Lea Journo Hydra-Riche Hydrating Conditioner

I received a generously sized sample of the Lea Journo Hydra-Riche Hydrating Conditioner in my QVC Special - NewBeauty TestTube Summer/Fall 2011. I've been using this conditioner off and on for the past 3 months, and I've only used up half of the entire 3 oz. packet, so I figured it was about time to do a review on this product.

This is the first time I've heard of/seen this brand, so who is Lea Journo?

photo from: http://leajournoshop.com

A celebrity "hairstylist extraordinaire" who "owns Beverly Hills' hippest salon at the Beverly Wilshire on Rodeo Drive".

Salon Performance Collection

for beautiful, healthy, younger-looking hair

Each product is formulated to intensify the appearance of younger, shinier, healthier, more beautiful hair with a delicate balance of advanced performance ingredients and natural beauty actives.

THINK ECO-GLAM WITH LEA JOURNO

Beauty with a Conscience

The undercurrent of eco-friendly attributes is seen throughout the product line as a seamless fusion of glamour and green consciousness.

packaging that leaves behind a smaller footprint

LeaJournoShop.com: Hydra-Riche Hydrating Conditioner

(Full Size) 10 oz. $28.00 / (Travel Size) 2 oz. $10.00

What it is: A luxurious, moisture intensive conditioner that restores body and shine while protecting hair health from color and chemical treatments. Ideal for all hair types. SULFATE-FREE. PARABEN-FREE.

What it does: Indulges hair with très riche shine, softness, and body for younger-looking, healthier hair. Helps maximize the life of color treated and chemically straightened hair as well as the longevity of Brazilian Blowouts.

Performance ingredients:

- French Plum Oil to soften & moisturize

- Silk Proteins to smooth & strengthen

- Sweet Almond Peptides to shine & revitalize

- Sulfate & Paraben free to protect hair health & color longevity

What else you should know: Lea Journo features exclusive 100% Pure French Plum Oil, a luxurious botanical oil harvested in the south-west of France via cold-pressure of the plum kernel (Prunus domestica).

High in fatty acids, this indispensable oil imparts a silky-softness, essential moisture, and indulgent feel to hair for improved styling performance and overall beauty.

For beautiful results: Massage through clean, wet hair. Rinse thoroughly.

For intensified treatment: Apply to towel dried hair and rinse after 5 minutes.

A little background on my hair type:

I have "normal" hair, it's not oily or dry; it's naturally pin straight, soft, smooth, shiny and tangle free (except when it gets longer than 12", then the hair underneath will begin to tangle up on it's own). I never have a problem with frizz, spraying at the ends or split ends (unless I go over a year without getting a trim then the ends will split on their own). I only get my hair trimmed once a year (sometimes longer if I forget). I rarely blow dry my hair, I only comb my hair right after washing it - I never brush or comb it during the day. My hair is not fine or thick, but I have a lot of it. My hair gets very heavy, especially when I grow it out long - because of this I wash it either every day or every other day. Aside from shampoo and conditioner, I don't use any other hair products to style my hair or treat my hair. I have recently added Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque - but I only use this once a week.

Unlike most hair care products, this packaging is completely FULL when new. Mine is barely nearing half full after 3 months of use!

Likes:

- Smells salon-good - kinda perfumey - the scent lasts in my hair all day and night until I wash my hair again.

- The consistency is creamier than your average drugstore conditioner, so you only need a small amount to cover everything. I have medium length hair and I only use about 4-peas-worth amount.

- The day I wash my hair, it is more soft and smooth than when I don't use a conditioner on my hair.

Dislikes:

- The packaging is a bit awkward to use in the shower because it has a screw off top, if it had a flip top, it'd be a little more user-friendly.

- Because of its creamier consistency, my hair tends to get more build up quicker and needs to be washed every day. (compared to my go-to Tresemme Naturals Moisture Conditioner)

- On the day I wash my hair and use this conditioner, my hair feels significantly weighed down by the end of the day - I rarely sport second day hair when I use this conditioner.

Overall, I won't be repurchasing this conditioner. And to be honest, I'm giving the remainder of it to my BF because I cannot stand to use it anymore. Although it smells nice and does it's job, I can't get over the fact that it attracts more dirt to my hair on the first day, so that my second day hair is so dirty that I can't wear it down or even go without washing it on the second day. I'm not sure if I would recommend this conditioner because I feel a good conditioner shouldn't require you to wash your hair more often, it should prep your hair to last at least two days without that dirty feeling of needing a wash. I say "not sure" about recommending it, because of its heavier quality, it might help those who have dryer hair than mine.