Which Vitress Product Is For You?

Hello everyone! Last August 8, the Vitress Catwalk event kicked off where the Splash family introduced Vitress' two new ambassadresses alongside original Vitress lady, Solenn Heussaff.

Say hello to Gretchen Ho, Solenn Heusaff and Kim Jones :)

I'll confess: I had a hard time coming up with a post. Lately, I've been feeling put off by event coverage posts. They feel like a disservice to the brand because if I place myself in the shoes of readers and buyers, I'd have 0 care for what a bunch of press people did at their super exclusive event.

Kira, who works with Glamourbox, pointed out that from a brand perspective, event posts are appreciated similarly to reviews. A properly done review will be released much later than a simple event post, and that lag in timing could kill the buzz the brand was hoping to build.

Even so, I'm opening up to product writeups as opposed to event coverages. I used to enjoy doing event posts (click here) but I've always said I wanted to do a purely makeup blog. A smattering of event posts puts too much social life in here and I'm like, ewww no, I'm antisocial! Hahaha kidding :P But yes, more about the products!

This time, I decided on writing a product map, or a sort of Which Vitress product is for you? kind of guide. It's deceptively simple, but Vitress has 8 variants in total and it can get a little dizzying deciding which to get.

The Oils:

There are 5 types of cuticle coat, or "oil" product.

Choose the oils if you have need of something like a powerdose of hair orderliness. Those with super damaged, parched or coarse hair should stick to the oils. In my experience though, the oil is lightweight enough to keep my fine hair tamed yet voluminous throughout the day and I counterintuively prefer it over the creams.

L-R: Hair Cuticle Coat, Heat Protect Cuticle Coat, Hair Repair CC, Instant Relax CC and Solenn HCC

• Hair Cuticle Coat - For extra shiny and silky smooth hair

The original Vitress is a bit ambiguous, but it's the safe bet for general use. All the other kinds of cuticle coats address a specific hair concern. They all work off this as a base formula, adding one unique ingredient to the mix. The base formula is a combination of various forms of silicone, which explains why my hair feels so workable after using it.

I'm aware that there's a No 'Cone movement in the haircare community. A lot of women believe that silicones, which are heavily present in commercial shampoos and conditioners, feel superficially good but are actually not good for your hair. This is a great topic for a separate Think Piece so do watch out for that!

I recommend the original formula to low maintenance people who want to cure frizzy hair.

• Vitress Heat Protect - Protects hair from styling damage

Unique ingredient: Amodimethicone - I have an okay grasp of chemicals in that I can probably read 2-inch long chemical names without stumbling but I don't really know the specifics between the different silicones. A quick forum readup shows that amodimethicone is one of the less build-uppy silicones and is heavily preferred by those who monitor their haircare ingredients.

I'd recommend the Heat Protect variant to someone who blow dries / heat styles daily.

• Vitress Hair Repair - Restores damaged hair

Unique ingredient: Isohexadecane - Like amodimethicone, another quick readup shows that this is another ideal form of cosmetic silicone due to its easy spreadability and reluctance to form buildup.

I recommend the Hair Repair to those who have major split ends and brittle hair. This applies to people who have bleached or chemically processed hair.

• Vitress Instant Relax - Flattens unruly, wavy hair

Unique ingredient: Aminopropyl Phenyl Trimethicone

I recommend the Instant Relax to people who have that awkward Asian wave, i.e. that annoying texture in between silky straight and big beach waves. This is not for people who want to define their curls.

• Solenn Cuticle Coat - No special needs addressed

Unique ingredient: Aminopropyl Phenyl Trimethicone, or exactly formulated like the Instant Relax. I'm not too sure how different the fragrance is.

If you like the pink and black packaging or are a major fan of TV-plain-Jane-but-real-life-megababe Solenn Heussaff, you just pay an extra Php 5 to support her stardom. She picked the formula and designed the bottle and scent!

The Creams:

Vitress has 3 types of hair polish, or "cream" product.

Go with the creams if you need a lightweight way of taming your frizzies. It's lighter than the oil so people with fine, limp or curly hair (who need to retain maximum bounce) can tame the frizz without sacrificing volume.

L-R: Strengthening Hair Polish, Sun Protect HP, Long-Lasting Fragrance HP

• Strengthening Hair Polish - Helps prevent split ends and breakage

The creams' ingredient lists are a bit harder to compare as emulsifying the silicones into cream form involves a handful of non-actives I don't really want to Google. I recognize but barely know around 3 out of 10, and that's just working too much in the dark for me so I'd rather not go there.

I used this variant during the event and found that about a peso size dollop (or a quarter, if you're American) was enough to treat my thin, parched and long hair. I recommend this to anyone dealing with hair fall.

• Long-Lasting Fragrance Hair Polish - Keeps hair smelling fresh all day

I recommend this to people who have a perpetual case of amoy araw (sun-fragranced) scalp. You'd need a true friend to sniff you out and tell you if you are afflicted by such dire circumstances.

Sadly, this might be the only recourse for curly-haired commuters. Constant exposure to the muggy heat plus overcrowding might make your head steam out and unavoidably develop that eau de musque.

• Sun Protect Hair Polish - Helps protect against the sun's damaging rays

I recommend this variant to people who are off to the beach or are extremely nitpicky about hair color. Sun exposure lightens natural hair color and hastens the breakdown of chemical dyes. If you feel like you want to tame frizzies while adding an extra barrier to protect your color, go for it.

You may like their Facebook page, Vitress

Follow them on Instagram, @OfficialVitress

and Twitter, @OfficialVitress

I was invited to the Vitress Catwalk event at BGC Activity Center last August 8. The Splash team cordoned off the Center where media partners had the chance to nosh on some snacks and mingle. We were challenged to take a catwalk where industrial fans blew up our hairstyles so we could test Vitress products right after it. We took home a token snapshot at the end of our catwalk and a lootbag of Vitress and Hairagami products.

This hair was blown up just moments before this shot. Thanks to Vitress, I don't look like a total scarecrow!

Original Vitress endorser Solenn Heussaff plus new additions Kim Jones and Gretchen Ho took on the Catwalk and were interviewed briefly.

I was not paid nor otherwise compensated for this feature. I have been a user of the original Vitress cuticle coat since high school.