L'Oréal Elvive Extraordinary Oil UV Filter for All Hair Types

Happy Valentine's Day guys! Hope your day was full of lots of love and chocolates :P

Valentine's Day has always been a bit of a mystery to me. I mean, should I love my boyfriend more on February 14 than on any other day? I spent today cleaning Logan's cage, watching TV and reading Marie Claire. Romantic, eh?

Anyway, enough of my light ranting and onto the review.

L'Oréal Elvive Extraordinary Oil was something that, at first, didn't catch my eye. My hair is quite greasy naturally so the idea of putting more oil on my hair was ludicrous. After discussing it at work back in August, I decided to look into the benefits of hair oil but didn't actually bite the bullet and buy any until I made the decision to bleach my hair. I figured that I was going to some serious damage to my hair and needed something to replenish moisture. The oil happened to be on offer in Boots at the time for £6.66 (RRP £9.99), so I guess that had a role to play in my decision to buy it too. That and the glowing review from the girl at work.

First impressions of the product were that the packaging was nice and heavy with a sturdy pump. The bottle is made of solid glass which gives it a luxurious feel, but makes it difficult to travel with because glass is...well, glass. Easily broken and not ideal for chucking in the bottom of your bag.


As it says on the label, two drops of product is enough for my fine, medium length hair. After shampooing, I apply three or four pumps to the ends of my hair and then the residue on my hands is smoothed over the rest of my hair. I usually let my hair air dry and it is left smooth and manageable. I can't say it does much for shine, though.

I also use this for styling my hair on those days when I don't want to use heat on it (which, these days, is most of the time). I use one or two pumps and run the oil through the ends of my hair, again using the left-over oil and smooth down the fly-aways at the roots. After applying the product, my hair is significantly smoother and less frizzy and it tames my fluffy hair into natural waves without weighing it down.

The product itself is a clear, watery liquid which surprised me at first. I was expecting a product that had the same colour and consistency of olive oil. This was an advantage for me as it meant the product wasn't heavy and didn't weigh down my hair or making it greasy. In fact, aside from the slight flowery smell, I can't tell that the oil is on my hair.


Since I began using this oil back in November, I've noticed that my split ends were significantly reduced soon after bleaching. Although I know this is only a temporary fix to a problem that can only be remedied with a trip to the salon, it's nice to have a product that prevents my hair from looking and feeling like straw.

Overall, this product is a lovely oil that leaves hair soft, manageable and moisturised. It isn't a 'miracle' product (does such a thing even exist?) but it has definitely surprised me with it's capabilities and is something that I will repurchase. If I ever need to. As I only use one or two pumps at a time, this 100ml bottle will last me a very long time. I've had the bottle three months now and, as you can see, I've barely made a dent in it.

It's introduced me to other hair oils and I'm currently experimenting with Argan oil. I have to admit, this product is proving to be much more effective.

It doesn't live up to all of it's claims (such as improving shine), but it has improved the general condition of my hair. Of course the other products I use and the way I style my hair will also contribute to the result, so other people may have a different experience to me, and I have read some less than happy reviews.

I would recommend this product, and would love to hear your experiences with it. Did you love it? Or hate it?