For decades, styling mousse has been a favorite product for those looking to add body and volume to hair. Derived from a French word meaning "foam", mousse is exactly that: a foamy lightweight product which is applied to damp hair prior to blowdrying. Mousses work best on those with fine or limp hair, and best results are achieved by applying the mousse to the root area of the hair.
As a professional stylist and salon owner with over a decade of experience, I have tried just about every mousse on the market. Here, in my opinion, are some of the best mousses currently available.
1. Davines Universal Mattering Mousse. Davines is a manufacturer of luxury haircare products which are found in only the best salons. This styling essential provides volume with a natural un-sticky finish. Hydrolized wheat proteins and panthenol moisturize and protect the hair, leaving it shiny and soft. Davines mousse provides a medium hold, perfect for almost any style.
2. Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Mousse. This is one of the more popular products in Alterna's highly-touted Caviar line, which contains ingredients designed to combat the effects of aging on the hair, making it an ideal choice for those with fine and thinning hair.
3. Goldwell Flexi-Whip Mousse. I hate the way this product smells, and I hate the packaging. However, I love the way it performs. This may very well be the Subaru Outback of haircare products- not much to look at, but it's reliable and gets the job done. Goldwell Flexi Whip Mousse is a rich and thick foam with slightly more hold than its competitors. At under twenty dollars for a large bottle, this mousse gives you the most bang for your buck.
4. Zerran Radiant Finish Mousse. This wonder peppermint-scented mousse is made by a tiny company that manufactures some of the greatest haircare products in the world. Radiant Finish Mousse is a non-aerosol mousse made with natural ingredients that add just the right amount of hold and body.
5. TIGI Catwalk Extra Strong Mousse. The problem with many mousses is that they are great on fine hair, but fall flat when used on thicker hair textures. This product is especially designed for those with thick hair. It is also safe to use on hair that has been chemically processed.
After trying out hundreds of mousses in my career, these are five products I would gladly recommend to any client looking for volume and body.
Showing posts with label Davines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Davines. Show all posts
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Friday, December 16, 2011
CHI Pliable Polish vs. Davines No. 4 Glossy Modeling Putty
This is going to be a very interesting face-off, since it pits two of my all-time favorite products against each other. Both of these products are in my "travel kit" which I take with me to photoshoots and runway shows, but alas, there can be only one winner in this battle of the lightweight styling pastes.
Here's a look at the contestants:
CHI Pliable Polish Weightless Styling Paste is designed for style definition, enabling you to easily mold hair into the desired shape and style. Davines No. 4 Glossy Modeling Putty is the Rolls Royce of styling products, found only in high-end salons. Can trendy CHI Pliable Polish outperform its sophisticated rival? Let's find out.
Each product will be scored on a 1-10 scale in the following areas: Performance, Ingredients, Sensory Appeal (fragrance and packaging), and Value. Let the battle begin!
Performance: Both products are ideal for achieving highly-textured styles while adding a natural shine that doesn't look greasy. Both products are applied in the same manner, by emulsifying a very small dab in the palm of your hand and applying the product to dry hair as a finishing touch. Neither product has an exceptionally strong hold, but that's the whole point. Ultimately, the only area where Davines outperformed CHI was in the shine department, providing a slightly higher level of shine. Hard to pick a winner, but the edge goes to Davines Glossy Modeling Putty. (Davines:10 CHI:9)
Ingredients: The difference in ingredients is marginal. CHI Pliable Polish derives its silky texture from mineral oil, while Davines uses castor oil. When it comes to shine, CHI depends on mica and Davines depends on silica. Both products contain propylene glycol, acrylamides and propylparabens. Since this is like comparing Coke to Pepsi, I have to call it a draw, though both lose points for lack of organic ingredients. (Davines:7 CHI:7)
Sensory Appeal: The fragrance of the Davines product is absolutely delightful. In fact, it may be the best darn thing I ever smelled in my life. It brings back fond memories of my childhood that I can't quite put a finger on (if you can identify that smell, let me know!). CHI Pliable Polish smells alright, it's not strong or unpleasant. When it comes to packaging, the Davines product looks elegant and classy, but the design of the cap makes it impossible for the tube to stand up. CHI's bottle, on the other hand, has a larger cap which allows it to stand upright. Because the Davines product looks and smells great (but can't stand up), and the CHI product stands up but doesn't look or smell as good, this round is also a draw. (Davines:9 CHI:9)
Value: You get 3.3 ounces of product with Davines, and 3.0 ounces with CHI. Does that extra 0.3 ounces justify the price? Let's see. Surprisingly, CHI Pliable Polish retails for around 15.00, while Davines Glossy Modeling Putty sells for around 19.00-22.00, depending on the source, which isn't much of a price differential as you might expect since Davines tends to be found only in snooty upscale salons. Since CHI Pliable Polish is roughly seventy-five cents cheaper per ounce, it wins this round. (CHI:9 Davines:8)
And the winner is....
