Suave Vibrant Blonde Versus John Frieda

If there were a place in Guiness Book of World Records for damaging hair, my name would be there, in bold print. While I have had dark hair, blonde tends to be my favorite shade. Unfortunately the downside to bleaching and frosting to get that great blonde color is that it tends to feel like straw. I carried myself and my crunchy blonde locks to a local discount store, and the slection for shampoo and conditioner for color treated hair is overwhelming. I stood in the shampoo aisle in awe. I made the decision to go with John Frieda Sheer Blonde shampoo and the John Frieda Glistening Perfection Conditioner, and headed to the checkout as fast as I could, before I changed my mind. At $5.50 per bottle, I was praying the saying "you get what you pay for" had some ring of truth to it.

After using the products for about a week, I noticed that my hair was becoming softer and much easier to comb, but not as fantastic as the commercials implied. I was a far cry fom luxurious hair that looked like spun gold. It was enough of a difference to keep me from weeping over the price. That's about it. In about a month and a half, it was time to replenish my shampoo and conditioner, but I was a little low on money and had to buy what I thought of as a "lesser product." This time I decided to get Suave Vibrant Blonde shampoo and conditioner. It said right on the label it was comparible to John Frieda. The Suave poducts were $2.30 each, which is a decent price difference, so away to the cashier I went.

It generally takes about a week or two to notice differences in hair products, so after a week I expected to find a difference. I half expected the brittle, straw feeling to return. There wasn't any difference, other than cost. My hair continued to be soft and easy to comb, wet or dry. A month went by, and still no change in my hair's texture or strength. Both the Suave and John Frieda products smell the same, and have the same general ingredient content.

So what's the big hoo-ha with John Frieda, anyway? The fact that he's a world renown hair stylist? That he is shown on his commercials wrist-deep in beautiul women's flowing locks? Honestly, that's not a big selling point to me. I couldn't care less. If he wants to sell real women on his poducts, he should have an average woman with average hair on the commercials. Hair that doesn't get four star treatment from professional stylists on a regular basis. John Frieda's poducts are over-priced for a lot of consumers that have to manage their money wisely. Three dollars and twenty cents may not be much to some, but people on budgets have to save what they can, when they can. I am one of those budgeted people.

I have since bought the same Suave products again, and continue to have shiny, soft and less tangled blonde hair. Suave Vibrant Blonde is an excellent product that lives up to it's claim of being comparible to a much more costly line. Definitely not a lesser product or a disappointment. Suave gave me what I wanted, and that's what I found important. No one likes to feel like they've wasted money.

Before rushing out to buy the next big thing because some super model or actor edorses it, do your homework. If you don't have the courage to compare products yourself, ask around. In the case of hair care, ask a hair stylist. Unless that stylist has commission to lose because you aren't buying products sold at their salon, most will be honest and unbiased with answers.

Read ingedients on labels, and find out if there is any major difference. Packaging isn't everything. Look past the cheaper made bottle or plain font used. It's what's inside that will make or break your style.