Debra's Review Of Sebastian's Potion Line

Introduction

Recently I received a very gracious email from Debra asking me about some of the hair care products I had reviewed for Hair Boutique.  During the course of our emails Debra volunteered to share her evaluation of the Sebastian Potion line with the Hair Boutique. 

I was thrilled that Debra offered to provide the Sebastian reviews since HB didn't have any reviews on this popular hair care line. Debra also shares brief tidbits of info on two other products from Senscience and Abba that she used while testing the Sebastian.  I know that you will find her reviews very informative and helpful.

Thanks Debra!

Article

Potion 7 Treatment

This is a treatment conditioner used on dry hair. (I've never used a conditioner that was applied to dry hair before).  The instructions said to "saturate" the hair from ends to roots.  This took a lot of the conditioner---more that half of the tube.  It had the consistency of a thick rinse out conditioner.
After applying the treatment I combed it through my hair, put a plastic cap on my head, and waited 30 minutes.  (The instructions said to wait 20 minutes or more). 

During this wait I went to my favorite astrology site....but that's another story. 

After I had done all of this, I saw a little sticker on the bottom of the tube that said "concentrated treatment, saturate lightly".  Saturate lightly?  What does that mean? 

With that in mind I probably could have used less and gotten two complete treatments out of one tube.  The tube cost $13.50 at my local salon.  (Potion 7 On the Net: 5.1 oz $12.25 or 10.2 oz $22.05).

After 30 minutes, I washed out the conditioner as specified.  The instructions say to "shampoo twice".  I used Potion 5 Shampoo (5.1oz - $12.25, $17.50 retail or 10.2oz for $22.50 or $31.50 retail).

Hair Boutique Note:  All of the products (Sebastian, Senscience & Abba in this article are available online at WW Beauty Store as well as other sites listed at the end of the article.

Continued below ↓

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Potion 5 Shampoo

It definitely takes two shampoos to get all of the Potion 7 out of your hair.  Before I shampooed, I rinsed my hair well with warm water.   Then I used a half dollar sized gob of Potion 7.  The first wash barely lathered at all.  The second wash foamed a bit more.  I like a lot of suds, and you don't get that with Potion 5. 

The shampoo rinsed out easily.  I can't figure out what it smells like....and I don't particularly like the smell.  My husband says it smells like peaches.  I don't think so.   Usually I use a rinse out conditioner, but I skipped that step in lieu of using the Potion 9 leave in conditioner. 

I wrapped my hair in a towel for about 15 minutes, and then finger combed it, then applied the Potion 9.  There were hardly any tangles.  I used a quarter size glob of Potion 9, applied it starting at the ends and working up, then combed it through.  

At this point I could already see improved shine in my hair.  For the true test, I decided to blow dry my hair.  I dried it upside down until nearly dry, then flipped it over. 

Wow! I had enough hair for a small town.  My hair was fluffy and very, very soft.   It was so full and soft that I decided to spray it with Swing (thermal styling spray) from Senscience (8 oz. for $7.20 or 7oz - $9.60 online) and then use a curling brush to curl the ends under and finish drying. 

The result was very soft, shiny and full hair.  I wash my hair every other day, so I skipped washing on Day 2.  My hair looked great on Day 2.  I didn't need to do anything but brush it out and spray the roots in front a bit (for some lift).  The shine and texture was excellent.  

Day 3 I washed with Potion 5, used the Potion 9 leave in conditioner, but let my hair dry naturally.  (My hair is naturally wavy). 

My hair was a good bit more tangled this time, but still combed out pretty easily.   I scrunched it up, then applied a bit of Abba Gel Lotion ( 8oz $6.00 online or approximately $10.50 retail) to hold in the curls.  My hair was softer and less frizzy than usual.  I was really pleased with the results when I let my hair dry naturally.

My Conclusions

The Potion 7 Conditioner is nice, but expensive. It would be especially good for folks with fine or thin hair. Those of us with lots of thick hair might find it adds almost "too much" body. The application instructions were confusing ("saturate lightly") so I cannot say for sure that I used it correctly.

My hair really likes the Potion 5 Shampoo.The smell isn’t wonderfully pleasing like some of the aromatherapy products available, but I got more used to the smell as I used it. I was very happy with the texture and shine in my hair.

I would use it with a rinse out conditioner, either with or without the Potion 9 conditioner, because I don’t like to fight tangles at all. I would definitely buy this product again.

I’ve used the Potion 9 Leave In Conditioner off and on for quite a while. I still am not sure exactly what benefits I get from it but  I use it when I plan to blow dry my hair for some added thermal protection.

Hair Boutique Note: For more details about the Sebastian, Senscience or the Abba products check the following web sites:

Worldwide Beauty Store

ABeautyOfASite

Patti's Salon Online

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