ProsMy hair is quite long, almost reaching my waist, and it's fairly curly. I usually wash it, let it dry a bit, then straighten the flyaways with a flat iron. I occasionally use conditioner after shampooing, but I don't typically use any hair essence or special treatments. Feeling like my hair was getting quite damaged, I considered trying a hair essence. That's when I noticed the Ellips products. I was particularly drawn to how portable they looked. They're famous as a must-buy item in Bali and apparently super popular in Japan too, which piqued my interest.
As I mentioned, the capsule form makes them great for travel. Even with my long hair, one capsule feels like enough. I use it before blow-drying, and it doesn't make my hair sticky or greasy. It absorbs quickly, leaving no residue on my hands. The texture is similar to silk therapy products.
There are various scents available, so I did a lot of research on reviews. I'm quite sensitive to smells and don't like strong or long-lasting fragrances as they give me headaches. Many reviews said the Shiny Black scent was the best, so I bought the 50-capsule pack. The product description mentioned a sweet and tangy peach scent, which appealed to me.
Well... the result was quite disappointing. Peach? Sweet and tangy? Not at all. If I had to describe it, it's more like the scent of the essence they apply at the salon after a treatment. It's quite a sophisticated fragrance, but not what I expected or particularly like. Fortunately, it doesn't give me a headache or make me nauseous. The scent isn't overpowering but lingers subtly for a long time, probably over a day. You catch whiffs of it when your hair moves. My husband, who doesn't like strong scents, smelled my hair and said it was nice, so I'm using it well despite my initial disappointment.
The downside is that the capsules are tougher to open than I expected. I imagined they'd be easy to break with a fingernail, like Elizabeth Arden capsules, but they're actually quite sturdy and rubbery. I read in reviews that if you keep rubbing the part you want to open, it softens with your body heat and becomes easier to open. However, it takes longer than expected to soften, which was frustrating for impatient me! Even when soft, it doesn't cleanly break with a fingernail but tears open. This is an area that could really be improved.
ConsIt's not the sweet and tangy peach scent as described. Also, the capsules are too tough to open easily.
TipApply the essence evenly before blow-drying your hair. If you rub the part of the capsule you want to open with your fingers, it will eventually become quite soft.
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