I received a preview package of Clairol's new product "Shine Happy" and after reading Miss Beauty Addict's (fellow beauty critic)rave about it, I decided to give it a try.

Since I've been coloring my hair since I was 16, ( and believe me, it's been every shade of dark, from blue-black (yikes!) to cherry black to burgandy to my now happy happy chestnut brown) I admit, my poor hair lacks it's vitality, it's shine, it's lustre, it's...... you get the point. It's the forever "first 3 inches of hair looks great, but the ends... yikes!" syndrome for those of us who are color happy.

Enter, Clairol's "Shine Happy". Let me just say I was skeptical. You see, Shine Happy has hydrogen peroxide in it, which to me means more double dose of the stuff that just makes my hair damaged to begin with. Package instructions to read before are crucial! This isn't like putting on hair color.

Inside Literature say:
COLOR treated hair? Wait 2-3 days AFTER you've colored your hair.
(though press materials that came with the product states to wait 3-4 WEEKS. Ah, which is it guys? And also, if I'm waiting 3-4 weeks after coloring, that means in about 1-2 weeks, I'm due for a color touch up which by then, doesn't it just cover the shine????)
AVOID on henna or metal dyed hair.
Stay away from eyes.
Gloves are used to put on.
Does NOT add color.
Has no effect on grey hair.
If you PERM your hair, perm FIRST, then can apply same day.
If you RELAX your hair, relax FIRST, then wait 7 days.

So cautious me waited 7 days. I applied on a whitish cloudy super shiny gel like liquid allll over. Waited 10 minutes. And then rinsed. Aww, but you cannot shampoo 1 day before using, or right after applying this stuff. Different right? I'm glad I remembered that. So I just rinsed.

And I thought to be fair and to see accurate results, I would let my hair air dry, with noooo product in it whatsoever. Normally I put a styling cream (current fave? John Frieda's for Brunettes! love!) and let air dry, or twist my hair and dry with a blow dryer if I was in a hurry.

Hair's drying... watching tv, ends still lookin' crispy.

Hair feels a tad straw like to the touch.

Call my girlfriend to announce that I don't notice anything yet. She says, "maybe it's your hair's fault".
Geez, thanks!

zzzzzz. I feel asleep.

Next am? I woke up, noticed nothing majorly different, but I then applied my styling cream, did my twist set, let set. And viola. I'd be lying if I said I didn't see a difference. Hair feels kinda slick, not slippery, or greasy, just slick. Smooth. And I'm not talking styling creme smooth.

And shine? Definitely noticiable. Ends feel soft, touchable, not dry. No wispy dry straw like hair. (Believe me, I keep looking in the mirror to catch them.) Did it work? Yes. Major shine results? Well, maybe I was hoping for a miracle, and was expecting super shine shine hair, but I would say it's shine. Not major magazine glossy shine. But shine.

Would I do it again? Well, that's where I'm hesitant. Because do I really want to do a double whammy of hydrogen perioxide on my hair twice a month? Color, then shine, color then shine.

The verdict is still out on that one.

You can now purchase online (available in stores in March).

PS UPDATE

After 1 shampoo I see about 1/2 of the shine gone.... or is it just my imagination? Well, for my 2c worth, I'd rather concentrate on high intense moisture treatments for my colored hair than do another 'peroxide' treatment that could damage my hair more. Just my thoughts.....