My Decade-Long Romance with Rene Furterer‘s Magic Hair Elixirs - 33rd Square (2024)

Hey lovely!

If you‘re struggling with lackluster locks, damage from overprocessing, or thinning texture causing you endless bad hair days, then please – grab a coffee and vent to me for a few minutes. I‘ve SO been there too!

Back in my late twenties I fried my curls into crispy oblivion trying to fight my texture with blowdryers, flat irons and bleach galore. I desperately longed for sleek, swingy hair that played nice for styling instead of the poufy frizzball that taunted me daily.

Of course I just made things worse, leaving my strands stripped, broken and sad. No amount of coconut oil or drugstore conditioner brought back the robust, healthy hair of my youth.

Until I met Rene Furterer.

My Introduction to RF‘s Magic Potion for Hair

On a spa weekend getaway about 10 years ago, my BFF treated us to makeovers at an upscale salon that turned out to be an authorized Rene Furterer outfit.

While sitting with goopy hair masks on our heads, we chatted up our stylist Kelly who raved nonstop about the RF nutritive shea line transforming clients‘ damaged dos. The before and after pics didn‘t lie either!

I was fascinated to learn how the brand revolutionized hair health over 60 years ago in France using plant actives and biofermentation discovered by founder Rene Furterer.

The chic, minimalist packaging and intoxicating aromas had me ready to sip their serum-y elixirs like fine champagne too!

I left that salon with glossy curls that even my husband noticed gleaming in the sunlight. I immediately hit up their website to try more RF goodness.

Over the past decade, I‘ve played hair alchemist mixing and matching Rene Furterer‘s shampoos, masks, oils and styling products across various lines as my needs changed.

Through multiple moves, hairstyle switch-ups, postpartum shedding and quarantine grays, RF has been my trusty sidekick. Today I feel equipped to provide the full scoop on how legit their plant powered formulas perform compared to other coveted hair brands.

So grab another caffeine/wine refill and let‘s venture down the rabbit hole of reviews…

My Hair Profile aka the Struggle is Real!

We can‘t dive deep on whether RF rocks or not without getting personal about my hair story. This backdrop helps you gauge if their products might help YOUR reality too.

In a nutshell, I battle:

• High porosity – my overly porous strands soak up oils/moisture but can‘t retain them. Think dry, damaged sponges.
• Loose wavy texture – not quite curly, not straight. The frizzy inbetweenie.
• Fine strands with lots of density – I have tons of hair but each one is quite thin, causing tangles.
• Oily roots + dry ends – a common combo where scalp overproduces sebum but the lengths need nourishing
• Permanent color treated – I get blonder highlights every 4-6 months
• Thinning around my hair part – ugh hormones, stress and styling damage

So I need conditioning formulas gentle enough for color while providing intense nourishment. And I always co*cktail treatments at both the scalp and ends.

Fickle, right? Let‘s see if RF has what it takes to wrangle my mane!

Breaking Down Rene Furterer‘s Product Offerings

Lucky for us fussy-headed girls, Rene Furterer features specialized collections catering to pretty much every hair trauma and texture out there.

They may have pioneered in nutritive remedies but today RF offers a true one-stop shop. Let‘s explore the main lines:

??? Karit?? – The OG shea butter collection hydrates the heck out of thirsty strands. The intense masks feel like salon treatments.

??? Complexe 5 – This leave-in biotic serum dermatologists rave about stimulates scalps and hair growth via essential oils. My ride-or-die!

??? Astera – Made for sensitivities, this soothes sore, irritated scalps. Heaven for dandruff, eczema and allergy-prone.

??? Volumea – My favorite styling products with texture enhancers, volumizing mousse and dry shampoo. Love!

??? Nutritive – Heavy duty nourishment for severely damaged hair using shea, apricot kernel oil and shorea butter.

??? Absolue – Repairs fragile strands overnight with keratin, ceramides, rose oil and iris rhizomes.

??? Curl – Newer collections Asteria and Venus help wavy/curly textures maximize definition and hydration.

??? Color – Protects color vibrancy with grape vine extracts and UV filters.

Phew! That‘s a lot to take in. Next let‘s get specific on what I‘ve tested from their body of work.

My Rene Furterer Product Reviews: Hits & Misses

Here‘s an album diary of my hands-on trial with RF goodies over the years. Let‘s start with the favorites I‘ve repurchased endless times:

Karit?? Hydra Nourishing Mask

• The OG deep conditioning treatment
• Intensely quenched my crispy ends post-bleach
• Restored softness and shine
• Light tropical scent
• Use weekly before shampoo
• $55 but lasts 6+ months

Complexe 5 Stimulating Leave-In Serum

• Biotic leave-in treatment
• Active ingredients revive follicles
• Saw new hairs around widening part
• Tingling sensation
• 92% less shedding in company study
• $50 for 2 months supply

Volumea Volumizing Foam

• Love as a pre-styler before air drying
• Creates lush body and bounce
• Lightweight so doesn‘t weigh down
• $30 but lasts forever
• Key ingredient Carob coats strands

Astera Fresh Balancing Shampoo

I don‘t love this per say but it nicely provides a deep clean whenever my roots get oily without aggravating my dry ends. The soothing bergamot mint scent feels refreshing. It lathers more than typical moisture shampoos. $32 for a huge bottle.

