Shu Uemura Art of Hair Kaze Wave Sensual Curl Texturizing Foam
The promise
From the Japanese word for wind, Kaze Wave vows to draw out the naturally sensual shape of your curl without weighing it down. The formula is flexible and textured, resulting, it's hoped, in soft, defined curls free of frizz.
How it works
The formula includes acacia gum, a rare ingredient (sourced from the Sahel in Africa) that is rich in magnesium, calcium and potassium. These elements work together to give texture to the hair shaft and create a well- defined curl.
How to use it
Apply to wet hair before styling. To enhance curls, scrunch the product into the hair and then wrap sections around your finger or the barrel of a curling iron for defined spirals.
The bottom line
I admit I was a bit skeptical at first. Hair products that come in mousse form remind me of the eighties, a time when I wore my hair Julia-Roberts-in -Mystic-Pizza big because I felt that it offset my baggy overalls nicely. So, you know, shame-inducing. But there's no way that an innovative master like Shu Uemura would leave me looking like a footnote character on Julia Roberts' professional CV, I reasoned. Thus, I dutifully dispensed a golf-ball-sized amount of the mousse into my palm and scrunched it into my hair while humming the Poison anthem Every Rose Has Its Thorn (pausing to air guitar in the bathroom mirror, of course). A quick blast of the hair dryer later and I was left with bouncy, shiny, defined curls that would make mincemeat of Daisy Arujo's. And then I went for pizza.
$40 at select salons across Canada (visit www.shuuemuraartofhair.com for locations).