I used to be quite underwhelmed with the texture of my hair. Fine, frizzy, the type of triangle shaped long straight hair that just doesn't "do" anything. Cutting back on sulfates and silicones has helped, washing less frequently and using dry shampoo as well. Oh, and having some face framing layers cut into my hair really made my natural texture come through: a very, very slight wave. I like to oomph up that wave and volume as much as I can, but I'm not often in the mood for a session with my curling iron. I prefer things a bit messier, less time consuming and less damaging.
Of course, natural beachy/pool hair is the perfect fix for that, but alas: fall is here. Just because summer's far in the rear view mirror doesn't mean we should give up on beach waves, am I right? If anything, now that we won't be getting a little help from sun, sea and a salty breeze, it's the time to look into some alternatives for the real deal that will keep summer in your hair even if the temperatures drop.
Today I'm reviewing the Redken Beach Envy Volume texturizing line, comprising a shampoo, a conditioner, and "wave aid" or basically a sea salt spray. Let's take a look.
Do you like those cute shells? They're actually bits and bobs we collected on Mibaru beach, Okinawa earlier this year. My boyfriend loves looking for shells (he hates just sitting or lying down on a beach) and his hobby just came in handy: photo props!
The Redken Beach Envy Volume line is very pleasant to use, with a light, fresh scent that almost reminds me of a pine fragrance, but subtler. The conditioner is unlike any I've seen before: not creamy and white-ish, but clear and gel like, just like the shampoo. It does its job perfectly well, though, but be sure to double check the bottle before you go lathering in your shampoo. If I use the Beach Envy Volume shampoo and conditioner, the first thing I notice is that my hair feels a bit "dry", squeaky, like after using a clarifying shampoo. The conditioner keeps your ends from becoming too dry, but a bit of roughness is needed to get that texturized beachy look. Slippery silken locks are not what we're going for here.
Despite the dry feel, my hair is glossy and healthy looking after using the shampoo and conditioner, which work together to provide some volume and body throughout my hair.
Of course, nothing speaks louder than images
On the left, I'm using my regular shampoo (Yves Rocher for color treated hair), which, if I remember correctly, does not contain sulfates or silicones. This already boosts my hair's natural wavy texture, giving it much more body than it used to have back in high school. On the right, I've used the shampoo and conditioner from the Redken Beach Envy Volume line. My hair texture isn't changed dramatically, but my hair is shinier and the waves have been boosted. Also, less of that "triangle hair" thing everyone with long hair tries to avoid. You notice a bigger difference from the back, however.
I definitely notice that "stringy" (in a good way), wavy beach look on the right, where my hair looks a lot flatter on the left. Now, let's see what happens if we add the Wave Aid spray.
BAM, pretty huge difference, right? After some experimentation, I found out that the best way to use the spray was to spritz some into the palms of my hands, and then go scrunch it through my hair. Spraying straight onto my ends just knotted everything together, not something I enjoy. You get a bunch of texture this way and it really looks lovely, but beware: you won't be able to easily run your fingers through your hair anymore because locks will stick together a bit.
All in all, I think this line is lovely and I will definitely keep using it for a more carefree, boho look until summer returns and does the work for me!
The Redken Beach Envy Volume line is available at salons or online. I found the wave aid spray on sale here for €20.99, the shampoo for €13.95, and the conditioner for €15.25.
Do you have any beach hair se(a)crets?
No comments