Hair damage is pretty unavoidable in our modern age. From bleaching and colouring to straightening and curling (and everything in between) we put stress on our hair every single day. Even if you steer clear of the obvious culprits, it's at risk of harm by the environment that we live in, with things like hard water and pollution. There was a time when the only way we could attempt any form of repair was with expensive in-salon treatments, mediocre targeted shampoos and conditioners and nourishing hair masks, which weren't able to get to the route of the problem. And then came bond repair products, and suddenly caring for our hair got a lot easier and more effective.
This category of the haircare market is only growing and now it seems that almost every range on the shelves has its very own version of bond repair. So when Rihanna's Fenty Beauty branched out into haircare earlier this year, unsurprisingly one of the nine products was a damage treatment product aimed at repairing broken bonds.
So we decided to put The Comeback Kid to the test. Since the launch back in June it has sold out a few times, so demand is high, but does it actually work?
THE PRODUCT
The Comeback Kid is a treatment designed to be used either in place of your conditioner or as a leave-in product, depending on your hair's needs. The formula is made with amino acids, chia seed extract and Replenicore-5 - a clinically tested complex the brand has developed to help repair, strengthen, hydrate, smooth and protect.
Rihanna herself has called it her favourite product: “This saved my life when I went blonde.[...] This repair treatment allows you to have your own adventure depending on what you want and what your hair needs."
THE CLAIMS
The brand promises fast results you can see and feel in just one use. It's said to strengthen and plump strands for thicker-looking hair, reduce frizz, improve shine, moisturise and make hair feel softer and silkier. Quite the statements.
The brand conducted its own clinical study, which delivered the following results: 75% said there was improvement in damage and 72% claimed to have stronger hair when The Comeback Kid was used as a leave-in.
Another study was carried out when the product was rinsed out and 100% of testers agreed that The Comeback Kid improved the appearance of the hair and split ends over time, made their hair feel soft, moisturised, healthier, easier to style, bouncier and looked revived after each use.
But what did team Marie Claire think?
THE RESULTS
Fenty Beauty is known for its inclusivity - when it launched with a 40-strong foundation shade range it highlighted the shortcomings of other cosmetic brands in the market - and its haircare line is no different, it's been designed to cater for all hair types.
So we trialled it on straight, wavy, curly and coily hair of varying damage and these were the results...
STRAIGHT HAIR
My hair is very long, very fine, very bleached and very straight. It is flat and relatively lifeless—oh, and it’s incapable of holding any sort of curl. All of the that means it’s prone to breakage, snapping and exists in a permanent state of fragility. And because of the bleach damage and length of my strands, they are very much prone to tangling and matting—particularly post-wash. For that reason, I like to use a hydrating, detangling conditioner. If I find the right product, I’m left with silky-smooth, high-shine, sleek hair that, actually, I don’t hate that much. The most important thing when it comes to any hair product for me? It can’t add any weight. If I want to have any hint of volume or life at the root, my hair needs to feel squeaky clean.
Initial thoughts:
I have it out for hair products that claim to be for ‘all hair types’. I either find they’re not hydrating enough to work through my knots or they’re so rich and nourishing that I’m left with heavy, greasy roots at the end of it. So, to start with I’ll admit I was a little sceptical of The Comeback Kid. I liked the packaging, though. Chic-looking, powder blue and a weighty lid at the bottom to ensure all the product is used up. Something about the packaging that made no sense to me? The directions. It utilises pictures to explain how to use it for different hair types and, frankly, I was confused. I think it is saying that, for my hair type, I should use it in place of conditioner: apply after washing, leave to sit for 3-5 minutes and then rinse. But, frankly, who knows.
First attempt:
The first thing that hit me upon opening The Comeback Kid was the absolutely divine scent—a sweet, moreish floral that smells so luxe it could be bottled and stuck in the Harrods fragrance hall. It’s so good, in fact, even after I got out of the bath, my husband asked what the great smell was. I also got good vibes from the texture—not too rich, good spreadability and not so slippery that half of it ends up down the drain. Something I was surprised by, however, is how much product I felt like I needed to use for my long, bleach-damaged hair. My hair isn’t thick at all, but I needed to use much more product than I would typically use with my normal conditioner. While it felt hydrating and moisturising as I applied it (and combing knots out as I applied wasn’t an issue), it wasn't rich like a thick hair mask—more like a hardworking lightweight conditioner. So, although it was enough for my fine hair, I’m not sure how nourishing it would feel for thicker hair types. However, I did feel like a lot of that hydration rinsed away. My hair was still left feeling squeaky clean (which I like, but I know not everyone does) but when it came to brushing my hair out afterwards, knots were an issue. My hair was also quite static, something I find happens if there's not enough moisture present after blow drying. Although it didn’t feel particularly moisturised, I have to admit that my hair looked a whole lot better for using it—sleeker, stronger and generally healthier. My main issues? The knots and the fact it didn’t deliver any sort of shine. But, truthfully, this is something I can sort post-wash with leave-in treatments. If long-term strength and reduction in breakage is on the cards, The Comeback Kid will become a permanent fixture in my routine.
