I tested out EVERY Olaplex product — and this one was by far the best
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WHETHER you heard about it from your best friend, your hairdresser or your neighbour's cousin's girlfriend, Olaplex is reportedly one of the worst kept secrets for keeping hair looking healthier than ever.
I thought, then, that it was high time for an in-depth Olaplex review. Does the No.3 Hair Perfector mask leave your hair feeling stronger? Are the No.5 Bond. Maintenance shampoo and conditioner worth forking out for? Most importantly, which is the best Olaplex product?
- Shop Olaplex at Cult Beauty -
Pros
- Long-lasting effects
- Good products for coloured hair
- Every product smells amazing
- Gives you a nourishing hair wash
- A small amount goes a long way
Cons
- The price
- Effects aren't immediate
- Have to leave the hair mask on for hours for the best results
Olaplex review: Quick Summary
- Shop Olaplex at Cult Beauty -
As soon as you start lathering the thick, sweet-smelling Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo on your hair, the magic of Olaplex comes clear.
Every product is basically great quality and you hardly need much each time, which explains the really small bottles.
My hair is always in need of TLC because it's bright blonde. But after using Olaplex products for a month, my hairdresser immediately complimented the condition of my hair when I went to get more highlights.
Apparently, I have the Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Diamleate ingredient (Olaplex's self-proclaimed "invention") to thank for really nourishing all kinds of hair.
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All in all, I'd say Olaplex is a long-term love affair, not a quick fling. You need to be in this for the long haul.
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Olaplex Nº.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment
- Nº.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment, £26 from Olaplex -
So, the No.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment by Olaplex is apparently proven to give you three times stronger hair with 68 percent more repair, when used alongside the No.3 Hair Perfector.
The 155ml bottle lasts for around three to six treatments, which makes it quite expensive considering you also have to invest in the Hair Perfector for the best results (£52 in total).
After incorporating this into my routine for around two weeks, my hair definitely feels a whole lot shinier.
Having blonde hair means my curly hair looks frazzled when I don't look after it but this definitely breathed new life into my tresses.
The only real downside is the price. If you can afford it and have coloured hair, this is definitely a winner.
Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector review
- Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector, £26 from Cult Beauty -
My favourite product was the brand's global best-seller: the Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector, a.k.a the £26 hair mask that comes in a tiny 100ml bottle.
The first time I tried this, I put it onto towel-dried hair for 10 minutes then followed with shampoo and conditioner. l wasn't impressed. For almost £30, my hair felt a little bit healthier, but no more than if I had just used a nice conditioner.
However, after a conversation with my hairdresser and a bit of research, I decided to wear it all day long when I was working from home and that's when the results really kicked in.
Luckily, I managed to avoid any video calls that day and had it on for around ten hours before washing it off, and my hair felt immediately stronger, shinier and just better.
You don't have to use this every week (we could still see the effects after ten days) and I'm so happy with how healthy my bleached blonde hair is looking right now.
Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo review
- Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, £26 from Cult Beauty -
As I am always blow-drying, straightening and colouring my hair, I was really excited to try out Olaplex's Bond Maintenance Shampoo.
You only need a tiny amount for your hair wash as it's a foaming shampoo, so if you use it one to two times a week, it should last you a couple of months at least.
Not only does it smell good enough to eat (like Fruit Pastilles), the thick texture of the formula gives you such a deep cleanse.
The best part of using Olaplex's No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo for me was how long my hair felt clean for afterwards and after a few washes, I definitely started to notice my hair feeling stronger.
It helped stop the frizziness that comes with bleaching your hair but only over time. Stick with this for the best results.
Olaplex No.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo
- Olaplex No.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo, £26 from Cult Beauty -
One of the newest members of the Olaplex club, the No.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo is made for grey hair or manes that have been coloured blonde.
My first impression was how vibrantly blue the shampoo is in comparison to other purple shampoos that I've tried, and how amazingly moisturising it is.
Just like everything by Olaplex, it smells of fruit pastilles and a really small amount turns into a foamy lather, so you don't need to use loads for effects.
Unlike most toning shampoos, this actually works from the first use. My highlights felt generally brighter and lifted, as well as feeling moisturised (a huge plus for our over-dyed and frizzy hair).
I'd recommend to use it once a week. Incorporating it into my weekly routine has completely ridded me of yellow tones. Mission accomplished.
Olaplex No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner review
- Olaplex No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner, £26 from Cult Beauty - buy here
Olaplex seem to really love the £26 mark because their No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner is that price, too.
Also available in a 250ml bottle, this conditioner smells equally as delicious as the shampoo and you also don't need very much of it for each hair wash.
Using this combined with the shampoo gave us shiny, glossy hair which met my expectations at £52 for the set.
It's hard to measure the impact of this on its own because we used it alongside the shampoo but our hair has felt better ever since we tried it.
