Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two

...started using products from the Paul Mitchell range which they stocked in the hairdressers I visited at the time. I started with the Sculpting Foam which I loved for it's non-sticky consistency and sampled various other products - especially loving their Freeze & Shine pump hairspray. Then I moved and visited another hairdresser who didn't sell Paul Mitchell haircare.

Recently I have rediscovered the range and have found a store called ...
...the bottle neck the words Paul Mitchell are embossed in white. Apparently the reason why they used black and white packaging was because when they launched Paul Mitchell Systems in 1979 - they could not afford coloured ink! That's fine with me I think the bottle looks very nice sitting on the bath ledge!

^^^The smell^^^

I find the smell of a shampoo very important, I want my senses to be awakened, and my mood to be enhanced ... more

I have a love/hate battle with my hair. Most of the time it's rebellious with it's bushy frizzy tendencies and only straighteners and a liberal dose of serum can tame it. I am gullible to the claims of most haircare hard sell - tell me that it's the latest thing to be used by top celeb's and I will rush to buy it ... add to this some funky packaging and I am your best customer.

This is where I was going wrong for some time. In my wisdom, I took the advice of a hairdresser and started using products from the Paul Mitchell range which they stocked in the hairdressers I visited at the time. I started with the Sculpting Foam which I loved for it's non-sticky consistency and sampled various other products - especially loving their Freeze & Shine pump hairspray. Then I moved and visited another hairdresser who didn't sell Paul Mitchell haircare.

Recently I have rediscovered the range and have found a store called Trade Secrets who stock just about every haircare product/brand going. They are also more affordable than buying at the hairdressers, I decided to indulge. I picked Shampoo Two and a conditioner called The Detangler. I had used a shampoo in this range a few years back - but could not remember what it was called.

Shampoo Two is recommended for those of us who have oily hair and scalp - although it does state that it is suitable for all hair types. Their special ingredient is Hawaiian Awaphuhi - which is for moisture and shine.

^^^The bottle^^^

This bottle is minimalist to say the least! A white bottle that stands the height of my hand and contains 250ml. "Paul Mitchell" is written vertically in black capitals to the left of the bottle, with the word "cleanse" at the top and "Shampoo Two deep cleansing" to the bottom of the bottle. The lid is a black flip top which is always practical in the shower and opens and shuts with a reassuring "snap". Around the flat part of the bottle neck the words Paul Mitchell are embossed in white. Apparently the reason why they used black and white packaging was because when they launched Paul Mitchell Systems in 1979 - they could not afford coloured ink! That's fine with me I think the bottle looks very nice sitting on the bath ledge!

^^^The smell^^^

I find the smell of a shampoo very important, I want my senses to be awakened, and my mood to be enhanced while I'm lathering up. If this sounds bizarre, then why was Herbal Essences developed? A good fragrance is essential for my shampoo. Shampoo Two is predominantly lemon with it's sharp tangy fragrance. This is down to the lemon extract that it contains. The other ingredients (that I recognise in their non-chemical formula!) are Chamomile, Henna, Jojoba and Rosemary.

When you use this shampoo your bathroom is filled by this wonderful citrus smell, it's so fresh and .. zingy!

^^^Consistency & Lather^^^

If I pour out my usual size dollop and massage onto my hair, not a lot seems to happen. I seem to have to use a bit more than usual to get a decent lather going on. My hairdresser tells me you don't need necessarily need lather to get hair clean but I like it and it makes it much easier to massage in when there's plenty foam going on! I would say you nearly need to double what you would normally pour out on your hand. This could make things a bit expensive when your bottle is only lasting half the time it should!

To look at it's almost clear - think "Smirnoff Ice" alcopop, a bit cloudy but colourless! So no artificial colouring then, and I can't see any mention of it in the ingredients either (and they read like an Oscar speech!).

^^^Does it work?^^^

When I'm washing with this I love the smell, but I am a bit disappointed with the lather or lack of it! It does take quite a bit to get it to lather nicely. My hair does feel clean after using and blow dries well too. You can still smell the fresh lemony scent after blow drying and it has no residue that I have noticed.

I am quite happy to keep using this, but find it a bit costly at £5.25 a bottle, more from a salon. This bottle has lasted me nearly a month and it's only got a couple of washes left in it now. I only use every 2-3 days so if you wash your hair daily then this may not be for you. Usually you have to buy Paul Mitchell from a salon so you may have to stock up between appointments!

p.s. disregard the staying power bit that Ciao have added!

Thanks for reading, Shona
 

...less