After weeks of trying:
I’m pleased to announce that I did like this product enough to empty every last drop from the (very pretty) bottle. Would I buy it again? Probably—but I’m not running to add it to my basket straight away. I still love the scent and do think my hair feels stronger for using it, but I have a couple of things to note. First of all, it doesn’t quite deliver enough moisture for my bleached ends. To get a sleek, smooth finish, I needed to rely on serums and oils far more than normal. The second thing is how quickly I used the bottle. As mentioned, my hair is very long (but not particularly thick, mind you), and I only got around six washes out of the bottle.
I have a love hate relationship with my hair. I absolutely love the length, the colour and the natural waves. But my golly do I hate the upkeep. Bleaching my hair every six weeks does, as you can imagine quite a lot of damage. To mitigate this, I try not to apply any heat to my hair, which means my hair tools only come out when absolutely necessary, and I also rely heavily on bond repairing products - there are very few on the market that I've not tried. So the Fenty Hair The Comeback Kid is right up my street.
Initial thoughts:
OK first up, I really like the bottle - I think it looks smart, and although colourful, I didn't feel like a tween having it on my shower shelf. I had a quick look at the instructions on the back to gauge how much I needed to use. But nowhere on the packaging does it tell you. Does a little go a long way? Should I be using a generous amount because I have hair down to my boobs? Who knows?! What the tube does have are little illustrations on the back, which I'm pretty sure were designed to eliminate any confusion on how to use it. I'd say they failed. I spent longer than I care to admit staring at them trying to figure it all out. Not exactly a great start. However, I did finally deduce that I should leave the treatment on for 3-5 minutes for my hair type.
Upon opening the bottle, I got the biggest (and best) surprise. This is, hands down, one of the best smelling hair products. It's scented like a chic, niche perfume - warm, rich, spicy, flowery - and I want it bottled, please.
First attempt:
I was a little worried about it replacing my conditioner, as it doesn't have the thicker consistency that I prefer, however I was really impressed with how manageable my hair was afterwards. I was able to get a brush through it with ease, and without the help of a leave-in conditioner or a detangler. It claims to have immediate results with just one use - my hair was definitely a lot less knotty than usual and once blow dried my hair had a nice shine to it, but I don't think I saw any other improvements to my dry split ends. But my god, did my hair smell good. I didn't even bother with perfume on the days I washed my hair.
After weeks of trying:
I definitely have a better understanding of this product now and how it works for my hair type. Whilst, I really like this product for how manageable it makes my lengths post-wash, using it in place of my conditioner didn't do enough for me. I was having to apply moisturising creams and hair oils to boost hydration and add nourishments to my lengths afterwards. However, as soon as I started leaving it in, changes to the quality of my hair were more noticeable. My hair is all the happier for it - it feels smoother, looks sleeker and my ends look a lot less frazzled. Do I think this is as good as other, more recognisable bond-repair products? Not for me, no. The results weren't as transformative. Because of how often I colour my hair, I prefer something that makes it look and feel like I've never sat in a colourist's chair. This doesn't quite cut it, my hair is almost too damaged. Do I think it would have better results on someone who's hair doesn't take such regular batterings as mine? Yes, absolutely. It's a brilliant treatment for hair that's in need of some TLC every so often. And if nothing else, I promise your hair will have never smelt as good.
If you have curly hair, you’ll already know this, but for my straight-haired girls, here’s the deal: curly hair means never knowing what it will be like on any given day. This meant I spent most of my teens straightening my hair to within an inch of its life, but now, at the ripe old age of 33, I’ve decided to embrace my hair in its natural form, or at least try to. Earlier this year, I had my first-ever designated curly girl haircut at Gina Conway Salon — a former Marie Claire UK Sustainability Awards-winner, which honestly changed my life, or at least, my locks. Since then, I’ve been half-heartedly following the Curly Girl Method in a desperate bid to keep my hair in the bouncy, healthy condition it was when I left the salon. I’ve been avoiding products with sulphates and cutting down on shampoo, and while I’ve never had more consistent curls, my hair feels dry and wiry at times. So, when news of Fenty Hair’s The Comeback Kid made the office rounds, I immediately signed up.
