Gorgeous scent, but was worse than using no conditioner at all! (Aussie Real Volume Conditioner)

Member Name: Sacheverell

Product:	Aussie Real Volume Conditioner
Date:	09/11/09 (0 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: May be effective on short to medium hair; smells gorgeous

Disadvantages: Made my hair feel tangled and snagged; no volumising effect

I bought Aussie Real Volume Conditioner for my sister when she asked me to pick her up some volumising conditioner. I tend to use cheap conditioner but I know that she likes posh brands of haircare product and Aussie have a good name. It was £3.49 for 300ml. Occasionally Boots have a 2 for £6 deal on Aussie products.
Although it was for my sister, I spotted it in the shower and decided to try it for myself. This was because I had noticed she was wearing a lovely fragrance; but she explained it was the scent of the conditioner, not perfume!
The bottle is a nice shape - it looks fairly classy and it's easy to squeeze, which is something you take for granted until you buy a product in a rigid, unyielding bottle that doesn't let you get to the product (as I have experienced occasionally with some other brands). The top has a circle that you press in to tilt sideways, which reveals a hole for the conditioner to be dispensed through. It's fairly easy to open even with wet hands, though not the easiest bottle I've ever opened.

I put a small amount in my hand and applied it to the lengths of my hair; not at the root because I wanted to avoid a greasy appearance. I left it in for 2 minutes or so and rinsed it out.
I was left with fragrant hair all day. I did not notice a volumising effect, but I had not applied it to the roots which may have hampered the products efficiency in creating volume. In addition to that, I have long straight hair which is difficult to 'boost', because the lengths will weigh the volume back down again. Aside from that, I tend to be sceptical that volumising shampoo and conditioners can possibly work - styling products and curling tongs are the best way to achieve big hair.

I noticed over a few days that my hair felt tangled and uncomfortable as though it was being pulled out. I thought perhaps I had let my hair get too long - long hair can end up being pulled because of the 'tats' that are an increased hazard of having long hair.
Then I went back to using my own conditioner - a cheap simplistic one with no claims about volumising or repairing hair etc - and the problem disappeared. I can only think that perhaps the Real Volume Conditioner has some sort of 'sticky' effect on the hair in order to provide a volumising effect, although I could not feel any residue.

I probably do not have the right length of hair to be using this product, so perhaps it was an unfair test of it and it wouldn't result in tangling or discomfort to someone with short to medium hair. I have tried other Aussie products mainly because I liked the smell of this one so much! However, the other Aussie conditioners have different fragrances - still nice but not as nice as the Real Volume scent. They did not result in the same problem, though.
In conclusion, I think people are probably better off buying a cheap supermarket own conditioner. Conditioner isn't a product worth splashing out on, in my opinion - it gets rinsed out and it doesn't touch the scalp. Most cheap brands will moisturise and detangle, and I think that's all a conditioner really can do. If you want volume try a thickening serum or other styling product - they actually stay in the hair to do the work, rather than claiming to fortify or improve your hair itself.

At £3.45 this conditioner won't break the bank and it might be a good idea to try it if you have short to medium hair. I shan't be buying it again but I will miss the gorgeous smell!

Please note that I've also posted this review on Ciao.

Summary: I don't recommend it, although it may just be incompatible with my hair type.