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Shtrands Subscription Box Review + Coupon – December 2016

Haley Faye
ByHaley FayeJan 2, 2017 | 22 comments

shtrands-december-2016-box

Shtrands
5 overall rating
3 Ratings | 0 Reviews

SHTRANDS is a subscription box that sends you customized hair care regimens from a team of hairstylists and cosmetic chemists every two months. The hair care regimen includes 4 full sized cleansing, conditioning and styling products. Products included in the box should last you two months. At any point in the subscription, you can choose to receive a completely new regimen or a mix of new products and ones you have already received and loved.

FYI - Before SHTRANDS sent me the first box to review I filled out a hair questionnaire. Because my items are based on my personal preferences, my Shtrands delivery will probably be different than others. After receiving you receive your first box they let you provide feedback and you can get the same products or different ones.

shtrands-december-2016-packaging

This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

Each box comes with a really nice, durable canvas bag. It has loop handle on the left side and a zipper top. It’s nice and big and would be perfect for traveling and organizing. I’m so excited to have a bunch of these.

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The Subscription Box: SHTRANDS

Cost: $59.00 + free shipping for 2-month plan or $149 + free shipping for 6-month plan (bag delivered every other month). You receive one free hair care regimen (4 products) with 12-month plan purchase. There is also a Try It option that delivers a bag once every three months for $59. 

ACTIVE DEAL: Save 15% off any subscription!
CODE: HAIRLOVE

Products: Customized hair care regimen: 4 full-size cleansing, conditioning and styling products.

Ships to: Continental U.S. only

Check out all of our SHTRANDS reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

shtrands-december-2016-info

Each box includes an info card – on the front was this adorable message from Mara, the shipping manager! So cute.

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The handwriting is a nice touch that makes it feel personal, but part of me wishes it were typed just for ease of reading. I could make it out, though, so it was fine.

shtrands-december-2016-items1

Abba Volumizing Root Spray – 8 fl oz, Value $20

I really love this root spray! It’s light and definitely helped add some volume when I used this on my hair. It didn’t leave my hair feeling heavy or greasy at all, and it smells good too. This is definitely a nice find for me!

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Abril et Nature Cell Innove Instant Mask/Conditioner – 200 ml (6.8 oz), value: $30?

This brand, Abril et Nature, is based in Barcelona and is not even sold in the US! They’re only sold to salons in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and the Middle East. Shtrands is actually the first to have these their products in the U.S.! Fancy. Therefore, the U.S. prices/values are a little hard to nail down and I’m mostly going off what I could find in Euros from foreign websites.

This “instant mask” is great to use as a conditioner because you wash it out immediately. This product smells so good! It contains a protein complex and plant stem cell culture from Swiss apples to be powerfully strengthening. I definitely feel that my hair has been more hydrated and healthier after a week using this conditioner (with the corresponding shampoo).

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Abril et Nature Age Reset Finish Spray – Value $20?

This spray can be applied to damp or dry hair to boost the volume and strength of your hair. I really like this! Personally, I prefer it more on damp hair because I feel like styling/drying emphasizes the effect more than dry. It’s also definitely a wet formula, so if you apply to dry hair you have to use quite sparingly, I felt. An interesting product, for sure! I know I’ll use the whole bottle.

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Abril et Nature Age Reset Shampoo – 250 ml/8.5 oz, Value $33?

This shampoo is also designed to increase the thickness of the hair fibers, filling from within and increasing volume. The instructions for this product says to “wash hair as usual; leave in for some minutes and rinse.” I’m not sure how long “some minutes” is, but I kept it for maybe like, 3 minutes. Along with the corresponding instant mask/conditioner above, I have definitely noticed a difference in the smoothness and strength of my hair.

Verdict: This is my second regimen from SHTRANDS and I have to applaud them for being pretty much the only hair subscription I’ve tried that has sent products that have really made a noticeable or dramatic difference in my hair. Plus, the fact that Abril et Nature brand is unavailable anywhere in the U.S. except this box is super cool. Also, that makes values difficult to pin down. SHTRANDS told me that the values are probably about $20-40 depending on the line and product, so I used that information and the prices in Euros I found around the ‘net to estimate my values here.

In our correspondence, the CEO, Lacramioara, told me that her team is slowly bringing on new brands to add to their inventory and that she has actually turned down over half of the products they have received to test for featuring so far! It’s clear that SHTRANDS really prioritizes quality.

What do you think about SHTRANDS?

