Shu Uemura Ultimate Remedy

Product Sample

Many know Shu Uemura's popular cleansing oils but did you know Shu Uemura has hair care products? Many people I've shown this too didn't! But you should...o...m...g... you should 😱. Check out my full review below!

p.s I love the packaging, simple yet chic and informative. Yes I am that person right now 💁. Judging a book by it's cover 😝



My hair has been through a lot in 2016, tons of bleach and hair dye, It has definitely lost its shine and lustre. It's quite frizzy, knotted and dry, almost to the point where I have trouble combing through the knots. Basically, it's just a mess and I needed help! Thank you Shu Uemura Art Of Hair for reaching out and giving me this lifesaver of a haircare system. The line I picked to review is their Ultimate Remedy Extreme Restoration for Ultra-Damaged Hair.

I was excited to try this line, the name alone sounds like it's perfect for my hair. I definitely needed some TLC..extreme TLC. I've done quite a few haircare reviews and each time, I thought I found something great but this ......this blows everything else I've tried away!

Let's talk about what I liked first. The texture, it's creamy and thick. It really feels like I'm showering with luxury here. The shampoo is slightly thicker than other shampoos but when I'm mentioning luxury, I mean the conditioner. It's like a thick rich cream. When I first pumped it out, I exhaled a wow! and made a mental note that I HAVE to mention it here.

The conditioner felt like putting on a hair mask. It is amazing and definitely the reason why my hair looks so much better these days.

Below is a picture from before this regime to use as a comparison. You can see the extra frizz and the unruly waves I get from a normal blow-dry without any straightening products or styling.

After 1 wash, my hair instantly felt smoother, after the 3rd wash I had much less frizz and my hair was manageable. Once, I even left it down after a simple blow dry without straightening and my friends and coworkers all mentioned how my hair looked really nice that day (yay!). The results don't lie, after just a few washes, I can tell the difference in my hair 😍 !

Below is a picture after the 3rd (or 4th?) wash with just the simple blow dry I mentioned above. My hair still had volume and style without the frizz and waves. I really was amazed!

please excuse my no makeup face 😜

Now, there are a few drawbacks, some are personal preference but the pros really outweigh the cons. Even so, the cons are more of a something you need to consider - there's nothing really terrible about this haircare line (I *hearts* it).

First, the scent. To me, it's a bit strong - it's very perfumey- my description is laughable but it smells like an air freshener from a fancy bathroom 😂. My friend also tried it out after seeing my post on instagram but she said she was OK with the scent. As I mentioned, it's more of a personal preference. The scent isn't overbearing afterwards and it's not unpleasant (just strong) but it might be something to consider if you have a sensitivity to scents.

Second, the time. Since the conditioner is much thicker (and luxxxurious), it takes much longer to rinse out thoroughly. Please make time for your shower, no one wants leftover residue weighing down your hair!!

Lastly, the size to price ratio. The Ultimate Remedy Shampoo is 300 ml at $46 CAD*, and the Ultimate Remedy Conditioner is 250 ml at $56 CAD*. It's pricey. It's Shu Uemura but still .. quite pricey. It's understandable if it won't fit into everyone's budget but if you have extremely damaged hair, I would recommend you to try this, even if it's just until your hair is restored before switching to something else (although at the moment, I really can't seem to give this up).

Two other things my friends have questioned which I don't see it as a con as much but enough to mention for consideration is the size and the shape.
1. I don't know why they are two very different shapes. Maybe it's to help you differentiate while in the shower? I personally prefer if they were both pumps for ease of application but it doesn't really bother me. I have dropped the shampoo once or twice due to it's curved bottle neck design though (haha).
p.s Although the shapes are different, I really like how they turned up in pictures. I know photographic aesthetic appeal isn't an important criteria people consider when buying a shampoo or conditioner.. I just want to show off my picture hehe.. 

loving this picture

2. Why is the conditioner smaller than the shampoo when it's the best part of this hair line? Tell me! While I am sure they have their reasons for this (like some people like to do the shampoo twice then condition regime), I think the best solution is to come out with huge 2L bottles of both the shampoo and conditioner so I never run out! Pretty please Shu😘 ?!

I've tried to include some pictures of my hair right after a shower. I hope you can see the reduced amount of frizz and waves. I still haven't quite perfected the art of selfie yet 😳. To make my shampoo and conditioner last, I've also been using Shu Uemura's Dry Cleaner inbetween washes to prolong my style. I will post a review of that later.

My hair is on its way back to being manageable!  

I am also delighted to announce that other people have noticed the difference in my hair and took my recommendation of these products. I would love to hear if you also considered this product and told me your results in the comments below!!

Until next time,

Miranda




*Prices as of Feb 2017 shown on Shu Uemura Canadian Website