mask.  I am still very happy with the Carol's Daughter formula but I wanted to try out the Matrix Mask and see how it performed.

I think that I used a much older version of this mask when I was a senior in college and was using Matrix pretty religiously, I got away from the brand in the following years but then came back to it when I was recommended it from my stylist and I remembered why I loved the brand several years ago.  The Shampoo and Conditioner will be among my favorite products for a long time coming and I am considering picking up the Leave In when I need a new bottle of a leave in treatment.

The Matrix website states, "Weekly, deep conditioning treatment. Nourishes hair with intense moisture. Helps strengthen porous hair."  The two active ingredients in this product are Vitamin E and Sunflower Oil.  Vitamin E is "rich in antioxidants, Vitamin E helps fight free radical damage and defend against environmental aggressors." and Sunflower Oil is "rich in antioxidants, Sunflower Oil contains emollients to soften and condition hair."

After using this product twice, I can already state that I know that I will not be purchasing the full size of the mask.  This is a nice mask and helps to hydrate my hair but I could do better with a bunch of different formulas.  Perhaps the Carol's Daughter Mask has spoiled me but this mask barely registered on my beauty product radar.  It is a typical deep conditioner, it hydrated my hair better than before using it but any conditioner formula would (whether I bought it at Wal-Mart or Sephora) and my looked exactly same before and after use.  The little bit of improvement that this product brought to my hair is not worth me buying the product, I would finish up the free bottle of it that I got with the shampoo and conditioner but that is all.

I think that this is the biggest let down of the Color Care line, I love the other three products in the line but this one will be skipped over the next time that I am at the salon.  This is an ordinary formula and will help hydrate but there are many more formulas on the market that will do that and much more.

photo courtesy of Matrix

Current Favorites!

It has been about a month since I last put my favorites up and I have been trying to stick to a schedule of dong one at least every four weeks.  Last December, I was all about red shades for lips and nails but then as soon as the holidays went by, I really stopped wearing red on a daily basis.  Right now I am more interested in skincare products and mixing more neutral shades into my makeup looks.  I am all about leaving winter behind as soon as possible and beginning to wear shades that scream "spring", I still haven't even really begun my spring beauty shopping yet but I have a huge list of products and shades that I want buy. 

My favorites right now include the Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil, which should be no surprise to anyone since I raved about the product in it's initial review and have been comparting every single skincare product that I have used ever since to it.  In fact, I had planned to do a Theme Week of skincare ingredients this month but I am having to push it to next month since I haven't been able to try all the products that I bought and still use the Maracuja Oil optimally.  It it pretty rare that I find a skincare item that has the power to change my whole regime...

My five favorites of right now!

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil - "A 100 percent pure organic maracuja oil.  This undiluted organic and moisturizing maracuja oil quickly absorbs for firmer, brighter, smoother skin. Pure maracuja oil is rich in vitamin C, so skin appears instantly brighter and more radiant, as well as essential fatty acids (EFAs), a requirement for healthy skin cells that the body cannot produce on its own. EFA deficiency can result in the breakdown of essential skin cells which causes skin to appear dry and aged. By supplementing skin with pure maracuja oil, you are infusing life back into dull skin and replenishing EFAs to rapidly rebuild and repair. This potent antiaging elixir that has anti-inflammatory benefits promotes active skin recovery and delivers maximum hydration without any greasy or filmy feel."  I just can't rave about this face oil enough, it is very hydrating and is actually helping my skin to retain moisture in between uses.  My skin just looker brighter thanks to all the Vitamin C in the product and my face hasn't taken on the gray pallor that it often does in the dead of winter.  The only breakout that I had when I started using the oil has compltely gone away and no more have popped up since then.  This oil is the best product that I have used on my skin for the past few months.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in DWS - "A vivacious nail varnish.  Leave your mark with bold, rich, vibrant colors that stand out. The formula is long-wearing and chip-resistant and contains individual finishes from matte to high-gloss. Apply two coats for high-intensity and use with Illamasqua Nail Base Coat and Illamasqua Nail Top Coat for the perfect finish. Make a statement and talk with your hands!"  DWS is a "cement gray cream" and is a neutral hue for me this time of the year.  this shade matches pretty much everything that I own and I get three to four days of wear from the shade with very minimal tip wear.  I have been turning to this shade at least once a week for the past month and I will continue to wear it for the rest of the winter and then into spring.

Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb - "This floral explosion releases a profusion of flowers that has the power to make everything seem more positive. Magically evocative notes immediately awaken your deepest senses, giving you the impression of living life in your own secret garden, away from reality. Sambac jasmine, centifolia rose, cattleya orchid, and ballerina freesia bloom on a base of patchouli.  Notes: Sambac Jasmine, Centifolia Rose, Cattleya Orchid, Ballerina Freesia, Patchouli."  Flowerbomb is a spicy floral that works best in the cold weather and I have been using it all the time for the past month, I will need to put it away come spring and that actually depresses.  This is one of the few spicy scents that I can easily wear and I love how the rose and jasmine notes mix and produce one of the prettist floral fragrances that I have used. 

Matrix Miracle Treat 12 Lotion Spray - "Conditions like a lotion. Sprays like a mist. Sunflower Oil, rich in antioxidant, provides 12 instant benefits: Helps protect color-treated hair/Detangles/Helps seal the hair from damage/Helps prevent breakage/Maximizes natural body/Smoothes the cuticle/Deeply conditions/Helps strengthen hair/Delivers instant silkiness/Increases manageability/Tames frizz/Helps restore shine."  I have been using this leave-in treatment every other night and so far have avoided most of the winter hair pitfalls.  My static and flyways are reduced and my hair is much softer to the touch.  This product helps to smooth the cuticle and protect hair from both heat styling and the elements, while keeping color from fading.  This is a great leave-in for dry winter hair and my hair is in much better condition than before I started using it.

Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Katie - "A powder blusher.  Illuminate and enliven your complexion with the color and drama of Illamasqua Powder Blusher. Color intense and highly pigmented, it can be used to shade, brighten, enhance, and define the shape of your face. Be bold, be daring, and be the center of attention."  Katie is a "light milky pink" and I can only pull the color off when my skin is pale.  This shade gives me the perfect light pink flush and makes me looks as though I have just come in from the cold.  Pink blush shades are my favorite and this is the one that I have been using for the past month.

My favorites right now are all about keeping my skin and hair looking nice and healthy throughout the cold weather months.  Hydrating products for my face and hair are making me look good right now and therefore mean that I will look much better in the spring months.  Usually at the end of this month is when I start thinking about what I need to do my appearance to start getting ready for spring and this year I have been using some great products that will take me into the warm weather very easily!

photo courtesy of Sephora

Matrix Color Care Miracle Treat 12 Lotion Spray

Ever since last summer, I have been using the Color Care line from Matrix, this is yet another great recommendation from my stylist and I have been rebuying these two products as soon as I run out of them.  The last time that I went to the salon and went to replace the products, we were able ti find a holiday gift set that contained both the shampoo and conditioner and then a small size in a product that I have not tried before.  That product is the Miracle Treat 12 Lotion Spray, a leave-on conditioner that my stylist loves for dry, colored-treated hair.  I have been using it every night that I wash my hair for the past week and so far I can state that this is another winner from the Matrix Color Care line.  Two products very quickly become three for me and now I wonder how long it will be before I start walking out of the salon with a huge bag full of products every single visit...

I still use the Matrix Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner every other time that I wash my hair and I have added this product to my nightly routine.  I alternate the shampoo and conditioner with Fekkai however I use this treatment every single time that I wash and condition.  My hair is even worse in the winter than it is in the summer and it gets so dry and full of static that I spent more time caring for it than any other time in the year.  I so cannot wait for spring to begin!

So this time of the year, I will pretty much try any type of moisturizing face or hair care products, as long as they are recommended to me by someone who knows what they are talking about, I am likely to buy/order any type of product that might help a bit.  I tend to be all over deep conditioners and leave-in treatments during the winter so I was more than excited to buy the gift set version of the Matrix Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner and then receive a small size of the leave-in treatment.  And it now looks like I will be buying a replacement of this product too...

The Color Care Miracle Treat 12 Lotion Spray is a spray-on, leave-in treatment that is made to hydrate and help to protect hair from the damage that occurs with heat styling.  I also tend to heat style more in the winter months since beachy waves are not quite my style during the snowy months.  This only makes the dryness problem worse so this is the type of product that I need to use as much as I can during the winter.

"Conditions like a lotion. Sprays like a mist. Sunflower Oil, rich in antioxidant, provides 12 instant benefits:
- Helps protect color-treated hair
- Detangles
- Helps seal the hair from damage
- Helps prevent breakage
- Maximizes natural body
- Smoothes the cuticle
- Deeply conditions
- Helps strengthen hair
- Delivers instant silkiness
- Increases manageability
- Tames frizz
- Helps restore shine"

The first result that I saw is that my hair is much softer to the touch when using this product, it functions very well as a hydrating leave-in and I will keep using it for this purpise over the next few month.  Along with being softer, my hair is more smooth than it was before, I still have to heat style it like I always would but it appears much smoother after using the flat iron on it.  This product is part of the Color Care so it helps to maintain color when used with the shampoo and conditioner, both of the products really helped to maintain my color, this will add to it but I don't expect this product to really change how my hair holds onto the color.  I can't hurt to use it but I don't expect to see any great change in my hair color.  As long as it helps hydrate my hair, I don't really need it to do much else.  I will continue to use the Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner so they will work well together to help protect my highlights.

