Can salon-level Tigi Bed Head Urban Antidotes products actually re-energize or resurrect, as they promise? Or is all the alliteration for naught?
By Roxana Hadadi
One thing I’ve learned the hard way: My hair does not like highlights. I got my hair done about 10 weeks ago in all-over copper and gold highlights, and I hoped the experience would be better than my last, when my highlights turned out overly brassy and ended up making my hair split-end city. But at the one-month mark, again I started getting worried: Were my highlights looking drier than usual? Why was my hair so tangled and rough-feeling after every shower? And could I reverse the damage?
I use deep conditioning hair masks and moisturizers fairly often, but about six weeks ago, I thought about incorporating a more regular routine—and decided to try out Tigi Bed Head Urban Antidotes, a line with three different levels of treatment. Level 1, Re-energize, is “perfect for normal hair that needs a daily pick-me-up”; Level 2, Recovery, is for “dry, damaged tresses that need a moisture hit”; and Level 3, Resurrection, is for “weak, brittle hair that needs an intervention.” My hair veers between Levels 1 and 3—quite literally, as my roots are pretty moisturized and don’t need that much work, while my ends are far more dry—so I experimented with both during the month-and-a-half period.
How did my test with Tigi Bed Head Urban Antidotes work out? Read on to learn more!
Tigi Bed Head Urban Antidotes Level 1 Re-energize Shampoo and Conditioner, Level 3 Resurrection Shampoo and Conditioner
Tigi Bed Head Urban Antidotes Level 1 Re-energize is described as putting “some oomph back into your tired, over-stimulated hair,” and supposedly will “blast weightless shine,” “detangle unruly locks,” and “boost hair strength.” Urban Antidotes Level 3 Resurrection is described as “hydration therapy” that will supposedly be a “moisture overhaul,” help “keep color vibrant,” and “zeroes in on dry, damaged hair.” Neither is all-natural or sulfate-free, but includes a number of perfumes or chemicals.
I know there has been a big push toward using products without any sulfates or added chemicals lately, but I had no problem trying out Tigi Bed Head Urban Antidotes. One of the first things I noticed was how good the products smelled, Level 1 like fruity, citrusy grapefruit and Level 3 like tropical fruit and papaya. And they share the same consistency, with the shampoo being creamy and easy to lather, and the conditioner lush and thick.
That’s all well and good, but did the stuff actually condition my hair? At first, not so much. I used Level 1 Re-energize for two weeks, and didn’t necessarily see that much of a difference. My hair felt shinier and bouncier, but the ends were still bushy, bristly, and more similar to hay than I would like to admit. Overall, my roots and the un-dyed parts of my hair were improving, but nothing else was—which makes sense, given that I think my hair was more damaged than Level 1 Re-energize could accommodate.
So I switched to Level 3 Resurrection, which after one week made a noticeable difference for me, and continued to during the course of a month. On the shampoo front, my hair felt cleansed and not weighed down, while on the conditioner front I noticed my split ends and highlights feeling smoother and less scratchy. Overall my hair felt shiny and bouncy, as it did with Level 1 Re-energize, but also less tangled and more voluminous. I wouldn’t go as far as to say my hair felt reborn, but Level 3 Resurrection was certainly more impactful for me than Level 1 Re-energize was.
For me personally, I would certainly continue with using Level 3 Resurrection; while Level 1 Re-energize was good, it just wasn’t powerful enough for my hair. Level 3 Resurrection was the way to go, effectively living up to what it promised on the label. And for those looking to try Urban Antidotes, I would start out with Level 1 and work my way up—the products are available in small sample sizes, so there’s no harm in testing them out before you make a final decision.
VERDICT: B+ for both Urban Antidotes Level 1 and 3; although I didn’t especially strong results with Level 1, it still made an impact on my hair, while Level 3 was clearly the right choice for me. Not a perfect grade, however, because I think the “Resurrection” claim is a little hyperbolic.
PRICE: About $13 for 8.45 fl oz of Urban Antidotes shampoo and about $14 for 6.76 fl oz of Urban Antidotes conditioner.
AVAILABILITY: Tigi Bed Head products are available at salons nationwide; find the one closest to you on Tigi’s website.
EDITORIAL NOTE: The product/s reviewed 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 reviews 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.
Photo by Adam Fried.
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.
