SICKA THAN AVERAGE

It used to be that, when picking hair products, the only criteria we had to consider was whether our tresses were oily or dry, straight or curly, healthy or damaged. But now, there's another box for us to check: which hair style category we fall into. Or at least, that's the aim of the new line HerCut, which hopes to enable people to reconsider the way in which they approach their hair styling routines. Described as "hair care for your hair cut," the line is centered on styling catalysts that accentuate the distinctive qualities of your chosen hair style. Uhm, okay. How vague is that, right? Well, let me elaborate a bit. The guiding concept here is that all hair cuts, however avant-garde or experimental, can be divided into five essential categories: the bob, the shag, long layers, the blunt, and the pixie. When a woman first cuts her hair, deciding upon one of these categories, she feels confident and in control, like she has reinvented her entire self through a single session in her hair stylist's chair. From that day forward, that woman will attempt to recreate that first-day feeling, hoping to mimic the way her hair originally spiked at the top or how the luscious layers moved like ocean waves, or how the blunt edges lay pin-straight in a razor-sharp line. But, unless the woman is dexterous with her styling tools, chances are she'll have a tough time recreating that effect. Enter HerCut's catalysts which feature heat-activated chemical formulas that help to mold your hair into the desired shape.

In early February, days after the HerCut line hit Sephora shelves, I had the chance to sit down with brand ambassador Kyan Douglas (who you might remember from his stint on Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, who carefully explained the basic science behind each styling catalyst. Here's an interesting fact: your hair is negatively charged (which, of course, means you can determine how it moves by manipulating the particles and molecules you place in close contact to your hair). The Shag Catalyst, for example, utilizes a patent-pending Ionicon Polymer Technology which features negatively charged macromolecules that create a controlled separation (because, as you know from your days playing with magnets, two negatively-charged items will repel each other). And that's just one of the tricks performed at a molecular level with this range of products. The Long Layers Catalyst, for example, relies on the patent-pending Spring Polymer Technology, which uses coil-shaped molecules that practically bind strands together creating a nice sense of movement.The Pixie Catalyst, in turn, relies on D3 Polymer Technology to create a mesh that connects hair loosely so that you can give it a messy, malleable texture. Each product, then, was carefully conceptualized to achieve whatever effect is necessary in order to make the respective hairstyle look its best.

Now, let's get to my experience with HerCut. After meeting Kyan and hearing about the products, the science nerd in me was about as titillated as my inner beauty geek, but I had to wonder how much of this was hype. And so I was a bit skeptical when I first reached for the Long Layers catalyst, and applied 2-3 pumps on the palm of my hand, rubbing my hands together and smoothing them over my damp hair. As recommended, I blow dried my hair with a round ceramic brush as I would have done on any other day, but I kept peeking over at the mirror ever few minutes to see what exactly was occurring. Now, let me be clear: I am a dunce at blow drying my hair. Even the most basic of brush techniques baffles me, and I seem to lack the coordination required to hold a hot tool in one hand and a brush or comb in the other. After applying the HerCut catalyst, though, the styling process didn't seem quite as tedious and fastidious — perhaps because my hair was being more cooperative thanks to the catalyst's Spring Polymer Technology. I actually took some photos of the finished 'do — and, as you'll see in the shots below, the amount of movement and the bounciness of my hair is pretty incredible, particularly given my lack of technical skill with a blow dryer. 

That being said, let me be clear: this product doesn't work miracles in the sense that it's not going to style your hair for you. Sure, it will help to facilitate the styling process, but you still need to put some muscle into the routine for the HerCut catalyst to work. And, of course, the more dexterous you are with those hair tools, the nicer the end results will be.

Okay, it's show-and-tell time! Check out the hair after my first HerCut session:

HerCut Styling Catalysts, $28 each. Visit Sephora.com