After using this product every single night for five days, my hair started to get some of the product built up on it and I did need to give it a rest for two days.  With also using the Bamboo hair Oil from Alterna, my hair has a lot of product on it every day and I needed to stop using this product for a day just to get rid of the build up feeling that was on my hair.  Going forward, I will use it for three days and then take a day off from it and then go back to using it.

I recommend this product if your hair is dry and needs extra hydration during the winter months, especially if you heat style on a daily basis.  I wouldn't recommend it for fine hair as it does contain Sunflower Oil and caused a bit of build up.  If it builds up on my thick hair, I don't quite know how it would react on fine or thin hair.

photo courtesy of Matrix

Matrix Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner

At the very end of last month, I spent a long afternoon at my favorite salon and walked out with a full head of lowlights.  My hair color and style goal is to have my hair almost the same hue and cut as Rooney Mara.  My stylist told me that this transformation will take at leat two visits in total and lots of care in between visits.  She has never done me wrong on what she thinks will work for my hair type and face shape and every product that she has recommended for me has worked wonders for my hair.  Needless to say, when she recommended a new shampoo and conditioner to me on my last visit, I brought a bottle of each of them right up to the register.  I have already used a series of Matrix products over the years and have always been happy with the results so when she recommended the Color Care Shampoo and matching conditioner.

One of the major concerns after I got my lowlights was color fading, I run outside in the summer months which can have an awful effect on hair color.  I don't want my lowlights becoming too light since then my whole first visit will have gone to waste.  The whole Matrix Color Care line contains Fade Guard Technology with Vitamin E and Sunflower Oil.  I bought the shampoo and conditioner at my last visit and I might want to buy more products in the line when I go next month.

The shampoo is a lightly scented, thick cleanser that produces a little bit of thick foam.  "Gently cleanses dulling residue.  Renews moisture and helps strengthen porous hair."  A shampoo with less cleansers will strip less color out of the hair, preserving all the color that has been added to it.  If you dye your hair and then don't use a color protecting shampoo on it then all of your color will be striped out of it, leaving it uneven in both texture and tone.  This shampoo promises (when used with the conditioner) that you will not see color fading for 45 washes.  By the time that I get to 45 washes, I will be back at the salon, I only wash my hair every other day so using this combination will give me about three months of minimal fading.  So far I have been using this combination for about three weeks and I haven't noticed any fading or color dulling, I am very happy with this product.  This product contains UV protectors, so I am hoping that the sun will not reak havoc on my lowlights.  My only minimal complaint with this shampoo is that I have to rinse this formula a bit more than I have to with other blends, it is on the heavier side and takes a bit longer under the water to fully get all the product out.

After I use the shampoo, I follow it up with the matching conditioner.  "Moisturizes and nourishes.  Provides lasting shine and color care."  The conditioner formula is made to complement the shampoo formula, the shampoo is the star of the two products.  The conditioner is made to hydrate the hair and then to completely seal the cuticle so it lies flat.  When the cuticle is closed, the hair is less prone to fading and uneven texture issues.  This conditioner is very rich and only a small amount is needed to cover the hair.  The first time that I used it, I squeezed way too much out and ended up wasting a ton of product.  A quarter-sized drop is all that I need to obtain hydrating and smoothing results. 
This line might be my favorite of all the Matrix Shampoo and Conditioner lines, I love how soft and smooth my hair is and my color hasn't had any noticeable fading after almost three weeks.  This formula is very thick and rich so I cannot see it being the best choice for ladies with fine hair, I would only recommend this line for medium to thick hair types.  The Color Care line has several other products in it, I am very interested in the deep treatment mask.  I already own the PhytoCitrus color care mask but when I am done with that product, I would like to purchase the selection from this line. 

Another winning recommendation from my wonderful hair stylist!

photo courtesy of Matrix

Matrix Sleek Look Shampoo and Conditioner

The last two pieces of the Matrix Sleek Look collection that I bought are the shampoo and the conditioner, I have finished up with all the styling creams from this line and now I am about two weeks into using the matching shampoo and conditioning products.  I originally used this shampoo and condition right after I graduated from college, when it was newer on the market.  I found that the shampoo and conditioner are best used for someone that smoothes and straightens their hair every single day, this is not for someone who wants to play around with different hair textures every single day. 

