Tousle and Turn: Herbal Essences “Tousle Me Softly” Collection

Since my hair has a natural curl to it, I didn’t know what to expect from Herbal Essences’ Tousle Me Softly collection. Would it activate my curls and make them sprightly and bouncy? Would it add volume of rock star-esque proportions? Would it add definition? Well, truth be told, if you already have wavy or curly hair, these products won’t do much to make these ringlets surface. These products will, however, soften your hair and give it a nice, caressable texture.

Oddly enough, one of the things I really disliked about the line was the smell. When I read “wild violet and pomegranate” on the label, I inferred that I’d adore the scent — after all, both are scents I appreciate and they do seem like they’d make an interesting, passionate, exotic fruity-floral combination. Not so. I found the shampoo’s smell particularly pungent and unpleasant, while the conditioner was a bit more tolerable. And it’s a real shame because the conditioner feels great — it’s creamy but lightweight, and it detangles your tresses as you work through your mane. If it hadn’t been for the unsavory smell, I might have allowed the conditioner to linger on my head a bit longer, but I was just too anxious to rinse it off so I could shake off the scent (or at least temper it a bit).

As for the styling products (the mousse, hair spray, spray gel and finishing cream), I wasn’t really too keen on any of them. Like most gels, the spray gel can actually harm your hair, drying out each strand and even leading to breakage. And who really uses mousse anymore? Nowadays, when so many other styling aids (from serums to balms, blow drying lotions and anti-frizz agents), the range of products offered here seems antiquated.

Overall, I was disappointed with the line — especially given that Herbal Essences tends to rank pretty high on my list of quality drugstore haircare brands. Tousle Me Softly? More like Toss Me Out.

Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Shampoo, $2.99; Tousle Me Softly Conditioner, $2.99; Tousle Me Softly Mousse, $2.99; Tousle Me Softly Spray Gel, $2.99; Tousle Me Softly Hair Spray, $2.99; and Tousle Me Softly Finishing Cream, $5.49. Available at grocery, mass and drug retailers nationwide.