Long before I had ever heard of Wonder Water, I was using another product from the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths range called Saviour Mask. It was another accidental discovery, bought because it met Superdrug’s ‘free delivery’ criteria.
This is a full-on hair mask that should be used sparingly. I use it once a month, but never leave it on for longer than 5 minutes – any more and it tends to weigh hair down as the castor oil content is quite high.
I comb it through and it seems to take care of tangles for me. Maybe because my hair grew very long or maybe it was extra dry from central heating, but I found my hair knotted up very easily during lockdown.
Hair feels very soft afterwards. Use too much though and hair turns into a greasy mop. I’ve also read that it works well on curly hair in desperate need of moisture.
The only downside is that the mask is highly fragranced, it’s as if they took the signature L’Oréal product scent and turned up 100 notches. In fact, it’s one perfume note away from giving you a headache.
But, like the rest of the L’Oréal Elvive range, it offers tremendous value, you get a lot of mask for your money. A massive 300ml tub supposedly costs £6.00, but you will always be able to buy it at half price. Superdrug has it on offer at £2.97 and Boots has a seemingly permanent 3 for £10 offer on all Dream Lengths products apart from Wonder Water.
L’OREAL DREAM LENGTHS 8 SECOND WONDER WATER
Of course, I had read all the rave reviews about Wonder Water but took my time before jumping on the bandwagon.
Kérastase is part of the L’Oréal Group and I think their original lineup many years ago (in orange packaging) featured a very similar product to Wonder Water, albeit much more expensive.
Dream Lengths Wonder Water is a rinse-out, heat-activated, hair treatment. The closest product to Wonder Water would be Colour Wow Dream Coat (review) at £25.00 for 200ml. If you wait long enough, every innovative hair and beauty product will be copied and offered at a cheaper price point.
L’Oréal Paris Elvital Dream Length 8 Second Wonder Water makes your hair more shiny and smooth in just 8 seconds.
The light and liquid formula suits all hair types, and is an ideal addition to your usual hair care routine, as it just needs to be rinsed out like a light conditioner.
HOW TO USE
Use 2-3 times per week after shampooing.
Use 1 dose for fine to medium textured hair, 2-3 doses for thick to curly textured hair, add 1 more dose if you have extra-long hair.
Apply directly to wet hair on the lengths only, avoiding the scalp. You may feel a slight warming sensation as the product activates. Massage for 8 seconds and rinse out.
Use a conditioner after if needed. Blow-dry for even greater results.
REVIEW
Four words. Shiny hair, super cheap.
For fine hair, there’s supposedly eights doses of product. It’s marked out on the label in 20ml increments but the markings stop where the label does so you have to guess the last measurement. My fine hair can easily use half of the amount (too much and it becomes greasy ).
I thoroughly rake it through the lengths, wait 10 seconds (because I’m a rebel) and rinse it out. The nozzle applicator only drizzles the product out, but as you’re in the shower already, that’s OK.
I’ve just cracked open my second bottle so I’ve worked out how to get the best result for my hair. Using conditioner after Wonder Water doesn’t do it for me, but using a small amount of conditioner before, combing it through and using WW as the last step, does.
The ‘water’ feels slightly warm for a fleeting second and then the powerful fragrance kicks in. I find it overpowering and here is something I’ve not read in any reviews so far – it smells a little bit of chemicals. I thought it might just be my sniffer-dog nose, but whenever I leave the bathroom it always smells lovely, be it from a candle or a fragrant body wash. Each time I’ve used Wonder Water and walk past the bathroom, I get a distinctive whiff of artificial chemical. Fortunately, it disappears when heat is applied to hair.
Combing through hair afterwards is easy and there’s no feeling of product on the hair a very different experience to Colour Wow Sealant. For a sleek look I only use ever-reliable Sebastian Trilliant, (review) and for more body, I’m back to Kérastase Resistance Volumifique mousse (review) both highly recommended.
The shine after blow-drying is insane, it lasts two full days before the glassy sheen starts to fade. I’ve also read and watched reviews of people with all types of hair textures getting the same super shiny result.
It’s nice to recommend a cheap hair product that actually delivers – just don’t ever pay full price for it!
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Wonder Water 200ml £6.00 (Shop around and find it for £3.00)
