Review: Oribe

Products c/o Oribe

I've never tried Oribe products before and, until a couple of weeks ago I would have pronounced the brand name as it's written, when in actuality it's said 'Or-bay.' Who knew! The brand is a bit of a blogger favourite and I've heard a lot about it, mainly because it's just about the most expensive hair care on the planet. The Gold Lust shampoo is £46, conditioner is £48, dry shampoo is £35 and the pre-shampooing treatment is £62. So, it's a high-high-high end product.

I am not adverse to spending a little bit on haircare - after all, my hair is super long and thick so it can be unruly and sometimes a £1 shampoo and conditioner combo just won't cut it. I've used (and loved) Joico in the past, but ultimately I landed on The Body Shop ginger shampoo (£8) and banana conditioner (£6) as my go-to's, I've rebought them time and time again, they last for ages and they aren't full of sulphates that make my hair feel lank or weighed down.

That said, it's always interesting to try out new products so when I was lucky enough to be given these at an event, I was really looking forward to having a go with them. I tried the dry shampoo first; usually I stick to a classic like Batiste which is around £3 so a £35 can would have to be supersonic to impress me. I did like the product; the smell was amazing and it didn't leave any residue like some dry shampoos can. It was also a great texturiser, so it made my hair look clean and styled as opposed to just grease free. Would I pay £35 for it? Probably not, despite enjoying using it.

The pre-shampoo treatment was brilliant, it's almost like a coconut oil textured balm that you smooth on to the hair before washing. I put it on my hair and left it for about 20 minutes, you then shampoo it out and it leaves the hair soft and stronger. It definitely helped to replenish the moisture to my hair which I've recently bleached, and even the small sized pot was enough for a few applications (even on my long hair!) Again, despite really liking the effects, at £62 this is not something I liked enough to buy.

Finally, the shampoo and conditioner. Again, the scent was incredible on both and the shampoo seemed to get my hair squeaky clean, although it took it's sweet time to lather up. The conditioner was rich and left my hair soft and supple. But blimey it's expensive. I would not have put this above the Joico shampoo and conditioner I used to really rate, and that was (to me) pricey at £14 per bottle, so I can't quite see how there would be a justification for the price. I know that shampoos are very personal and perhaps a few uses isn't enough to fully test out how well the product works, although I can usually tell pretty quickly whether a hair product is going to work for me.

Have you ever tried Oribe? Would you recommend, and is it worth persevering over several uses to get the full benefit?

XO Amie