I’ve been using John Masters’ Honey and Hibiscus Hair Reconstructor in and off for about a year, but I never did splurge for the matching (and equally pricy) shampoo until recently. Turns out the duo is pretty awesome! Neither component of the set is particularly “reconstructing”, in my experience, but they certainly are lovely to use.
The main thing I’ve noticed since trying this duo as a complete set is that my horrible, itchy, annoying dandruff is finally at bay. (I always get a crazy scalp when the seasons start to change, and my standard Redken AllSoft only makes it worse.) For the scalp relief alone, this pair was worth it. I do wish the price tag were cheaper, though.
The Honey & Hibiscus Shampoo is surprisingly sudsy, considering the lack of SLS (and comparing it to other JMO shampoos, like their Zinc & Sage Shampoo + Conditioner or their Evening Primrose Shampoo for Dry Hair). It felt like it cleaned my hair pretty deeply, and got rid of the silicones that tend to build up on my hair what with all the smoothing products I use. Yet it didn’t feel like it had dried out my scalp at all, which is something of a miracle given how picky my poor head has been lately.
The one drawback is that the shampoo seems to lack its sister’s amazing honey-hibiscus scent. (Or maybe it’s just me, and the shampoo’s scent is just lighter than the conditioner’s so it’s harder to notice.) And neither one has a scent that lingers, which is a shame since they’re so yummy in the shower.
All in all, I’ll probably keep purchasing this duo, but only use them when my scalp acts up. (My coarse hair begs for silicone-rich smoothing products, but my scalp always complains.) They don’t make my hair look fabulous, by any means — they’re just nicer than the average non-smoothing duo.