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To The Test:
Redken hair products…
Anyone who’s seen me in the last five years can attest to the fact that my hair has gone through years of abuse. It started when I was fifteen, and the allure of hair dying lured me to put red streaks down my otherwise untouched hair. At a weak attempt at rebellion, I decided to up the ante and progressed to blonde streaks, which had the effect of frying my hair as well as turning five different colours as it grew out. Couple that with years of blow-drying, winter dehydration, and an accident or two involving curling irons, and it’s a surprise that my hair hasn’t given up and crawled off my head yet.
REDKEN 5TH AVENUE
That’s where world-renowned Redken 5th Avenue NYC comes in. With their line of heavy-duty hydrating products for colour-treated hair, they promise to keep damaged hair “smooth, manageable and radiant,” all of which I haven’t seen on my own head of hair since 1982. But do they actually deliver on their pledge? Let’s take a look.
Redken Color Extend Conditioner
I’m very picky when it comes to conditioner, since the ends of my hair have a texture not unlike straw. Most commercial products simply can’t withstand the awesome power of my dry ends, so I was a little wary of trying Redken’s Color Extend Conditioner. The cream smells pleasant enough – a sweet aroma with a hint of pineapple – but would it be able to turn my hair from frizzy and dry into a luscious mane of soft locks?
Even after the first application, I could feel the conditioner taking effect. No tangles, no fly-aways, and my hair smelled like I’d just come back from the salon. Even after a rigorous blow-dry, the ends were soft, smooth, and silky.
After a week of using Redken’s Color Extend Conditioner, my hair remained sleek and tangle-free, with minimum static from the aridness of the winter air. With UV filter, anti-oxidant vitamin E, conditioning silicone, ion blockers, and ceamide (which are all designed to help protect colour-treated hair), Redken’s found the right combination for its conditioner.
Redken Color Extend Total Recharge
Like Redken’s Color Extend Conditioner, the Total Recharge spray is designed to shield colour-treated hair from the everyday toxins. But the Total Recharge treatment also reinforces hair cuticles to preserve hair colour. And let’s face it, no one loves having a head full of multi-coloured hair with faded ends…a pain I know all too well.
Also packed with UV filters, vitamin E, silicone, ion blockers, and ceamide, the Total Recharge spray has a thicker consistency than normal sprays and is supposed to be applied after shampooing, left in for several minutes, an then rinsed off. After some general farcical hand maneuvers, I managed to spritz it on and waited.
The Total Recharge was just as good as the conditioner, leaving my ends soft and shiny, but the hard to grip spray is a little difficult to use (especially if you’re like me and have the manual dexterity of a six-year-old). Also, the spray form makes it a little tricky to evenly distribute over hair.
Redken Electric Wax 11
I don’t usually use any texturizers on my hair, but after taking a peek at Redken’s Electric Wax, I had to try it. Made of soft, pliable wax, the texturizer smells like lemons but glides on like butter. The wax prevents the pomade from being oily, and after a quick rub, the texturizer bonds with virtually no stickiness.
It’s the versatility of this texturizer that makes it great. With medium hold, you can use it to style and control errant hairs. But with its light, non-stick formula, you can also use a smaller portion to manage fly-aways or to add shine, and it works on both damp and dry hair.
For me, it’s all about keeping the shape of my hair after a vigorous blow-dry. With just a dime-sized drop rubbed into the ends of my hair in the morning for texture, the Electric Wax holds up well into the evening while managing to keep my hair soft, shiny, and sleek.
Redken Vinyl Glam 02
One of the pitfalls of having colour-treated hair is that shine is almost non-existent. Sure, there are a myriad of products out there that swear that they can restore shine to even the most damaged hair, but most of them end up leaving hair sticky, weighed down, or so glossy that it looks like hair that hasn’t been washed in weeks.
Thankfully, there’s Redken’s Vinyl Glam and its splendid lightweight formula. A spray like Redken’s Total Recharge, Vinyl Glam is a clear liquid that is sprayed on to add shine. Even after the first application, I noticed a difference in my otherwise dull hair. The spray is so light that it feels like misting water, but it instantly adds a glossy finish that lasts all day long. Not only did my hair look revitalized, but it also felt fuller and more vibrant.
This ended up being one of my favourite products from Redken. The Vinyl Glam rejuvenated my hair in a matter of seconds, and gave me that just-got-home-from-the-salon look, day after day. For a little glamour in your life, but with half the hassle, drugs, and rock’n’roll, pick up Redken’s Vinyl Glam. ¤ C.Ho.