Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner

Glossing is one of the original collections from the Fekkai hair line and is one the lines that was reformulated when Fekkai reworked his whole line.  And this is one line that I am happy to report was much improved and went from a line that was awful to a line that worked wonders for my hair.  when I first tried the original shampoo and conditioner, it left my hair sticky and didn't really improve the finish.  I used through my small bottles and then never repurchased these products again.  Even though I didn't like the shampoo and conditioner, I loved the styling products and I have been used the Glossing Cream and Sheer Shine Mist for the past few years and have been consistently repurchasing them every single time that I run out.  The last time that I bought a tube of Glossing Cream at Sephora, the sales associate gave me samples of the newly reformulated shampoo and conditioner in this collection and I decided to try them when my current products were finished up.  I love that these products were reformulated and I am so happy that the sales associated gave me samples to try.  Since I went right out and bought the full size in the shampoo and conditioner within days of finishing up the samples.

First we will start with the shampoo.  "This shine release shampoo bathes hair with encapsulated spheres of olive oil all day long to keep locks lustrous.  Safe for color-treated hair.  Fekkai's legendary shine collection infuses new Encapsulated Shine-Release Complex in its winning formula containing olive oil to renew shine all day, strand by strand, minute by minute."  This formula is so much better than it used to be and I wonder if I wasn't the only person that complained about it.  The new formula is much lighter, the texture in the botlte is lighter, yet it still creates a very rich and creamy lather when applied to wet hair.  This new formula rinses very clean, the old version left a film on my hair and made it much harder to style and work with throughout the day.  This shampoo is much lighter than the old formula and I think that is why it is much nicer to work with.  I am glad that Fekkai left one aspect of this product completely the same, the scent is still the wonderul olive oil scent that the line has always had.  I feel like the Fekkai company read my mind when they reformulated this product.

The conditioner was reformulated as well as the shampoo was, it is lighter in texture yet still hydrates and adds shine to my hair.  "This sheer conditioner with encapsulated olive oil gives hair what it needs: vital moisture and shine while restoring its strength.  Safe for color-treated hair.  Fekkai's legendary shine collection infuses new Encapsulated Shine-Release Complex in its winning olive oil formula to renew shine all day, strand by strand, minute by minute."  Like the shampoo formula, this conditioner is much lighter than the original, rinsing out well and not weighting hair down.  Considering that I have very thick and coarse hair, the original formula was just too heavy and I fail to see how many people it really could work well for.  Most of the people that I knew who had tried the original formulas complained about how much they weighed hair down even if they liked the finish that it gave their hair. 

In short, this is the best reformulation that Fekkai could have done on his original line.  The new shampoo and conditioner are much lighter and will allow so many more hair types and textures to use this product and get great results from it.  Both products now rinse much cleaner and therefore hair is much easier to style and looks much better.  The hair lays smoothly and these products help to create the glass-like shine finish.  I love the olive oil scent of the product and I am very happy that this is the one aspect that Fekkai didn't play around with during the reformulation.  I will be buying these two products more often now and I would love to see more items released in this line.

photo courtesy of Fekkai

Beach Week Day 4 - Fekkai Marine Summer Hair Shampoo and Beach Waves

We are already half way through Beach Week!  So far we have looked at self-tanners, a fantastic sunscreen, and the only acceptable makeup at the beach.  Today we are chaning it up a bit and we will look at my two favorite products from the Fekkai summer hair collection.  This collection has come out for several years in a row now, each time just in time for summer and then it disappears by the time that we are all beginning to think about fall.  This year, the Marine Summer Hair collection contains four products, two that are re-releases from earlier collections and two that are brand new.  Today's post is about my two favorites from this line, which actually are the two returning products.

