tlbwriter's Full Review: Artec 8oz Orange Marigold Shampoo
You know, none of this would have ever happened if my stylist had just listened to me the first time…
My natural hair color is auburn, and it has gotten darker over the last few years. I started getting it highlighted last year. I told the stylist I wanted coppery highlights, since that’s the color of my natural highlights. I just wanted more of them. Well, you know how stylists are – sometimes their vision does not correspond with yours. The actual color of my new highlights ended up somewhere between caramel and strawberry blonde, with some leaning more toward blonde. But it looked nice, so I stuck with it. However, lately I’ve decided I’d like to warm them up just a bit. I’ve been toying with the idea of a color-enhancing shampoo – I’ve used them before (by Paul Mitchell, Redken, and most recently Aveda) and found that, over time, they did eventually have a subtle effect on my hair color. So when I found an Artec color depositing shampoo in orange marigold, which promised to “maintain the brightness of deep strawberry blonde, copper, auburn, and warm brown hair,” I couldn’t help myself. It sounded perfect, it was half price… I decided to take the plunge.
In the shower
That evening, I jumped into the shower to begin the transformation. The first thing I noticed, oddly enough, was that the shampoo itself was just beautiful – a rich, shimmery, dark copper color. If only this color could be captured in a lipstick! It had a faint scent – nothing really unpleasant, but not exactly enchanting either. I didn’t consider that a problem, since I was not using the shampoo for its aromatherapy qualities. Next, I noticed that it did not lather well at all. Part of me knows it doesn’t matter; that a shampoo doesn’t need to lather to clean, and that lathering agents are simply added to please those of us who think lather = cleaning ability. But the other part of me just kept adding water and trying to work up a good lather.
After the shower
After using my regular conditioner, I anxiously stepped out of the shower to examine the result. As I discovered, ARTec’s color depositing shampoo is much stronger than the color enhancing shampoos I had used. Even sopping wet, I could see that my highlights were considerably redder – much redder than I expected. I proceeded to blow-dry my hair. As I dried, I could see that my virgin hair was about a shade redder. And my highlights were even redder than that, ranging from a gorgeous deep copper to a less-than-gorgeous peachy pink (this, of course, being the lighter strands nearest my face).
But I noticed something else – my hair felt incredible! When I straighten my naturally curly hair, my routine is to blow-dry (leaving it somewhat straight but very frizzy), straighten with a flat straightening iron (leaving it straight but still a bit frizzy and dry-looking) and finish with a curling iron (leaving it smoother and shinier, and curled under at the ends if I’m lucky). But after using the ARTec shampoo, I found I could skip the curling iron altogether. My hair looked, and felt, like polished silk. I couldn’t keep my hands out of it. I was torn between loving the incredible shine and softness, and hating my peachy-pink bangs. Unfortunately, the price of soft, silky hair is that it has no body. This is good if your goal is the stick-straight glossy style that’s very popular right now. If not, you’ll find that you have to use more styling product than normal.
The next morning
Finding that my bangs hadn’t magically resolved overnight, I decided to use a a pre-shampoo clarifying treatment, along with a clarifying shampoo, to tone down the color a bit. This combination has stripped the color from my highlights in the past, so I felt confident it would have the same effect. It did not – I went to work that morning with peachy-pink curls (and isn’t it funny that something so glaringly obvious to you can go unnoticed by your spouse and co-workers?) Interestingly, my hair still looked and felt fabulous – the softest and shiniest I’ve ever experienced.
Day 2
That evening, I used the clarifying treatment and shampoo again, washing twice. Finally, I had the desired result – my virgin hair went back to its natural color (or close enough that I could not notice the difference), and my highlights had a slight auburn tint. Not a pink strand in sight.
Long-term use
After some experimenting, I finally discovered the secret to using this shampoo effectively. Once my color starts to fade (a few weeks after a salon visit), I mix a dab of Orange Marigold shampoo with my regular shampoo. I do this every other time I wash my hair. The result is a fabulous head of warm coppery highlights, and no pink bangs.
The final verdict
If I had discovered this shampoo before I had highlights, I would have considered it the holy grail. Anyone whose medium to dark red hair (natural or not) is fading and turning darker/browner with age should try it. It’s also a great product for those who want to experiment with adding a little color. The red tones it gave my dark, natural hair were gorgeous and very natural-looking. And then there’s the amazing softness and shine. But because of the unnatural color it left on my brighter highlights, I suggest starting out with a small amount mixed in your regular shampoo if you have light hair or light highlights (unless you’re aiming for pink hair). I would also use caution if your hair has been permed, chemically straightened, or damaged, since you may pick up more color.
ARTec runs about $10 for an 8 oz bottle. Not bad when you're using it at the rate I do. It can be purchased in salons, or at online retailers (do Epinions a favor and click one of the links below this review, OK?) Other ARTec shampoos for different variations of red hair include red clover (for “bright red and bright red brown hair”) and cherry bark (for “red, red brown, and burgundy hair”). Shampoos for blonde and brunette hair are available as well.
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
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