REVIEW: Living Proof In-Shower Styler

Packaging - 5 (excellent)
Scent - 4 (very good)
Hydration - 2 (not very good)
Body - 4 (very good)
Texture - 2 (not very good)
Easy To Use - 3 (average)
Overall:


So if you know me you know I LOVE Living Proof products. So when I saw this new product pop up in my news feed on Facebook I had to get it to try! The idea behind the In-Shower Styler is that it cuts down on styling time for your hair by enhancing your hair's natural body and texture as well as adding softness, shine and hydration. My hair is medium density and texture, and it has natural wave, so it's not super curly, but it's not straight either. My hair is the PERFECT candidate for this product, because it has texture to enhance! I usually use curl creams and oils to bring my curls to life.

So first let's look at the packaging. I like things that are clean, crisp and straight forward, and Living Proof products always have that clean sophistication when it comes to their packaging. But it is also functional. This product will likely reside in your shower. So it has a sturdy tube with a wide base that is meant to stand up on the lid, which makes it easier to get product out of quickly. It also has the expected and familiar scent of crisp citrus that is found in other Living Proof PHD products.

So let's talk about using it. You have to put quite a bit of the product in your hair, so that is a bummer I didn't even score.  Then you wait a few minutes and rinse it out - but not completely. It takes time to find that balance of how much product to use and how long to rinse your hair for. Too long and your product is gone, but not long enough and your hair is coated in a heavy greasy product that doesn't feel good. So there is a learning curve and it took me almost two weeks to find the right balance. That is why I gave it a lower ease of use score, I felt once you know how to use it, it's easy for sure, but getting there takes time.

After I used the In Shower Styler I tried drying my hair a few different ways. I tried towel drying and scrunching my hair (which is what I normally do using a curl cream, but this time I left the cream out) as well as towel drying longer than normal and then applying oil and scrunching, and I also tried light braiding for about 15 minutes and then letting it out and scrunching. Each resulted in a similar look. My hair had body and fullness, which I liked, but it was also frizzy, which isn't normal for my hair. My hair felt pretty dry when I used it and I had to apply oil to my ends to protect them. I also had some curl, but not a lot of curl. Less than I get with a curl cream or other methods of bringing out my natural texture.

While this wasn't my favorite product in the world, what I did like about it a lot was that it acted like a sort of primer for my hair. When I used hot tools my curls came faster and lasted longer. I also had to use less curl cream and other products when I used the In Shower Styler. My braids were more pliable and lasted longer without fly aways as well. I am not sure that is worth the money, but it was a small plus side.