Living fabulously affordably is one thing. Living cheaply is a whole other thing. I have recently become obsessed with the Matrix Sleek collection I just picked up at Trade Secret. The shampoo and conditioner were both $14.99 each. That's on the affordable end of salon hair care. After a few days of using it, I'm walking around Target and I see it sitting on the shelf! Along with Bed Head, Paul Mitchell, CHI, Biolage, and almost all other salon namebrands?! So now I'm thinking, WTH? I've been turning my nose up to Pantene and Suave and come to find out my salon shampoo is it's neighbor!?
So, I ask my boss, Amy,who has been a stylist and in the hair care business for many years, what exactly is going on? Playing devils advocate I ask her why I would go out of my way to a salon, pay a little exta for something I can conviently get and pay for at Target? Well, my friends, here is the ansewer:
Turn that Paul Mitchell bottle around and it will tell you everything: "Guaranteed only when sold by a professional hairdresser, otherwise it may be counterfeit, old, or tampered with"
Every salon bottle you find at a store other than a professional's will have some kind of warning like this one on it. What happens is large companys sell their product to a individual sales representative. It is these representative's jobs to sale their product to professional salons. Sometimes these shady representatives have old or expired bottles and they will sell it to these chain stores to make a quick buck. Another thing they can do: take a cheap shampoo, give it a similer scent, and market it it the expensive salon bottle. Some of these shampoos are even known to have high bacteria levels in them. Now remember, this is only worse case scenario. You could go to the store and get a perfectly good bottle. You would also be taking money away from a locally owned salon and not have piece of mind. Is the few extra bucks really worth it? I'm going with NO.
PS: My reccomendations: Matrix Sleek Look Smoothing system.(middle) This does wonders for wavy hair.
Paul Mitchell: Super Skinny daily hair care line. a.maz.ing! (top)
Purology Clarifying sulfate free shampoo.(below) Peppermint scented: So good!
