Don't expect a miracle (Montagne Jeunesse Moisture Miracle)

Member Name: salem_witch

Product:	Montagne Jeunesse Moisture Miracle
Date:	28/11/06 (665 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It conditions and softens the hair as well as smelling nice

Disadvantages: Not effective enough to be worth the bother

Moisture Miracle claims to be an emergency repair for lifeless, brittle hair or split ends. I wouldn’t say that my hair was particularly lifeless or brittle but I do have split ends. I’ve put off using it, as I believe that the only thing to get rid of split ends is a pair of scissors. Having not been to the hairdressers in a long time I thought it was about time to give it a go and see if it lives up to its claims.

It comes in a sachet so only has one application in it. At least this way if its no good then you’re not lumbered with a huge tub or pot of something you don’t actually like or that doesn’t actually do what its supposed to. Moisture Miracle is actually Seville Orange Moisture Miracle but the words Seville Orange are so small I missed them and I’m sure many others have as well. On closer inspection of the ingredients other citrus fruits are used as well (mandarin, lime and grapefruit). It isn’t clear what quantities are used so I assumed it wouldn’t be enough for them to be obvious.

***How to use***

The mask has two stages. The first is the actual Moisture Miracle mask to condition and the second is a protect and seal serum. After shampooing your hair apply the mask to your hair and leave it for 5-10 minutes to give the oils a chance to work. After it has been washed out apply the serum to towel dried hair. I was quite concerned by the warning that tells you that the product won’t colour your hair. This is good, as I don’t really want bright orange hair. Once the serum is applied evenly you can either leave it to dry naturally or use a hair dryer.

It does state that the length and thickness of your hair depends on how much serum you use. Having said that there are only 5ml of it (compared to 17.5ml of the mask) so you can’t really go over board.

***Applying it***

Once out of the shower and quick towel dry I proceeded to apply the mask. Ripping open the first stage only (making sure I opened the right one!) I squeezed the sachet carefully. Out came the mask, which I could smell instantly. Although it does smell of oranges it wasn’t intense scent. Also as suspected the other fruits (lime and grapefruit) weren’t apparent at all. The mandarin being similar smell to the orange wasn’t noticeable, as it would have blended in with it. The colour of the mask was almost a pastel orange and the consistency was like a conditioner only a little runnier. This would be because of the amount of natural oils in it. Applying it to my hair was very easy as it absorbed really well. I made sure it was evenly spread out before washing my hands.

The only problem I found was that once my hands were covered in the mask and after applying it to my hair my hands were a bit oily. It made getting more of the mask out of the sachet a little tricky. Although it wasn’t as oily as say baby oil it was still enough to make it a little awkward. As I tried to squeeze from the bottom and push it up my hands slid a little. The only way around this would be to get someone to dispense the mask into your hands.

Once the entire mask was applied I made sure I hadn’t missed any bits of my hair. Although there was enough in the sachet for my hair I would have liked a little more. I have long hair so this wouldn’t be an issue for anyone with shorter hair but anyone with really long hair could be disappointed. However, as it is so oily maybe applying more would make your hair greasy so maybe Montagne Jeunesse have done this for that very reason.

I found that I didn’t need to tie my hair up once the mask had been applied. The picture on the sachet made me think that it would sit on my hair rather than be absorbed as it was. It fact, my hair just looked wet and it wasn’t obvious that there was anything in my hair. The smell of the oranges was subtle and I could only really smell it if I sniffed my hair. I found this a little disappointing but it means that anyone that isn’t over keen on the smell of oranges could still use this.

***Washing it out***

I actually kept the mask on for slightly longer than 10 minutes. This was because someone beat me into the bathroom more than anything else. There are no warnings about keeping it on for longer so I didn’t worry about this.

Washing it out was very easy and didn’t take long at all. The water ran clear so I’d imagine most of the mask was absorbed into my hair. Straight away my hair felt conditioned and very soft. The aroma was very subtle but not too much that I couldn’t smell it. Washing it out didn’t take long at all and just the usual time of a normal conditioner.

After towel drying my hair I couldn’t see any difference but the scent of oranges was noticeable. Once I’d towel dried my hair enough I applied the second stage – the serum. It doesn’t advise you to brush your hair but I thought this would be common sense and that it would mean evenly applying the serum would be easier. At this point my hair was easy to brush and I only had a few tangles but I usually do so I wasn’t surprised. The serum was a clear liquid. It reminded me a bit of glue in that it wasn’t too runny. It was runny enough that when squeezing it out the sachet you need to be careful so that you only get a bit each time. I was aware that there wasn’t much of it at all and to use it sparingly. Having said that a little goes a long way and it didn’t take me long to make sure that it was evenly applied.

The serum also has orange oil in it so by now my hair really smelt of oranges. The scent of the mask lingered after I washed it out and towel dried it so after applying the serum it was more distinct.



***The result***

I decided to dry my hair with a hair dryer to see what it looked like. I didn’t dry it completely though but I took the worse off. The scent of the mask and the serum were still evident but I was disappointed that my hair still looked the same. I didn’t expect anything dramatic but my hair was as soft as if I used an ordinary conditioner. The only difference was the scent of oranges. To be honest I do like the smell but I’m sure there are plenty of other normal conditioners out there that use oranges. It left my hair soft and well conditioned but no more than a usual conditioner would. Personally I shall not be buying this again, as the results weren’t good enough to mess about applying a mask and a serum in place of a normal conditioner.

One thing I was glad of was that it didn’t leave my hair feeling greasy. As I was applying it I thought the oil might give my hair a greasy look. So when it didn’t I was relieved. The other concern was the fact that they warned you that it wouldn’t stain your hair. Having dark brown with a reddish tint I wasn’t overly concerned but I do have bleached bits in my hair and I thought that they might be effected. Needless to say the statement saying it wouldn’t stain your hair is correct. I noticed no change in the colour at all, only in the condition of my hair.

I can’t really recommend this, as it isn’t worth the effort although that isn’t to say that my hair hasn’t benefited. I’ve used other products that aim to achieve the same thing, which have been more effective. If your hair isn’t that damaged then this might be enough but anyone expecting too much will be disappointed.


***Warnings***

One thing worth mentioning is that on the sachet it warns to test a bit of the mask on your skin prior to use. Anyone with sensitive skin may find that the natural oils would cause a reaction. I never bothered with this and when the mask was on I had no reaction at all.

There was no mention of any ingredients such as lanolin so if you are allergic to anything then it’s best to email Montagne Jeunesse. I did have a look on the website and there was no additional information to what was on the sachet.

It is suitable for vegetarians and they are firmly against animal testing.


***Price and availability***

Montagne Jeunesse products are reasonably easy to find. I personally bought mine in ASDA for 99p but you’ll find them in other supermarkets, Boots, Superdrug and places like Wilkinsons. If you’d prefer to order online then you can order directly from them or try looking on eBay.


http://www.montagnejeunesse.com/index.html

Summary: An average conditioning hair mask