My hairdresser introduced me to this Shu Uemura Ultimate Remedy Extreme Restoration shampoo and conditioner at my last visit to the salon. Actually, at my second last visit.

To be honest, I just thought they were trying to drum up business because I read somewhere that where hairdressers really make the dollah dollah bills is by pushing sponsored hair products onto their customers. But a) I love my hairdresser, my hair has never looked so good until I discovered them and b) I think they know their target audience anyway because I always buy whatever they tell me to because they’re always right.

Hence – Shu Uemura!

I was doubtful anyway because at about $48 a bottle, this shampoo and conditioner set is pretty expensive and, yes, I really did think they were just trying to drum up more business. I was also worried it might be too strong for every day use as I wash my hair every day but the girl assured me it wouldn’t be. She was also pretty confident that this is what I needed for my hair since it tends to get pretty greasy and flat if I don’t wash it everyday. Yes, I do wash my hair everyday and, yes, I know that isn’t good for hair and if you start washing your hair only on alternate days, your hair might get super oily at first to overcompensate but after a week or so it’s suppose to regain equilibrium and stop being so greasy. And, yes, I did try that but to no avail. By the end of the first day of not washing, I’m already running to the shower with shampoo in hand. Having greasy, flat hair makes me feel so uncomfortable, it drives me crazy. And I feel like everyone’s just staring at my greasy hair and wondering why I’m such a slob and not washing it.

It’s especially hard when I’m on vacation and don’t want to spend a huge amount of time washing and blowdrying my hair every day (especially if we’ve gotten a cute tiny little apartment to live in, but oh no there is a miasma of freshly washed hair fog permeating the apartment and adjoining bathroom because I’ve just washed my hair and it’s super humid, urgh). But it’s either that or greasy hair in every holiday picture.

But. I’ve learned to live with it. And usually I’m fine with it. My super turbo, ionic hairdryer is my secret weapon. And, heck, I almost always work out every day and end up with a sweaty ponytail hair (yuck) so I usually have to wash my hair anyway, whether it gets greasy or not.

But. Then. I was introduced to Shu Uemura. And the girl at the salon is feeding me all these other tidbits, like how it’d give my hair lots of body and make it look really shiny and gorgeous, and even though it’s pretty expensive, I only have to use a very small amount each time I wash my hair so it would last me ages. And I was tempted. I really was. But then I said (timidly, not firmly at all), no, it looks great but it’s kind of pricey and maybe I’ll just get it on my next visit to the salon, and I felt proud of myself for not being a total sales pushover like I usually am and saving money instead of spending it on unnecessary luxury beauty items. And to give the hairdresser credit, they were totally chilled with it. They didn’t try to super push the products on me.

That was on my second last trip to the salon.

And then! On my last trip to the salon (to get my hair looking pretty for Christmas and New Year’s), I decided, ‘what the heck, let’s give this a try.’ Plus, to be honest, I have no qualms about spending heaps of money on my hair if I think the product/hair salon is good. I blame this all on a childhood history of my mother forcing me go to the really crappy budget hair salon in our neighbourhood where the woman gave me terrible haircuts that I had to pick out of an 80s-era hairstyles brochure. Guys, this was the 90s, not the 80s. All the other girls at school were getting their hair done fabulously at the latest, chicest, most expensive hair salons in town. But, no, mum made me go to the neighbourhood budget salon. And look where that got me. Thank goodness there was no Facebook back then so there’s no record of all my crappy pictures of my crappy hair on the Internet.

So nowadays I just walk into my (absolutely fab) hairdresser and hand them my credit card. And try not to look at my bank statement later. (The last time I told my boss how much I paid for my hairdresser visit, he was shocked. He only spends $30 on a haircut. That shocked me.)

But I digress. I finally decided to try the Shu Uemura Ultimate Remedy Extreme Restoration shampoo and conditioner. I paid up, gulping as I did so, but deciding to ignore all bills as it’s Christmas and I’ve been doing some serious damage anyway. I take the chic little paper bag with my shampoo and conditioner and when I get home, I chuck it to one side and I forgot all about it.

And then I didn’t use it for the next few weeks because our hot water system broke and all I cared about was getting in and out of the shower as quickly as possible. And also washing my hair as quickly as I could because I still had to wash my hair. 

Then our hot water system got fixed. But still I remained lazy and procrastinated about actually taking the shampoo and conditioner out of the paper bag it came in and placing it in the shower. Yup. That’s how good I am at procrastination. Hence my get.shit.done motto of 2015.

Finally, I get around to getting.shit.done. Last week, I removed the shampoo and conditioner from the paper bag and place it in the shower. Later that day, I take a shower and washed and conditioned my hair with Shu Umemura. (I know, I’m so good at getting.shit.done).

First reaction: it smells really nice. Like I’ve just been to the hair salon. (obviously, because this is the same product they use on me when I’m at the salon). Plus, how pretty all these green bottles?

Second reaction: One day later. It’s okay, but I don’t think it’s nothing to shout about. I’m not noticing anything too fabulous.

Third reaction: Three or four washes later. I’m starting to notice that my hair doesn’t feel greasy at all, even at the end of the second day which is when I’m usually thinking, ‘Okay, grease alert! Time for a wash!’

One week later: Due to extenuating circumstances, I had to go without washing my hair for a day. Twice. (I know, I was shocked too). But my hair didn’t look or feel oily or greasy at all. In fact, all I did was spray some dry shampoo at the roots, massage it in and brush my hair, and it looked fine. In fact, it looked just like everyone promises your hair would with dry shampoo, only in the past whenever I used dry shampoo it never looked that way and I usually just end up running into the shower to quickly wash my hair anyway. I never thought dry shampoo actually worked for me on a ‘no hair wash day’, but now it does!

Verdict? It’s only been a little over a week and I didn’t really believed it, but my hairdresser was right. Whatever Shu Uemura puts in this, it’s fabulous. My hair barely looks or feels oily and what’s more, it’s even got some great body in it. It’s not flat at all.  And it shines. I feel just like one of those girls in a shampoo ad with bouncy shiny hair!

And I’m starting to feel a lot more confident about going on holidays with a busy itinerary that doesn’t leave much time for washing and drying long hair. I’m probably still going to wash my hair most days but if I never feel the need to leave it be for a day? I’ll still be walking out the door, confident my hair looks great.