| Hot Sexy Highlights: Titanium Blonde |
| Karen Marie Shelton |
| Date: 11/11/2001, Revised 7/3/2002 |
Introduction
 I'm
always on the lookout for great new hair care products that I can
share with the thousands of HairBoutique.com visitors.
Although we don't have the same testing budget as hair testing
master Paula Begoun or major consumer groups, we do try to check out
as many new products as our strands and pocketbooks can withstand.
I
have recently been trying out many of the Phytotherathrie products
with good overall results. However, I was tempted mightily by the
very sensuous silver and red packaging of the Hot
Sexy Highlights Titanium Blonde Color Conditioner that was
winking at me on the shelf at my local beauty supply. Although
I had seen advertisements in some of the professional hair
publications over the past year I had never bumped into the product
in "real time" before. When I picked up the 5.1
ounce shiny silver tube with the red cap and bright red star at the
top I was mesmerized.
The
manager of the store who is used to my weekly reads of various hair
care products saw me browsing through all the ingredients on the
back of the tube. She rushed over to tell me all about this
product that was fairly new in their inventory.
She explained that this product was from Sexy Hair Concepts, the
same people who make Ecoly products. Ahhhh. Yes, Ecoly.
Well I do like their products although I have never written about
them for the HairBoutique.com site.Something I need to work on
fixing in the near future.
Thinking about the fact that I would be writing about this new
product (for me) and the company, I quizzed the manager about the
line. She told me that her beauty supply store had never
carried the Ecoly line but she personally liked the packaging for
the Sexy Hair Concepts and had recently added it as a new line.
I
asked the manager if I could get a refund if I didn't like the
product. She gave me her usual sheepish grin and responded
with her normal shrug and a "all sales are final" comment.
Oh what the heck...it was only $11.95. I decided to just go
with the flow and give it a whirl?
 To
be fair I also purchased the companion shampoo which is the
Highlighting Shampoo. The packaging was just as hot as the
conditioner and the tube proclaimed that the product "Turns
Ordinary Blondes Into Bombshell Blondes!" Hmmm. As
a lifelong blonde I decided that I was going to have fun testing
these new products.
It
is has been pointed out to be by some of the hair care experts that
develop various products that I am not always fair to selectively
test just one product in a complete line. They have suggested that I
test a conditioner with the matching conditioner to be really
objective. Although I did test the shampoo, this review is
specifically focused on the Color Conditioner which was the product
that originally caught my eye.
The
Product Packaging
The bright shiny silver tube has a
red cap and the prominent words "Hot Sexy Highlights" on
the front. The word Hot is in all caps and in red to get your
attention. As a seasoned hair consumer even I was attracted by
the Red letters. So I have to say that the people who
developed the product packaging are brilliant.
The back of the product provides
application instructions in English and several other
languages. It also provides the ingredients in English.
This product warns that it is guaranteed only when sold in a
professional salon. Like the other top professional lines (ARTec,
Paul Mitchell, Aveda) this line is advertised as sold only by
professional hair care establishments like salons and spas.
I was actually really interested in
finding out more detailed information about the product than what the
tube contained. So I surfed over to the The
Sexy Hair Concepts web site to get more info on the goal of the
Titanium Blonde Color Conditioner.
According to the web site, the Hot
Sexy Highlights - Titanium Blonde provide "the
big freeze on unwanted yellow tones and tells brassiness to chill
out...
- For platinum-white blondes only
- Cancels yellow tones
- Pumps up the shine
- Drenches hair in moisture
Selecting
The Correct Color For Your Hair
I
have to admit I found it interesting that the Titanium Blonde is
described as "for platinum-white blondes" only.
Luckily I have a shade of blonde that is light enough to fit this
description. However, I did not see this disclaimer anywhere
on the tube. Although the tube does advertise that the
product eliminated "brassiness" it does not state that the
Titanium Blonde is for platinum-white blondes.
