Lianna Albrizio, Assistant Editor05.20.24
To cut or not to cut?
That’s been among the burning self-care questions plaguing this beauty writer’s mind in the past two months. While I’m a firm believer in getting haircuts every eight weeks to keep the ends fresh and healthy, I’ve been hankering to return to my childhood roots and go long.
While mid-length layered hair (my current ‘do) is among 2024’s trendy hairstyles and I could embrace that look with a trim and shaping, it would defeat all the hard work I’ve been putting in since January to elongate my mane. (And it’s been working! A trusty flatiron can work wonders in giving the illusion of longer hair!)
Amid this beauty conundrum, I received an invite from Butterfly Studio in Manhattan to try out Epres’ follow-up innovation to its Bond Repair Treatment—its new shampoo and conditioner. The brand – founded by Dr. Eric Pressly, a.k.a. the hair bond OG who pioneered the movement a decade ago – makes a 2x concentrated spray-on formula that fortifies bonds in hair, which can weaken from regular practices like hair coloring and heat styling tools. A natural redhead, my hair is coarse, so even without these damaging elements, my hair is prone to breakage and dryness.
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I can’t forget my epic first visit to try the Bond Repair Treatment where I walked away with self-proclaimed “Supermodel” hair. In my opinion, my result was so flawless I could have very well been rocking a wig. If you’re unfamiliar, see
Since my first experience with Epres, I had personally been longing for the shampoo and conditioner version. If only I could get hair this nice every day, I pondered after leaving Roy Teeluck’s old salon on the Upper East Side. I love the Bond Repair Treatment, but as a gal on the go, I don’t always have time to do the spray-on treatment myself. That, coupled with not being the best doer of my own hair and preferring to bring it to my professional colorist, who folds the formula into with a 20-volume bleach mixture for a dimensional blonde look.
In the true nature of happiness and pleasant surprises, the opportunity landed in my inbox like, well, a butterfly. And, seeing that Epres’ new innovations were shampoo and conditioner, I knew this was going to be nothing short of transformative.
Before my hair appointments, I purposely leave my hair unwashed that morning to let my stylist Danielle, work her magic. My roots were oily, and the bulk of my hair was dry – mainly from the brassiness of my bleach highlights that were growing out. (I typically avoid direct sunlight and alternate the cold button on my hairdryer to avoid damage at all costs and use my flatiron sparingly or with the lowest heat. But, like diligent teeth-brushing habits, there’s bound to be some need for intervention eventually.
Enter Epres’ new shampoo and conditioner, aptly called Epres Healthy Hair Shampoo and Healthy Hair Conditioner.
Dr. Pressly informed me that it took several iterations to get them right, which tells me a lot of hard work went into getting them to market after the brand’s debut bond treatment product launched less than a year ago. Though the products use the same Biodiffussion technology in the Bond Treatment – which penetrates deep into the hair shaft to reconstruct bonds and strengthen strands from within to guarantee continuous hair transformation long after drying – the new shampoo and conditioner are formulated with four biodegradable ingredients to honor the planet without sacrificing performance, according to Dr. Pressly. (The products were coincidentally released on April 30, two weeks following Earth Day). Beyond ingredient mindfulness and sustainability, the packaging uses less plastic, and the 250-milileter bottles dispenses the product at the bottom via a twist-off cap which never gets removed to serve as a convenience for the user.
Before my wash, I got the full Epres experience, beginning with the oh-so-fierce Bond Repair Treatment. My hairdresser separated my hair into sections to ensure each strand is saturated. At the sink, Danielle shampooed my hair twice with the innovation – clear and viscous in consistency and works to clarify hair. (Two washes were needed to achieve a thicker lather to remove the excess oil I came in with and the bond repair treatment.) After applying the conditioner, which is a soft lavender color and very smooth to the touch, I got a quick feel of my hair, and it was baby-soft. I was, in so many words, excited for the result.
I can’t recall my hair getting combed out because it was brief and seamless. I usually have a detangler on hand because my hair is typically knotty post-shower, but it behaved as a smooth operator, thanks to the Epres regimen. After Danielle combed it out, I saw how healthy it was and knew right away that cutting it was out of the question. (If the goal is hair health, there wasn’t an urgent need to cut ends given this reparative treatment.)
While I considered styling my hair with soft curls, the tried-and-true straight look has always been my most flattering, so I opted for a blowout and to forego the flatiron. The result? No surprise here: Supermodel hair. Danielle’s blowout brought out face framing layers I didn’t know I had. What’s more, my hair was so bouncy and smooth, I didn’t need a drop of hairspray. The look was very Rachel from “Friends,” and it just so happens ‘90s layers à la Jennifer Aniston is currently on-trend.
But more than the vitality of my hair, the most stunning benefit of Epres – over the hair’s restorative powers – is the vibrancy it elicits from my natural hair color. When I went home that day, I was obsessed with the light’s reflection on my hair and all the golden, even pink tones, it brought out in my natural red color. I liken the awe-inspiring effect to getting a fresh manicure and bending and unbending your fingernails to get the full-on reflection of the spectacular polish.
Given the health of my hair – and, most importantly, the confidence in the health of my hair using Epres products and the undeniable vibrancy they deliver – I’m going with mermaid hair!