BFiends Absolue Serum

My BFF gifted me her leftover gold serum after she switched stylists. This oil-gel texture serum shows intense repair results for damaged ends overnight. It has a slight sticker residue despite claims of quick absorption. I prefer Complexe 5‘s ease of use. But at 4x the price Absolue makes for special treatment.

Beyond these core products, I sampled RF tonics, leave-ins and curl definers over the years that were just "meh" for my hair. Some felt too heavy, others too light.

I generally gravitate back towards combinations of moisture masks, Complexe 5 and Volumea styling foam. I aim for nourished strands with touchable texture – not perfectly spiraled ringlets.

How Rene Furterer Compares to Other Luxe Hair Brands

Look, Rene Furterer plays in the major leagues against icons like Kerastase, Oribe, Alterna and Leonor Greyl. I view prestige haircare almost like designer fashion.

The premium category promises exceptional quality ingredients, advanced technologies you won‘t find at the drugstore, and transformative results backed by salon expertise.

In return you pay a supermodel price tag, sometimes hitting $100 for a single serum. Oof!

But RF sits firmly among the French pharmacy heritage brands synonymous with luxury beauty innovation. And after years testing different price point formulas, I argue only true high end lines DELIVER when it comes to tangibly repairing damage and enhancing texture long term.

Could you spend less with Herbal Essences, Garnier Whole Blends or Shea Moisture? Absolutely. I rotated between those brands for years alternating clarifying washes to prolong the effects.

But ultimately I feel uninspired by mass market shampoos. And I found zero improvement with my actual hair health over time. No mask truly reversed the straw-like effects of bleach. No drugstore serum revived my thinning spot.

Instead I relied on paint-like styling products to create the illusion of volume and nourishment which wrecked my hair further.

Whereas investing in Rene Furterer‘s concentrated elixirs and treatment steps lead to compounded improvement month over month. Even my husband and hair stylist see and feel the difference in texture and growth compared to before RF.

So in my opinion, you get what you pay for with hair repair solutions. Only the $$$ salon brands pack enough potency to truly heal damage for the long run.

What I Don‘t Like About Rene Furterer

To offer a balanced POV, no brand is perfect. While I adore RF, some aspects rub me the wrong way:

1. Annoying travel sizes – I dislike paying $20+ for shower-sized versions. Offer more multi-packs Rene Furterer!

2. Short shelf life – The watery serums and testers seem quick to expire. I had to toss an unused oil that weirdly separated after a year.

3. Fragility factor – The luxe glass bottles inevitably break, crack in transit or leak. Very wasteful and messy! Please make hair care packaging more durable and eco-friendly.

4. Exclusivity limits – I wish I could pick up RF whenever I ran out instead racing to salons. Expand mainstream retail presence!

5. Scalp sensitivity – RF products occasionally make my scalp itch or overproduce oil requiring clarifying shampoo resets. Anyone else?

6. Curl defining claims fall short – Neither the Asteria or Venus collections revamped my wavy texture or frizz despite promises. Manage expectations here!

7. Steep prices – My husband jokes I have $500 worth of hair products in the shower at any given time. The costs add UP, y‘all! Space out purchases.

The Million Dollar Question: Are Rene Furterer Products Worth It?

In case I haven‘t hammered this home enough yet – YES, a thousand times yes! If nourishing formulas suit your unique needs.

Rene Furterer makes the holy grail of damage control and texture enhancement for me. The proof lives in my healthier, shinier strands that friends and family compliment daily.

Could I maintain my hair relying on budget finds from Target or the drugstore? Sure. But would it continue improving years later or reversing early aging? Absolutely not.

This brand‘s concentrated elixirs deliver breakthrough REPAIR my lifeless, thinning hair desperately needed. And the targeted thickening stylers transform my bland, undefined waves into bombshell light curls. Everything just works flawlessly together.

That said, RF is a major investment for a full wash day routine with multiple steps. Beyond masks, you‘ll want shampoos and conditioners too driving costs up. It all exceeds $100+ quickly even buying jumbo sizes.

So decide what hair frustrations bother you most. Focus on targeting those areas first before gradually incorporating more over time as budgets allow. Having a few key products you love beats overwhelming your bathroom shelves with meaningless variety.

Or gift yourself RF treatments only for special self care moments rather than daily use. Look at their indulgent formulas as tools supporting confidence from the outside in!

If you guys have any other questions for me after reading this painfully long novel about my hair, comment below! Who else uses Rene Furterer??? Tell me YOUR hits or horror stories! ????

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