When I received an email from Fenty Beauty that Rihanna was dropping a hair line, I was super stoked and ready. Like literally jumping up and down. That's how much I love the Fenty Beauty brand. Listen, Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin have GREAT products! When Fenty Beauty dropped several years ago, I can remember the advertising so well. It offered and showcased a huge variety of foundation shades and proved itself to be an inclusive line with high performing, quality and clean products. Everybody--- and I mean everybody--- was talking about that drop! It's literally set the blueprint for other cosmetic companies which have tried to copy and also carry more shades for darker skin tones. Though I've used Fenty Beauty/Skin several times over the last several years, I'd say my current fave from Fenty Beauty is the lip balm. It's a luxurious lip balm with a unique shape that makes application so fun! I purchased that twice already and just lost the last one. Other repeat buys from Fenty Skin are the Fat Water Essence, Fat Water Toner and AHA Cherry Dub Facial Scrub! This review is not about Fenty Skin but thee all new Fenty HAIR care line! Want a review for Fenty Skin products? You'll have to stay tuned!
The Fenty Hair line has eight products as well as a hair edge 3 in 1 styling tool. This review will be for the entire line except for The Richer One Deep conditioner and the Homecurl Curl Defining Cream. I heard some not so great things about the homecurl cream but I may still be open to trying it at a later date. I opted for the regular conditioner instead of the deep conditioner because I was more interested in testing its conditioning power and I liked the look of the shampoo and conditioner duo ; )
Packaging
Let's start by discussing the packaging because my OHH my did Rihanna and the team at Fenty put so much thought into the packaging. The packaging is colorful, sturdy and unique. If you're into sensory play, then you'll love touching the tops of the bottles which all have a different pattern on them.
This packaging is so cool and representative of TEXTURE. What a symbolic visual representation of the many types of textures of hair! The shampoo bottles are a nice luxurious steel and the pumps glide down with riveting ease. The other products are made with post consumer recycled plastic and can be recycled after use. The jars of gel and edge control have a flip open and snap closure top.
I've never seen this type of container for a hair product. Lovvvvve that! The bottles and jars also have pictures that depict how to apply each one as well as a QR code to scan for written directions or more information. Fenty Hair gets 5/5 for the packaging alone! Wowzers! I'm thoroughly impressed.
Scent
If you are familiar with the signature scent of Fenty Skin products then you will probably like the scent of the hair products. It's a bit more fragrant and the notes of coconut, amber and vanilla stand out the most though it is described as floral. You've really got to get more than a few whiffs to understand and appreciate the scent. After inhaling the scent while washing, conditioning and styling, I can say that I do like it A LOT but it is a bit strong and will linger for days. If you love super fragrant hair, this will be suitable for you. The scent can be described as floral with a hint of the tropics. Fenty Hair gets 4/5 for the scent. I would appreciate if it was all fruity/amber but hey--I guess I'm biased as I prefer fruity, sweet and sensual scents.
Fenty Hair products are made with a proprietary blend of ingredients, most specifically, the Replenicore 5. The Replenicore 5 complex claims to repair, strengthen, hydrate, smooth and moisturize hair and it is infused within all of the hair products in the line. The Replenicore 5 ingredients are:
1.) Amino Acids (Building blocks of protein)
2.) Green Tea Extract (Powerful Antioxidant)
3.) Barbados Gooseberry (For Boosting Hydration)
4.) Upcycled Jackfruit Extract (Reduces Shedding and Promotes Growth)
5.) Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (For Strengthening Hair)
As we've seen through the years, Rihanna has always worn colored hair. It was her desire to create a line that would help to prevent heat and chemical damage and offer hydration at every step of the way. This line was created to be inclusive; for all textures and hair types. The products are all gluten free, DEA free, sulfate free, silicone free, cruelty free and vegan.
First up on the review list is The Rich One Shampoo.
