| Biotera Sheer Illuminator is the perfect gentle color tint for natural hair. |
I'm no stranger to color.
Back in the day, before I knew anything about developers, pH balancing, or even the structure of hair itself - I was all up in Target and Sally's buying boxes of dye and coloring my hair all willy nilly.
| I'll probably never be blonde again. And I've made peace with that. |
After my last foray into coloring left me transitioning all over again from color damaged curls, I vowed to stay away from the strong stuff.
| Clearly, I have an affinity for red hair. |
With longer days and warmer temperatures, I've been feeling the itch to go lighter again with my hair. And I came thissssclose to picking up some Shea Moisture dye and giving it a go.
But after a lot of soul searching, and admiring the current healthy state of my curls, I decided against it. Plus, I was seeing way too many insta-curly influencers on my explore feed lamenting over the current state of their hair, and regretting their dye decisions.
I took it as a sign, said "thanks, Jesus!" and went on about my day.
Even though I was officially off the box and professional dye, I still wanted to do something. So back to the drawing board I went. I didn't want to go the eyeshadow color route, and semi-permanent bottles of color are pretty messy.
Then one fateful day, I happened to be scrolling on Instagram and I came across these gorgeous Sheer Illuminator tubes. I immediately went into product junkie/investigator mode - convinced that Jesus again was trying to tell me something. 😂
As it turns out, Biotera's Sheer Illuminator is what's called a "tinted moisture treatment" - aka shine enhancing, gentle color depositing, and moisturizing conditioner. Kinda like what I talked about here.
That was all I needed to hop in my car and haul butt to Sally's.
How does Biotera Sheer Illuminator Tinted Moisture Treatment work, and does it actually deposit color? Keep reading to find out (and watch the video!)
Cost
$9.19 for 4oz (although the container seems bigger than that lol).
Where to Buy
Biotera Sheer Illuminator is sold exclusively at Sally Beauty. Right now you can pick them up BOGO 50% off! (April 2017)
| Check your local Sally's for this month's Sheer Illuminator promo! |
- Water
- Dimethicone: Popular cosmetic silicone that works by coating the hair in a thin, semi-permeable or waterproof layer that reduces the porosity of hair, and makes it less likely to absorb humidity (great for straightening and smoothing hair). It reduces moisture loss within the hair, and lubricates the surface of the hair and makes it easier to comb (slip and less tangled). Dimethicone has all of these benefits, while being lightweight and not causing buildup.
- Sorbitol: Naturally occurring element in fruits and veggies. Much like glycerin, it adds slip to a product, as well as functions as a humectant and a thickener. It helps cosmetics from drying out in their containers.
- Propylene Glycol: Humectant and conditioning agent.
- Behenyl Alcohol: Natural, vegetable-derived long chain fatty alcohol used as a thickener and stabilizer (keeping oils and water mixed). Not to be confused with drying alcohols.
- Stearyl and Cetyl Alcohols: Considered "fatty alcohols" -- NOT to be confused with drying alcohols such as ethyl. Both cetearyl and cetyl alcohol are lubricants, thickeners, and emollients. They give conditioner its velvety feel without making hair greasy. Also used to keep product ingredients from separating.
- Behentrimonium Chloride: Quaternary ammonium compound and close cousin of cetrimonium chloride. Also penetrates the hair, conditions, and acts as an anti-static and anti-microbial agent.
- Raspberry Fruit Extract: Also known as raspberry fruit extract. Color and flavoring agent for food, medicines, and beauty products. Also rich in vitamins A and C, and help impart shine to hair.
No - contains hydrolyzed soy protein.
Curly Girl Friendly?
Also no - contains dimethicone.
On the fence about silicones? Read this.
| Ain't she purty?! |
First things first - I'm a color fanatic. I love bright colors (what, you couldn't tell?). I was expecting a deep plum colored product, given the outside of the container. Instead, I got shimmery fuschia with Unicorn Frappuccino vibes. For a split second, I hoped it would turn my hair this color.
Then I came back down to reality.
The product itself is really easy and straightforward to use - just apply it in lieu of your regular rinse out or deep conditioner. You're supposed to leave it on for 1-3 minutes, which I did the first time around. The next two applications I did as a deep conditioning session - leaving it on and sitting under my hooded dryer for 20 minutes.
That's when I saw the most color - after those two intense treatment sessions.
Sheer Illuminator has a delicate smell that's not at all overpowering, and has a super smooth, creamy feel. It's on the thicker side, but not too thick. It has amazing slip and works really easily through my hair.
In the video, you'll see me mouth, "it's so soft!' in reference to my hair after rinsing out the Sheer Illuminator Tinted Moisture Treatment. It made my hair feel sooooo soft and smooth - and I could immediately tell the shine would be epic.
Knowing what I know about color on dark hair, I knew better than to expect Sheer Illuminator to give me color results like this:
| I knew better than to expect this. |
I expected something more of an old school cellophane - lots of shine and what we used to call "parking lot color" - aka tint that you'd see in direct sunlight, standing in the parking lot after you got your hair did.😂
And that's exactly what Sheer Illuminator delivered.
| #Shoutout to Samuel for capturing these amazing direct sunlight texture shots! |
I'm a happy camper!
The Bad
I only have one complaint - I wish it came in 8 or 16oz instead of 4. Because it works best after multiple uses, having one big tube or bottle instead of 2 or 3 would just make my life easier. Plus, I'm heavy-handed with products - especially conditioners. But about the product itself? I've got nothin'. It works beautifully.
The Bottom Line
Sheer Illuminator Tinted Moisture Treatment is a super gentle color depositing conditioner that's perfect for ladies looking to add a pop of "parking lot color" to their natural hair, without compromising the integrity of the hair and damaging it. It's fun to use, makes the hair feel great, and produces brilliant shine after the first use.
| Samuel on the camera, Sheer Illuminator in the curls! |
Absolutely! After a few more shampoos, I'm going for Shiny Red. Y'all know I have a thing for red hair.
Looking to take the forreal for serious color plunge? Read here before you make a choice. #beinformed #thingsiwishsomebodytoldmebackin2014
My Hair Color Q&A
The Pros and Cons of Dyeing Natural Hair
Will you be giving Sheer Illuminator Tinted Moisture Treatment a try? Let's chat in the comments below!
Per the FTC, I have to let y'all know that this post and video is sponsored by Naturelle/Biotera. Y'all don't mind, right? Even though this content is sponsored that doesn't mean anything - I'm still keeping it 100 and giving you guys the real. Truth be told, I bought the product with my own money and was gonna do this post anyway! Lol.
from The Mane Objective http://ift.tt/2q7j2pw
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