This set of products will not straighten hair by themselves, at least one additional styling product will be needed to fully style and achieve the perfect straight hair look.  That being said, these products help to deposit the needed ingredients on the hair so that less styling products are needed and styling time is reduced.  The Sleek Look line uses the following two ingrediens in every product in the line to aid in the straightening and smoothing process, shea butter and ceramide.  Shea butter is used to hydrate and aid in moisture retention, if the hair cuticle is hydrated to begin with than the moisture from the air cannot seep in and it will help to easily prevent frizz.  Ceramide helps to smooth hair and keep the cuticle closed, allowing the styling products to easily coat the hair and help the ironing process.
This line is made to help with the appearance of frizzy, dry ends and helps to repair and smooth the hair for up to 24 hours.  Most people (myself included) who straighten their hair do not wash and restyle it every single day and need a product that will stand up to the weather and elements.  The styling process is usually long enough when I am blowing out my thick, curly hair that I cannot do it every single day anymore. 

Since shampoo is usually the first part of the hair regime, I am going to start with this product.  The information is from the Matrix website, but this product line can be found at almost every single salon that I have ever gone to.  "Cleanses and moisturizes.  Smoothes and controls frizz.  Delivers all day humidity protection."  This product helps to clean off the hair cuticle with a thick, rich foam.  It doesn't strip the hair's cuticle however it is not hydrating enough when used alone, the matching conditioner is needed with this product.  This shampoo formula does contain silicones, so another shampoo is needed to alternate with this one.  The first time that I used this product, it was the only shampoo that I owned and I found that after using it for five or more days in a row, the ingredients build up and caused my ahir cuticle to have a bit of a sticky feel.  I currently alternate this shampoo with Fekkai Glossing line up to help avoid build up.

The matching conditioner is one of the vital parts of the straightening process, it helps to hydrate and smooth the cuticel before I even get out of the shower in the morning.  "Moisturizes, detangles, and de-frizzes.  Helps repair damage.  Delivers all day humidity protection."  This conditioner is very slippery to the touch and absorbs quickly into the hair.  After rinsing, the hair is slippery to the touch and feels more hydrated than before.  It contains the silicones just like the shampoo, so the same rules about switching this line up with another shampoo and conditioner holds true.  This conditioner actually caused the build-up faster than the shampoo did, I needed to use a clarifying shampoo at least once a week when using this product duo.

I recommend this shampoo and conditioner to someone who has issues with dry, frizzy hair and needs help to straighten and smooth it while styling.  However, I really believe that a second duo of product is needed to alternate with this line to help avoid the build up that this rich shampoo and conditioner can leave behind.  In addition to alternating with another duo, I strongly suggest that you use a line with lighter conditioning agents or a more natural-based line.  One of the best aspects about the whole Matrix line is that is works very well with little to medium effort on the part of the user and the line is available at so many salons, you will have no problem finding this line.  This line of products is made only to help straighten and smooth, if you are going after only hydration benefits, this is not the blend for you.  The ceramide is made to smooth and could cause excess build up if you are solely looking for moisture benefits.

One last caveat - this line is made to use together and will need to be used that way at least every other time you straighten your hair.  This product line is a commitment and the shampoo and conditioner should be used together in order to really aid in the styling and smoothing process.

photo courtesy of Matrix

Matrix Sleek Look Iron Smoother Spray

I have been playing around with all types of haircare products lately and the Sleek Look line from Matrix has been one that I have been repurchasing products from and trying them out for the first time since college.  The first product that I used from this line is the one that we are going to look at today and this is the product that I have repurchased more times than I can count.  This might actually be one of the few products that I have used consistently since college and still use to this day.  The Iron Smoother spray is one of the most unique products that I have used in the past few years and I believe that this was one of the first products of its kind to protect against the damage caused to the hair cuticle by flat irons and daily heat styling.

I blow my hair dry every single day and then use a ceramic iron on it for for touch ups so I am always attracted to a product that promises to protect and hydrate my hair.  Dry and coarse to begin with, my hair can get even worse after all the styling that I do to it.  I get lectured all the time from my stylist but I have told her that I never plan to stop heat styling so she recommends the Matrix line of styling products that will help reduce the daily damage to my hair.  I first used this product back in college when it was brand new and was in the front of a display at Trade Secret.

