CENTER OF ATTENTION: Oyin Shine & Define

 

picture taken from oyinhandmade.com



Today, my CENTER OF ATTENTION series is going to focus on Oyin's Shine & Define Gentle Styling Serum.  I received this when I ordered the 4-piece hair care sampler.  My review after the break... 

INGREDIENTS:
purified water; organic flax seeds, organic aloe vera gel; sea vegetable complex; coconut oil; castor oil; unrefined shea butter; organic raw honey; vegetable glycerin; palm stearic acid, vegetable emulsifying wax; fruit pectin; xanthan gum; dextrose; optiphen (preservative); citrus essential oils; fragrance

WHAT IT IS:
This is a serum designed to create hold for your hair without all of the drying properties that some commerically made products may have.  It is supposed to impart shine, moisture and hold. 

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT:
First, as always, I will start with the smell.  It has a fruity smell.  It is not really a strong smell, but it is definitely there.  The smell kind of reminds me of the Honey/Hemp Conditioner smell.  I really like the smell, but I think that it could be toned down just a little.  I do understand that these are handmade products, so this batch just could have a stronger scent than someone else's that came from another batch.  It smells like honeydew melon or cantaloupe.

Once again, I have mixed emotions about a product.  When applying to the hair there is no greasy feeling and this soaks into the hair quickly.  I really liked that it was "wet."  In that way it reminded me of a Mizani hair dress that I used to love when I had a perm.  But, I did not see that it did anything for my hair when I used it after just getting out of the shower.  I did not see any added moisture and/or shine to my hair.  It did not define my curl pattern either.  I ended up with frizz at the end of the day.  I even used it to slick back my ponytail/puff and I was not impressed.  This product is very "wet," but I think it is a little too light for my hair.  It may have soaked in/evaporated too quickly to do anything for me. 

What DID impress me was how this product interacted with the Burnt Sugar Pomade (see review) to make my twist out rock.  The contrast of the thickness of the pomade and the softness/wetness of the Shine & Define Serum was a perfect combination.  This is a combination not to be messed with!  I used these two products to create 2-strand twists on slightly wet hair after having emulsified just a little of each in the palm of my hand.   I did that step for each individual twist. 

WHAT I DO NOT LIKE ABOUT IT:
I did not get the slick hair that I was looking for.  I am on a quest for something with "wetness" that I can apply to dry hair to create a slicked back style or something that I can put on my 2-strand twists to impart moisture and shine and smooth the roughness out.  For me, this product does not do that on its own.  Used in conjunction with the Burnt Sugar Pomade, I got what I was looking for with the 2-strand twist hairstyle.  I am looking for a way to get that for my wash n' go. 

Also, I did not like the smell of these two products together.  The slightly fruity Shine & Define and the sickeningly sweet Burnt Sugar Pomade had me gagging by the end of the day...but my hair looked great! 

WOULD I REPURCHASE:
I would repurchase this product to use in conjunction with the Burnt Sugar Pomade.


This product was purchased with my own money for my own personal usage.  I am not affiliated with this company.