Add some silk and shine to your tresses with Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Fluid
Written: Feb 04 '08 (Updated Feb 05 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Effective on damp hair, great scent, imparts shine, a little goes a long way
Cons: Expensive, hard to get off hands, doesn't really tame flyaways
The Bottom Line: For anyone who is going for a straight, silky, shiny look, I'd definitely recommend this product.
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| tracmd's Full Review: AVEDA , Light Elements Smoothing Fluid, 3.4 oz |
A couple of years ago, I decided to treat myself to a haircut by a senior stylist at a local Aveda salon. I wanted a sharp cut, with layers near my face. My hair is thick and has a slight wave to it. After the shampoo and cut, the stylist reached for Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Liquid, pumped a few squirts into her hands, rubbed her hands together, and then applied the fluid to my hair. To apply the fluid, she rubbed her hands against my damp hair, smoothing the hair downward. She then blow dried my hair while straightening it with a brush. She then applied a few more squirts of the Smoothing Liquid to my dry hair.
When I looked in the mirror, I was amazed on several accounts. Sure, I loved the haircut. But, what amazed me the most was how shiny and smooth my hair looked. Most impressive of all was the fact that I only saw the stylist use one hair product- the LIght Elements Smoothing Fluid.
Upon checking out at the salon, I decided to purchase my own bottle of the Smoothing Liquid. I couldn't get over how pricey the fluid was, at $23 for a very small bottle (3.4 oz). What the heck, I thought. It wasn't often that I treated myself to hair products. Hence, I bit the bullet.
According to the label, the Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Liquid is designed to "infuse all hair types with weightless movement and shine with lavender." The ingredients are:
Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer (all preceding ingredients sourced from Silica), Jojoba Seed Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Lavender Oil, Soybean Oil, Tocopheryl (sourced from Soy), Fragrance (including Certified Organic Vetiver, Lavender, Blond Orange, Marjoram, Rosemary, and Cinnamon Leaf), and Limonene.
The product is also not tested on animals.
The bottle is small, milky blue, and transparent, with a plastic pump and cap on top. I have used the product on both damp and dry hair. When I have used the liquid on my damp hair, I first brush my hair, pump a few squirts of the liquid in my palm, rub my hands together, and then spread it as evenly as possible over all of my hair. The best technique that I have found is to actually pull my hair downward while sliding my hands over it (starting at the roots and working to the ends). I find that I get the best results when I then immediately blow dry my hair while straightening my hair with my rounded brush. My hair is shoulder length, and for optimal effect, I typically need to apply anywhere from three to six more squirts of the liquid to my hair. I then style my hair and reapply some additional fluid. The result is healthy, shiny, and straight looking hair.
I have been a little less impressed with the effect of the Smoothing Fluid when it is strictly applied to dry hair. According to the label, one is to apply to dry hair when the desired effect is extra shine, and to tame flyaways. I give the product one out of two in this case. It definitely provides extra shine. However, I find that it is ineffective when it comes to taming flyaways. In this case, the pro is the con. It is a very light fluid, and is simply too light to tame my moderately heavy hair's flyaways. When I have flyaways, I must dampen that section of my hair first, and then apply the fluid. Since taming flyaways is low on my priority list when it comes to this product, it doesn't damper my assessment of it by much.
I really like the smell of the product. If you are familiar with Aveda products, you probably already know that a lot of their products have a nice herbal, lavender smell. This product is no different. It really gives my hair a nice light scent, without setting off my allergies.
The fluid itself is a clear, light gel. It has a very smooth feel to it when I rub my hands together with it on them. It feels extremely slippery, but not sticky or greasy. I do run into a bit of a problem when I try to remove the remnants from my hands. Even with amply soap, it is very hard to get this fluid off. When I run my hands under the water after soaping up, I still feel the fluid even after a good washing. I tend to have to get the remaining fluid off of my hands during the drying process with a towel. This is my least favorite aspect of this product.
I do find that when I wash my hair the next time after applying this lotion, my hair feels much more silky and smooth under the water. It also seems get less dried out by my shampoo.
Though the fluid is super expensive in my opinion, it does last an extremely long time. I have been working on the same bottle since my original trip to the salon two years ago. I do not use the fluid every day, but a little does go a very long way.
I would have to give this Smoothing Fluid five stars for its effectiveness on damp hair, ability to add extra moisture and shine on damp and dry hair, and for its scent. I would give it three stars for its inability to tame flyaways, and due to the annoying aspect of trying to get it off my hands after I use it. All in all, it's really a four and a half star product (subsequently resulting in a four star rating).
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
tracmd
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Member: Tracy
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 81
Trusted by: 8 members
About Me:
I am a happily married mother of a precious daughter and furry baby (a cat).
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