To my hair stylist’s dismay, I’ve taken up permanent residence in the “haircut twice a year camp.” I know, I know—depending on your length, regular haircuts can do wonders for hair health and growth. But like getting to the gym or doing my taxes, I like to put it off as long as possible.

That said, I’m always on the hunt for product that keeps my hair looking healthy for the long haul. I have wily, curly type 3C hair that’s naturally dry and thirsty. Months without a cut inevitably means split ends, breakage, more dryness, frizz—you name it. So, if there’s ever a product that can nix these hair hassles (aka put off that haircut for a few more months…), there’s a decent chance it’ll end up stocked in my beauty stash.

Lucky for me, I found a product that I’m currently infatuated with: Davines‘ new smoothing hair treatment, OI Liquid Luster ($50), which, for all intents and purposes, is like a haircut in a bottle. No exaggeration—this magical rinse-out treatment softens tired tresses and zips up split ends in a single wash, giving you salon quality locks the minute you step out of the shower, minus the wallet-scarring price tag.

Davines, OI Liquid Luster Hair Shine Treatment — $50.00

OI Liquid Luster: A smoothing treatment that actually works (seriously)

As a curly girl, I am very skeptical of hair treatments. I’ve tried many OTC smoothing rinses and at-home keratin treatments with only a select few living up to their respective hypes, so when OI Liquid Luster ended up on my doorstep, I was doubtful. I had high hopes—Davines does have a stellar track record and is reliable for salon-quality hair products that do their job. But my experience with rinse-out treatments has been that, yes, they can work… on fine, already soft tresses. Not hair like mine.

Still, I gave it a whirl, and, to my welcomed surprise, was seriously impressed. It’s super easy to use—the directions are printed on the back along with 20 milliliter sections marking off the recommended amount you should use with each rinse (20ml for short/medium length hair, 40ml for long). I washed with my normal shampoo, rinsed, and poured the treatment over my wet head starting at the root. Since my hair is pretty long, I doubled the dose, combing it through my strands as I went along and massaging it into each curl with my fingertips. (Pro tip: open a window because the scent is a bit strong while it’s on.)

Immediately, I noticed how silky soft the solution felt on my hair before I even washed it out. It’s formulated with plant-based, shine-inducing ingredients, like artichoke thistle (for shine and frizz management) and a naturally derived alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), for hydration. Like all the other products in the OI shine line, there’s also roucou oil, “a ‘secret’ ingredient that contains vitamin A and selenium, known for its protection against the sun and other daily stresses,” according to Davines. These work together along to smooth strands, coat split ends, and add moisture while you rinse.

After about a minute of letting it fully saturate my hair, I rinsed, continued with my normal conditioning process, and rinsed again. A towel dry and a comb-through later and I was wow’d—even brushing out my hair was easier and smoother than normal, no knots to be found.

My normal curls were still there, only smoother and way healthier-looking, like I had just dusted off the split ends at the salon. After scrunching with my normal curl products and air drying, my mane looked phenomenal, if I do say so myself—there was no frizz at my roots, and my ringlets felt softer and more defined. Even my boyfriend who knows nothing about beauty routines complimented me that my, “hair looked really good that day.” Color me impressed.

Final thoughts

Want to fake a fresh cut? Get this shiny rinse. It really does revive tired, thirsty strands, adding a glossy, soft sheen without weighing hair down or frying it even more. It’s safe for all hair types, and takes no more than a minute of your normal shower time to transform dry, frizzy strands into lustrous locks.

As with everything else in the Davines line, it’s also sustainable, making it deserve a place in your shopping cart even more. Each bottle is made from post-consumer recycled plastic and can be recycled again. Liquid Luster is also made using energy from 100 percent renewable sources in the Davines village in Parma, Italy, and CO2 emissions deriving from their production are offset. It’s eco-friendly and effective, what’s better than that?

Just note if you do have long, thick hair like me, you’ll have to use a bit more than the standard “dose” to fully saturate your head. There are 10 measured doses in each bottle, but if you use more, you’ll probably get around 5-6 rinses total. Still, it’s totally worth it, and combined with the other OI products, like the matching shampoo and conditioner, and you’ll be able to stretch your silken strands in between washes (or, ya know, haircuts…)

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