Hair in the summer needs to be treated differently than it does the rest of the year, especially if your hair is color treated or on the drier side.  My hair is both of these so mine can be a bit of a pain to deal with in hot weather.  The sun, the ocean, and the pool water can really dry your hair out but ordinary hydrating products don't always do the trick since salt and chemicals can build up on the hair, rendering some of the hydrating products less effective or not effective at all.  Knowing these facts, Fekkai created a very special line of hair care products made specifically to deal with these issues.  "Take the summer off from frizz, fuss, and damage.  Our complete summer hair care regimen draws on AquaTherapy technology to defend against the damaging effects of sun, saltwater, and chlorine - and now - humidity."

The shampoo from this collection is made to clean out both the chemicals from the pool and the salt the accumulates from the ocean.  This is not your typical clarifying shampoo and won't work the same way, it is targeted for special chemicals and salts, not just for stripping product build-up from the hair.  I purchased this product to make sure that the chlorine from swimming didn't kill my color treated hair this summer.  "Marine botanicals moisturize and gently detoxify to leave hair shiny, soft, and free of chlorine, residue, and impurities.  UV shield helps prevent fading."  This shampoo is more of a creamy texture than any traditional clarifying shampoo, it has more the texture of the shampoo in the Fekkai Essential Shea line.  It foams up easily and rinses cleanly.  The scent of it reminds me of a subtle coconut scent, almost more like a pina colada type of fragrance than a sunscreen type of fragrance.  It left my hair about as soft as any other type of Fekkai hydrating shampoo and the shine factor was about the same too.  I used this product to get chlorine out of my hair and it really helped to get the chemicals out and then the hydrate my hair.  I followed it up with the Fekkai Essential Shea conditioner to further hydrate my hair. 

Beach Waves is a leave-in styling product that also happens to be one of Fekkai's best sellers and top rated products.  This is the first product that I purchased from the Fekkai Summer Hair line several years ago and this was my official introduction to the product line.  "Marine waters create surf-sexy texture, and sea kelp hydrates and blocks moisture loss for sexy, tousled waves, anytime and anywhere.  UV shield helps prevent fading."  This product can be used both at the beach and any other time to create beachy waves.  When used at the beach, I sprayed it on wet hair, scrunched quickly, and then let my hair dry.  This product creates a much nicer wave than the other curl products that I have used, including the other curl spray that is offered by Fekkai.  When not at the beach, this product helps to create the laid-back waves and great texture that could only be found before when getting out of the surf.  It is best when used in the same fashion in the morning.  I find the look that this product created is best used for more casual situations, I wouldn't go into the office with my hair in loose in waves.  This product is so different than other curl sprays because it creates a different texture, it created loose waves for me instead of the curls that I tend to get with other products.

I love that Fekkai has come out with a whole line that is just for summer hair and that allows ladies to have the beachy look even on the weekends in the city.  If you can't get to the Hamptons, then these products will take the Hamptons to you...

photo courtesy of Fekkai

Fekkai Brillant Glossing Sheer Shine Mist

Fekkai's Glossing Cream has been a top selling products for years running and it spawned a second styling product in the Glossing collection about two or three years ago. This product did make the cut when Fekkai revamped his entire line, leading me to believe that it sold almost as well, if not as well, as the original Glossing Cream. This product of which I speak is the Brillant Glossing Sheer Shine Mist, a finishing product for creating shine on the hair cuticle. This product was the answers to the prayers fo the ladies that have fine hair since the traditional Glossing Cream performed best for medium to think hair and could overwhelm fine hair if too much is added. Since a pea sized drop is enough for thick hair, you can imagine how easily it would be for fine haired ladies to not have a good experience with the cream.

The Fekkai website prodvides a great description of this product, "Feather-light mist delivers an even veil of shine with encapsulated olive oil plus all day long protection. This last impression - leaves sheer shine to finish any style. Fekkai's legendary shine collection infuses new encapsulated Shine-Release Complex in its winning olive oil formula to renew shine all day, strand by strand, minute by minute." I first received a sample of this product at Bath and Body Works when it was released and then I recently purchased a full size of it from the Fekkai website, this is great for a light finishing spray in the warmer months.

