I have a confession: as much as I am obsessed with skincare, I feel like when it comes to my hair, I am clearly lacking. Back when I was younger, my mum would always have my hair cut to a bob and because of that, I never really appreciated the style as much. So when I was finally at an age when I can decide whether I'll let it grow long or not, I became a little too daredevil-ish when it comes to my naturally wavy locks.
To be fair, I've never really gone to that point where I dyed it an extreme colour. However, I tend to cut it at home whenever I want to, dye it as often as I want, and there was even a point where it was freshly bleached and I still dyed it three to four times within the same week. Horrifying, I know!
It's safe to say that I've learned my lesson when I saw how brittle it was getting. Now, I'm trying to be a bit more careful with it and haven't really dyed it in a while. In fact, I have tried a couple of repair masks to see if they can help salvage the damage. And so far, it's working. However, my issue is that most masks tend to tame my hair too much, to the point that my natural waves go limp and my hair turns stick straight. Where's the volume? The body? I was ready to sit out hair masks altogether before I was asked to try the Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair Deep Conditioning Hair Cap System.
Packaging, texture, smell
The Briogeo hair mask is pretty much straightforward when it comes to packaging. It comes in a packet with two sections, one carrying the hair cap and the other holding the conditioner. According to the label, the 2-in-1 hair repair system boasts to perform three things: visibly repair and strengthen hair, enhance softness and silkiness, and nourish the hair with natural oils, vitamins, and antioxidant complex.
From left to right: What my hair looked like prior to the treatment; creamy and thick texture of the Brigeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask
Upon opening the step 1 packet, I was initially worried that the product won't be enough to cover my long hair. But the 0.6 fl.oz was more than enough in the end. The conditioning mask has a very thick and creamy texture that feels just like any other conditioner, but what I really liked about it is the smell. I can definitely smell traces of coconut and argan oil in there, as well as other mildly sweet fragrances that remind me of spas more than salons.
Application and usage
As instructed, I gave my hair a quick wash of water and shampoo first before applying the conditioner. It was pretty much as simple as it can get. According to the packet, the mask contains a blend of coconut, avocado, sweet almond, argan oils, vitamin B and biotin, most of which are pretty common when it comes to hair treatment products.
After making sure that I covered my locks from top to tips, I pulled the hair cap from the second packet and secured my hair.
At first, I was really sceptical about it considering that I see the whole capping thing a gimmick. After all, I have tried a lot of products that use the same system, with the caps serving nothing more than just an accessory to amp up the price. However, what I noticed about Briogeo is that the cap was atypical in a way that it had a weird smell and texture upon removal from its package. At first, I wondered if it was just the material of the cap that caused the smell, but then I figured that maybe it contained treatment elements on its own. Alas, upon reading the packaging again, I learned that it does.
Apparently, the hair cap's inner lining is also infused with a unique argan oil microcapsulation technology that helps enhance the performance of the conditioning mask. It says here that the mask can be worn from 15 minutes up to an hour, depending on the level of conditioning preferred.
I decided to really push it to its limit to see if it would beat the ones I've tried before and retain my hair's volume despite its conditioning ability. I think it's also worth mentioning that the cap was really secure and I didn't have any problems with mobility while I had it on.
Results
Just as I expected, I didn't have any issues washing the product off with warm water. It wasn't tacky or slippery and just glided on seamlessly until I could feel that it was thoroughly off. Post-washing, I definitely felt how soft my hair has gotten but I was still a bit worried about the body and the volume once it dries.
I let it air dry per usual and just followed I how usually let my hair sit after a typical bath. After a couple of hours (my hair is also naturally thick and takes a while to dry off), I was quite surprised that it retained its volume and waves. It was a first for me after using a myriad of hair masks in the past. It's worth noting that even the morning after, my hair still smelled amazing and that the softness was still very much present. My hair also looked healthier and shinier and I still can't get over how it didn't disappoint by making sure my hair's natural body was retained, if not enhanced. Days have passed and I still see its effects, so it's good to know that it's not just a 24-hour worker.
Would I try this again? Absolutely. After all, it's easy to get a hold of because it is available in Sephora Singapore.
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