Beauty
We tried it: LUS brands 3-step system for textured hair
We Tried It: LUS Brands
Beauty
We tried it: LUS brands 3-step system for textured hair
Canadian hair company LUS brands promises to take care of your textured hair needs with only three products.
We had two of our staffers—one with wavy hair and one with coily hair—to test the products out to see if it lives up to the hype.
LUS Brands caught the eye of our editors when we learned that you could achieve curl perfection with only three products. As any curly-haired gal knows, three products is nothing compared to the shelved of moisture-promising, definition achieving products we rely on regularly to get a good hair day. LUS brands, which stands for Love Ur Self, is a Canadian hair-care brand that offers this three-step product system that includes shampoo, conditioner and a customized leave-in creme suited for either wavy, curly or kinky curl types. To put the brand's claims to the test, we asked Murissa Barrington (digital assistant, tight coily hair) and Alexandra Donaldson (fashion and beauty editor, thick wavy hair) to try the hair system and report back. Here's what they found.
Murissa - Tight, textured coils
When it comes to styling and caring for my hair, I am a self-professed product junkie—with reason. My tight 4B-textured coils are high maintenance. They require moisture for suppleness, protein to stop breakage and a little bit of hold for curl definition. It's not uncommon to see my bathroom counter littered with at least five or six products that I'm using simultaneously to get that perfect 'do. When I heard that there was a curly hair system that only required three products (including shampoo and conditioner!) I decided I needed to try it out and see for myself.
Murissa's waves after using LUS Brands
I used LUS Brands the kinky-coily leave-in. Unlike most hair care brands, LUS actually recommended that I watch a video tutorial on how to use the products correctly to help ensure that I achieved the results I desired. At first, the concept of watching a video on how to wash hair confused me (I know how to wash my hair thank you very much) but once I started watching I realized how crucial this step was. For example, less is indeed more when it comes to these products and I, like many curly girls, are famous for using three times the amount called for. Then there is the third step, the leave-in, where you're supposed to add more water to your hair as you work the product in.
On my first attempt at using the products, my skepticism got the better of me. I used too much product and wound up with less than desirable results. However, my second attempt was more successful. After carefully studying the video once more, I went back and gave the three-step routine another go. With the right amount of shampoo (dime-sized!) my hair felt clean and light but not stripped of essential natural oils. The conditioner was my favourite product of the trio by far. It left my hair feeling super soft and healthy, and it only took me about five minutes. Coming from someone who typically deep-conditions her hair for 30 minutes or more each week, I found this step to be a lot less time consuming and tedious than my usual routine.
Now for the third step, the kinky-coily leave-in. While the product description says it's supposed to be an all-in-one product, I didn't find it checked off all the boxes for my hair. I felt that my curls looked full and coily, but they could have been more defined. And by the end of the day, I found that my hair mostly felt dry, crunchy and a little matted. My personal theory is that while this product may work wonders on some, it won't work for all since everyone's curls are so unique. In my case, my hair tends to be really dry, and I need something more substantial to moisturize my curls successfully. Would I ever use the third step again? Yes, if I'm looking for a quick system to style my hair on busier days, I will definitely pull these products back out. I'm just don't think I'm ready to ditch my product junkie ways quite yet.
Alexandra - Thick, textured waves
I have what is generally referred to as a good head of hair. It’s slightly wavy, has a decent amount of volume, and there’s a lot of it. But, as with anything, if you don’t put in the effort, things aren’t at their best. The key word in that sentence being effort. And, when it comes to my hair, I’d prefer not to put in a ton of effort. So I rely on a good haircut and the right styling products for my good hair days—not a blowdryer or any substantial amount of time.
Which is why when I heard about Canadian brand LUS, I got very excited. I decided to try the wavy lineup to see if the products would help out with defining my waves and keeping frizz at bay—the two things I’m always looking for in hair care.
Alexandra's waves after using LUS Brands
First were the in-shower products: step 1 (shampoo) and step 2 (conditioner). The brand recommends you watch the videos for how to do all the steps properly, and I found, at least for this part, it was easy enough to follow. Shampoo and condition—I definitely have the hang of that. It was the third step that I needed to concentrate on. Adding more water to my hair, and then applying product seemed counter-intuitive, but I did as told.
I will admit, the first time I tried everything I wasn’t entirely convinced a big difference was made. Although the brand recommends only using a little bit of product, I think I underestimated and used way too little styling product. But, the second time I used more a little more and that’s when my thick waves really began to shine. The were textured, but not frizzy and had a beachy vibe without the use of my curling iron. I would have preferred a bit more definition, but honestly, I might try the curly lineup to see if it makes any difference—sometimes I find that even though I have wavy hair, products geared towards curly hair give me the moisture and nourishment my thick locks crave.
While it’s not my most polished look—I’d likely still pull out my curling iron for added definition on days I need to be more pulled together—I was pretty impressed with the system. I liked the way my waves looked, and I definitely liked that after applying the styling product I didn’t have to do anything other than try not to touch my hair too much.
Another big selling point is the price, especially if you're someone who doesn't need to use a ton of product. Although a little higher than what you might find at the drugstore, it's not a crazy price for something that's specialized. Even better if you can replace multiple products with these three. That, plus the fact that the brand is Canadian means that this is a win in my book!
LUS Brands 3-Step Care Collection, $68, lusbrands.ca.
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