Kerastase Reflection Chroma Cristal

Some people have a summer of love, a summer of self-discovery or a just a summer of surfing. I am having a summer of hair. Technically, it's my first summer with hair slightly below my shoulders since 1992. Since products, techniques and styles have changed since the last time I carried ponytail holders around, I'm trying everything I can get my hands on.


My hair is coarse, dry and slightly wavy. I'm finding that while my hair drinks conditioning treatments in like nectar, it scoffs at thick hair serums intended to add shine. Heavy, gloppy shine serums tend to weigh my hair down, making it look greasy. I've been having a hard time finding a way to add shine without these traditional, thick products. Especially because I've been scrunching and air drying, which isn't always conducive to adding a heavy shine serum after its dried.





Enter Chroma Cristal, from Kerastase. This bi-phase beauty (you have to shake it to make it blend, I believe) is a gajillion times lighter* than other shine sprays and serums I've tried.  It doesn't feel greasy or heavy. In fact, if you spray it on your hands it feels similar to water, yet gives hair a nice shine. It's great to boost shine on color-treated hair, but works well on natural hair, too. It doesn't have any real smell, either. All this mist leaves behind is lovely shine. It gives damaged hair a leg up on looking healthy and helps keep locks soft and touchable. While I don't have them, I would imagine it's perfect for thinner, fine tresses, too.





I like to apply this to my hair after I towel dry it. I spray again once my hair is totally dry for a little added shine and to squelch any frizzies that cropped up during my air drying process. Check it out at Kerastase-usa.com for $39.00.





(My hair is shiny in a natural, healthy and not overdone way, and doesn't look dry at all. Love it!)


This is my hair on the 4th of July. I honestly didn't do much to it. I wet it with a slight water and oil solution, added some wave inducing scrunch spray, spritzed some Chroma Cristal when wet and then again when dried. Hours later, I touched up 3 pieces on each side with an iron before The Friends came over to watch a movie. My hair was touchable, gorgeous and shiny. I could even run my fingers through it, which has never been the case when it's wavy. This may be the best wavy style I've gotten all year!


*not scientifically proven. It's Gouldylox math.


Product was sent for review. Kerastase does not test on animals.


Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews and more! Copyright 2009-2011, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.


Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews and more! Copyright 2009-2011, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

More Than You Ever Needed to Know: Garnier Blow Dry Perfector

I have fairly straight hair. The issue for me is that the layers below the shiny, top layer are a little scraggly (as my Dad would say). They are straight, but from a texture standpoint they are kind of, well, meh. They are not silky and pretty like the top layers, and forget the glossy sheen. They are rougher, harder to control and like to swell and get bulky half way through the day. (This adventure gets long, so feel free to skip to the wrap up of the wrap up, at the bottom.)
The Garnier Blow Dry Perfector caught my eye. It claims to keep hair straighter, shinier, and reduce blow dry time for up to 7 shampoos. The active ingredients in it appear to include cystiene, which while it isn't a relaxer, it acts similarly. It is a real chemical process, so if you try it, please make sure you follow the hair color rules that go along with it (they are listed on the box).

Here is how you do it. You start by shampooing your hair and NOT following up with a conditioner. (I know. Egh.) Then while your hair is wet, apply the serum, making sure to coat your hair evenly. It smells strongly, like an old-school perm. After the suggested amount of time, you rinse it out and apply the straightening cream. Thank the gods that the straightening cream has a lot of slip to it, or your hair would feel fried. The key to the whole shebang apparently lies in the next step: blow dry and flat iron your hair to set it.

So I did all of that. My hair was straight, even on the icky under layer. It felt slightly thicker (the hair itself, not the volume) and didn't have as much movement as it usually did. But the under layers of my hair were lovely and straight.

The next day, my hair was still almost perfect when I woke up, making me extremely happy. Until the dryness began to set in.

My hair started to feel fried; some of the ends were dry and sparse looking. I shampooed and conditioned, which helped a little. The next day, it was still very straight on the underside, and my hair stayed straight, without expanding at all in the humidity.

By the following weekend, I couldn't take the dryness anymore and started throwing things on my hair, in an attempt to quench my uber dry strands. I started with Moroccan Oil. My hair laughed at it. In fact, it absorbed it so quickly, my hair almost looked like nothing had been applied to it.


Next up, I loaded up on Kerastase Masquintense, which appeased my dry hair for a bit. I decided to wrap my hair in saran wrap and let it cook. For a normal person, who doesn't have dry hair to begin with, the Kerastase would have probably done the job. But I still wasn't happy, and used a sample of Phyto Intense Nutrition Mask (with Plant Marrow).

I know that line of products is not exactly intended for my hair texture, but who cares? Really dry hair is really dry hair. The Phyto worked MAGIC on my hair. We are talking waving a wand, magic on my hair. And then, because I am me, never satisfied and totally impatient, I ignored the color advice on the box and colored my hair.

I should say that I colored it the next morning, after all of my wonderful conditioning. My hair, three days later, still feels amazing and after four shampoos, is still very straight on the underneath layers of my hair. It's holding up in the humidity and looks and feels great.

So to wrap up this entry: The Garnier stuff worked ok, but my hair is pretty straight to start with. I then determined that a combo of Phyto Intense Nutrition and Kerastase works magic and that your hair won't fall out if you essentially lightly relax it and then color it a week later. (Don't you do that, though. K? Thanks!) To wrap up my wrap up, I would use the Garnier Blow Dry Perfector again if it wasn't so drying or had the potential to impact my coloring habits.

I bought this. Garnier does not test on animals.

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Home Blowout Heaven Courtesy of Kerastase (Plus a free one for you!)

As my hair gets longer, I am struggling to get it through the in between stages. It doesn't look good in a headband, the bangs aren't long or short enough not to be annoying and it's not quite long enough for a faux pony. In short, it's making me nuts.

When I have the time, I am finding that taking my time blowing it out and flat ironing it makes it tolerable. So far, the best hair I have yielded, texture-wise, is no doubt thanks to Kerastase.

Here is what I used:

I shampooed with Bain Satin #1. I then deep conditioned with Masqueintense for thick hair. Then I added a bit of Kerastase Nectar Thermique, which helps shield the hair from heated styling tools. I blew my hair dry the same way I always do and then followed up with a flat iron. The result? Glorious, silky smooth hair that moves beautifully. I can't stop touching my hair! It honestly feels differently than my hair normally does. Surely, this is what it feels like to have "celebrity hair". Love it! The only downside of this line is the price. But forgoing a few pro blowouts per month will allow you to get the look at home all month for less!




In participating salons on June 23, Kerastase is offering complementary treatments and blowouts to raise money for Locks of Love, a non-profit that provides hair pieces for disadvantaged children who suffer from long term hair loss. A minimum $10 donation is appreciated. Click here for details.


Kerastase products were provided for the purposes of review.

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement. Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2009-2010, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.