Article compiled by BR Natalie
When we have a particularly in-depth trial opportunity, we call upon our top reviewers to take on the challenge. Just before the status changes our former Superheroes were asked to put the new Pantene range to the test - and report back with their findings.
Pantene set out to create a new formula that could address women's major hair concern - damage protection and say goodbye to bad hair days.* This new formulation can be found across the entire range of Pantene products - new and improved, you don’t have to compromise great feeling hair by weighing it down with protective or restorative ingredients. The optimal blend of Pro-V in new Pantene nourishes and protects hair to deliver up to 100% damage protection with a lightweight feel. The Pantene range also contains a revolutionary technology in Keratin Damage Blockers, which help defend hair against irreversible oxidative damage. With every wash hair is healthier, more resilient and more beautiful.
Lutece, Chikoboo and Iloveperfumes put 5 Pantene Pro-V products to the test, here's their thoughts on the range.
1. Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo
Lutece: I was nervous and excited to use the Shampoo and Conditioner because of the new and improved formula but I was still worried it wouldn't work for my hair anymore.
The first time using the Shampoo I noticed it didn't foam as much as regular shampoos do, combing it through my hair was alot easier and it didn't get tangled or knotted as it normally does. It was so easy to rinse this out than expected, my scalp felt and looked very clean afterwards. Shampooing my hair has been a pain free and easy routine since changing back to Pantene.
Iloveperfumes: Overall I feel that Pantene have upped their game when it comes to shampoo and conditioners and the new Daily Moisture Renewal line smells great, is good value for money and offers similar results to more expensive brands.
It is an incredibly creamy formula which gets my hair clean, doesn't leave build up and the smell - amazing, it is the old perfumey Pantene aroma but with a fresher more fruity/musk scent and I love it - it is so strong though you can smell it through the plastic bottles long before you even open them, so those who are perfume sensitive might want to avoid this product but personally I love it and I can smell it for a good day after washing. Not quite as concentrated as the old formula from memory and I had to use a bit more than my usual shampoo to get a good clean, but it's still a big bottle and good value for the amount you get.
Used in combination with the matching conditioner this shampoo leaves my hair clean, detangled and silky smooth without all the silicones of the Pantene of yore. Definitely worth trying if you haven't given Pantene a go in a while.
Chikoboo: I would not use this daily, it just made my hair too soft.
The design of the bottles is great though, for the size you really get value for money, the lid is easy to operate even in the shower and the whole branding with the golden toned colours is very simple but effective. One odd thing about the shampoo is that the formula consistency is rather thick in comparison to other shampoo on the market, and I found the shampoo formula to be even thicker than the conditioner which is peculiar in my experience but I guess it is thick to add moisture to hair, being thicker also means that is foams up almost immediately as it hits your wet hair so bear this in mind as you really only need a little dot of it to cover your head.
2. Daily Moisture Renewal Conditioner
Lutece: Pantene was the love of my life back in my younger days but my hair had a mind of it's own and wanted different things with Pantene. My hair had become dry and damaged, Pantene wasn't satisfying it's needs so they went their separate ways.
Years went by, and they were reunited again with the help of the beauty review team, excited to see each other they couldn't wait to get in the shower. My hair was nervous, The Pantene Shampoo was amazing, could Pantene Conditioner be all that plus more? After a few minutes of leaving the conditioner in my hair I rinsed it out to reveal the result, my hair was absolutely amazed from the first reconnection, after each wash my hair felt fuller, moisturised and so much more happier, it was like the old days but better! My hair looks and gleams with confidence, something I haven't seen in a long time.
Thank you so much Beauty Review for rekindling the romance.
Iloveperfumes: I am glad to say that this product is not a typical supermarket conditioner and it is not too full of silicones, infact I can't even see one listed on the label anymore - so they have improved the formula to be rich and effective without the slippery silicones to achieve such a texture which is brilliant.
The product itself is quite concentrated, not quite as concentrated as the old Pantene formula and I have to use a bit more than I used to, but it sinks in very quickly and actually penetrates the hair rather than sitting on top like the old formula. It very quickly detangles and any knots just slip right out. I liken this to being more like one of a supermarket range hair masque/treatment rather than a standard conditioner as it is richer and very good value for the size of the bottle.
The scent - it's amazing - as if they have taken the classic perfumey Pantene fragrance but added a modern twist with a fruity topnote. It is a very strong fragrance and you can smell it even before you open the bottle. So those sensitive to fragrances might want to keep this in mind.
Overall I think Pantene have done a great job of revamping their range and I would happily repurchase this conditioner again and again. I also like the fact they have kept the same flip top upside down packaging of the conditioner which means you can get every last drop from your bottle. The packaging also looks upmarket and quite fancy with it's pearlized white and gold chevron patterned bottle.
Chikoboo: The bottle is easy to use and the flippy lid is inset so it’s doesn’t require both hands to open, which is handy with wet hands, it also has great grip and squeeze-able plastic that means you aren’t left wrestling to get the contents out of the it. After use I found that my hair was super soft and shiny, on the days I used this without a shampoo beforehand it left my curls in beautiful spirals that sat in shape all day, with no frizz in sight.