This product is best used on dry hair as a finishing product, the cream could be used in this way or on wet hair as a defrizzing serum. This spray is best used when it is held about a foot from the hair. I spray it lightly on my hair then work it through with my hands the way that I would the cream version of the product. This spray still has olive oil in it for shine so if you spray too much, you will still end up with limp, sticky hair. I have found that less is more when it comes to all Fekkai Brillant Glossing products and I recommend playing with this product first (on day when you have nothing to do) and seeing how much you need for shine and how much is going overboard.

My hair is very thick so I will say that I still prefer the cream version of this product, my hair soaks it right up and I really have to try to go overboard on it. The spray is nice for those with finer hair or on very humid days. Looking at it from this point of view, I could also see this being a better product for those with shorter hair since even a pea sized drop of the cream might be too much.

photo courtesy of Fekkai

Fekkai Essential Shea Shampoo and Conditioner

I have been on a Fekkai spree recently and my latest purchase is the shampoo and conditioner from the Essential Shea line. The Essential Shea line is perfect for people with dry, coarse, or curly hair. And I have all of the above with the addition of static flyways becuase of the cold, dry air right now. "Moisturizing Renewal Complex and Shea Butter combine to lavish hair with moisture, from root to tip, protecting against dryness and brittleness. Hair becomes silky, supple, and easy to style". All of the products in this collection are enriched with the Moisture Renewal Complex and Shea Butter for deep hydration, from the shampoos, conditioners, to the styling products. So far I have only tried the shampoo and conditioner but am looking forward to using the mask that I purchased from this collection too.

The Fekkai website describes the shampoo as following, "Gently removes oil and build-up from dry, fragile hair while nourishing each strand for softness and strength against damage. Sulfate-free." This shampoo is safe for color treated hair even though it is not in the Technician line of products. All of his products are safe for color even if they are not specially made to enhance color treated hair. This shampoo produces a thick, rich foam that fully lathers on my hair and rinses clean in the shower. I have noticed that after a few washes, I get a bit of build up on my hair from both this product and the styling products that I use. I do have to alternate this shampoo with others in order to clean all the products out of my hair.

The conditioner is described as, "Nourishes each strand with smoothing and softening ingredients to help protect against dryness, styling damage, and split ends". This conditioner is among one of the thickest daily conditioners that I have used in a long time and the texture is closer to a deeper conditioner than some of the daily use ones that I have tried. Based on the texture of this product, I haven't found this conditioner to rinse out as fully as others that I have used.

This product line is closer to the Protein Rx line than the others that are in the Fekkai collection. Both products have a thick, rich texture that really help to hydrate and smooth my dry hair. However, with the texture of this product line, I have found that it doesn't rinse out fully and can cause build up so I have to alternate it with others. I have also noticed that the fragrance of this product is strong and I can smell it on my hair throughout the day. The fragrance is of shea butter and is a make or break aspect of this line. I love the fragrance of these hair care products so much that I have it in all the body products too.

I find that this line makes my hair softer and shiner than others have and it is very easy to style. I am quite pleased with the results of it. I still think that I prefer the Technician line of shampoos and conditioners but I do really like this line too and am glad that I bought this line to try out. I might try alternating them for maximum results. I still have the mask to use in this line so I will have some more thoughts on products in this line coming soon.

photo courtesy of Fekkai

Fekkai Salon Technician Color Care Mask

The official name of this hair mask is the Fekkai Salon Technician Color Care Rapid Results Moisture Mask. Whether or not you can remember that whole mouthful, this product is a miracle treatment for those of us who have color treated hair or hair that has any type of chemical damage. This product was the first item that I tried in the Fekkai Technician line and still remains my favorite product of the line and one of my favorite Fekkai products overall.

