| Product: |
Sunsilk Easy Straightening Cream |
| Date: |
14/07/06 (2377 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Cheap, easy to use, plenty in the tube, works!
Disadvantages: None really
A BIT OF BACKGROUND
Sunsilk Iron Effect Easy Straightening Cream is basically a straightening product, although it can also be used for just sorting out frizz if you don't want poker-straight hair. My hair is waist-length, in good condition, wavy but prone to a bit of frizz, especially if the weather's damp. I'm low maintenance and certainly don't spend hours doing my hair every day - how boring! I don't even usually bother blow-drying, but it was a special occasion and so I thought I'd give Sunsilk Easy Straightening Cream a go to sort out the little fuzzy bits.
WHAT IT IS
It's a basic, bog-standard straightening cream - it pretty much does what it says on the tin. It's a 150ml tube of thick, shiny white cream which you spread through your hair and then blow-dry to activate. The packaging is simple; purple and mauve, with "Sunsilk" in large writing at the top, and a flip-top to open. It smells fairly neutral, quite clean and fresh without being too floral or antiseptic.
HOW TO USE
It recommends a hazelnut-sized blob of cream for shoulder-length hair; two blobs of the same size for longer hair. I'm always worried about putting too much on, so I erred on the side of caution and used one blob about the size of a 50p piece - this was plenty for my waist-length hair. As the tube is quite large and you only use a little at a time, I think it's pretty good value for money even if you use some every day.
You have to be careful about how you apply it, though. The tube has a very clear, ominous warning not to "concentrate all the product at the roots"! Like all styling products, this will give you a greasy mop of hair if you don't spread it out quite thinly and make sure that you don't get loads of it on your head. The best way to make sure it's distributed evenly is to first brush your hair, rub the cream all over your hands (as if you were going to put suncream on) and then "rake" your fingers lightly through the length of your hair, starting about 2cm from the roots. I also make sure I get more of it underneath and towards the ends of my hair, because these are the bits that get the most frizzy.
As with many other straightening creams, it won't work unless you blow-dry your hair. Apparently heat activates it - not entirely sure how, mind you! You can either use the brush as you blow-dry to straighten it more, or just dry it and brush it afterwards. It's not too arduous a task and if, like me, you can't be bothered, just spread it on, dry, brush and go. The whole straightening process took me about 5-10 minutes, which I wouldn't do every day but isn't bad at all occasionally.
RESULTS
The first time I used it I didn't want poker-straight hair, so I didn't use the brush to straighten it as it dried; consequently my hair dried smoother but not dead-straight. It wasn't exactly sleek, but the frizz had noticeably gone and I received a lot of compliments and remarks about how straight my hair was. The second time I used this, I used the brush as well, and although my hair didn't go perfectly straight, nearly all the kinks and curls were gone, my hair looked really silky and shiny and was easy to manage.
One thing I can't bear is helmet-like hair, and when your hair is as long as mine, having it all solid, crispy and straw-like is even worse. Sunsilk Iron Effect didn't solidify my hair, and thankfully it wasn't greasy either. In fact, it did move naturally and didn't feel weighed-down with product. I think you have to be careful about how you apply this and how much you use, but if you're sparing and use the "raking" technique, it should be fine. There are also good, clear instructions on the tube, which makes it easy to use.
DID IT LIVE UP TO ITS CLAIMS?
"Helps you turn your frizz and kinks into smooth and sleek hair with a lot less effort."
"Perfectly straight, shiny hair that moves naturally."
Well, the frizz and kinks were gone, and my hair was straighter, manageable and soft even to the point of being silky! Totally smooth and sleek is probably out of my range, but on someone with shorter and less wavy hair, I think this would give you properly "ironed-looking" hair. My hair definitely moved naturally and wasn't at all crispy or straw-like.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
150ml will set you back £2.49, which works out as £1.99 per 100g. It's easy to find and is stocked in most chemists, supermarkets and shops which sell hair products. Try Boots, Superdrug, Wilkos, Sainsburys, Tesco etc.
WANT TO FIND OUT MORE?
Check out www.sunsilk.co.uk for more details.
VERDICT
A great product which worked impressively even on my long, wavy hair. It's also cheap for a styling product and because you use it so sparingly, one tube should last for quite a while, making this excellent value for money. Highly reccommended.
Summary: A cheap, effective product which really works, even on long and wavy hair.
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