Fenty Hair The Rich One Shampoo 10Fl. oz. $29 - In addition to Replenicore 5, it also has ingredients such as rice protein, gac fruit and sunflower oil. This shampoo offered an amazing, luxurious lather. It didn't create a bunch of shrinkage after using like I've experienced with other liquid shampoos. The Rich One shampoo is perfect for the girlies with type 4 hair because it is very hydrating. If you desire a high quality shampoo that will get your hair clean without feeling stripped and dry, try this! It's worth the extra coin. Rating 5/5
Fenty Hair The Rich One Conditioner 10 Fl. oz. $29 - It is supposed to be a little lighter than The Richer One Deep conditioner. This product is pretty "rich" and I used it in a similar manner as a deep conditioner. I left it in without heat for about 20 minutes. It performed pretty well on my curls and kinks and left it feeling moisturized. I love the pumps on this shampoo and conditioner duo. They are such good quality. If this conditioner offered good results, I can't wait to try The Richer One deep conditioner now. The main difference between that product and this one is that the regular conditioner contains green coconut water while the deep conditioner is made with African mango butter for deeper hydration and moisture. In addition to the Replenicore 5 complex, the regular conditioner also contains coconut juice, rosemary leaf extract, red algae extract, red seaweed, rice bran extract and castor oil. Rating 4/5
Fenty Hair The Comeback Kid Treatment Leave In 5Fl. oz. $36 - The Comeback Kid is a leave in conditioning treatment that can be left in or rinsed out. I chose the latter and used it as a pre-poo. It's a nice thick, creamy consistency and worked well in my kinky hair. It's very smoothing and moisturizing. After applying it several times over the past few weeks, I've come to love it more and more. The Comeback kid instantly repairs damage and is also touted as a bond builder. Results from users in a small study that the brand completed found that 75% saw improvement in their damaged hair and 72% had stronger hair. In addition to Replenicore 5 complex, it also contains chia and baobab seed extracts, rosemary extract, castor oil, coconut oil and gac fruit. Rating 5/5
Fenty Hair The Gelly Type Strong Hold Gel 7Fl. oz. $26 - I really like this gel. It is described as a gel for holding styles or ponytails but I didn't use it that way. I didn't see a product that would be suitable for wash and gos. This, of course, is a style that many women with natural textured hair love to wear. Since it was the only gel in the line, I decided to use it for a wash and go and it performed beyond my expectations! It does flake quite a bit though. I would suggest using it on its own without any other product applied before it (except for water) to lessen the amount of flakes. It gave me great clumping action and lovely elongated definition. I would suggest using a spray bottle and spraying each section with lots of water while applying the gel to your sections. It didn't leave my hair hard or super crunchy at all. Nor was it sticky. This is a really good botanical gel but the formula needs to be changed to prevent the flaking. Besides the Replenicore complex, it also contains bamboo sap water, bamboo extract, rice protein, chia seed extract and gac fruit. Rating 4/5
Fenty Hair The Protective Type 5-in-1 heat protectant 5Fl. oz. $28 - The Protective Type offers heat protection up to 450 degrees Farenheit. You would glide it through the hair before using heat tools such as blow dryers, curling irons, straighteners, and etc. I appreciate that it tells the temperature range that it protects. Most heat protectant products don't do this and will have some thinking that their hair is being protected when applying heat past the 450 degree mark. This is a silicone free product which is unusual as most thermal protectants use silicones because they provide a good barrier against heat. It claims to repair 92% of split ends in 2 uses. Using this heat protectant before blow drying led to an average result in my hair. I did some experimenting and applied it to hair with looser texture (type 3) and I must say it has amazing gliding power. I've never used a heat protectant with this type of consistency. This does seem to be more suitable for hair that isn't kinky or coily. In addition to Replenicore 5, it also contains cranberry oil, gac fruit, moringa oil, chia seed extract, blueberry oil, rice protein and rice extract. Rating 4/5
Fenty Hair The Controlling Type Hair Thickening Edge Control Gel 3.4Fl. oz. $18
This Edge control gel offers a great amount of hold. After applying to my edges, they were laid indeed. This edge control is very thick and has a good staying power. It claims to thicken and strengthen edges with continued use. It has a very fitting name because the control is definitely there. I used a regular edge brush/comb duo that you can find in a beauty shop for less than 5 bucks. I wouldn't mind trying out the 3 in 1 Sidestick which is Fenty Hair's version of an edge brush and comb with a pointed end for parting. The generic edge tool that I used probably isn't as sturdy as The Sidestick but it gets the job done. In addition to Replenicore 5, this edge control gel contains larchwood extract, red clover extract, chia seed extract and rice bran extract. Rating 5/5
All in all, The Fenty hair line gets a solid 4.5/5 from me. The products all have clean, wholesome superfood ingredients many of which are unique such as red algae extract, red seaweed, Barbadian gooseberry, gac fruit, moringa oil and chia seed extract. It's not often that a celebrity backed hair care line offers natural ingredients while also embracing a clean beauty culture. The names of the products are fun and creative! Now, the products are pretty pricy (that's one con) but they deliver and do what they say. The products mentioned here retails for $179.00 including tax. If you choose to get the entire line, it will be approximately $260.
My suggestions for Fenty revolve around product sizing and products that should be introduced in the future. People with thick or long hair require larger sizes because more product is needed for application. The container for the holding gel was half way done with just one use. It does help to reiterate that it is meant for styles requiring hold rather than wash and gos. The brand should introduce a curl defining gel for wash and gos considering that this is a go to style for most within the natural hair community. It would be nice to see a hair oil, water based spritzer and a moisturizing hair detangler that contains Replenicore 5.
Rihanna, thanks for introducing this hair care line and for offering the beauty space inclusive, clean and earth conscious hair, beauty and skin products. I don't know about you but I just love the beauty and business mogul that Rihanna has become. No shade at all Rihanna but "You got it girl!"
Comments
Post a Comment