The Fekkai website gives the following product description, "Rich and rapid, this mask submerges hair in humectants and extracts to revive just-colored condition and silkiness. All with colorblock protectant. Now with advanced Intensive Anti-Fade Color Complex, this self-defense system contains powerful natural UV shield Galanga Root and provides long lasting color brillance".

This is a very hydrating mask that I highly recommend for pretty much anyone in need of hydration. I use this product once or twice a week after a Fekkai shampoo. I let it on for about five minutes and after I rinse it out, I can feel that my hair is silkier. I can see and feel the results in my hair as soon as I blow it out for the day. My hair is quite shiny and now I don't have to depend on my Glossing Cream or Glisten Drops to bring the shine out. The mask is light but pleasantly scented and will not offend even the most sensitive nose. The UV shield in the product keeps my color true longer and helps to prevent the color from fading away. My hair might be brown right now but I am very interested in how well this product would help to protect my hair when I color it with a red dye.

I am very happy that I bought this product and I do plan to pick another one up once this one runs out. I love this hair mask and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others and since this is one of Fekkai's top sellers, I know that I not alone in my love of this mask.

photo courtesy of Fekkai

Fekkai Advanced Technician Shampoo and Conditioner

I had been retrying many of the haircare products in the Fekkai line ever since he brought out his Advanced line for Sephora. I am not seeing too much of a different between the original line and the technology used in this new line. This time around I have been using the Technician line of shampoo and conditioner that was designed for dry and color treated hair. I had tried this line before at some point and since I only tried samples, I don't really even remember what I thought of it or what it did for my hair. The only thing that I remember is that after trying that sample, I decided to buy the Protein Rx products so I am thinking that it couldn't have been too positive. This time around brought about a much better result.

All of the products in this line use Fekkai's Triple Color Protection Complex. "The Salon Technician Color Care line boosts Fekkai's proven Triple Color Protection Complex with a fusion of nature and science. Galanga Root Extract, a known powerful UV shield works with a quaternized complex that targets damaged hair and seals the cuticle with a conditioning layer for long-lasting, luxuriously beautiful hair color".

Sephora classifies the shampoo as a "hydrating, color-guarding shampoo". The Sephora website goes on to provide the following details on the product. "This highly protective shampoo maintains color integrity, fighting fade, and reawakening that just-colored shine dimension. It gently cleanses with rich, luxurious lather". This product provided a rich, thick lather and rinsed easily. I followed it with the matching conditioner and with the use of both products, it didn't strip or dry out my hair.

The conditioner is classified as a "intensively hydrating, color-guarding conditioner". "Color in, damage out. This silk-inducing conditioner drenches each strand in emollients while helping to lock in color intensity". This is a thicker conditioner and a lovely hydrator. Both of the these products have a nice light fragrance that won't offend anyone or compete with any other products you use.

After I used this this first time, I was told that my red highlights were much more vibrant than they had been before. My hair was quite smooth and sleek and wasn't any harder than usual to blow dry and flat iron. My experience with this line was much better than it had been before. I don't know if it is the fact that my formula has changed or the fact that I wasn't using an old sample. Regardless of the reason, I really like this shampoo and conditioner and am looking forward to using it more to fully get all the use out of the color protectants. I am also planning to get some other items in this line to see how well everything works together.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Fekkai Brillant Glossing Cream

Fekkai's Brillant Glossing Cream is one of those cult products that has taken the beauty world by storm and held it's status for several years. An Allure winner and a top seller for the Fekkai collection, this is the hero product for the collection and normally the first item that a person is introduced to from the Fekkai collection. I first bought this product several years ago when it was sold at Bath and Body Works and I have replaced it several times even though I own tons of shine products.