It's a tie! Well, that must explain why I love both of these products. Both are nearly identical when it comes to ingredients and performance, but the Davines product smells better and adds a little more shine, while the CHI product represents a better value. Davines Glossy Modeling Putty and CHI Pliable Polish both end up with 34 points, battling their way to the first tie in the history of Haircare Face-Off.
Here's a look at the contestants:
CHI Pliable Polish Weightless Styling Paste is designed for style definition, enabling you to easily mold hair into the desired shape and style. Davines No. 4 Glossy Modeling Putty is the Rolls Royce of styling products, found only in high-end salons. Can trendy CHI Pliable Polish outperform its sophisticated rival? Let's find out.
Each product will be scored on a 1-10 scale in the following areas: Performance, Ingredients, Sensory Appeal (fragrance and packaging), and Value. Let the battle begin!
Performance: Both products are ideal for achieving highly-textured styles while adding a natural shine that doesn't look greasy. Both products are applied in the same manner, by emulsifying a very small dab in the palm of your hand and applying the product to dry hair as a finishing touch. Neither product has an exceptionally strong hold, but that's the whole point. Ultimately, the only area where Davines outperformed CHI was in the shine department, providing a slightly higher level of shine. Hard to pick a winner, but the edge goes to Davines Glossy Modeling Putty. (Davines:10 CHI:9)
Ingredients: The difference in ingredients is marginal. CHI Pliable Polish derives its silky texture from mineral oil, while Davines uses castor oil. When it comes to shine, CHI depends on mica and Davines depends on silica. Both products contain propylene glycol, acrylamides and propylparabens. Since this is like comparing Coke to Pepsi, I have to call it a draw, though both lose points for lack of organic ingredients. (Davines:7 CHI:7)
Sensory Appeal: The fragrance of the Davines product is absolutely delightful. In fact, it may be the best darn thing I ever smelled in my life. It brings back fond memories of my childhood that I can't quite put a finger on (if you can identify that smell, let me know!). CHI Pliable Polish smells alright, it's not strong or unpleasant. When it comes to packaging, the Davines product looks elegant and classy, but the design of the cap makes it impossible for the tube to stand up. CHI's bottle, on the other hand, has a larger cap which allows it to stand upright. Because the Davines product looks and smells great (but can't stand up), and the CHI product stands up but doesn't look or smell as good, this round is also a draw. (Davines:9 CHI:9)
Value: You get 3.3 ounces of product with Davines, and 3.0 ounces with CHI. Does that extra 0.3 ounces justify the price? Let's see. Surprisingly, CHI Pliable Polish retails for around 15.00, while Davines Glossy Modeling Putty sells for around 19.00-22.00, depending on the source, which isn't much of a price differential as you might expect since Davines tends to be found only in snooty upscale salons. Since CHI Pliable Polish is roughly seventy-five cents cheaper per ounce, it wins this round. (CHI:9 Davines:8)
And the winner is....
It's a tie! Well, that must explain why I love both of these products. Both are nearly identical when it comes to ingredients and performance, but the Davines product smells better and adds a little more shine, while the CHI product represents a better value. Davines Glossy Modeling Putty and CHI Pliable Polish both end up with 34 points, battling their way to the first tie in the history of Haircare Face-Off.
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