Paul Brown Hawaii Products

Introduction

Sherry has written a great review on her experiences with several items in the Paul Brown hair care product line. I think you will enjoy it.

Sherry is a honest, straightforward person who openly shares her true opinions. I can assure you that she only wrote the following article after she had tried all the products for a considerable testing time.

One of the great rewards of working on The Hair Boutique is all the wonderful new people I constantly meet through the site. Sherry is a perfect example of a new person I have enjoyed meeting.

I was very appreciative that she agreed to review the Paul Brown hair care line for us here at The Hair Boutique.

If you have questions on comments for Sherry be sure and post them on Hair Talk. Sherry is a regular Hair Talk visitor and contributor.

Thank you Sherry for a great review.

SHERRY' S STORY

Warmest greeting to all the fans of the Hair Boutique! My name is Sherry LaBree, and like many of you out there, I am in the midst of a lifelong search for the perfect line of haircare products.

However, being that I have naturally curly hair and am ultimately trying to achieve either smooth, frizz-free curls or a sleek, straight surface-- my search for the ultimate products usually ends in disaster.

Every once in a while I do cross paths with a product line that is worth stocking up on-- and the Paul Brown Hawaii products are definitely worth some of my closet space.

First let me say, that I am a product-aholic. I have tried so many lines that it is becoming ever more difficult to recall them all: Nexus, Aveda (both the Perfume Brilliant line and the original), Paul Mitchell, Sebastian (Potion line and laminates line), Regis, Nick Chavez, Rusk, Redken, Phyto, ARTec, and about everything that you can find in Wal-Mart.

I have highlighted, colored, and relaxed-- I've done it all. Although I do proclaim at this moment that ARTec and Phyto make some of the most awesome products I've ever tried, there is another little line out there that not many people have heard of-- the Paul Brown Hawaii line is right up there on my list of chosen few .

I was first introduced to the Paul Brown Hawaii line last summer. Following my wedding, I decided that I wanted my below the shoulder length hair cut in that cute little cut the Jenna Elfman was sporting on the show 'Dharma and Greg'. The cut was great, but I wanted more. My hairstylist then relaxed my hair and put in a full head of highlights.

Now I had a wonderful cut and color but my tresses were left in terrible condition. My stylist suggested that I use Paul Brown Wash Elite and Paul Brown Resurrect to help get my hair back in shape.

For six straight months I used these products with great success until I found the 'Hair Boutique' and decided to try ARTec. However, I couldn't quite forget about the line that I once loved, so I decided to bring this little known line to all of you in the form of a review.

The products that I tested are:

• Paul Brown Washe Elite
• Paul Brown Resurrect
• Paul Brown Stay Straight
• Paul Brown Mousse Gel

A REUNION

After a month and a half of using ARTec, I was a little bit nervous about going off of my routine. Afterall, I was having wonderful results with the Textureline. However, once I was in the shower and was reunited with my old friends, I was glad that I had decided to do the review.

PAUL BROWN HAWAII- WASHE ELITE

Washe Elite is a shampoo for chemically treated, dry and damaged hair. It is formulated to nurture and enhance abused hair.

Washe Elite is made with a Hawaiian Protein Flora Complex which includes pure Hawaiian Botanicals and Kukui Nut Oil.

What is Kukui Nut Oil you may ask? The Washe Elite bottle states that the vital conditioning agents of the Kukui Nut Oil work to refine and restore the hair's natural brilliance, and facilitates styling versatility.

The highly unsaturated oils of the Kukui Nut are easily absorbed into the hair, imparting a soft lustre without allowing build-up to weigh hair down. Paul Brown also claims that "Washe Elite is so pure and fresh that you may shampoo daily without compromising you hair's natural luster".

Before showering, I always brush through my hair to remove any tangled curls. Once in the shower, I wet my hair and reached for the Washe Elite. After squirting about a quarters worth into my palm, I rubbed my hands together and then distributed the product first onto my scalp and then worked the lather through to the ends.

The smell is a very tropical, but not like the light fruity scent of ARTec. It is more of a rich, sexy scent. I love the smell of these products, it is right up there with ARTec in olfactory satisfaction. As a lathered up some suds, I was happy to find that the Washe Elite lathers much more readily than the ARTec Smoothing or Volume shampoo. Following a quick warm rinse, I picked out any remaining tangles and moved onto the conditioner.

PAUL BROWN HAWAII- RESURRECT

Resurrect conditioner is a three minute reconstructive ultra conditioner. Paul Brown Hawaii claims that Resurrect is the ultimate bodifier. Resurrects magic supposedly comes from the unique Hawaiian Protein Flora Complex, which includes pure Hawaiian Botanicals and Kukui Nut Oil.

The directions on the bottle say "to apply a very small dollop to clean, wet hair and then to leave it on for three minutes". The conditioner has the same great smell as the shampoo and I applied a bit more than a dollop to my hair-- paying attention to the ends. After three minutes, I rinsed out the Resurrect with cool water.

My hair did not feel quite as silky as after using ARTec Smoothing Conditioner, however, once out of the shower it did pick out easily.

RESURRECT AS A LEAVE-IN

After towel drying, I picked out my hair which was essentially tangle free. I then applied a pea size amount of Resurrect to my hair and used this as a leave-in. I do this often with my regular conditioners, as I find that for my dry, curly hair, the light spray in types just don't work.

Since I NEVER let my hair dry without some sort of styling product in it, I decided that for the review I should follow the same routine that I normally do.

PAUL BROWN HAWAII- STAY STRAIGHT

Stay Straight is an anti-frizz molding creme. This unique conditioning styling aid is supposed to help keep styles in place even during high humidity. It is ideal for naturally curly, relaxed, or hard to tame hair.

