What They Say: "Makes styling faster, easier.

* Exclusive plant infusion--a blend derived from organic aloe, maize and guar bean--creates a smooth surface on hair
* Organic tapioca defends against humidity for up to 12 hours
* Hydrolized wheat protein protects against surface damage from heat styling

Features our Smooth InfusionTM aroma, a fresh spicy citrus-floral featuring certified organic bergamot, certified organic palmarosa, Bulgarian rose and Australian sandalwood."

Jen's Experience: The area where I live is very humid, and lately it seems like it's been about 90% humidity or higher every day. And when that happens, all the stuff I put in my hair to give it body backfires on me and makes my hair have lots of volume of the frizzy variety.

I was pleased that this product totally delivered on protecting my hair from humidity. My hair looks sleek like it was flat-ironed for hours after using this and feels incredibly soft and silky (and smells good too!). The problem with that is that my hair has very little in the way of volume and is difficult to do any sort of styling. It doesn't look greasy or limp, just a little deflated. So while I don't think it necessarily makes styling faster and easier, if you get the frizzies in the rain or humid summer air, this might be something to add to your hair care arsenal.

Retail Price: $24.00 (Aveda.com)

Rating:

About the Shampoo: "Cleanses away anything that gets in volume's way to build body, shape and movement into hair. Hair is left textured, voluminously sexy and shiny. Safe for color-treated hair."

About the Conditioner: "Adds incredible body oomph and lift to accentuate voluminous contours. Perks up shine as light moisturizers tame and detangle with frizz control. Safe for color-treated hair. Follow with Vavoom styling and finishing for big, glamorous results."

Jen's Experience: When I first got this shampoo and conditioner, I wasn't impressed. Where is this "bust-out" body they speak of? But after a few weeks of use, I became more and more impressed. It really does wash away all the build-up so you can use it every single day without your hair becoming dry or limp. Plus, I've had no trouble with my blonde color becoming too washed out or brassy with continued use. As far as the body goes, it doesn't exactly deliver knockout results on it's own, but it does make my hair look thicker while remaining extra soft. It also seems to cut down on the frizzies that I get from living with high humidity. And all that volume can be achieved, as they recommend, with the various styling products Vavoom has to offer.

Retail Price: $14.00 each (go to Matrix.com to find a salon near you)

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What They Say: "For Fine / Medium hair. Use before blow-drying hair. Ultra light lotion helps protect hair against blow-dry heat. Gives natural body shape and movement. Follow with Iron-in Volume Protective Dry Mist to heat-seal design."

Jen's Experience:  I had great results with the MATRIX Amplify line, and really good results with the Vavoom Iron-In Spray, but I guess the run had to end at some point.  Perhaps I can attribute my healthy ends to near daily use of this product before my blow-dry.  It does seem to give a little bit of a volume boost, although not nearly as much as the Amplify ThickLift Volumizer did. 

The biggest problem that I had with it was that it was hard to get just the right amount.  Any at all on my bangs and they'd be stringy for the rest of the day.  On other parts of my hair, one pump just didn't seem like enough, two made my hair a little bit greasy looking.   Used along with the Iron-In Volume product, I got much better results, but I think that had more to do with the other product than this one.

In the end, the bit of shininess and volume that I got from using this just wasn't enough to justify it's place in my beauty routine. 

Retail Price:  $16.00 (Visit Matrix.com for a salon near you)

Rating:

What They Say: "...a natural shine enhancing serum for dull, coarse or brittle hair. Smooths, protects, and adds luster to even the most unruly hair. Contains rice bran oil to improve the condition and manageability of hair. Place 3-4 drops in the palm of your hand and rub hands together. Distribute evenly on damp or dry hair. Style as usual."

Melissa Says: To be perfectly honest, it was hard to focus objectively about the shine power of this product at first because I was distracted by the scent. It really isn't too pleasant. However, I did notice it faded a while after application. It's very...herbal. I have nothing against herbal scents, of course, as long as they're pleasant. This one wasn't something I'd want to smell like all day, that's for sure.

