A good hair day gives me the same feeling I get when a Corgi passes me on my walk, or after a hard workout, or even a spoonful of peanut butter. A really good hair day makes me feel warm and fuzzy, ridiculously happy, and carefree. You know what else it makes me feel? Like I'm a confident 30-something with her life together, and that, my friends, is no easy feat.
It's hard to come across clean and effective products that cater to all hair types and make you (and your locks) feel as if you just left the salon. Briogeo, which recently launched at Ulta Beauty, claims to be and do all of the above (plus every product is free of sulfates, silicones, phthalates, parabens, DEA, and artificial dyes, which is just an added bonus). The beauty editor in me needed to find out the truth, so I enlisted five co-workers with very different hair concerns to test products from the various Briogeo product lines. Did the products live up to the hype? Make my colleagues feel giddy with joy? Keep scrolling to find out.
"I spend close to zero minutes on my hair. I’m all about doing the things that mean I don’t need to 'do' my hair every morning, especially since I avoid heat styling at all costs. My little routine involves washing my hair the evening before the day I want it to look good, so I can let it air dry and then sleep on it to let the frizz naturally subside. The one good thing about having dry hair is that I don’t need to wash it more than two or three times a week. After using the leave-in spray for the last month, there's definitely a noticeable improvement in my hair’s texture and condition. I find that the amount of frizz I’m dealing with is a good indicator of my overall hair health, so nourishing my hair and taming the frizz tends to go hand in hand. I also haven’t had that slight crunchiness that tends to creep in when my hair needs a wash."
"I was hoping the leave-in spray would give my hair some extra conditioning love in order to ease up on the frizz and make it feel softer without sacrificing my naturally wavy hair texture. After washing my hair, I’ll twist it up in a towel, and when I take it down, I rake my fingers through it rather than comb it (I find combing it breaks up my waves too much) and divide it into a top and bottom section. I'll spritz some of the spray to the bottom section first, focusing on the middle and ends. After I’ve done the same to the top section, I’ll let it dry just a little before applying an oil to lock in the hydration and add a little shine. I'm also newly sold on the Farewell Frizz Rosehip, Argan & Coconut Oil Blend ($28). I love that both the spray and oil are made up of rosehip, argan, and coconut oils."
"When it comes to my hair, I'm pretty easy. Most days I probably spend five minutes because I’ve been super into the slicked-back-pony trend. If I actually have time to shower before I go out, I’ll create a little half-up, half-down look with my curls. But my hair completely dried out this winter, so I’ve been trying to restore its moisture and give some life to my curls. The Briogeo products have definitely helped—my hair is finally feeling like it's back to its normal moisturized self."
"After the very first use of this, I was in shock. I usually cannot comb through my hair in the shower because it’s so tangly and dry. This conditioner seemed to detangle everything and let me glide my comb through with ease. And it only got better after each use! I found it worked best when I sectioned out my hair and massaged the product in."
"I've started using this mask about once a week, and the results are so good. My curls form perfect ringlets that I haven't seen since maybe my pre-hair-straightener days."
"My lack of volume is a constant bummer. My hair also tends to be on the dry side, which is probably why it’s often so tangled. My dream is to have soft, voluminous hair—the thought literally makes me giddy. I love that the Briogeo product makes my hair look fuller, without creating that sticky feeling that can come from using many sprays. It also smells kind of amazing: It’s a very clean, fresh I-just-left-the-salon scent. The best part? My blowout lasts longer than usual, which means fewer washes for me."
"I spritz some of this onto my damp, combed-through hair prior to using my dryer. Although the instructions advise using mostly on the roots, I'm fairly generous with my application. I blow-dry my hair with a round brush, wrap it into a sleek knot secured by a silk scrunchy for about 20 minutes, give it one more blast of warm air, and voilà. I also recommend blow-drying your roots upside down for extra volume."
"There was a time when my hair was ombré and I would often do beach waves, but I've since committed to using less high heat and getting my hair healthy. I've used oils, creams, anti-frizz products, but somehow I'm still blessed with frizzy hair. The shampoo and conditioner I used didn't end up helping with my frizz, but it did make my hair feel softer and healthier. Also, I wasn't expecting these products to help with my dandruff, but after using them consistently for a month, my dandruff is almost completely gone. It's the best thing that's happened from using these products."
"Talk about lather! This stuff lathers, cleans my scalp, and doesn’t strip any natural oils. Years ago, I would wash my hair almost daily. My hairdresser told me to try and not wash my hair so often, so I started going a few days in between but that meant needing to cover up the oils that would appear. With this shampoo, I’ve been able to go three days without washing my hair without it looking oily!"
