Wen 613 Review & Giveaway

I've been using Wen for about two years now and although I've tried many of the different scents and formulas, 613 is by far my favorite. The lemon, rosemary, & vanilla bean scent is just so delicious...it's warm and fresh at the same time, not too sweet, and very spa-like. It's also the most nourishing of all the Wen formulas, perfect for my drier skin and hair. I recently had the opportunity to test out more products from line courtesy of QVC (I had previously used only the Cleansing Conditioner and Styling Creme) and they are generously giving away an entire set to one Budget Beauty Blog reader, so don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this post!

I'm going to go through the products one by one and talk about how I use them. In particular, the cleansing conditioner should be used a certain way to get the best results. I've known a few people who gave up on it because they felt like their hair didn't feel clean or was weighted down (and this goes for all cleansing conditioners, not just Wen). I used to have the same issues, but after watching the Wen presentations on QVC for a while now, I realized that I was just doing it wrong!

First, let's talk about 613 Daily Cleansing Treatment. It's packed with really nourishing ingredients like natural plant oils and extracts, 11 amino acids (which are the building blocks of hair), and protein to make weak, damaged hair stronger and healthier. I only use it once a week because I don't want to add too much protein to my hair...over a long period of time, it can do more damage than good. When I bleach my hair, it can become very stretchy feeling when it's wet and this tells me I need more protein in my hair. When your hair has very little stretch and breaks off easily, you have too much protein in your hair and it can become so strong that it becomes brittle and breaks off (it happened to me once after using too many protein-rich products).
So I use 613 once a week on Sundays as a treatment and either a different Wen conditioner during the week or a regular shampoo and conditioner.  Chaz recommends not using shampoo at all when you're using Wen, but I do like to use a clarifying shampoo once a week to get rid of silicones and build-up in my hair. I just love how this treatment makes my hair stronger, shinier and healthier!

Here's how I use Wen (all types, not just 613):

Step 1: When I get into the shower, I rinse my hair and massage the water through for a full minute to get rid of a lot of the dirt and oil on my hair and scalp. This loosens everything, allowing Wen to do it's job...remember, it's not as stripping as shampoo so this step helps it to clean better.
Step 2: I use about 8-10 full pumps for my hair length...enough to completely saturate my hair. This step is so important! I used to skimp on it, thinking that the recommendation was just a ploy to get people  to use it up faster, but that's not the case at all. I didn't get great results at first because I wasn't using enough product...I can't stress this enough!
Step 3: Add a splash of water...this helps to spread Wen throughout your hair. It won't lather, but adding water will emulsify it a bit.
Step 4: Rinse and repeat! I do a second wash because it helps my fine hair to get super clean...I don't want any added weight.
Step 5: After I apply Wen a second time and emulsify with water, I comb my hair with a wide-tooth comb and leave it in for the rest of my shower.
Step 6: After rinsing, if your hair is dry, you can add a tiny amount back into soaking wet hair as a leave-in conditioner. I only put it from the mid-shaft down.

I also keep a bottle of the 613 Ultra Nourishing Styling Creme right in the shower with me. This is meant to be used on soaking wet hair after cleansing (I only use about a pea-sized amount, maybe a little bit more). It adds so much volume to my hair, it's crazy! Here are some recent photos...the one on the left is what my hair looks like when I don't use this and the photo on the right is when I do. It gives it lots of bounce and movement which I love! I use it even when I use regular shampoo and conditioner.

Before blow drying, I use the 613 Replenishing Treatment Mist on my hair to give it a little bit more moisture and protection. It contains the amino acid complex, vitamins, and botanicals to make your hair soft and shiny. It can also be used on your face and body as a lightweight hydrating treatment mist (and it smells soooo good).

Finally, the 613 Ultra Nourishing Intensive Body Treatment is pure heaven and I'm so happy I finally got to try it. First of all, it has that amazing 613 scent (you can also get in unscented in the 319 version) and it transforms my skin from its usual dry, flaky state to soft, smooth, and buttery. It absorbs so quickly, I didn't think it was going to do much...but then I noticed an hour later that my legs were super soft. I'm seriously in love with this body treatment.

Unfortunately, this value set sold out quickly on the QVC website so it's no longer available, but the individual products are still there if there's something you want to try. Also, I'm giving away the entire collection ($172 value!) featured in this post to one lucky reader, and you can enter below...good luck!



Wen 613 Giveaway