Although
I have not talked with the Sexy Hair Concepts folks I am pretty sure
that their
response to this comment would be that the reason the product is
sold "only in professional salons" is because the stylists
would be trained to know which of their products to use on the
various hair colors of the client."
My
suggestion to any hair consumers who want to try this product at
home is to make sure you have the right shade for your hair
color. Sexy Hair Concepts also makes a Color Stabilizing
Shampoo, Wheat Blonde Color Conditioner (for all blonde shades
except platinum), Black Cat for all black tones, Red Hot Mama for
red tones and Foxy Brown for brown tones. They also have a
Whipped Up Gel Foam, Glitter Spray and Aero Color Sprays in shades
of cotton candy pink and indigo blue.
Do
Color Conditioners Really Work?
This
is probably one of the bigger topics of debate in the hair
world. I have had color experts give me a wide range of
answers. One master colorist told me personally that if you want to
maintain your chemically induced color treatment that the color
conditioners that you don't rinse out are the best bet.
"After all", he pointed out, if you rinse it out with warm
water, you are washing all the color enhancing properties out into
the drain". This colorist also believed that the color shampoos
had even less impact than the conditioners.
One
of our other color experts, Henry
Amador, shared his opinion that "color conditioners can
work if they are not used every day". Henry cautioned
that color shampoos and conditioners can be "drying" can
should be used in moderation but that they can definitely work.
I
have also received email from several colorists who had completely
opposing views. One colorist who works in a well known spa on
the East Coast was upset that HairBoutique.com even reviews or
recommends color shampoos and conditioners. She insists that
the colors could permanently stain and discolor over processed or
damaged hair.
"Hogwash"
was the comment I received from another famous colorist who told me
that in his opinion, "only ARTec's color shampoos and
conditioners with its strong color pigmentation would make any type
of lasting change to hair".
What
is my opinion you ask? Well as a hair consumer who only knows
from actual product use, I think the truth is somewhere in the
middle. Yes, I believe that in some cases people with over
processed, over porous hair will risk staining and possibly
permanent discoloration from using some of the color shampoos.
I also agree that of the color shampoos and conditioners on the
market that ARTec has the strongest formula and should only be used
by colorists or stylists educated in the proper use of the line.
I
personally use and love Aveda's Blue Malva and Chamomile color
shampoos. I don't like the Aveda color conditioners as well as
I like the shampoos. I also like and use the Mine Blue Monday color shampoo
and matching conditioner. I even like the matching Mine
color gel.
My stylist has experimented on me with the ARTec color shampoos and
conditioners and I liked the results that she achieved. I was
unable to duplicate her results at home though.
Do
I see results with color conditioners? I see the best results for the first four weeks
after my last highlighting treatment at the salon. Once the
treatment fades the results are less obvious. I also have
discovered that my best use of any of the color shampoos and
conditioners that I have tried is to use a maximum of three or four
times a week. I have found all of the products, regardless of
brand, to be slightly drying if I use them all the time.
Usage
After shampooing work
a generous amount of conditioner evenly throughout the hair and
leave on for 2-3 minutes. Rinse with warm water until the
water runs completely clear. Can be used daily.
Fragrance
This
conditioner's aroma reminds me of the scent of Cheer
detergent. I know that sounds weird but the aroma smells like
fresh white shirts that have just washed in Cheer and taken right
out of the clothes dryer. It is definitely a clean
scent. I struggled for days to come up with a good description
but the only thing I could come up with was the Cheer analogy. It is
actually a nice aroma. Definitely not flowery or perfumed
though.
How
I Tested This Product
After
shampooing with the Hot Sexy Highlight Shampoo and rinsing well, I
applied a glob of the Hot Sexy Color Conditioner to the palm of my
hand. The product is about the right consistency, neither too
thick or too thin. The color is dark blue, which was a good
sign. This told me that the product was designed to offset the
brassy yellows that light blonde hair has a tendency to develop.
The
formula spread easily from the roots to the ends of my long
hair. I did cheat and add an extra squirt because my super
long hair requires extra product for adequate coverage. So far
so good.
Ingredients
Deionized Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride,
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Panthenol, Extract of (Henna,
Burdock, Chamomile, Rosemary, Horsetail, Comfrey, Rosehips,
Simethicone, Triethanolamine,Methylparaben, Propylparaben. May
contain (Basic Blue99, Basic Red 76, Basic Yellow 57, Basic Bown 17,
Fragrance (Parfum)
Conclusion
I can not stress enough how people react different to hair care
products. The key to understanding what works for you is to
get a good understanding of your basic hair type. I know that
my hair is naturally wavy/curly, medium thickness, very coarse and
it "acts up" under certain conditions. Just like I
know I will get a headache if I drink beer, I know that my hair goes
nuts when I use products that are even slightly drying.
I
also know that many of my friends can use the exact same products
that I don't get good results with and have great success.
That is why we try to have all different types of people with
different types of hair check out different products at
HairBoutique.com.
With
all of that said, I definitely liked the Hot Sexy Highlights color
conditioner. However, I did find that it was slightly drying to my normally coarse, naturally wavy/curly super long
hair. I was careful to use the conditioner in conjunction
with the Hot Sexy Highlights shampoo and to try the product both at
the beginning and near the end of my color cycles. I think
with proper use and recommendation from your stylist, you could use
this product with great results depending on your hair type and
condition.
Do
I think this product is a lot better than Mine's
Blue Monday or Aveda's Blue Malva?
Not really. Do I think it is a lot worse? Again, not really.
Which is part of the ongoing dilemma that I struggle with on a daily
basis. There are literally dozens of "color
enhancing" shampoos and conditioners on the market right
now. Besides Aveda, ARTec, Mine and Hot Sexy Highlights there
are color enhancing shampoos and related products from Redken, Paul
Mitchell, Brocata, Rene Furterer and Terax, to
name just a few of the many. Of course there are all the
products that start with "Blonde" including the now famous
John Freida line of Sheer Blonde which get mixed reviews for many of
our HairBoutique.com visitors.
So again, the question becomes, of the
dozes of color enhancing shampoos and conditioners that are
available, how do you pick one that works best for you? I
think the key is to select a product from a line that you have had
success with in the past as a starting point. Also, it is
always good to get suggestions from your stylist or hair care
professional.
If you color or highlight you hair it is
important to discuss this topic with your hair colorist. They
may recommend that certain brands will be bet for your type of
chemical treatment. They may also be concerned about staining.
One thing is for sure, if you hoping to glob
a blonde highlight shampoo onto a head of brunette hair, you will
not see any significant changes in the color. Color shampoo
and conditioners are designed to enhance the existing color.
Not change it or lighten it in any major way.
For me, I do well with a handful of lines
that have proven to have a good history of performance with my hair
type. My hair thrives with Phytotherathrie,
ARTec, Aveda, Mine, Rene Furterer and some other "salon"
lines. The best color brands for my hair have been Matrix
SoColor and ARTec's Enamels.
I personally prefer to stick with those
brands that I know work for my hair type when I am not in new
product "testing" mode. The salon brands just seem
to really work for me. They don't work for everyone and they
aren't the lowest priced options on the market.
I do balk at some things. I found a
fabulous imported truffle shampoo that cost over $65 for 8
ounces. I just couldn't see spending that much on a
shampoo. Is it worth it? I am sure that it is. However, for good quality that is dependable I will
spend $15-22 for a shampoo that I know makes my hair look and feel
great.
I think the same rule of thumb should be
utilized with color conditioners like Aveda, ARTec, Mine and Hot
Sexy Highlights. Find a brand you like and feel has good value
and then start there.
Do I think that Hot Sexy Highlights is a
good brand? Absolutely. They are part of the Ecoly
family which I have always respected for their high quality hair
care product lines.
Karen's Rating
On my own scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, I give I give the Hot
Sexy Highlights - Titanium Blonde color conditioner
a 9. Happy conditioning!
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