Initial thoughts:
I’m a bit of a hair novice (I let it air dry, and if I’m feeling indulgent, I’ll run some oil through the ends after a weekly hair wash), so perhaps a more educated consumer wouldn’t have the same issue. The issue being, I had no idea how to use the product. From what I could gather from the thumbnail illustrations on the back, I assumed I needed to use the product after washing my hair, leave it in for a while, and then wash it out. How much product I should use was anyone’s guess.
First attempt:
I proceeded with caution the first time and used a small amount left on for a few minutes. The product smelt great - like summer, but not the tropical bubblegum stuff I’m used to, being the Luddite I am. I didn’t know how to treat my hair while the product was on - do I smooth it over from tip to end? Run it through the bottom? As I’m in the midst of another doomed attempt at the Curly Girl Method, I ran my fingers through the lengths and then scrunched it for a minute to try to encourage the curls - which, of course, dropped out as soon as I washed the product out. Afterwards, my hair smelt great, but there weren’t any noticeable differences in the texture of my hair, and I’d say that it was less curly than usual. The bottle looks chic on my shelf, though, and, as I said to my boyfriend, who couldn’t share in my enthusiasm, it had a weighty lid and overall feels like a premium product.
After weeks of trying:
Instead of washing it out, I started leaving the product in, sleeping in a microfibre hair wrap, and then when it’s damp but not yet dry (which can take forever as I have very porous hair), I’d plait it to lock in moisture and encourage a better wave as my curls have become a little lacklustre since using The Comeback Kid. Keeping the product in overnight helped maintain a wave, but oddly, my hair felt drier for it (though it still smelt great). I can’t say that I’ve noticed any visible difference in my hair quality, but it’s not worse, either. I’ll stick with it, but I’ll probably reserve it for monthly use or the rare occasions that I use heat on it and it could do with a little boost.
COILY HAIR
As anyone with coily hair will tell you, it can be wildly unpredictable. I can follow my usual cleanse, condition and styling routine one day and get the result I want - soft defined bouncy curls - yet repeat the same method the next to find my locks a frizzy mess. My hair is currently dry, sun damaged and has a tendency to break easily despite the products I use, so I was eager to try The Comeback Kid - a product which promises to strengthen and condition from root to tip.
Initial thoughts:
‘Instant damage repair’ is a big claim, which had me instantly drawn in but what intrigued me most about this product was the fact it could be used either as a normal post shampoo conditioner which rinses out, or a leave-in conditioner depending on hair needs. I loved that, as I usually have to buy two products and here was one that I could use both ways.
First attempt:
There wasn’t much instruction on what quantity to use aside from ‘enough to distribute from room to tip’ so I experimented with a large dollop for each half of my head on my first attempt. It smelled light and summery and worked as an excellent detangler on just washed hair in the shower and combed through. It penetrated the strands easily and my hair felt smooth. I decided to leave in on my first go and my curls dried nicely defined and frizz free, although a little stiff.
After weeks of trying:
I experimented with different quantities depending on whether I was leaving in or rinsing out and discovered the perfect quantity for my fine but frizzy hair to give me definition without heaviness. On days I felt my hair needed that moisture boost, this was an effective easy to use daily leave-in conditioner, provided I was wearing my hair up as it did leave curls looking a little greasy. In the end, I came to the conclusion it worked better for me as a traditional conditioner that I washed out. Used regularly, my split ends were less visible, hair felt shinier and curls were more defined. I'd also say that as lovely as it smells, the fragrance is little pungent. Fresh and floral to start, but the dry down is a little acrid by the end of the day. Something to be weary of if you’re leaving it in.
THE VERDICT
This product takes some getting used to. Be prepared to play around with it, because it can be used it different ways, you have to find your groove with it. However, once a technique had been nailed down, some of us found great success. Hair was smoother, stronger, curls were more defined and split ends looked non-existent. However, getting to that point certainly took time. At £34 some people won't want to experiment with that kind of price to get the desired results.
On the other hand, it is hands down the best smelling hair product team Marie Claire has ever tried. Please Fenty, bottle this for your new Eau De Parfum?
