If there’s something to know about me, it’s that I love anything customized, personalized, monogrammed — you name it. If I can put an initial on it, you know that I will. And when it comes to beauty products, I’m the same; and while customizable skincare and made-to-order makeup have made some waves in the mainstream beautysphere, compared to the world of bespoke hair products? They have a long way to go. One such brand, Function of Beauty, was virtually inescapable at its peak — and I’ll admit, I was a fan myself. However, after a 2021 scandal involving customers claiming to have suffered hair loss as a result of using the brand’s products, the future of Function seemed uncertain. (Writer’s note: I personally did not experience any issues using Function of Beauty products, including the line offered at Target, which was also mentioned in VICE’s reporting.)

But is a comeback around the corner? With a new range of Function of Beauty products available exclusively at Sephora, the signs point to: Definitely, maybe. I for one, was eager to try the products; but the true test, of course, would be how the formulas actually worked with my hair.

Custom Recovery Shampoo for Wavy, Damaged Hair, $24
Custom Recovery Conditioner Mask for Wavy, Damaged Hair, $28

If you’re not familiar with Function of Beauty’s whole thing, here’s a quick rundown: First, you pick a shampoo and conditioner base, then add ampoules (which the brand calls “hair goals”) to customize your base formulas with added benefits like hydration, frizz control, shine, among others. (The online experience has extra perks like choosing a pastel hue of your shampoo and conditioner, plus inscribing your name on the bottles.) However, Function of Beauty PRO feels less made-for-social-media and more for a consumer who is not effing around with their hair.

Function of Beauty PRO offers four shampoo-and-conditioner-mask base options, depending on your hair texture: Straight, wavy, curly, and coily. For the mix-ins, options ranged from The Moisture Shot (hydrating) to The Lift Legend (volumizing) to The Color Savior (to maintain vibrancy of color-treated hair). I went with the Custom Recovery Shampoo for Wavy, Damaged Hair and the corresponding Custom Recovery Conditioner Mask. My four mix-ins were focused on hydration and scalp health, so I added two each to the shampoo and conditioner. (This is the fun part, as I absolutely love playing chemist.)

After adding each concentrate in one at a time, it was time to hop into the shower. Both the shampoo and conditioner mask are Clean at Sephora-certified, meaning they’re made free of sulfates, phthalates, silicones, among other ingredients. Even so, I was surprised at the lush lather I got from the shampoo. (Sulfates usually help give shampoos and soaps that sudsy, foamy quality.) After working it through my roots and ends, I applied the conditioner mask from mid-lengths to ends, per the instructions. (Both products are lightly fragranced, which I personally don’t mind, but FYI if you’re sensitive to those things!) Then, I rinsed it out and threw my hair up in an Aquis towel to help it dry. If I don’t add any hair oil to my damp strands post-shower, it usually results in frizz — and lots of it. I was curious to see how Function of Beauty’s system would fare on its own, so I let my hair air-dry without a drop of product. To my surprise, the results were…not terrible! There was still a perceptible halo of flyaways, but definitely fewer than normal. (The verdict? Definitely in favor of Function of Beauty.)

At $24 for the shampoo and $28 for the conditioner mask (both generously sized at 11 ounces and seven ounces, respectively), plus $4 per add-on concentrate, Function of Beauty’s PRO line is definitely catering to a luxury hair product consumer — and the entire experience definitely does reflect that. That said, for the price point (especially compared to other similarly-priced brands), I’d say you’re definitely getting your money’s worth. I genuinely loved how my hair looked and felt after using the products for a few weeks, and would definitely recommend them to anyone who is looking to truly pamper their hair. (And even if you don’t have a lot of hair damage to begin with, it’s always a good move to keep your hair as healthy as possible.) All in all, this product snob was solidly impressed with Function of Beauty, and hope this marks a new, less-problematic chapter for the brand.

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