My poor hair feels like a limp lettuce looks.... (Umberto Giannini Seriously Straight Gloss Serum)

Member Name: xxfoxyredxx

Product:	Umberto Giannini Seriously Straight Gloss Serum
Date:	19/01/08 (163 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Shine and you get loads of product

Disadvantages: I go greasy in record timing

During Christmas I spent so much as Boot's (yes I mentioned that dreaded shop again lol), that every time I spent £10.00 (which was far to often) I received a £2.00 off hair care products.

I've never really been one for buying the higher end hair care product ranges. I've always purchased bits and pieces from the pound shop or similar. What ever was cheap and always stuck to heat protection sprays in the main and that's about the lot. Until these vouchers, hence all the hair care reviews I have done and shall be doing. lol

I love saving money but in reality I spent more than usual trying to save a few quid (if that makes sense) lol I wouldn't want to add up the money I've spent in flipping Boot's lately I may weep for a month realising I could've gone to the Maldives or somewhere lol Oh well we all have our vices!

After purchasing most of Lee Stafford's range cos I liked the packaging and loads of John Frieda and Toni & Guy I didn't have a clue what else to purchase but couldn't leave the store with a voucher that would just be wrong lol. I had tried Curly Friends by Umberto Giannini years ago and had loved it but more recently I had tried it and the straightening shampoo and conditioner and hated it all. So I did really think about getting this and as there was nothing else I liked the look of (it's all about appearances to me my dear) I bought it.

So What Is It?:

Umberto Giannini (sleek and chic), seriously straight Gloss Serum.

Packaging:

The box is exactly as shown on the photo at the top of this review, white and blue. The bottle is a 100ml recyclable baby blue coloured bottle that is pump action with a matching baby blue safety cap over the top. Clearly states in large silver lettering who it is by and then in blue what it is and then in small black writing says.... Our salon bespoke formula to tame and de frizz. Round the back of the product tells me .... Our stylists asked for a serum up to the job of controlling unruly hair and smoothing frizzy ends without the greasy feel.... and here it is!

For....
Medium to thick hair.

Look....
Smooth, glossy and controlled.

Technique....
Apply to wet hair focusing on mid lengths and ends and style as usual.

Stylists Tip....
Use sparingly over finished styles to add shine.

Warning....
Avoid contact with the eyes. If product gets into eyes, rinse well with water immediately.

Verdict:

Well I've used this a few times now. I've used it in both ways suggested. On wet hair on it's own and also as a finishing product.

Firstly the product pumps out easily only dispensing a small amount. It is a clear thinnish liquid that is slightly flowery in fragrance so it's really a product with us ladies in mind. It's very light and fresh and unoffensive to the nasal passages. When you put it on your hands it is slightly greasy but very shiny and not one bit sticky, yukky or gunky.

To apply it on wet hair you need a really small amount say just 2 pumps for shoulder length hair, rub it gently between your hands and then evenly distributes through out. At this stage you can feel where it is going and it's easy to apply.

I always dry my hair on a cool setting if I'm not using a heat protection mist or spray. The more you dry the better your hair feels and you really do need to make sure your hair is dry as the results get better. I found if I coated my roots with it they looked artificially shiny after drying, almost to the point of greasy. To eradicate this I miss my roots and do as suggested and only run it through the mid section and through to the ends of my hair.

The result is incredibly soft and silky hair. The shine is visible and my frizz really does disappear with this product. The smell when dried is more apparent. After just blow drying my hair looks defrized but still needs straighteners on it and it straightens no different to any other product Ive used. It works. It does give control but it doesn't feel a completely natural control for some reason.

However where this product isn't so good for me when used this particular way is that my hair is so soft and shiny I find it won't stick in a hair band it just falls out. Also I notice after say about 3 hours my hair starts to feel greasy and if out and about in this kind of soggy weather it really doesn't like the humidity and just starts to look very very limp, lank and greasy.

The other way to use it is as a finishing product and this is where the product really does stand its ground. So me, I style my hair with all my usual products and then on dry hair, before going out or what ever I run just a little over my top layers and the shine is instant. This method of usage suits my hair and I don't get that greasy matted look after a few hours.

I would recommend this for anyone with seriously dry hair. If you bleach and stuff as it really is nourishing. If you have fine hair, like mine then I'd seriously not bother unless you purely want it as a finishing product which means your not really using it as a straightening product which is why really you would buy in first place surely? lol.

On the upside of this product because you only need such a small amount it lasts ages! Its a big size for a serum when you compare it to the likes of John Frieda's frizz Ease.

Overall:

Does as it says. De frizzes, tames and adds gloss however does it with a wax effect that doesn't like the rain!

£4.79 in Boots and other good chemists.

This review is also posted on Ciao.

Summary: Would be great on frazzled hair!