3. 7 Day smooth and Manageable Kit
Lutece: I am 100% the Beauty elves have been spying on me or had a sense that my hair was in distress because receiving this was exactly what the doctor had ordered, thanks to me trying to Ombre my hair at home with no hair experience what-so ever. Who would've thought brushing my hair would be such a dreadful task, watching the amount of hair breaking onto the bathroom floor each time I brushed my hair, but not again! After receiving this pack I was certain it would save my hair and I vowed never to do a hair DIY at home again.
I used the first rinse off treatment after using the Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner, I rubbed it into the middle lengths towards the ends of my hair and left it for 5 minutes, it didn't say how long to leave it in your hair so I just did it like I would with the other Pantene treatments. Rinsing my hair out felt like I was given new hair, under the water my hair felt like silk, I was so surprised that once my hair had naturally dried that it was still soft and silky! My hair was more manageable than before I had damaged my hair, it was incredibly soft, after the first day I was highly impressed with the result.
Iloveperfumes: This kit comes with two small single use tubes of a conditioning treatment and a slightly larger tube of treatment which you are supposed to use between days.
The rinse out treatment is beautifully scented – the smell permeates the box infact. It is also very thick and rich, I almost thought that I was only supposed to use half of the tube maybe, but it did not specify this anywhere. It was super intensive and left my hair feeling very soft and incredibly perfumed. It also left my hair super greasy and left a waxy residue despite rinsing really well.
Chikoboo: I loved the promise of frizz free, manageable, soft hair and this is what I read on the packet of this smoothing kit, it contains 3 bottles, Day 1-2 wash out conditioner treatments (2 tubes, 1 for each day) and Day 3-7 leave-in conditioner treatment. The whole design of this kit appeals to me, there is something about tiny bottles of conditioner that I enjoy, I love a good pampering.
Lutece: The BB Creme comes in a gold plastic bottle, its striking to the eye and lightweight. It comes with an easy to dispense pump and gives a 50 cent size amount of product per pump. The directions say to apply this to damp hair but I have noticed my hair soaks up the product and once its dry you cant tell any difference. Instead I wait for my hair to dry naturally and once its dry I apply the BB creme to the middle lengths and ends of my hair.
I noticed a significant difference after applying this to my hair, after a few hours later my hair becomes dry again, the ends become visibly dry and hard to manage. I dont think I will be purchasing this in the future because even though I saw a difference after applying this to my hair, a few hours later my hair is back to its normal dry state.
Iloveperfumes: The BB cream is a nice addition to the range, but I don’t feel that I would repurchase as it doesn’t offer a lot to my hair.
Chikoboo: I had noticed though that I wasn’t suffering for as much hair loss at time of cleaning then I normally do so I put that down as the 'strengthening against breaking' agent at work. I haven’t suffered from split ends in over 6-7 years now so I also cannot comment on its promise to help prevent them, all I can say is that it wasn’t harsh and drying. It did seem to weigh my hair down and I lost a lot of curl definition and bounce but I feel this is through making my hair softer, it seemed to make it more fluffy.
5. Dry shampoo
Lutece: The directions are very easy to use which really stood out to me because I had never used a Dry Shampoo before. It smells very refreshing, a bit like an air freshener! I found this worked great for when you back comb your hair and really liked how it saved a lot of time when I didn't have enough time to wash my hair in the morning.
I went to Gisborne for a week and this was so handy to use, it was so hot and muggy, it definitely saved me a few times while being there in the blistering heat. I will be buying a can of this.
Iloveperfumes: This product works best on slightly limp second day hair for me. It is fabulous if you have a thick unruly fringe like mine which needs to be straightened, even when you don't style the rest of your head. I just spritz some through, curl it under with a round brush and pop it in a Velcro roller whilst I put on my face for the day. A couple of minutes later I have an amped up fringe with it's bounce back and not looking limp or greasy at all.
The product itself - a standard sort of dry spray shampoo - this contains tapioca starch which means it has good absorbency for oiliness. However it is prone to showing up in white patches making me look grey if I am not careful, so make sure to run your hands through well to avoid any white splotches of powder if like myself you have super dark hair. The smell is amazing - keeping in line with the scent of the new Pantene line. Super perfumey and refreshing for day old hair. This is also great for amping up your hair at the end of the day for adding volume and a bit more texture at the roots - I find it better than a hairspray for this purpose. Overall a good hair refreshing spray, but I would not rely on this to make your hair look clean and fresh if it truly is in need of a wash!
Chikoboo: I was lead to believe that dry shampoo were designed for the oily, fine haired people amongst us, I am not one of those lucky people. The fine mist was easy to get into the roots directly without making a mess all over the rest of my hair. I raked it through to style with my fingers, it sat nicely against my head in loose waves that were sleek and shiny. I was quite happy, perhaps I was wrong about the rule of dry shampoo for oily heads only. But as the night drew on my roots bulked up with volume and I ended up with a really mega frizz fluff ball of hair. So for ladies out there who need volume pick this can up now!!
Phew, there we have it - the new Pantene Pro-V range as reviewed by three BR superheroes. To read the reviews in full check out the product pages - and if you've used the new Pantene products, why not add a review of your own?
Hey good work ladies such an interesting read x