I found a product description of this styling spray on the Drugstore.com website.  "Sleek Look 4-Step Professional Smoothing System balances moisturization levels to lock-out frizz.  Unique patented formulas helps transform curly, frizzy, dry, or coarse hair into a salon-smooth, sensuously sleek style.  For sleekest results, never skip a step.  Sleek Look Iron Smoother Step 3 Smooth.  Flat iron faster, stay sleeker longer.  Invisible shield protects against heat damage (up to 450 F/230 C) and humidity.  Maximizes the performance of thermal tools with heat-powered style memory.  Lasting shine and frizz control.  Style stays silky straight, ultra-smooth." 

This product is best used on dry hair and used every single time that you style your hair.  When I first purchased the product, it could be used on wet or dry hair but now I see that it is recommended for use on hair that it already dry for best results.  The "heat-powered style memory" might be a bit of a stretch but the product does perform best when used every single day, I think that the effect might be attributed to the product having a bit of a buildup and forming a film on the hair, if I skip a day or two of use with this product, my hair will not straighten as well or as quickly the next time that I use it.  Quite frankly though, most styling products work best when they are used everytime that you style and not just once in a while.  This product works very well however I do not really attach much credence to the "heat-powered style memory" claim.

If you decide to use one product only from this line to help straighten and heat style your hair, this is one of the ones that I really recommend.  Used on a regulat basis, it helps to cut my straightening time down and keep my hair is better condition.  It doesn't hydrate but it helps to keep my hair protected and help prevent moisture loss that comes with daily styling.  This product works best in conjunction with other smoothing or straightening products since coarse hair is hard to work with.  Last but not least, this product has a definite fragrance to it, I can smell whiffs of it in my hair throughout the day.  It reminds me a clean ozonic fragrance, it could be a bit lighter since someone who hates fragrance might not be able to use this product because of it.  The fragrance is the only major drawback of this product, it really performs well in protecting and helping to straighten my hair.

photo courtesy of Drugstore.com

Matrix Sleek Look Blow-Down Lite Lotion

The Matrix Sleek Look line of haircare products is one that my hairstylist consistently recommends to me every single time that I come in to get my hair down.  I have been using Jonathan styling products for the past few months so I was tempted by her recommendations however I kept putting off buying products from this line.  But the last time that I was there, she finally got me and I ended up purchasing six products from the line (almost the whole line) and I have been trying them out as I use up current products in my collection.  I bought both of the styling products from this line, the Blow-Down Lite Lotion and the Blow-Down Extreme Cream.  So far I have been using the Blow-Down Lite Lotion for the past few days, I decided to try the lighter formula since I have more problems with frizz and fuzz in the summer instead of the winter. 

The Blow-Down Lite Lotion is the lighter in texture of the two styling creams, this one is best for dry winter hair or for someone who doesn't need tons of frizz protection.  "Sleek Look Professional Smoothing System with 24 Smooth Multi-Mend Technology blends ceramide, shea butter, and apricot oil to help REPAIR damage, CONDITION hair, and CONTROL frizz with long-lasting humidity protection for shine and all day smoothness.  Instantly transforms unruly, curly, wavy, or frizzy hair into sensuously-sleek styles that stay smooth from shampoo to shampoo."  This product is recommended for hair that is  fine to medium textured and is either wavy or slightly curly.  Based on that recommendation, this may not be the best product for my hair type but I decided to give it a try since my hair stylist recommended that I try both styling creams.  This product was also recommended to to me since it helps to protect against damage from heat styling and I heat style my hair every single day.

I liked this product but I didn't love this product, I think that the Extreme version of the Matrix styling cream will be a better fit for my hair.  I used this product on damp hair before I began to blow dry and iron my hair.  The first time that I tried it I used two pumps but I found that one pump is the best amount for my hair.  I warmed the product up in my hands and then applied it directly to my hair.  The texture is very light and worked quickly into my hair with no residue.  The texture was much lighter than what I was used to when using the Jonathan Silky Dirt as a styling cream.  That was the issue with this product...the texture was just too light for it to be a staple product for me.

This product worked well enough during the fall and the winter but it will never stand up to the heat and humidity of the summer.  It helped to smooth my hair and made it soft to the touch, the overall finish was quite nice but it was nothing special.  This product will be best for fine to medium textured hair since it will not be enough to stand up to humidity when my hair is very curly.  This product won't weigh down fine hair, I am betting that the Extreme version will since Silky Dirt was only recommended for thick hair.  This product will get me through the rest of the fall and the winter but when the weather begins to wearm up, I am going to switch over to the Extreme version of the cream.

photo courtesy of Matrix