By: Sassy Auburn
I have been awaiting my November H2BAR Box, the redhead beauty subscription box, as soon as I heard it was all about our hair. My locks take a little extra care, so when I heard it was a brand new line not yet in stores, I got excited.
And when the H2BAR team says, “Redheads will love it,” I get even more thrilled. Show me something that will make these bright tresses happy, and I am definitely happy too.
When my box arrived earlier this week, the first thing I noticed was its weight. Wow!
I knew it had to be jam packed with goodies. And I was right! All of Paul Mitchell‘s products from their newest line: NEON were inside.
In a nutshell, NEON is a line of products marketed for the younger generation (15-20ish) because the message behind the brand is about anti-bullying, but — don’t worry — it can be used by anyone. The product packaging is bright and eye catching, and the retail prices are perfect for those who want salon hair styling products without breaking the bank.
The anti-bulling campaign is really awesome. It’s all about being yourself, and embracing your uniqueness. A message all redheads can benefit from.
NEON is different from most hair products because it contains actual sugar. Sugar in hair products can actually seal moisture in to protect tresses, keeping them hydrated and full bodied, shiny and nourished. Plus NEON won’t kill your color so us ‘color enhanced’ redheads don’t have to worry about losing our unique red shades.
Let’s take a closer look at the products in our H2BAR Subscription Box:
NEON Sugar Cleanse: I LOVE this product. Love, love, love it! First, I’ll say a little goes a long way. You don’t need to pour a huge handful of shampoo to get a good, clean lather. Just a half-dollar sized dollop is enough to get great cleansing suds on your hair. The smell is sweet and delicious. As someone who uses quite a few styling products, I found the Sugar Cleanse is THE best clarifying shampoo I have ever used. It gets all the goop out of my hair, leaving it clean and silky. No more residue, no more yuck. Even though there are some sulphates in it, I find that using it just once or twice a week is more than enough to get everything bad out. It adds some shine and moisture, and still keeps my color great.
It’s good to know that product buildup in your hair is just as damaging to the ends and the color, so make sure you get it REALLY clean with a gentle product once a week.
NEON Sugar Rinse: Often, we find ourselves overdoing it when it comes to repairing our red hair. It is okay to find a deep conditioner to use once a week, but something that “heavy” isn’t needed every day. That’s why I love the Sugar Rinse. It is a really light-weight product that still gives you everything your hair needs daily. A little bit will detangle your hair and battle the frizzies. It is not gooey or heavy, so anyone with curly hair or thick hair will be happy to see (and feel) that it doesn’t weigh your hair down. To keep your hair in check, just apply the Sugar Rinse primarily to the ends–from the bottom of the neck down–and let it sit for a minute or two before rinsing. If your hair is shorter, just “fluff” a bit of the Sugar Rinse to the ends all over your head. Try to avoid the roots to prevent product buildup. Again, the scent is wonderful and makes your hair shiny and soft.
NEON Sugar Cream and Sugar Twist: These two products are the after-shower goodies for your red locks. Although they are both tubes, they do totally different things.
-The Sugar Cream is a nice, controlling styling product that keeps your hair sleek and smooth while styling, making frizzies and fly-away hairs stay in place. It is lightweight, sweet-smelling and gives your hair an incredible shine. Again, it doesn’t weigh your hair down. Use a small, quarter-sized drop. Rub it into your hands then gentle run your fingers through your hair to coat just the parts that need some shine and control.
-The Sugar Twist is a fun styling product. This is something you want to use to give your hair some texture for a sassy, tousled look. You can apply a little bit of this product by putting a dab on your fingertips and applying it to pieces while your hair is still damp. After that, use your diffused drier and scrunch, scrunch, scrunch your hair into a fun and piecey look. I like to use a tiny little on my fingertips when my hair is dry to grab sections and move them into a wild look that will hold all day. These products are not like heavy gels or waxes. They too are not too sticky and are easy to work with. And that amazing sugary scent is in each of them as well.
NEON Sugar Confection and Sugar Spray: This time we have two sweet sprays that do different things.
-The Sugar Confection is a stay-put spray. Have the look you want? Then keep it there. Spray on Sugar Confection to keep updo’s and braids in place, right where they belong. You can style with it, since it has a flexible hold so you can move or refine your hair, spritz it, change it up, spritz it again till you get the look you want. When you are all done, give it one final spray with this sweet holder that will keep your look staying right where you want it.
-The Sugar Spray is a great body booster. If fancy styles or chic hairdos aren’t really your thing, this product is perfect for some fullness–as little or as much as you want. You can use this mist while your hair is damp before drying for some extra fullness that is soft and not tacky. I like to use it when my hair is done for the day to give it a boost of body or to make my pin straight styles some oomph.
It is so nice to have another Paul Mitchell (they have a Ultimate Color Repair line for redheads) option for us blazing redheads. Redheads can enjoy the NEON line to keep our red locks looking shiny and fresh.
And when our tresses are at their best, we KNOW we can Rock It Like A Redhead!