About Face: Pureology Reviving Red collection
First picture, left to right: Pureology Reviving Red Shampoo; Pureology Reviving Red Reflective Condition Pureology Reviving Red Oil
Second picture, left to right: Pureology Reviving Red Copper Reflect Enhancer; Pureology Reviving Red Red Reflect Enhancer
According to Pureology, Reviving Red is the “first oil-infused system specifically designed to restore, protect and illuminate all shades of red and copper colour-treated hair,” and is upposed to help you last up to 30 washes. The system includes ingredients like sunflower oil and sunflower seed extract, which are supposed to “replenish hair’s natural lipid layer and sunflower seed extract to protect hair from free radical aggressors. The result is multiplied colour vibrancy and longer lasting hair colour, guaranteed.”
Lots of promises, no? It seems like Pureology really is billing Reviving Red as a miracle collection, and yes, I was a bit skeptical. I’ve used drugstore options with the same principle before (like John Frieda’s Brilliant Brunette collection), and I’ve always wondered if anything was actually happening; plus, I very rarely get my hair professionally dyed, so I also chocked up a lot of product shortcomings to my own damaged hair. But with this latest cut and color, I hadn’t colored my hair in months—so these red shades should be easier to maintain, I would think.
But in the first week or so, I’m not sure if I really saw a difference. I was just using the shampoo, Shamp’Oil, and conditioner, Reflective Condition, every other day, and although I didn’t see any fading or dullness, I’m not sure if I saw my hair becoming more shiny or bouncy, either. It was certainly softer and felt less dry, but I don’t think it added anything magical to my hair, necessarily. My hair was just … my hair.
My lackadaisical reaction changed, though, when I added Illuminating Caring Oil and Reflect Enhancers in the Red and Copper shades to my routine. The Caring Oil “noticeably increases vibrancy and shine” and the Reflect Enchancers, which are like little packets of dye, are “color depositing conditioning treatments” that are supposed to “infuse hair” with red or copper tones; you’re supposed to use them once a week. I use a little drop of the Caring Oil on my roots and ends every other morning the Reflect Enhancers every other Sunday, and they have made a legitimate difference. My coppery tones, which were already seeming dull in the week after I got my hair colored but before I started the Pureology collection, now look less yellowish or gold, and have more of the burnt orange color they’re supposed to have. And the same goes for my scarlet highlights, which are concentrated in my bangs and were starting to look too brunette, blending into the rest of my hair. The Reviving Red Reflect Enhancer has really boosted their visibility, and they have remained clearly distinguishable from my dark brown base color.
I haven’t tested these products individually without each other, but I think the Reflect Enhancers are quite impressive, and could really be a must-buy for people trying to avoid monthly salon visits. (I think I’ll be able to postpone another dye job for three months because of these packets, which I think I’ll start using every other week instead of every Sunday, for longevity’s sake.) The Caring Oil was similarly great; like a serum, it adds some serious shine to my hair that lasts throughout the day. And although I wasn’t too in love with Shamp’Oil and Reflective Condition on their own, they may possibly work best in conjunction with these other products—the power of Reviving Red may work in using the entire collection instead of picking products piecemeal.
But if you were to grab just one thing from Reviving Red, I would lunge for those Reflect Enhancers. They are a hair godsend, and even though the price seems high at first, $40 certainly costs less than an entirely new dye job. If you do the math, it’s certainly cheaper in the long run.
VERDICT AND AVAILABILITY: B for Shamp’Oil and Reflective Condition; A for Caring Oil; A+ for Reflect Enhancers. $29 each for Shamp’Oil and Reflective Condition; $32 for Caring Oil; $40 for each four-pack of Reflect Enhancers; find where to buy on Pureology’s website.
EDITORIAL NOTE: The products featured in this post were provided to Chesapeake Family’s About Face blog by the manufacturer or their public relations company for review. Chesapeake Family’s About Face blog posts are inspired by personal experience and opinion, and are not paid for or influenced by the manufacturer, PR company, or any other organization unless mentioned.
Photos by Roxana Hadadi.
In middle school, Roxana Hadadi was a cosmetics-scorning tomboy; in high school, a glitter eye shadow- and black nail polish-loving trend kid; in college, obsessively committed to dying her hair unruly colors that upset her mom. Now a bit older and a bit more mature, she’s trying to figure out what hair, body and cosmetics products will work for her, you and your family in About Face, Chesapeake Family’s new beauty blog — and she’ll leave the sparkle makeup and neon highlights in the past. Roxana also writes movie reviews for Chesapeake Family’s Popcorn Parents blog.