If you use the shampoo and conditioner religiously then there might not even be much need for the No.3 Hair Perfector, that's how great they are.
Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother review
- Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother, £26 from Cult Beauty -
Olaplex's smoothing leave-in No.6 Bond Smoother is a heat-protector that acts as a styling cream.
My hair is bleached blonde so this was a welcomed addition to my haircare routine – anyone with coloured hair should be using a treatment post-hair wash.
I applied it to wet hair and definitely felt that my hair felt stronger and more conditioned from the first time I used it.
It's slightly less thick than some other leave-in treatments on the market so if your hair's particularly frizzy then you might want to opt for something stronger.
However, that's not to say that it isn't effective and you only need a small amount, which explains the 100ml bottle.
Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil review
- Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil, £26 -
The No.7 Bonding Oil is one of the lesser-known gems from Olaplex, but the people who use it swear by it.
After being recommended this by one of my friends, I already knew how to use it: rub it in your hands before stroking it through your strands.
It's labelled by the brand as a "reparative" oil that helps you style your hair, combatting frizz and flyaways whilst protecting your mane from heat too.
From the first time I used it, I could immediately see the No.7 Bonding Oil being a cult product because it left my curls looking smooth, shiny and healthy.
As with every Olaplex invention, it smells incredible, but also smooths out your hair with a salon-finish. I am officially obsessed.
Olaplex No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask review
- Olaplex No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask, £26 -
Olaplex's masks have a great reputation, however the Hair Perfector is a little more well-known than the No.8 Intense Moisture Mask.
I expected it to boost my hair with more shine, making it smoother and more moisturised, but when I first used it, the effects weren't astounding.
After leaving it on for a couple of hours (it says 10 minutes but the longer, the better), I washed it off and left my hair to air-dry as I usually do.
My hair is curly, so I can really tell if a mask is moisturising and didn't see any results from the first use.
However, that all changed after I used it again as my hair definitely felt shinier. It's one you have to stick with for a while to really reap the benefits.
Olaplex No.9 Bond Protector review
- Olaplex No.9 Bond Protector, £26 from Olaplex -
Olaplex's heat protector serum is made for repairing your hair from heat damage or pollution.
Free of sulfates, gluten, paraben and phosphate, it's a vegan formula filled with red algae extract and Olaplex's Bond Building Technology.
I wasn't surprised that it smells great, just like the full Olaplex range. And you can hardly feel it on your hair, meaning that it doesn't weigh it down post-hair wash.
After using this following five washes, my hair does feel stronger but I'm sure time will tell as to whether it feels more protected.
For a lightweight, no-nonsense serum, I'd definitely recommend this and it's a similar price to many others on the market.
What is Olaplex?
Olaplex is known to be salon-approved haircare treatment that's crafted to fix broken bonds in your hair, using their trademark ingredient: Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate.
A lot of products are created for specific hair types, but the beauty of Olaplex is that its products work on everyone's hair, whether it's ultra-frizzy, curly or straighter-than-straight.
In short, Olaplex offers intensive repair from home, rather than having to venture out to an expensive salon. Ideal.
How to use Olaplex 3
The Olaplex Hair Perfector No.3 is a hair mask that you use separately to your usual hair wash. So, once it is entirely rinsed off, you can continue your shampoo and conditioner routine as normal.
Although it says to leave it on for a minimum of 10 minutes, from our experience we recommend leaving it on for much longer than that – think hours rather than minutes.
Can you leave Olaplex 3 on overnight? Absolutely. Our hairdresser said that they always leave it on overnight for the best results. Just remember to put a towel on your pillow.
Is Olaplex worth it?
Let's be real, Olaplex has the best reputation when it comes to haircare and with global fame comes high expectations...
I can safely say that it is worth it (unfortunately, for my bank account), especially if you have particularly dry, coloured or generally damaged hair that needs some extra care from time to time.
I'm not saying that it's worth buying their whole range because each product is equally as effective so you don't actually need them all.
If you're on a budget, I'd recommend opting for the Hair Perfector then using it once or twice a week.
Is Olaplex cruelty free?
You'll be happy to know that Olaplex is free of all the bad stuff, like sulphates, phthalates or silicone, and it's 100 percent vegan.
In addition to all that, Olaplex never ship products to countries where animal testing is allowed by law as they are actively against animal testing.
Where can I buy Olaplex?
Once upon a time, Olaplex was only available at salons but then everyone got obsessed and the range became widely available.
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From CultBeauty to LookFantastic and SpaceNK, Olaplex is available at all the best online beauty outlets and even Amazon too (hello, Prime next-day delivery).
- OLAPLEX No.4 And 5 Bond Maintenance Shampoo And Conditioner, £46.93 from Amazon -
- Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector, £26 from LookFantastic -
- Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, £26 from Spance NK -