This cream is part of the Glossing line, a line of products that are made to promote shine with the use of Olive Oil to hydrate, sleekify, and add tons of shine to the outer cuticle of the hair. The Sephora website states the following about the product, "An antifrizz, shine-promoting finishing formula for all hair types. This superstar formula delivers shine-boosting olive oil spheres that create seriously soft, reflective shine for all-day-stunning strands. The Glossing Collection uses breakthrough encapsulation technology to help deliver brillantly reflective shine from root to tip, all day long".

I use this product as a finishing product on dry and straightened hair. I have know people who is it on wet hair prior to blow drying but I don't feel that it has enough straightening properties to help my hair when used that way. This product is best for thick or coarse hair, it has tended to weight fine hair down (for those with fine hair, Fekkai offers a spray version of this product that is much lighter). I use a pea sized dot for my whole head and I start by warming it up in my hands until the texture becomes closer to that of a liquid. Then I apply it to my hair from the ears down.

I find that this product gives my thick hair great results and I am very happy with it. The scent of the product is very strongly olive oil and while I like it, not everyone shares my same thoughts on it. This prpduct is famous for a reason and if you have thick hair that needs some extra shine, I highly recommend this product.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Fekkai Creme Luxueuse

Even though winter is beginning to come to a close, my skin is still deadly dry and the whole season has taken a huge toll on my skin. I feel like I have tried every kind of cream and wash to lessen the problem and now that I have run out of my LUSH Buttercream, my skin is right back to where it was before I started using it.
I have decided to dip into my most luxurious and coveted body care products, the Fekkai Shea Butter collection. I was rather surprised to learn that there is body product line from one of the kings of haircare and I really don’t think that this line gets the recognition that it deserves because it is often overshadowed by all the hair products. The most decadent product in this collection is called La Crème Luxueuse. Here is the description from the Sephora website, “La Crème Luxueuse, the ultimate luxury in skin treatment, is rich in pure, natural shea butter to help protect from moisture loss. Infused with vitamins and botanicals to provide superior conditioning, skin looks and feels silky, soft and totally indulged.”
This product smells like shea butter and the only way I can describe it is smelling rich and pampered. This is what I would expect the spa at the Ritz to smell like, yes it is just that amazing. This is the only product that I have that I actually ration because I just love it so much and lately it has been harder and harder to find.
And my skin? Much better. It is not near as nice as it is in the summertime but at least I don’t resemble a crocodile. I have just come to the conclusion that I need spring to begin before my skin will be fantastic again.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Fekkai Protein Rx

Well, it has finally happened! I have found a line of hair products that smell like vanilla cupcakes and allow me to smell like dessert from head to toe. Normally, I am not really a fan of the Fekkai products (with a couple of exceptions) but I really liked the scent of the of the Protein Rx and ended up buying it for the scent alone. Well that’s great but then I got it home and realized that at some point I will actually have to use the products instead of just sniffing them so I should actually see how this line works and what it is supposed to accomplish.

According to the Fekkai company, this line is called Protein Rx because it is supposed to act like a prescription to help dry, damaged hair. The all white, clinical looking packaging is designed to reflect that this group of products is for serious hair care issues and is made to be intensive treatments. This line carries a series of products but I only purchased the shampoo, conditioner, and the mask.

The shampoo contains a complex of soy and milk proteins that is exclusive to this product. This restores and reinforces hair, preventing future breakage and leaving hair stronger and more manageable. First thought - hair is dead so it cannot be restored! It can be hydrated and nourished but no product on the market can bring it “back to life”. Already the claims of this product are inaccurate. The conditioner is supposed to do the same function and continue the benefits provided by the shampoo. The treatment mask is more intense version of the above mentioned products.

Using this combination of products did help to hydrate my hair and make it much softer. I also think the breakage that I usually experience has been somewhat lessened. However, it has not “brought my life back to life”, it is dead and will remain that way for the rest of my time using this line. The major drawback of these products (other than the insane claims) is that it does leave a build up on my hair so I have found that I have to alternate using these products with another type of shampoo and conditioner. The best part…my hair smells like cupcakes…

photo courtesy of Sephora