Anyone with coloured hair will know that it’s a blessing and a curse when it comes to maintenance. Red hair became my signature look when I first fell head-first into a cherry-toned box dye three years ago, and despite the upkeep, it’s very much still my brand. Given the amount of care that any colour – especially that kind of colour – requires (rather, demands), I’ve tried all sorts of protective measures in that time, from colour-enhancing masks to limiting the amount of times a week I wash my hair.
Since the former can be hit or miss and the latter is hardly ideal (verging on greasy is not the look I’m after), the colour-protecting routine I’d curated before now didn’t work particularly well. My biggest issue when it comes to upkeep has been trying to stop my colour from fading, escaping down the drain whenever I wash it or, worse, bleeding all over my white bedsheets.
So, you can imagine that when I got a sneak preview of L’Oréal Professionnel’s new colour-protecting range, I was game.
What’s new about the L’Oréal Professionnel Vitamino Color Spectrum?
Turns out ‘professional’ is right; the way the Vitamino Color Spectrum system locks in my cherry colour is both high-tech and expertly designed. The results are down to science-backed formulas and patented technology, all wrapped into a 3-step system involving a shampoo, a mask and a serum.
The range has been specially formulated to tackle the two biggest culprits that cause fading: water and UV rays. Over time, as these penetrate the hair either during washing or throughout the day, both tend to reduce the saturation, tone and brightness of your colour by removing essential proteins from the hair fibres and deteriorating dye from the surface.
In comes L’Oréal’s solution – a combination of ferulic and citric acids in the sulphate-free shampoo and rinse-off mask, which penetrates just as deeply into the hair fibres. In doing this, the acid duo promises to strengthen the hair bonds from within and secure the dye so it won’t budge. The regime is completed with a serum, used post-shower on damp hair, which builds a protective coat around the lengths to protect them from UV rays.
Our verdict
My first impression was noticing that the sleek packaging was the exact same colour as my hair which, though surely a coincidence, felt like a promising start, nevertheless. I first double-cleansed with the shampoo, which I noticed had a thick and milky texture but was very quick to build into a nice lather. Despite its salon-level look and high-tech science, I was also pleasantly surprised that scent-wise, it offered a lovely herbal touch to my hair rather than something chemical-y.
The mask had a similar texture, but was creamy enough that a little went a long way; I only needed a coin-sized amount to be able to generously coat my lengths to my ends and, as per the instructions, I massaged the product in for about two minutes. I then left it to soak in while attending to the rest of my shower, and when I rinsed it out, it left my locks silky and definitely more hydrated than before.
Admittedly, from previous dodgy box dyes and a disregard for heat protectant as a teenager, my hair is quite damaged – so the fact that it made a visible difference was definitely a huge tick in the ‘yes’ box for me.
L’Oréal promises that the mask is especially beneficial for thicker hair types (which I’d agree with), and that ‘hair is stronger and up to 44% smoother’. As for that, I definitely enjoyed smoother strands, though I haven’t necessarily noticed that they’re stronger.
After towel-drying my hair, I ran two pumps of the glass-shine serum through to my ends, and I’ll easily say that this was my favourite part. When it comes to gloss and shine beyond my hair’s natural capability, it wowed me. The serum is enriched with alpha silane which not only creates that protective barrier (L’Oréal claims that it can lock in shine for up to 72 hours, and I’d have to agree) but is activated by heat.
This means that when I went to blow-dry my hair a little while after, the shine stayed strong and it left no oily residue. I often find that hair oils and leave-ins tend to weigh my hair down, but not this time.
As for colour preservation (the most anticipated part!), there was significantly less colour escaping down the drain than usual throughout my shower. Usually, I can expect most of my dye to bleed while I wash it and, as mentioned, slowly but surely ruin my bedsheets.
But having religiously used the new Vitamino Color Spectrum system for just over a month now, my hair looks glossier, brighter and my pillows are spotless. I have been switching up my shampoo from time to time, as I struggle with styling product buildup so prefer to opt for a clarifying shampoo at least once a week, but the serum in particular has safely earned its place at the end of my hair-wash routine.
As if that weren’t enough, I’ve also been enjoying compliments from both my colleagues and friends on how vibrant my colour is all of a sudden, from double-takes to multiple mistaken comments saying, ‘Oh, you’ve just dyed it again!’
Of course, I haven’t – and I haven’t actually felt the need to give it an early refresh at all, thanks to the protective formulas which have hugely limited both fading and bleeding. Usually, I try to make time to dye my hair again every six weeks, but I’m currently on week 8 now and I confidently feel I could postpone it at least another week, maybe even a week and a half.
So, not only for being a hair-saver but as a time-saver, too, I’m officially raving about L’Oréal Professionnel’s Vitamino Color Spectrum (and I have the results to justify it). For any coloured hair – not just red, don’t worry – you can try it for yourself, below.
L'Oréal Professionnel Vitamino Color Spectrum Shampoo For Coloured Hair
L'Oréal Professionnel Vitamino Color Spectrum Hair Mask For Coloured Hair
L'Oréal Professionel Vitamino Color Spectrum Glass Shine Serum For Coloured Hair
