Test Drive - Dove Nourishing Oil Care – Leave in Smoothing Cream

A couple of months ago I started scanning freebie web  sites looking for samples of goodies.  They don’t always have products that I’d want, but I get a lot of hair/skin/body care samples to examine.  I figured it was about time to start telling you about the products I take for a test drive.  The first one I tried out was Dove Nourishing Oil Care – Leave-in Smoothing Cream. 

My hair is incredibly fine so all it takes is a dash of humidity and I’m a mess.  Since I spend a lot of time with steamers and/or franticly applying makeup in small spaces, I’m a mess most of the time.  The unfortunate thing is that a lot of products weigh my hair down, so I’m stuck with "frizzies" or greasy-looking hair.

A while back, All You magazine let its readers know about a freebie from Dove called Dove Nourishing Oil Care – Leave-In Smoothing Cream.  The claim was:

1. It would smooth uplifted cuticles that cause frizz, and
2. It would deeply nourish your hair without feeling greasy so hair is easier to manage and style.

Of course, Dove lets you know that it works best using the entire suite of Nutritive Therapy products – shampoo, conditioner and daily treatment conditioner.

I’m always skeptical of products that insist you buy an entire line to get results.  Not that I have issues with brand synergy or brand loyalty, but products should work regardless of what else you buy, unless there are ingredients that would react with what is in the product.  I guess what I’m saying is that a styling product should work with any shampoo or conditioner.  Dove simply states you’ll get the BEST results if you buy their entire line, not that you won’t get any results if you don’t.

My sample arrived with a coupon for $1.00 off ANY Dove product.  I wasn’t sure how many uses I’d get out of the sample, but I figured one try will let me know right away if it can live up to its promises.

(c) Day Spa Central

It smelled good – slightly tropical.  Basically, I wasn’t worried about it being in my hair all day and getting in my face where I’d have to smell it.

I squeezed out about half of my sample which was about the size of a dime.  I wanted to start small and see how much it would take to cover my ends.  I was happy it wasn’t thick – like a heavy gel or paste.  It was lighter than a mousse consistency… almost runny.  I stuck to only the ends of my hair and put a volumizing mousse (from another line) at the roots. 

So what did I think…

Did it weigh my hair down?

Nope, not even a little bit.  I wouldn’t put more than that dime-size drop on it and I DEFINITELY wouldn’t put any at my roots, but overall my hair felt good and it didn’t have that greasy appearance.

Did it smooth uplifted cuticles that cause frizz?

I didn’t have any wispy hair after I flat ironed it.  Not even on the ends.

Did it deeply nourish without feeling greasy so hair is easier to manage and style?

Yes, and it seemed to dry faster.  That could have been my imagination, but it definitely looked smoother and shinier without using the flat iron and my shine spray.  Then, after I flat ironed it, I didn’t have any of the dry ends that I occasionally get.

Did it do what it said it was going to do all day?

The answer is an absolute yes.  That day, I had a large event and did 13 faces of make-up in 4-1/2 hours.  Although, the heat and sweat made my hair lose the straightening, it was never frizzy and where I had none of the cream was quite messy and wispy.

I think I’m going to use my coupon and buy a larger bottle and see if I get consistent results on a regular basis.  Just in time too… summer has officially arrived in the Chicago-land area WITH the humidity.