The Good: Smells good, Cleans hair, Inexpensive
The Bad: Does not condition, Doesn't clean exceptionally
The Basics: A very average shampoo, Nectarine Orange Surge cleans but does not strip away build-up like most citrus products claim to.
It is a tough thing for me to come back to reviewing shampoos, especially VO5 Shampoos, after I have found my ultimate. I found that with VO5's Vanilla Mint Tea Shampoo and now to go back and review other shampoos I used along the way, it feels tiresome. Yet, that is precisely what I am feeling going back to review Nectarine Orange Surge Vita Burst Shampoo.
I am, if nothing else, not at all a slave to trends or fashion (a point driven home pretty constantly to me by virtually every partner I have ever had) and so when the whole Citrus cleaner "thing" was the fad, I wasn't impressed or involved in it. Instead, I let it pass like every other beauty secret fashion fad. I picked up this shampoo because it was on sale and I hadn't tried it. Now that I have, it is an average at best shampoo.
My basic philosophy on shampoo is this: I want something that is inexpensive as possible that makes me feel like my hair is clean. Period. That's it. I'm not paying a ton of money on something I'm just washing down the drain (literally). I believe, therefore, that the VO5 Nectarine Orange Surge Vita Burst Shampoo is a good shampoo for normal hair, but it is not extraordinary and it certainly does not capitalize on the supposed cleaning power of citrus.
With a cost of approximately $1.00 for a 15 oz. bottle, Nectarine Orange Surge is certainly a value. The bottle is smooth and does not have any ribbing or other texturing to it, but recently VO5 redid their bottles to make them more flat than round, so it does not slip out of one's hand like the old bottles used to. The cap has a flip-top that makes it very easy to get the shampoo out with only one hand. I've found that once the bottle is half empty, it's easy to do this one handed without dropping the bottle.
The scent is a mildly citrus smell. It is not extraordinary and it dissipates quickly in the shower and when applied. It smells like the nectarine and orange scents that the front of the bottle claims it is. It's rare I find something that genuinely smells like what it promises to smell like, but this simple shampoo does smell like oranges of different types.
Like most shampoos, there is nothing mysterious to using this product. You wet your hair, lather it up with this shampoo (I use about a quarter-sized drop of the shampoo and I have long hair), and rinse. There have been one or two times I've repeated, but for the most part, this product leaves one's hair feeling light and clean after the first rinse, assuming one rinses thoroughly. This shampoo rinses out rather well and leaves the hair with a mild scent of oranges that lasts about a half-hour in normal activity.
My thing is this: citrus products are supposed to be great at cleaning, especially cutting through greasy residues, which can be a concern when one doesn't wash their hair for a day. This shampoo, however, illustrated no such cleaning power. It only cut through additional residue when I washed twice with it and that pretty much eliminated the value of this less-expensive shampoo.
At least this does not dry out my hair, nor does it leave it with any greasy residue. It's a perfectly balanced product for normal hair, just as it advertises. A bottle goes a long way, as well. One bottle lasted me about six weeks when I only washed my hair once a day and if I can escape with paying only $10.00 a year for shampoo, that's pretty wonderful.
If I could get away with that, I'd be thrilled. VO5 has a separate conditioner that runs about $1.00 a bottle as well. While the shampoo does not dry out my hair, it also does not protect it, which pretty much necessitates getting the conditioner as well. It would be nice if they came together, but . . .
Nectarine Orange Surge does not leave a strong scent and as one who has come to appreciate some of the sense-memory a good shampoo can provide, ultimately, I felt let down by this VO5 shampoo. It is adequate, but if it is trying to capitalize on the citrus aspect, it should be more than just "okay." At least, to get a "recommend" from me.
For other VO5 shampoo reviews, please check out my takes on:
Kiwi Lime Shampoo
Split Ends Anti-Breakage Shampoo
Passion Fruit Smoothie Moisture Milks Shampoo
Blackberry Sage Shampoo
4.5/10
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© 2011, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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