Gliss Reflex Shine Care to the rescue (Schwarzkopf Gliss Moisturising Conditioner)

Member Name: kozwozzz

Product:	Schwarzkopf Gliss Moisturising Conditioner
Date:	28/03/05 (890 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Soft hair

Disadvantages: Not much shine

Naturally I have very dry hair, which leaves it feeling rather like straw sometimes! My hair went through a particularly bad phase so I sought I solution. Unfortunately most 'miracle cures' come at a price, and not being overly rich I couldn't afford any, so Gliss caught my eye.

--PACKAGING--
Not alot can be said for the packaging, it's okay I guess but noting special. It come in a clear cylinder which is helpful as you can see just how much you have left. It is dispensed through a pump which operates very much like a pump toothpaste, as you dispense the product, the base moves up. It's difficult to explain so see the picture! To be honest, it does look like its an 80s flashback, or maybe that's just my perception of Schwarzkopf as a whole...

As with most modern beauty products, in contains the usual over technical bumf to bedazle the buyer. The front even has the words "Scan repair complex" which to me sounds more like a military operation than a hair product! Here's some of the rubbish from the back:

" The breakthrough in Schwarzkopf repair technology

New GLISS with SCAN REPAIR COMPLEX recognises the individual needs of your hair and repairs damaged areas effectively without overtreating healthy areas.

For instant shimmering shine, healthy-looking hair and long lasting colour freshness

REFLEX SHINE CARE with refined wheat Protein smoothes the hair's surface, allowing the hair to reflect light perfectly. This coupled with the shimmering formula, leaves your hair with a brilliant shine."

--THE PRODUCT ITSELF--

It comes in a variaty of formulations, the ones I have tried are for 'dry hair', and 'coloured hair', to be honest there didn't seem any difference between the two!

For me, this works best if you apply it to hair that has been slightly towel dried before blow drying. The product has a rather thick, almost 'gloopy' consistency, and is golden in colour and filled with little shimmery particles - almost like mini-glitter! You dispense a pumpful or two of the product into hour palms, rub them together, then smooth it evenly throughout your hair, particularly on the ends and avoiding the roots if you don't want to look like a grease monster!

Although this product's main aim is supposedly shine, I don't find that it actually improves my hair's shine by any considerable amount. However, it does have an amazing effect on how smooth and soft my hair feels, and I do think that it protects from getting excessive split ends. I'm not sure if the reason this doesn't make my hair very shiny is because my hair is blonde, because the product itself is golden, and for darker hair it may have the effect of making it appear shiny, whereas in my fair hair it just blends in. Despite this, I'm not convinced that it would work on dark hair because of its light colour, it might look rather noticable and 'fake'.

Another problem is that if it is overused even a little, you hair can feel rather sticky and greasy - though it still looks fine.

My main quibble with it comes from the build up it leaves on my hands. The products itself is shimmery, which is probably the only reason it would make anyone's hair more shiny! This is fine insofar as my hair is concerned, but my hands just become golden after using it and need a very thorough scrub to get rid of the buildup.

Though the container is rather big at 150ml, it does actually run out remarkably quickly when used daily, although this is no real problem as it is a rather cheapo product!

--AVAILABILITY--
The only place I have been able to find this product is in my local 'Savers' store, and it is available teher rather cheaply - last time I bought it it was only £1.99 for 150ml. There are a number of other prodcuts in the Gliss range, although I can't say that I've tried any of them!

Overall, this product is certainly good value for money if you want soft and smooth, though for those who want shine it's probably not for you (see my review on Umberto Giannini Gloss Mist if you want a product to shine your hair!). There are certainly better products on the market, but these all come with a heavy pricetag, and as far as value for money goes, this one's a winner.

--INGREDIENTS--
AQUA, ALCOHOL DENAT, TRISILOXANE, POLYQUATERNIUM-37, PROPLYLENE GLYCOL DICAPRYLATE/DICAPRATE, MICA, POLYQUATERNIUM-11, AMODIMETHICONE, DIMETHICONE, LAURDIMONIUM HYDROXYPROPYL HYDROLYSED WHEAT PROTEIN, PANTHENOL, POLYQUATERNIUM-10, DIMETHICONOL, TRIDECETH-12, CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, PPG-1 TRIDECETH-6, PARFUM, CI77891

Summary: