TIGI Bed Head Control Freak Serum

I got Bed Head Control Freak "Frizz Control and Straightener" from my hairdresser years ago. She gave it to me after I explained that my hair tends to get frizzy after washing, no matter how I dry it. She used it after washing, drying and cutting my hair and I did like the results, so I put down 18 or so dollars to buy a bottle.

That was a few years ago. If you say "woah!" to the price, first consider this - I used the same 9 oz bottle for almost 2 years. Control Freak is not meant to be for everyday use, at least not in my experience. Instead it is good to use once in a while on my particularly frizzy days!

How to use it
Of course they suggest to use their shampoo and conditioner first - but I don't buy into that. I only use the Control Freak. After you shower and while you still have damp hair, you apply the Control Freak serum with your hands. Trying to work it through all your hair can be tough, but if you are patient you can hit all sides of your hair in a few minutes. They have two suggestions on how to dry your hair in order to "go straight" or "go curly". At the hairdresser, she did blow dry my hair straight, however at home I don't blow dry my hair.

Instead, I either braid my wet hair OR put it in a bun until it dries. It comes out nice and straight or wavy depending on what I do. With hair as long and thick as mine, I don't enjoy blow drying and rarely do break out the dryer. So if you are lazy like me, you don't have to blow dry your hair in order for this serum to work!

How it works
The bottle claims to make your hair "sleek and smooth in seconds". Well, it's not really *seconds* because your hair does have to dry before it will really show the difference. As for smooth, yes my hair does feel smoother once it dries, and does seem sleeker and less frizzy.

The bottle also says it is "light and greaseless". The light part I agree with, but the greaseless part I do not. Even after my hair dries I do feel like there is something in my hair. It definitely makes me want to wash my hair more often than my hairdresser advises. In my experience, putting ANY product in my hair will cause my hair to feel dirty quicker than if I put nothing in my hair.

"It will resist humidity and buffer against mechanical heat" That part seems true. When I use this on a hot summer day, I don't feel like it's dripping out of my hair or anything like that. My hair does feel dry overall, but as I said above there's only that slight "dirty' feeling that I have when I put products in my hair.

Get a "glossy finish every time" doesn't seem to always be true. Sometimes it works wonders and my hair dries beautifully, and sometimes my hair dries as if nothing has been put in at all. I credit this to my own problem applying the serum. Since my hair is already wet, it's really hard to tell if I put enough serum in. I get around this by putting in a little after my hair has dried. The serum also tends to stay on your hands, so sometimes I get the feeling I got more on my hand than in my hair! So I just spend a little extra time wiping it through and hope for the best.

Conclusion
I advise to use Control Freak as an emergency item. It works well most of the time, but isn't really a daily necessity. I find the 18$ or so is worth it for my hurried or late days where my hair is a little out of control. Like I said, I will use it when my hair is dry if necessary. If you can make it last two years at 18$, that means it is only 9$ a year! If you need to put a little control in your life, Bed Head Control Freak is a great choice.