09.29.08
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Alfaparf Milano uses real diamond dust to impart sparkle into glamorous tresses.
By Joanna Cosgrove
Online Editor
Diamonds might truly be a girl’s best friend, especially when they can transform her dry, dull hair into a luxuriously lustrous and shiny crowning glory. Alfaparf Milano, an Italian hair care company with US headquarters in Miami, FL, recently introduced its Semi di Lino Diamante line to North America. Originally launched in Italy a few months prior to its US debut, the 12-product line is comprised of six professional hair care products and six styling formulations that pairs real diamond dust with linseed extract to deliver antioxidant protection, softness, manageability and show stopping shine.
As the core products in the six-product Care segment of the line, the Illuminating Shampoo and Illuminating Conditioner gently cleanse the hair with pH-balanced cleansers that adds shine, fortify the hair cuticle and improving comb-ability. The Conditioner maximizes shine, nourishes and strengthens the hair without weighing it down.
For hair in need of more intensive treatment, the line also includes Illuminating Shine Lotion vials with karite extract (shea butter), linseed extract, wheat protein and antioxidant vitamin E to boost body and enhance elasticity; Illuminating Essential Oil, a treatment vial that repairs and nourishes “capillary fibres” instantly smoothing and sealing the cuticle; Illuminating Mask which deeply penetrates dry, treated hair with highly concentrated shea butter; and Cristalli Liquidi, a beauty fluid that employs linseed extract and vitamin E to add light, shine and softness, while shielding the hair from thermal abuse.
The six-product Styling collection features an array of products that not only keep unruly hair under control, but impart a reflective shine. Illuminating Smoothing Cream is a high-gloss, anti-frizz formula ideal for creating quick, straight styles; Illuminating Mousee adds texture and flexible movement to straight hair and defines and shines curls without stiffness or build-up; Illuminating Hairspray employs an ultra-fine mist to support any style with a reflective “shine shield” that guards against humidity and frizz; Illuminating Design Gel delivers long-lasting style control and a high gloss sheen to structured, short styles; Illuminating Polish is a microcrystalline styling wax that defines and shines medium and short styles with a subtle, wet look; and Illuminating Finish is a lightweight spray that adds a final touch of shine and softness while guarding against frizz.
Each of the products in the line work synergistically to amplify hair’s brilliance by binding together the hair’s cortex and cuticle, “leaving the hair surface perfectly smooth and sleek and improving the light reflection,” said Patti Rullo, marketing director, Alfaparf. “This is possible by choosing ingredients which strengthen the structure which is the binding agent between cortex and cuticle; the so called ‘cell membrane complex’ (CMC), composed of lipids and proteins.
The CMC works as concentrate, bonding together cuticles and perfectly overlaying the scales on each hair for a smoother, sleeker overall look.
Ms. Rullo added that the combination of micro-pulverized diamond dust and linseed extract in the Care and Styling products give the tiny diamond crystals a boost of silicones with deliver a highly luminous “refraction index.” “Linseed Extract is known for its shine-enhancing, anti-oxidant, protective and restructuring benefits, making dull, lifeless hair beautifully shiny and healthy looking,” she said. The diamond dust, initially a challenge to formulate with, proved to be “the extreme expression of light and brightness,” for the line. The combination of the two ingredients represented a “new generation silicon polytiers with high flowing coefficient and refractive index (index of refraction).”
The Alfaparf Semi de Lino Diamante line is sold in top salons and day spas across the US. Retail prices range from $17 for a 250ml bottle of Illuminating Shampoo, to $40 for a 500 ml jar of Illuminating Mask.
To underscore its “luxury status” the Care line’s products are packaged in elegantly shaped, pure white vessels. The Styling products are housed in gold colored packaging. Each of the packages are accented by gold foil printing and gold foil diamond symbols.