Again, this product is fortified with the Hawaiian Protein Flora Complex and Kukui Nut Oil. The smell of Stay Straight is very similar to the Washe Elite and Resurrect, but perhaps a bit more on the bland side. I applied a quarters worth of the StayStraight through my hair and picked it through for even distribution.

PAUL BROWN HAWAII- MOUSSEGEL

Paul Brown MousseGel is a non-aerosol, alcohol free product that dispenses as a gel and then turns into a mousse. It provides support and conditioned shine and again contains the Hawaiian Protein Flora Complex and Kukui Nut Oil.

The smell of this mousse is quite different from the other three products. It has what I think is a distinct watermelon mixed with a touch of grapefruit scent.

I dispensed a quarters worth of Mousse Gel into my hand and as I rubbed my palms together it formed product twice the original amount dispensed. At this point I scrunched the Mousse Gel into my hair and watched amazingly as curls formed right before my eyes.

I had been using Paul Mitchell Sculpting Foam, but that didn't touch the curl formation that I got when I used the MousseGel.

SHERRY'S RESULTS

After my hair was fully dry, I checked out the curl formation in the mirror. Incredible! I touched my hair and fluffed up the curls. My hair was very soft underneath-- where I usually skimp on the mousse. On top, the hold was light and the curls were fluffy. The more I touched them, the softer it all got.

In all, I was very pleased with the curl formation that I got and decided that even if I didn't continue to use Washe Elite or Resurrect on a daily basis, the StayStraight and Mousse Gel were going to become my new curly hair favorites!

AN ALTERNATIVE TO CURLS

Curly hair can be easy, but I'm a "Hollywood" kinda gal, and I long for sleek, shiny locks. So, I decided to put Paul Brown up to my straight hair test.

I washed and conditioned the same way as above, but this time I used about a nickel's worth of Resurrect as the leave-in. I then mixed a quarters worth of Stay Straight with a quarters worth of my normal straightening balm, Citre Shine.

After the styling aids were applied, I pulled my hair into a very small low ponytail and let it dry that way for about two hours. The ponytail method straightened the top for me, so all that I have to work on is the bottom half. After blowing out my hair with a large oval brush, I touched it up with a large 1 1/2 inch curling iron. When I was finished, I just couldn't believe how soft my hair was.

Just recently I have started using Phytodefrisent and the Paul Brown routine places a very, very close second in regards to the softness factor. I was very, very pleased with the results.

CONCLUSION

I used the Paul Brown products for a total of three weeks, and by about the middle of the second week, I was really beginning to miss the light, fruity fragrance of ARTec.

Other then missing the scent of ARTec, I didn't really miss it's performance. Both Paul Brown and ARTec do what they are supposed to do: Clean and condition.

It is difficult to choose one over the other. Washe Elite lathers much better, but the Smoothing Conditioner leaves a silkier feel to my hair when it is wet. When my hair was dry, Paul Brown left it very soft and shiny, and ARTec did the same thing.

The only mega difference between these two companies are where the styling products are concerned. I have used ARTec's Texturemousse and I did not like it at all! Even ARTec's Gels did not give me the curl formation that the Paul Brown Mousse Gel did.

In all, I will always have Paul Brown products on my shelf and ARTec too-- but neither of these have ended my search for the perfect products-- and who knows what will, but I will keep on trying them all, 'till I find them :)

INGREDIENT LISTS & PRICES

PAUL BROWN DOES NOT ENGAGE IN ANIMAL TESTING AND DOES NOT USE ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS

WASHE ELITE: purified water, sodium laureth sulfate, disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, *banana, coconut, ginger root, guava, lemon grass, papaya, passion fruit, arrowroot, raspberry, sandalwwod, seakelp, watercress*, cocamide DEA, cocamidopropyl betaine, linoleamide DEA, oleamidopropyl betaine, panthenol, polyqaurternium-10, kukui nut oil, glycol strearate, citric acid, trisodium EDTA, polyquaternium-11, dimethicone copolyol, methylparaben, propylparaben, diazolidinyl urea, fragrence.

*Hawaiian Protein Flora Complex*

RESURRECT: purified water, Hawaiian Protein Flora Complex (same as Washe Elite), cetyl alcohol, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, glycol stearate, mineral oil, isopropyl myristate, cetearyl alcohol, ceteareth-20, trimethylsilylamodimethicone, octoxynol-40, isoluareth-6, propylene glycol, kukui nut oil, keratin amino acids, hydrolyzed collagen, citric acid, methylparaben, propylparaben, diazolindinyl urea, fragrence.

STAY STRAIGHT: purified water, Hawaiian Protein Flora Complex (same as above), cetearyl alcohol, ceteareth-20, stearyl alcohol, cetrimonium bromide, cetyl alcohol, emulsifying wax NF, steareth-21, kukui nut oil, octyl methyoxycinnamate, hydrolized wheat protein, glycerin, jojoba oil, propylene glycol, preservatives, fragrence, FD&C yellow#6, FD&C yello#5, FD&C red #4.

MOUSSE GEL: Hawaiian Protein Flora Complex (same as above products), PVP/VA copolymer, pentane, butane, oleth-20, ployq-11, panthenol, kukui nut oil, hydrolyzed wheat protein, sodium PCA, sodium hydroxide, dimethicone copolyol, methylparaben, preservative, fragrence.

Note: All prices below are listed in U.S. Dollars. While the online stores usually do not charge taxes, both Diamond Beauty & Four Seasons add various shipping costs to the total price of the products.

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