WHAT IS IT?
Switch hair colour frequently? If you do, you’ll understand the pain of watching it wash out in the shower. Redken promises to solve this perennial problem with its new Colour Extend Magnetics range – shampoo ($35), conditioner ($35), mask ($60) and treatment ($42).
The range contains what the brand calls special amino-ions, which are said to “grab” onto colour molecules in the hair fibres to preserve colour vibrancy. Also thrown into the coiffure comforting mix is a carefully curated blend of follicle-fortifying Interlock Protein Networks (IPN) and amino acids, both of which are said to strengthen and buffer hair through the delivery of protein and glutamic acid respectively.
WHAT WE THINK ABOUT …
THE TREATMENT
I shelved my usual hair care routine by co-opting all of the products in this line. In the evenings, I massaged a dime-sized amount of the foaming shampoo into my hair, which washed off quite nicely indeed, with no icky residue that you get with lesser brands.
I left the conditioner on for the recommended five minutes on damp hair whilst going about the rest of my grooming business, and it did a pretty awesome job in smoothing out kinks and tangles, making a blow-dry an effortlessly pleasurable experience.
For an added weekly boost, I treated my follicles to the richly emollient mask and treatment, which you’re supposed to comb through damp hair. Five minutes and a good warm rinsing later, brushing through my towel-dried hair felt like running fingers through strands of silk – incredibly lovely
THE RESULTS
I had just dyed my hair a deep red before testing the Colour Extend Magnetics shampoo and conditioner. Usually, any red I choose fades to a drab brown in two weeks or less. This time, though, I noticed that the water that ran off in the first few showers wasn’t as garishly red as usual, which was really gratifying, as this meant the hair dye was staying exactly where it should.
Bonus points: It didn’t rub off on my towels in a way that made my housekeeper cringe. As a result, the red remained vibrant for a week longer, at least.
If you have the same issues with hair colour, you should give this range a try – the smell of the shampoo and conditioner is absolutely fruity and heavenly!
Total Score: 22/25
The Redken Colour Extend Magnetics collection is available at selected professional beauty salons. For stockists and more information, call 6233 0351 and follow Redken Singapore on Facebook.