So this is what I went for - in Chocolate to Espresso (for darker shades of brunette). If you're a lighter shade of brunette, be it natural, colour-treated or highlighted, then you'll want Hazelnut to Chestnut. -- Beware: If you buy the conditioner, then check carefully that you have bought the right shade, since the packaging is the same colour for both --
The Product <><><><><> The conditioner comes in a tube exactly the same size (8 inches tall) as the shampoo, with a cap that flips open - which can be a bit tricky to open in the shower with wet hands. The packaging for the conditioner is considerably lighter in colour than the shampoo, so you shouldn't get the two mixed up. Also, the conditioner is actually a thicker consistancy than the
shampoo, so if you did accidently squeeze some of this out into your hand you'd hopefully realise your mistake before putting it onto your hair.
It squeezes out into your hand like a cream, the same sort of consistancy as other conditioners I've used. You don't need very much at all so the 250ml bottle should last you ages. I then rub my hands together and smooth through my hair evenly. The directions on the packaging suggest you remove excess moisture so I just gently wring my hair before using the conditioner. It's white in colour and smells divine, a very similar smell to the shampoo - quite strong when you open the cap and have a whiff, but not so strong once on your hair.
It doesn't really state how long you should leave it in for, so I tend to give it just a minute or two - no longer - before rinsing thoroughly. Now I was impressed with how slippery and wet my hair felt when I rinsed the shampoo, but this was nothing compared to the conditioner. My hair felt so soft and smooth - normally this feeling fades a few minutes after rinsing, but my hair continued to feel this way.
Once I'd dried my hair, my hair felt very soft and silky - I'd definitely recommend using this conditioner in conjunction with the shampoos. The first time I used this shampoo and conditioner was just after I'd had my hair cut - and the hairdresser did use a moisturising treatment on my hair which lasts for three washes. This may well of course have been a contributing factor to my hair, and over time I do notice that shampoos and conditioners seem to lose their effectiveness - very disappointing. So I tried not to get too excited, but now - many weeks on and therefore many many washes on (I tend to wash my hair 4-6 times a week) it's still doing a great job - fingers crossed that it continues to impress me, as when I finally reach the end of the bottle I shall definitely be buying this again!
It's hard to know exactly what effects the shampoo and conditioner are having individually on my hair, since I think there has only been one occasion where I haven't conditioned my hair after washing it. On this one occasion I did find that the shampoo did a more than satisfactory job but where possible I always condition my hair. I think I get the most out of John Frieda by using both shampoo and conditioner.
I've put that this product is for normal hair because there is only one John Frieda BB conditioner, which is used with the Volumising, Moisturising and Balancing shampoos. The conditioner's main aim is to leave the hair in good condition with a healthy shine and I would say that it achieves this. If you have oily/greasy hair though, this shampoo will probably not make any difference. I wash my hair at least every other day (sometimes more often) though I've found the longest I can leave my hair is 2-3 days before it starts to get greasy. This is really no change from before I used this shampoo, but I'm glad that John Frieda's shampoo and conditioner hasn't made my hair any greasier.
Ingredients <><><><> Time once again to put on those fetching googles, grab a bunsen burner and pay attention at the back, since the list of ingredients looks to be pretty indecipherable without the help of our good friend Google.
In comparison with the shampoos, the ingredients are much less controversial, according to my findings. I can see that a lot of the ingredients help to give the conditoner its hair-smoothing abilities - such as stearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol.
My one concern regarding ingredients is surrounding the fact that many of the ingredients are described as 'hair coating' and cyclopentasiloxane is not 'readily absorbed by the skin' - this would suggest that product build-up could become a problem. This has not yet been my experience of the product, but I have only been using it for a month or so. I shall continue to update on this and shall also consider using a shampoo designed to get rid of such build-up.
Conclusion <><><><> So far I've been hugely impressed with the John Frieda conditioner. Whether I blow-dry or let my hair dry naturally I get great results - my hair feels silky and soft and it's so shiny. I wouldn't agree with the 'mirror-like shine' claim that they make on their packaging, but I'm not going to argue because I think that's kind of an odd claim anyway. My hair is so much more manageable now, my hair used to knot very easily and now I find it much easier. I just hope that I continue to get good results from this for some time. But even if I don't, I'll be disappointed sure but still impressed - anything or anyone that can get my hair looking good more than once (so I know it wasn't a fluke) has got to be pretty darn special in my eyes.
Availability <><><><> Like the shampoos, the conditioner will set you back £4.49 for 250ml. As I said, this should last you a long time - I've had mine for over a month now, with usage 4-6 times a week and I still have over three-quarters left.
The shampoos and conditioners are available from a whole host of shops: ►Asda ►Boots ►Debenhams ►John Lewis ►Lloyds Pharmacy ►Safeway ►Sainsbury ►Superdrug ►Tesco ►TopShop (!? - this is what the John Frieda website says...) ►Waitrose
Useful Websites <><><><><><> www.johnfrieda.com (some of the product packaging looks slightly different, I'm assuming it's American, and the shades mentioned on that website are not the same as the ones in this country).
www.boots.com
For further information on brilliant brunette products, you can also call: 0800 107 1971.
I definitely recommend this product - along with the shampoos of course, which are available in the following ranges: ♥ Moisturising Shampoo ♥ Volumising Shampoo ♥ Balancing Shampoo
And of course if you're not brunette then never fear - John Frieda make the following ranges (though of course I can only comment on the brilliant brunette range): ♥ beach blonde® ♥ sheer blonde ® ♥ brilliant brunette® ♥ radiant red® ♥ frizz-ease®
Thanks for reading!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
i find john friedda products a bit hit and miss but this one was a hit with me
shazzaspannered 08.08.2006 21:59
I am currently using Sunsilk shampoo and conditioner for brunette hair but I think I might give this a try after I have finished them up as it sounds pretty good.
Illuminates brown tones. Satin Shine finishing creme glides easily over dried hair to ... more
silken, smooth and create subtle definition. Ultra-light, non-greasy, moisturizing formula is perfect for calming flyaways and softly separating layers, bangs and wispy ends. Leaves brunette colors shimmering like satin as it illuminates an array of rich, brown tones.
Postage & Packaging:£5.46 Availability:Usually dispatched within 2-3 business days......
Advantages: Hair smells fantastic and hair feels soft . Disadvantages: I suppose there are a lot of chemicals listed in this - but this is the same for most conditioners
Jul 17th, 2005
exceptional by (2%):
very helpful by (97%):
helpful by (2%):
