A few months back something truly magical landed on my desk. Yes, a very special Oribe delivery. This is one of those times when you pinch yourself and realize that perhaps you've done something right in your blogging career to receive such a treat. If you are curious to hear more, then just keep on scrolling!
Disclaimer: fear not my friends, even when I receive something for free, my reviews will always remain 100% genuine and unbiased. Read more here.
About the Brand
Oribe is an award winning professional haircare brand, founded by celebrity hairstylists Oribe Canales, Daniel Kaner and Tev Finger with an aim to provide excellent quality haircare products to the world's pickiest, hair-obsessed customers. The brand focuses on latest technologies, as well as use of naturally derived ingredients, putting health of your mane first. Oribe can be easily recognized by its signature luxurious black and gold packaging, as well as unique Cote d'Azur scent, which the brand describes as a mix of bergamot, pink lemons, white peach, cedarwood, amber, musk and Cuba’s national flower - la mariposa blanca ("a white butterfly").
Gold Lust Pre-Shampoo Intensive Treatment
I don't know about you guys, but I love a good hair mask. With all the sun, heat and chlorine exposure, I often notice just how quickly my hair can go from silky and happy to dull and frizzy. This is exactly when nourishing hair masks come in handy.
Gold Lust Pre-Shampoo Intensive Treatment (or simply "Gold Lust" in this article) is housed in this beautiful, (what I like to call) jewelry box inspired container, which is a pleasure to look at. You get about 120 ml/ 4 oz. of product here, which I think is a fair amount. This product claims to: "bring damaged locks to life", as well as moisturize and protect your hair from environmental stressors (such as UV rays, air pollution and free radicals). I will take that [and a pack of fries] on any given day!
Now, if that description wasn't impressive enough, it is worth mentioning that this product has got one divine ingredients' list: healthy blend of coconut, macadamia, sweet almond, argan oils as well as watermelon, lychee, rice, rosemary and edelweiss extracts to name a few. Something that stood out to me though (compared to a ton of other hair masks I have tried in my lifetime) was this product's unusual texture.
Although Gold Lust looks like a solid thick cream at first, once you warm it up between hands, it instantly melts, transforming into a silky smooth oil. This was frankly quelle surprise, yet a very nice one. If you have ever worked with a cleansing balm, one that turns into milky oil, then you know exactly what I mean. Personally, I love this technology as I find that it penetrates my hair better/deeper, than say your usual leave-in cream conditioner/mask.
Now, depending on your hair type, you should use less/more. I find that with my normal-fine, long hair I need not more than a quarter-size (an exact amount Oribe recommend to use). Naturally, if your mane is more on a thick/coarse side, you would need a bit more product than that. Warm it up, apply to dry hair, by running this mask through mid-end section (avoid roots) and let Gold Lust do its magic for the next 20 minutes. I often leave it on for longer; especially whenever I feel like my hair could use a touch more love.
I don't own any Oribe shampoos or conditioners, so I use my regular Alterna Moisture Intense Oil Creme Shampoo and Conditioner instead (both equally amazing) and make sure I spend a good amount of time rinsing the mask off. I almost do it in three steps: a) wet with water b) rinse twice using shampoo and c) one more rinse after my conditioner.
You don't have to wait long to see results, they are instant: hair is smooth, silky, obedient, lustrous and healthy. And at Oribe price point, this is exactly what I would expect from a high-end, expensive hair product (no shhh; instant results). You don't even have to repeat this procedure often; I use mine once a week. If your hair is colored, severely damaged or lifeless, use it at least once/twice a week for best results.
Would I recommend this mask? Yes. Although it is quite up there in price, in my experience it is absolutely worth every penny. Plus (as I often preach) little does go a long way and one pot should last you a long time. If you use more than you need, it might weigh down your hair, so keep in mind that "less is more" when it comes to Gold Lust Pre-Shampoo Intensive Treatment. I am quite chuffed with this discovery and will definitely repurchase this gem, as soon as I run out of it. I like this mask more than Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask and Briogeo Don't Dispair, Repair! masks combined. This is also a wonderful treatment for those of you, who want to grow long hair - this mask will help keep dryness and split ends at bay.
Dry Texturizing Spray
If you haven't heard about Dry Texturizing Spray, then you must have been living under a rock. This bad boy right here has a cult following for a reason: dry hairspray that claims to build incredible volume and add texture to any hairstyle? Sign me up, please!
I am not a massive fan of hairsprays, but one thing I often struggle with (aside from frizz and dryness) is volume. Those of you with long hair can probably relate to my issue: long hair gets heavy and as a result roots lay flat. Which, I guess, is not a problem if you have naturally thick hair. But if you want a little bit more of Brigitte Bardot action in your life, then you will need a good volumizing spray. Here comes another dilemma: most of them make your hair feel sticky, crisp and heavy. Well, not when it comes to our friend Oribe.
Aside from having a wonderful fragrance, this texturizing spray is incredibly lightweight and will double up volume on any type of hair. Although it says on the bottle that this spray can be used as dry shampoo, from my experience it doesn't do much in terms of oil absorption; but it does work incredibly well at adding body and lift, while still remaining ultra lightweight. I naturally have wavy hair and even when I style it, I tend to go for wavy locks. Dry Texturizing Spray does an amazing job at bumping hair, without leaving it greasy (also, no white residue here!).
I like to rock a good, artistically messy "model off duty" hair look and this is a perfect tool for that. I think that, if you have a beautiful short cut, it will work even better for you. I love that unlike many other dry shampoos/texture sprays, this one doesn't make my (already somewhat fine hair) heavy and I only use two-three good sprays; flip hair upside down, run my fingers through the roots, almost giving my scalp a good "rub" and it does the trick all the time. It also makes your hair smell incredible.
Now, Oribe is a lux line, so (again) this is a pricy little product [worth every penny in my book]. Which is exactly why I tend to save it for special events, important meetings, dates or any other times, when I want to look my 100% best. On a day-to-day basis, I would stick to something more affordable, like OUAI Dry Shampoo (which between us - is nowhere near as good as Oribe).
Final thoughts? I think Dry Texturizing Spray is an amazing alternative to a hairspray; it adds body and lift, without a heavy/sticky feel. You can run out of it relatively fast, so if you are a haircare-junkie like moi, use it on special occasions only and this way it will last you longer. But if you have enough budget, by all means, give it a go and explore the magic of Oribe for yourself. I wish I could be extra picky right now and throw a few rotten tomatoes, but that would be a very insincere thing to do; so there you have it! I bloody love this product and will definitely repurchase once I finish my bottle. I would also recommend looking at the travel-sized version, in case you want to see how it works for your specific hair type/needs before investing.
I can't wait to try more from Oribe; let me know if you have any review requests or product recommendations below!
Find Oribe at Harvey Nichols and Bloomingdale's (UAE)
Oribe is available at SpaceNK (UK, USA)
Oribe is exclusively distributed by Beautylicious in the UAE