Starting at $59.00
Active Deal
Save 15% off any subscription!
Use Coupon Code HAIRLOVE
Subscribe Now
Shtrands is a personalized luxury hair care regimen subscription for women delivered every other month. We are a team of chemists and hairstylists working with selected emerging innovative brands and professional brands to deliver hair care regimens tailored to each woman's hair texture, concerns an... read more.
Haley Faye
Haley Faye
Haley Faye first discovered the wonderful world of subscription boxes in 2012 and began writing for MSA in 2014. Over the years, she has found many subscriptions to love. Now a mom of three, her favorite boxes are ones that dress her kids, help her get organized, feed her family, send her snacks, and offer educational fun for her children.

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22 comments

Molly

I went to it and signed up after reading this and a few other reviews, and was impressed with how quickly I got my first shipment! Strands sent me a set of Abril et Nature products similar to Haley’s, but with different specific ones chosen. While I don’t notice a huge difference after using them for a couple of weeks, they do seem nice and gentle on my hair, and have reduced frizziness, and do have a nice, light scent. I especially like using the cooling shampoo, which is gentle but also tingles a little. They mostly seem formulated to thicken strands, and since I have fairly fine hair, that seems like probably a good fit.

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Mellissa Plowman

Do you have items geared toward oily hair? I’d love them to be more natural and still cruelty free. Thanks!

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Lacramioara

Hi Melissa. Thank you for your interest. Yes, we do have products good for oily hair. I did answer to you earlier more elaborate but didn’t post yet.

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Lacramioara

ok, maybe I didn’t submit it properly. I general, the products geared towards volume (even if you don’t necessary want that) are good for oily hair because they tend to dry out the hair a little (by opening up the cuticles). Thats why women with dry hair who want volume and use volumizing shampoos, complain about drying out too much drying…in that case is better to use nourishing shampoos/conditioners and use other products to add temporary volume. But for oily hair, these work the best; and all products for oily scalp.

Lacramioara

Hi Mellissa, yes we do have products good for oily hair. In general, products formulated for “volume” are good for oily hair (even if you dont necessary want that) because they tend to dry more the hair . Many times women with dry hair and who want more volume complain that the volumizing products dry out their hair too much. And its true. Rather use a nutritive shampoo and add volume with other type of products.

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Monica

Seems like a great box. I requested cruelty-free, vegan products. Subscribed!

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Lacramioara

Thank you, Monica! Will send you products as per your request 🙂

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monah

Is there a way to request only cruelty-free products?

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Lacramioara

Hi Monah, thank you for your interest. Please add in the Notes section your request. Good question, we’ll update the profile with this option. We do have few brands that specifically are labeled as cruelty-free.

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Teri

Hi. I am trying to start a sub but have 3 in my cart and cant remove the extra 2. Help?

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Lacramioara

Hi Teri, really sorry for this. Can you please clear your browser or use a different device? ipad, phone or laptop? I know its annoying, we will fix this soon.

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Teri

I used my phone and subbed!! YAY!! I am really impressed by the fast response here!! Thank You!!

Kristin

I really want to try this! This whole box would be perfect for me because I need Volume my hair is so thin! If I order this on Thursday would I get this month Box like you Haley? Great Review!!! Happy New Year to all.

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Lacramioara

Hi Kristin, thank you for your interest in Shtrands. It is a personalized service so you will get products tailored to your hair/scalp type. Depending on your profile, you might receive the same products as Haley did. Each member is on her own schedule, we don’t have a “December box”. Haley received it during the month of Dec, so thats why she called it that way. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

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Mandy

I need to subscribe to this. I love trying out new shampoos and conditioners. I hope there’s a way to not receive styling products though; I’m strictly a wash and air dry person. (Read: lazy)

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Melissa

I’m the same way. Shtrands sent me some kind of a spray gel that I spray on my wet hair before bed and then I can roll out of bed and go to work in the morning. It’s amazing. By John Sebastian I think. Awesome box.

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Lacramioara

Hi Mandy, thank you for your interest in Shtrands. You can let us know in your profile (there is a place for notes) what you DO NOT want to receive and what you are most interested in. It is a truly personalized service.

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Luna

That feature of being able to list what I’d prefer not to get, and the fact that Strands listened, is what really made me appreciate your subscription. I’m just like Mandy in that I LOVE to try new shampoos & conditioners, but I also love hair treatments & leave-ins. While I do use some styling products, they’re not “fun” for me to try, plus I’m also very lazy when it comes to styling my hair, so those styling products I do use is very minimal. Anyway, I only subcribed for one box last year, and I loved it! The products sent were perfect for me (shampoo, conditioner, mask & oil)! (I only unsubbed because I was taking a temporary hiatus from boxes.) With the discount code, I see myself resubbing for six months very soon! 🙂

Susan

I love this subscription! I had to put it on hold because of product overload but am starting it back up in February. I am excited to see what they send.

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