I’m not sure if this was just me, but I ALWAYS saw ads for Formulate & personalized hair care every time I popped on Instagram, Facebook…you name it. Maybe it was because I was complaining too much about not being able to find a good hair care routine and the FBI agent listening to my phone was trying to help out… kidding!

But seriously, when Formulate reached out to me to collaborate, I was excited! Not only to have my own personalized shampoo and conditioner (because HOW COOL is that??) but also because I have always had a really hard time finding hair care that works for me.

Since childhood, I’ve always had curly hair. I went through a phase in middle school where I tried to straighten it everyday, because that’s what all the other girls were doing (shoutout to my mom for helping me maintain that routine for a good few years). But ultimately I did some damage to my hair. By the time curly hair was “in” again (although I didn’t really start loving my hair until college), I was worried that all of the heat damage and poor curl treatment had ruined the top layer of my hair. It didn’t curl the same as my ringlets underneath and I had untamable frizz. I felt like I had tried everything.

By the time Formulate had reached out to me, I was using Aussie Curl shampoo and it was doing the job a-ok. My curls weren’t super defined and my frizz had not disappeared, but all in all, my complaints were few–because I didn’t know what I was missing.

Getting Started With Formulate

The first step in getting your personal formula started with Formulate is to complete a survey. In the survey, you describe your current hair and express your hair goals. I described my current hair as curly, medium thickness, dry, blonde, and near shoulder-length. My goals were not tricky for me to come up with all. They were the things I had wanted from my hair forever: anti-frizz, prevent split ends, curl definition, volume, and hydration.

After I filled out the survey, I didn’t really know what to expect. But within 2 days, I had received an email from someone who said she was my new “Personal Chemist.” Tammy, my chemist (that feels way too cool to say), had created formulas for my shampoo & conditioner that intended to meet my hair where it was & bring it to where it should be. In complete transparency, I’ve included the highlighted ingredients in my formulas below:

It took about two weeks or so for the shampoo & conditioner bottles to come in the mail–head to my Instagram stories to see my unboxing–and I decided I would test them over three weeks. Here are my results:

Week 1:

I’m sorry for the bad picture, I forgot to take a picture the first week, so I snagged this from a video I had filmed that week. The first week I used my formula, my hair definitely needed to take some time to get used to it. My roots felt really greasy & I didn’t see much curl definition or anti-frizz at all. I only used the shampoo at first because I had used conditioner on my last wash (my hair can only handle conditioner every other wash). I washed twice in the first week and experienced the same result both times. My hair SMELLED great which was a plus, but by week 1 I hadn’t noticed much of a difference.

Week 2:

By Week 2, I was noticing some BIG changes! I washed my hair twice that week, using the shampoo on both washes and the conditioner just once. My hair was notably softer and my curls were becoming more defined, even on the top layer! Even though I am very much in need of a haircut, I didn’t notice any split ends and my frizz was significantly less. Ultimately–no complaints for Week 2!

Week 3:

Two pictures for Week 3 because OMG can we talk about my HAIR? Again, I washed twice this week–using shampoo both times & conditioner once. My hair has never looked so good! My curl definition is amazing and my hair is so soft. I also noticed almost no frizz, and the only time there was frizz was after I had been outside/exposed to wind. By Week 3, I’m confident that my hair has not only gotten used to the new formulas, but is LOVING them! I am super excited to continue using my custom shampoo & conditioner!

Final Thoughts

As someone who had perpetual hair concerns, it had never occurred to me to look to personalized hair care. Every time I saw options online, it seemed like it would be inconvient (I can’t pick it up on my weekly Target runs) and expensive. But that’s what makes Formulate so amazing! They have eliminated both of those concerns with their refill system.

Formulate will assess how often you use your shampoo & conditioner to put you on a subscription refill plan. Because I use my shampoo more than my conditioner, my shampoo is scheduled to come every 11 weeks, while my conditioner comes every 16 weeks. Each 8oz bottle comes to $17.55 which you are charged each time your refill ships!

When you break it down, you’re paying less than $2 a week for a personalized hair care system–you can’t beat a deal like that!

Not ready to commit just yet? That’s fine! My friends at Formulate and I have teamed up to gift one of you your own personalized hair care set! All you have to do to enter is follow me on Instagram (@girlmeetsnewyorkcity) and complete a form with your name and email! The giveaway ends on June 6th so be sure to enter now!

Yours Truly,

Erin