Shine-wise, I wasn't incredibly impressed. I've certainly used some serums that are more effective, and I felt like it would have certainly taken more than 3-4 drops to make a the difference I was looking for. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to handle that much more of the scent at once.

Retail Price: $16.00 / 1.7 oz (go to abbahaircare.com to find a salon near you)

DeLush Rating:

What They Say:

"Pure Volume Conditioner is a natural conditioning treatment for fine, limp hair. Body Building botanicals combined with neutral henna and seaweed extract help add volume, smooth and deeply hydrate lifeless hair while controlling static and adding shine. Volume therapy allows this conditioner to actually increase the diameter of hair adding thickness, fullness and texture. 100% vegan, healthy pH, sulfate and dye free."

Alissa's Opinion: This conditioner really delivers in the volume department. My normally fine hair definitely felt thicker smoother even with my regular styling routine. The product itself is very interesting. It's full of natural ingredients, vitamins and proteins and has a light, pleasant citrus scent. It looks like a milky shampoo and it rinses a lot cleaner than most conditioners. This does mean that there are less moisturizing properties, so I wouldn't recommend it for those who need a heavier conditioner. My mother borrowed it during a visit and found that it left her mane full of static. This product would be best for those with fine hair that is not dry or damaged.

Retail Price: $14.99 (Visit AbbaHaircare.com to find a salon near you)

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What They Say: "Individuality, shape and finish are separated - and united - by STRUCTURE. This collection separates the style from the cut, bringing definition as you like it. Just the right amount of shine, hold and control are now at your fingertips, applied root to tip.

Structure Lock sets with touchable hold during thermal styling and delivers strong, long-lasting hold when locking in a finishing style."

What Lisa Says: My hair has grown out past shoulder length and is so much heavier than the shorter "Do's" I've been sporting the past few years. I actually found the Structure Lock spray to be just what I needed for not only a styling spray but a finishing spray as well. I sprayed this product at the root and it held the height and body of the hair extremely well with no flattening all day and into the evening. Less is more when it comes to using this as a finishing spray. It doesn't take much to hold the style and, while not "crispy" feeling, my hair did feel "coated" with residue that didn't brush out easily. A lighter spritz proved adequate for holding and while I found it didn't add any shine, it didn't take away any natural shine.

I will definitely continue using this product for the hold alone. There is no fragrance other than the average "hairspray scent" which quickly diminishes to nothingness. The only major problem I had with this bottle of spray was that the nozzle tends to clog delivering one or two long streams of spray before the it clears. I found it frustrating and a waste of product so I took one "lippie" off for that. Once clear though I was quite happy with the hold!

Retail Price: $26.00 / 6 fl oz (check Profound Beauty for a salon near you)

DeLush Rating:

What They Say: "For Fine / Medium hair. Use before ironing hair. Mists on ultra-dry. Smoothes for a faster iron glide as it seals in body, shine and static-free finish."

Jen's Experience: Flat-ironed hair for me has never been my best look. I only have a handful of baby fine hair, and when I flatten it, I look something like a drowned rat. So, as you can imagine, I was pleasantly surprised to get to try a product that promised volume along with flat-ironed hair designed for those of us with fine hair. I was even more pleased to find that it actually works! In fact, it creates so much volume that I can't even use it on my bangs or they become downright bushy. All of the other fabulous effects of flat-ironing remain: my hair is frizz-free, shiny, and the ends just look so healthy.

I've tried it a little with my normal curling iron, and I don't get nearly the same effect; this product was clearly meant to be used with some serious heat. One thing to mention, though: if you spray too much on, it will become sticky on your hair in the iron and make it not glide as easily. This doesn't prevent me from recommending it wholeheartedly to those with fine or thin hair. if you've always been looking for a way to get straightened hair but just can't spare the volume, this is exactly the product you need to get the look you've been wanting.

