So, when finances began to get tight, I decided to try my hand, once again, with at-home color. This time, however, I was going to spend a little more and go for the good stuff. I was going to go with Fekkai. It’s a bit of a financial commitment $30 a pop, but I’m still saving coin.

Frederic Fekkai’s color system (Amazone affiliate link) uses the brush-and-bowl professional method for application. The consistency of the color is much thicker than the usual at-home, squeeze-the-bottle brands. It definitely helps ensure a more even coating.

But–and this is a big but–it’s hard to manage the brush-and-bowl application on your own, particularly when trying to reach the back. To ensure even coverage, I recommend partnering up with a pal for a hair color party. Or, you can have your significant other do the work. Manly Man Husband could have quite a career as a Fekkai colorist.

The scent of the color is much milder than the usual at-home suspects, and the color definitely did less damage to my hair–no breakage or dry, split ends in sight after use.

However,  after about four weeks, it seemed like the blond color I chose was turning brassy. Another color application (roots for 30 minutes, whole head for 5) seemed to remedy the situation, but once again, at the end of 4 weeks, the color went back to the brass. So, I decided to switch my color from blond to red because the brassiness was getting on my nerves.

I have to preface this with a disclaimer–red refuses to stay in my hair. Even when I have it salon done, permanent red will simply wash right out. When I was in college, my stylist gave me a gorgeous red color that promptly turned pink after a week.

So armed with my hard-knock red-head knowledge, I decided that I would not wash my hair for FIVE days to try to let the color set. I bought his at-home glaze to use to try to keep the color vibrant and protected. I even left the color on for 15 minutes longer than the directions recommend (based on the helpful advice from the Bloomingdale’s sales woman).

But after simply rinsing the color out of my hair, I had a strawberry streak in the front right section as the blond peeked through. Poor Manly Man Husband thought he missed a pretty big spot, but the next hair wash was even more telling–more strawberry streaks, even after waiting FIVE days to wash it. However, the good news is, after about three weeks, it’s not pink. It actually looks almost natural. I am curious to see if the color rinses out in the next go-around.

For the price, it’s quite a financial commitment compared to the drug store colors out there, but I am still saving money with the DIY process. Even though I seem to be having some problems with the color at the end of 4 weeks (and I wonder if the brassiness of the blond had to do with the color rinsing out), it’s around the time that I should be re-coloring anyway, so it’s something I can live with.

The lack of damage to my hair is what blows his cheaper competition completely away.  For this alone, I think it’s worth the significantly higher price point.

Except, I am kind of ambivalent about this one, and I am not sure why, since the results were definitely good.

For hydration, NouNou was amazing. I have one spot of hair, directly above my right temple, that turns into a mini-frizz ball immediately after a shower. If I don’t smooth it out with a little oil and a comb, the frizz ball remains a kinky, flyaway disaster. NouNou was the only shampoo and conditioner combo that tamed this mess. I also noticed less breakage and split ends over the past several months of using the product. But my color seemed to fade out a bit, although I suspect this was the result of using an “at home” (rather than salon) color and not a result of NouNou.

The shampoo is very lightly fragranced, but the conditioner smells so concentrated out of the bottle that I almost returned it. It’s not unpleasant (it has a sort of spicy scent) but it is strong. Luckily, the scent is not at all overpowering on the hair like it is in the bottle.

The bottles last a long time–my initial purchase was in July or August and I am only now running out (worth noting that I shampoo/condition every other day). I did however get some inconsistent lathering with the shampoo. Some days a little went a long way, other days I felt like I needed to use more product to get the job done.

I can’t really wrap my head around why this shampoo/conditioner combo is so hydrating. There’s a lot of ingredients to muddle through on the list, and the ones they highlight on their marketing material show up towards the bottom.

For example, Davines touts the use of Chestnut Milk to nourish and hydrate, and it comes mid-point on the ingredient list (which is not bad). But the third ingredient listed is glycerine, which a favored humectant in skin (and hair) care products because of its ability to hold moisture. I suspect that the glycerine may be more of a contributing factor to hydration than the Chestnut Milk.

The conditioner includes tomato extract to protect the hair from free radicals–and most cosmetic experts say it’s one of the strongest antioxidents out there.  Regardless of its antioxident properties, lycopene protects the skin from UVA/UVB rays. I don’t think its much of a stretch to assume it would do the same for hair. And sun exposure is often a culprit for color fading. So theoretically it could help there, although, as I mentioned, my color did experience some fading.

Bottom line, I this is a terrific hydrating shampoo and conditioner combo, which I would definitely buy again because of its great results. But I think Davines used a few beauty buzzwords whose contribution to these great results may be tenuous.

While every beauty brand sells on buzz words and great packaging, it’s the results that matter most. So for results for color treated, dry, damaged hair, yes Davines NouNou is definitely recommended for your arsenal.

In a word, phenomenal! It is hydrating, shine boosting, and keeps my hair tangle free. Big bonus is that it is sulfate free, and the goodies (including white tea and avocado) are free from pesticides and fertilizers. Highly recommend!