As Amazing As Polish – New York Streets Clean & Condition

OK so because this site is focused on nails, you all don’t know about my obsession with my hair. It’s way beyond fanaticism, it’s a sickness. My hair is my arch nemesis and a daily battle.

Left it up to its own devices I would have what The Boyfriend describes as “Amazon Hair,” a puffy mess of crazy that only he gets to see. I was cursed with thick, coarse, wavy hair that for some reason rejects almost every low to high end brand of shampoo & conditioner I’ve used and I’ve tried way too many.

For quite some time now, I’ve been in love with Kenra’s Platinum Shampoo and Conditioner for Thick/Coarse hair. It’s a great line but being a typical product junkie, I continue to try new things in hopes of finding the ultimate combo that will produce shiny, bouncy, uber-soft results. All I’ve found is a bunch of losers. Shampoos that make my scalp itchy. Conditioners that weigh my hair down or leave it feeling like straw.

So as hard as it is for me to believe, I’ve finally found something that truly wows – New York Streets Hair Culture Collection. It really is “As Amazing As Polish.” My hair hasn’t felt this smooth and manageable while still maintaining its luster since I was a kid with “virgin hair.” Even The Boyfriend commented on the softness and added movement. That’s right, a GUY noticed! I mean, he’s been well schooled in the world of beauty over the past nine years but he’s still essentially an oblivious boy. So color me overjoyed that New York Streets made that big of a difference!

Now as someone with a sensitive scalp, finding a SLS (Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate) free line is always a top priority. While SLS isn’t terrible, it is harsher than other types of detergents so it can cause scalp irritation. New York Streets uses oil derived cleansers that are gentler and less drying.

Clean shampoo has a warm, foody scent. It reminds me of Healthy Sexy Hair Chocolate Soymilk Shampoo but milder and less chocolate-y. The texture is thin and syrupy, like honey, yet it’s not sticky like other sulfate free shampoos I’ve tried. Even though most SLS-free shampoos don’t lather much, if at all, Clean does give you a bit of that comforting “it’s doing its job” foam action. It rinses clean but not squeaky and even before you grab the conditioner, you can feel the softness happening.

Condition, with the same cozy scent scent as Clean, is a medium viscosity opaque conditioner. It glides on easily, almost like a coating, and doesn’t require a lot of product to get the job done, even for my big old mess of hair. The first time I used it, I squeezed out a giant dollop only to have half of it go to waste. And even though it does contain some smoothing silicones in the ingredients, they appear much lower on the list than the majority of conditioners that rely on ‘cones to tame unruliness.

The overall effect of using both Clean & Condition along with my favorite styling products, Kerastase Ciment Thermique and Aveda Smooth Infusion Style Prep, makes me beyond happy. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time my hair felt this soft and weightless. There aren’t words for how much I love these products. Even the hipster cool packaging sets it apart from any line I’ve encountered before. And I love that the shampoo and conditioner bottles are the same size. I HATE when the conditioner comes in a smaller bottle. HATE I say!

If you are frustrated with your hair situation and can’t find a solution, I HIGHLY recommend you give these a whirl.

New York Streets Clean ($13.50) and Condition ($15.50) can be purchased directly from their website NewYork-Streets.com. Or you can check out the salon locator to find them locally.