Retail Price: $16.99 (Visit Matrix.com for a salon near you)

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What They Say: For medium to very coarse hair texture.

Reinforces a more natural curl that is clean smooth and glossy. It is a moisture infusing cream that creates contour, smoothes the cuticle and nurtures curl definition and shape. Curl cream maintains natural volume in the hair for shiny, defined, controlled curls. Uses select conditioning ingredients to reinforce the curl's natural contour leaving them soft and supple.

How to Use: Distribute evenly through towel-dried hair. Finger style curls into desired shape. Squeeze for a tighter curl. Blow dry with diffuser, or air dry.

What Lisa Says: I was really conflicted about this product. It's great for "curlies" who like to skip blow drying and opt for beautiful air-dried curls. Once styled with my fingers or scrunched for tighter curls, my hair had more volume and the results were lovely. That said, my hair felt coarser and bit dried out after use and I never got good results using my diffuser. The cream smelled faintly like my hair color and my hair just wasn't as "touchable" as I like. I did travel quite a bit with this bottle in tow. The pump dispenser was very sturdy and traveled very well without any leaking.

Profound Beauty has an excellent website with a "Find Your Routine" feature that did not list this as among the best products for my hair. I have a hunch that's why I'm struggling to really embrace it. I will add that my hair looked good enough that I will probably purchase 1 or 2 of the recommended products for my hair and give them a try.

Retail Price: 5 oz/$24.00 (check Profound Beauty for salon near you)

Rating:

What They Say: "Where do you want your hair to go? Atmosphere transports your hair to its ideal climate, changing its Relative Humidity to behave like it's in the arctic. Beyond styling, Atmosphere surrounds hair in a new form of control and texturizing possibility. Go where it takes you. Transports your hair to an arctic climate. Hair becomes sleek, smooth with icy high shine."

Alissa's Opinion: I'm not exactly sure how I would describe this product. It dispenses like a mousse, looks like a gel and behaves like a styling cream. The formula feels quite gooey when applying and the stickiness doesn't completely disappear after blow drying. I found it easier than usual to get my hair stick straight, but my round brush almost got stuck a few times. The shine factor was definitely pumped up after using this, and my sleek style lasted all day. The biggest downside was the smell, which was very much like a bathroom cleaner and unfortunately long lasting.

Retail Price: $26.00 (at select salons and distributors - go here to find one near you)

DeLush Rating:

About the conditioner: "Sunsilk™ will pick you up with Anti-Flat Conditioner. Formulated with Collagen-C, it detangles and cares for your hair so it can go from blah to full of body and bounce."

About the volumizing cream: "Your genie is in this bottle. Sunsilk™ Anti-Flat Weightless Volumizing Creme is not a conditioner, and it's not a mousse. It combines the best of both in a lightweight concoction to give you visible oomph without that stiff look or that crunchy feel."

Jen's Experience: Trying hair products is sometimes a risky proposition for me, especially those of the drugstore variety. My fine, thin hair is hard to please and is easily damaged. And once my hair is out of whack, it seems to take a long time to get back into shape.

I say this as a prelude to my review, because unlike other hair products that I've tested that I have generally given about a month or so to test, I stopped using these products from SunSilk after about 10 days. In that time, my hair went from having bounce and looking healthy to looking flat and downright greasy. I thought maybe it was just one or the other, so I replaced the conditioner for a few days and just used the volumizing cream (which didn't help at all) and then just used the conditioner and removed the volumizing cream from my routine (which helped somewhat, but not a lot). Was it just weather conditions? After a week or so back with the MATRIX shampoo and conditioner I've been using, I gave each product another shot, with no luck. Do they have some redeeming factors? Well, the conditioner does a great job detangling and it leaves my hair soft, and the volumizing cream does smell pretty good. Other than that, these are all miss and no hit. These may be some of the most inexpensive options on the market, but the results I got were just not worth the bargain.

Retail Prices: $3.26 each (Drugstore.com)

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