Hair Products
Haircare Products Under $5
Women care about their hair, period. We get haircuts. We purchase shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, gel, mousse, smoothing cream and much more. Without realizing it, a lot of us spend more on haircare than necessary, and now that the economy is struggling, splurging on the salon’s special $40 hair de-frizzer may not be the wisest decision. However, letting your hair become a bird’s nest because it’s too expensive to care for isn’t wise, either. Our solution? A list of haircare products that’ll leave your hair looking great and your wallet full—they’re all under 5 bucks!
Suave Naturals Shampoo, $3.49, drugstore.com.
Aussie Deeeeep 3 Minute Miracle Moisture Treatment, $3.99, walgreens.com.
Brush Strokes boar bristle styling brush, on sale for $3.99, Sally Beauty Supply.
White Rain Classics hairspray, 99 cents, cvs.com.
Smooth ‘n Shine Polishing Styling Mousse, $3.29, drugstore.com.
Dark & Lovely Permanent Hair Color, $4.29, Sally Beauty Supply.
TRESemme Anti-Frizz Smoothing Cream, $4.79, walgreens.com
Pantene Pro-V Nourishing Moisture Replenishing Mask, $3.99, drugstore.com
Cristophe Beverly Hills Volumizing Spray Tonic, $3.99, cvs.com.
Smooth ‘n Shine Polishing Curl Activator Gel, $2.99, walgreens.com.
Cristophe Beverly Hills Purely Natural Clarifying Shampoo and Conditioner: Product Review
What: In the quest for a wallet-friendly, all-natural shampoo and conditioner, Karie lathers up with Cristophe Beverly Hills Purely Natural Clarifying Shampoo and Conditioner; $2.99 to $7.99
The Lowdown: I’ll admit: I’m a pretty simple person when it comes to shampoo and conditioner. They should leave my hair feeling soft and manageable, and should smell divine. I’ve never actively sought an all-natural formula before—probably because of the high price tag associated with the adjective “all-natural”—but considering all of the scary information out there now about parabens and whatnot, maybe I should add this requirement to my haircare checklist. Luckily, Beverly Hills celebrity stylist Cristophe, who works magic on the tresses of Nicole Kidman and Jessica Biel, has launched an all-natural, sulfate- and paraben-free haircare line, Purely Natural, that squelches high prices, so even us mere mortals can enjoy his magic touch—but does it deliver? Yes and no.
I’m not one to use clarifiers, but I’m game for any type of beauty first encounter, so I gave the Clarifying Shampoo a whirl. Used once a week, it claims to rid your mop of all the gross styling-aid buildup and environmental pollution you put your poor strands through. (And you know you do!) Did it leave my hair squeaky clean? Yes, but it also made it feel like a Brillo pad and it stripped my red-dyed hair of some of my prized hair color (to be expected, I suppose, since it’s a clarifier). Thankfully, the Conditioner, which is rich in vital vitamins and minerals, as well as naturally derived elements that absorb harmful UV rays (a bonus for us color-treated ladies), left my hair feeling silky to the touch with no heaviness or residue whatsoever—which, my fair Fashionistas, we all know is a feat in itself. All products from the line contain keratin A to reduce breakage, vitamin C to pump up the shine factor, and creatine to add strength to wimpy hair (like my own). And the scent? It’s fragrance-free, but I swear it smells a bit like marshmallows. Yum.
Yea or Nay: If you want to keep your hair color, say “nay” to the Clarifying Shampoo. If you want an affordable, all-natural conditioner that leaves your locks glistening, scoop up Purely Natural Conditioner.
Buy It: @ CVS. Shampoo, $7.99 and Conditioner, $7.99
L’Oreal Vive Pro Style & Body Infusing Conditioning Treatment
What: On a quest for perfectly soft and conditioned strands, Robin reaches for L’Oreal Vive Pro Style & Body Infusing Conditioning Treatment, $3.74.
The Lowdown: I confess: I’ve fallen into a shampoo and conditioner rut. I’ve been using the same stuff on my hair day in and day out and I should know better. The L’Oreal Vive Pro Style & Body Infusing Conditioning Treatment is a weekly deep conditioning treatment that says it “transforms unmanageable hair into soft, supple hair that holds its style.” It also claims to “deliver ultra-light moisture that conditions without weighing hair down” and “restores silkiness and shine to dull hair.” After shampooing, I applied a quarter-sized amount to my strands and let it do its magic for three minutes. The color was a bubble gum pink and smelled fruity and floral, and afterward my hair felt soft but not buttery like it has after using some other deep conditioners in the past. Upon styling, my hair was a touch shinier and fairly flyaway-free. The next day, my hair still looked pretty darn good—so I skipped the shampoo, took a brush through it and went.
Yea or Nay: I say Yea. It’s not as deep-conditioning as a hot oil treatment is, but it definitely has more muscle than a daily conditioner.
Buy It: @ Drugstore.com
Dove Cool Moisture, about $4 for 12 oz.
What: Angela lathers up with Dove’s Cool Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner.
The Lowdown: Here’s my confession: I’m a shampoo addict. Being someone with hair that will never be featured in a shampoo commercial, I’m on a constant quest to find products that will produce some kind of hair magic. While Dove’s Cool Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner may not necessarily make my locks TV-worthy, the line did become one of my new favorites.
The bottle claims that hair will be left feeling clean and revitalized, and it was; the conditioner wasn’t too heavy, and left my hair soft but not weighed down. Not magic, but close enough. And the fragrance, cucumber and green tea, is a winner too.
Yea or Nay: Yea for both shampoo and conditioner, and for about $4 apiece, they’re a bargain to boot.
Buy It: @ Walgreens, WalMart, Target.com, your local drugstore
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