"I don’t typically use products with fragrance since I’m a bit sensitive, but the smell is so light that it didn’t bother me. The scent lingered for days in a very subtle way that even my husband noticed. I had no idea! My hair also does feel healthier using it."
"I like to say that my hair gets to decide how much time is allocated to my morning routine. Some mornings, if I’m wearing a protective style like braids or a slicked-back bun it can take 10 minutes. But if I’m wearing my curly hair down, it will take about 30 minutes to wet it, reapply products in sections, and do any detangling or defining to ensure it’s looking its best. Of course, on some days my curls have a mind of their own, so it may take less or more time. Being that I have low-porosity hair (meaning my hair follicles have a harder time locking in moisture), I’m constantly battling breakage, dehydration, lack of shine, and frizz. Getting my hair to a point where it can stop shedding as much and retain some moisture and shine is always the goal. After using Briogeo’s Curl Charisma line for the past month, I can tell that my hair has not only grown but overall gotten stronger and shinier. Possibly the greatest testament of the power of these products is from the various compliments I’ve gotten on my hair recently. From friends I haven’t seen in a while to my partner who I see on a regular basis, more and more people have stopped to say, 'Your curls are poppin’ today,' and honestly, that’s a win in my books."
"Leave-in crèmes are an essential part of building a healthy curly-hair routine. I applied this after I washed my hair or before I put it into a protective hairstyle. Of all the Briogeo products, this one went the fastest for me—meaning I used the entire bottle real quick. I'm obsessed with how the crème’s formula doesn't weigh down my curls and that it actually moisturizes the shaft of the curls. The real tell-tale sign that this leave-in was actually working was the fact that I didn’t have to reapply products mid-day, which is very much a thing with dryer, low-porosity curly hair."
"This gel actually ended up being my favorite daily styling product for wash-and-go days. While the Curl Charisma Chia + Flax Seed Coil Custard ($26) is actually great for locking in moisture while wearing braids or a slicked-back bun, the gel was everything I wanted a product to do for my curls. It didn’t leave a sticky or crunchy residue like most gels (which drives me insane), and on the days I used it, I noticed my hair was not only shinier but also that each curl was far more defined and less frizzy. If any gel could get me over my fear of crunchy curls, it's this."
Cleanse and nourish your hair without stripping it of its natural oils or weighing it down. You'll see the best results when used in tandem with the rest of the Don't Despair, Repair! collection.
If you're looking to give your hair a glossy, smooth, and healthy finish, grab this oil and call it a day. It's a blend of ceramides and essential fatty acids, which will help replenish your hair's natural lipid content.
Revive dry, damaged hair with this leave-in mask, which is formulated with B-vitamins, algae, and biotin—a master blend of ingredients that will help replenish damaged hair, leaving it with a shiny, smooth finish.
Ginger, ginseng, and biotin work to stimulate long-term hair health while mineral-derived silica and naturally derived maltodextrin help add lift, texture, and volume to the roots without leaving a sticky residue.
This volumizing shampoo enhances volume without dulling hair. It's made with maltodextrin, a natural sugar starch that helps thicken and separate strands to make your head of hair look fuller.
A conditioner that adds fullness without leaving hair stiff? Yes, please!
The shampoo that'll cleanse hair of excess oil while keeping it hydrated without any frizz. Rosehip, argan, and coconut oils work together to nourish, smooth, and seal hair cuticles while minimizing frizz and restoring luster and shine.
Also infused with rosehip, argan, and coconut oils, this shampoo will keep hair nourished sans any frizz.
Love styling your hair? Protect it from heat styling up to 450 degrees and minimize frizz by applying this to wet locks prior to using hot tools.
Get your hair silky looking with this oil blend that will smooth the hair cuticle to lock in moisture and help reduce environmental impurities.
Give your hair an extra boost of moisture with this superfood mask made with phytonutrients like spinach, chia seeds, and cocoa-seed butter to help restore, maintain, and lock in moisture. After shampooing, massage this into hair from mid-lengths to ends and leave on for up to 10 minutes before rinsing.
This ultra-hydrating shampoo is made with all sorts of good ingredients like rice amino acids, tomato fruit ferment, shea butter, and avocado oil to help minimize frizz, make curls uniform, and enhance moisture retention.
To reap all of the above benefits, you obviously need the conditioner, too.
Massage product into small sections of damp hair to enhance coil definition and provide flexible styling control.
