If you hadn't noticed from my content, I talk a lot about my hair and I love talking to other people about THEIR hair. Just like skincare, I'm starting to get a little religious about haircare and I have learned that coloured hair needs a little bit more TLC. I find that I can't be too lazy with it because it honestly looks terrible without a little help. It's dry and frizzy and always needs a good tame before I can look truly put together. In the mornings I dread that extra time I need to put in when I have just washed my hair so any products that can cut down my styling time while making my hair look like a million bucks is welcome to the family! I mean, let's face it, how much BETTER does Monday feel when you're having a great hair day?
I am most familiar with KMS from the subscription beauty box Topbox when I got to know their Quick Blow Dry. Though the California-based brand has been around for 40 years, I didn't know too much about them whether it was due to lack of availability in my area or just buzz. Well, I think we are all going to be buzzing about KMS as they have now got a new chic look, improved formulations and more excitingly, new products!
In honor of the KMS relaunch, I was able to choose a few products to feature which included an old favourite, a current trend and a styling necessity. First up is the biphasic KMS Therma Shape Quick Blow Dry*, a relaunch of the Quick Blow Dry I tried a few years ago. This is a lightweight conditioning spray that encourages faster blow dry times by up to 50% and if you have seen how long my hair really is (here), saving time is of utmost importance! The first thing I noticed between this version and the one from four years ago is how much more lightweight this new formulation was. It truly felt weightless and I had no issues spraying this 10-12x all over my hair. It also calms any major frizzies and leaves my hair feeling smooth after blow drying.
One step cleansing conditioners have been trending in the last little while and though I had my reservations about the KMS Moist Repair Cleansing Conditioner*, it has now quickly become one of my favourite products! The idea behind a cleansing conditioner is that it cleans and conditions hair in a single step so yay for saving some time! Now, that the philosophy of washing hair less has caught on, more and more people like myself are using dry shampoo for those days in between. I can go about three days without washing my hair and if I could go longer I would, but my scalp just starts to feel uncomfortable and well, dirty.
According to KMS Global Style Council Member, Simon Miller, the secret behind the formulation is STARTING with a base of conditioning agents like 18-MEA, which restores shine, and then adding in gentle cleansing agents like coco-glucoside, a cleansing agent derived from coconut oil and fruit sugars. The last cleansing conditioner I tried, left my hair with a residue that no matter how many times I rinsed, would not come out unless I used actual shampoo. This cleansing conditioner truly made my scalp and hair feel clean and free of buildup while feeling conditioned as well! I could even glide a brush through my hair which NEVER happens with regular shampoos because of how damaged it is.
My hairstyle of choice is curls created by a flat iron and once I do them, I don't touch my hair again until the next time I have to wash it. My hair is so coarse that the curls stay for a couple of days with just a light hold hairspray. Coarse hair also means that as I glide the flat iron through my hair to create curls, I need that "slip" which you lose when you bleach your hair, so I often use hair oils that double as thermal protectors. The only negative to such hair oils is that too much starts to weigh hair down and I have found most sprays don't give me the same slip so what's next then? KMS Therma Shape 2-in-1 Spray* is a dry styling and heat protecting spray that is used on dry hair and activated with hot tools.
What I found unique about this product was that in addition to protection, it also acts as a light hold hairspray so as I sprayed each section of my hair to curl, each curl seemed to look a little more defined. My hair didn't feel quite as soft as when I used hair oil, but I liked the idea of only using one product for protecting and styling. As for that "slip" in my hair I was missing, what Simon Miller suggested was to brush the product evenly through the hair which worked! It's just sort of nice to not have my hair feel overly oily, but bouncy for once!
Final verdict: With their sexy new packaging, there are so many more KMS products that are on my wishlist right now, but if you need to start somewhere, the Cleansing Conditioner is a great place to start followed by their heat protection/styling products. Then there is everything else!
KMS is available at select salons and retailers.
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