With Summer officially here, it is time to get summery mermaid tresses for all of your brunches, and day parties. I recently received a voxbox from influenster and OGX to achieve this exact goal.
The Smoothing + Liquid Pearl collection is formulated with luxurious pearl extract and nutrient rich sea kelp, that will help smooth strands and add shine. I received the complete collection that is made up of a shampoo, conditioner, and serum. Here are my thoughts.
Smoothing+ Liquid Pearl Shampoo
Like every wash day, I started with the Shampoo. I normally don’t use shampoos that don’t specify that they are hydrating or moisturizing on the packaging, so I didn’t have high expectations going into this wash. Additional shine isn’t necessarily a hair care concern that I have since I have warm toned medium-dark hair and use oil and gel products that naturally add shine.
I wasn’t dissapointed with this shampoo, but I also wasn’t blown away. It isn’t overly drying and it didn’t create additional tangles in my hair. I’d say that for me, it is an average shampoo.
Smoothing+ Liquid Pearl Conditioner
I followed up with the conditioner. This was a very weird formula. I expected I’d have to use a lot because it is not a hydrating conditioner. I used almost 1/4 of the bottle on my curly hair, but this wasn’t the negative. For some reason, the longer I left it on my hair, the more dry it became.
That was definitely a first for a conditioner. I usually only have drying issues with protein treatments, but never with a conditioner. I only left it on for 3 minutes before washing it out, and had to follow up with a detangling spray because tangles developed the longer I left it in. I think it is best suited for straight hair, but definitely not curly hair.
Smoothing+ Luminescent Serum
This is the one product I didn’t actually try in my hair. The main reason is because I didn’t want to dry out my hair like the conditioner did. I read some reviews and saw how others with looser textures complained that it was drying, and I wasn’t prepared to add any additional damage to my hair that may need to be washed out.
The second reason is because of the formula. This product contains ultra fine micro glitters. If I had applied this to my type 4 curls, they would have been stuck in my hair for at least a month before I could completely wash them out.
I personally don’t think that glitter should go in a hair serum. If it is in a hair product, a gel is much better because the thick gel attaches to the glitter, which makes it easier to wash out. When it’s in a serum, the serum absorbs into your hair, leaving the glitter directly on your strands.
I did however use it on my body. The serum absorbed nicely into my skin without any irritation, and I loved the iridescent shimmer it added.
If you do try it, I can see it being best suited for festival season, or at outdoor pool parties to add a little summery shimmer to your looks.
Final Thoughts
I don’t think it is good for curly hair since our number one concerns are usually moisture retention. I also don’t think that lustre is a concern for those with dark hair, especially if you maintain the condition.
If you have cool-toned light hair, and looser/straight textures, you may enjoy this collection. I do however think that OGX has much better collections that I've tried in the past, so i’d encourage you to check them all out on OGX Beauty Online.
You can also purchase any of their collections from Amazon or Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart stores nationwide.
*I received these products for review complimentary of Influenster*