Atlanta humidity and my hair have never been friends.
My kinda-sorta-but-not-really curly, wavy, sometimes-straight hair has a habit of turning into a cloud of frizz the second I step outside. And because my hair is fine, finding something that smooths it without making it flat or greasy is its own challenge.
So, when Lanese Beauty sent tawny its scented hair oils to try, I knew exactly what I wanted to find out:
Could a hair oil actually tame my frizz without weighing my hair down?
The timing made the test even better. A few days before the oils arrived, I slipped on the slick brick steps outside our front door. Thankfully, I was fine, but a sore elbow meant styling my hair was pretty much off the table.
No blowout. No curling iron. No carefully styled waves.
Just my air-dried hair, Atlanta humidity, and Lanese Beauty.
Honestly? Perfect testing conditions.
Lanese Signature Finishing Hair Oils. Photo courtesy of Lanese Beauty.
Putting Lanese Beauty Hair Oil to the Test on Three Hair Types
I received all three scents of the Lanese Signature Finishing Oils: Marshmallow Cloud, French Crème, and Island Dream. My 17-year-old twin daughters happened to be in the kitchen when I opened the box and were immediately just as invested in smelling them as I was.
Luckily, we each preferred a different scent. Crisis avoided.
Unlike some hair oils we’ve tried, Lanese is designed as a finishing product for dry hair after styling. According to the brand, it can be used to smooth flyaways, soften hair, add shine, and give everything a more polished finish.
Naturally, we decided to see how it performed on three very different heads of hair.
Mom Tries It Out First
There was just one problem: I hadn’t styled my hair at all.
I let it air-dry and hoped for the best. I chose Island Dream, a warm, coconutty scent that immediately made me think of vacation.
Lanese recommends starting with a small amount of oil and adding more as needed. With my fine hair, I wasn’t about to test fate, so I started with two drops. I warmed the oil between my palms, lightly ran my hands down my hair, and gently scrunched the ends.
The difference was immediate.
My frizz visibly smoothed down, and my hair looked shiny without looking greasy. Even more surprising, it didn’t feel weighed down. If anything, my hair seemed to have more definition and body.
For the first time in a long time, I actually liked how my naturally curly-ish hair looked without styling it. It gave me that elusive yes, I totally meant for my hair to look like this effect.
After a full day of working and running errands, the smoothness and shine were still there.
The Girls Were Up Next
After my test went well, I recruited my daughters.
Both have hair that reaches almost to their waists, but their textures are completely different. One has incredibly thick hair that we lovingly call her “horse mane,” while the other has medium-textured hair.
My thick-haired daughter curled her hair before applying the oil. Her sister left hers as-is after sleeping on it, which meant there was plenty of frizz available for our experiment.
The results were similar across both hair types. Their hair looked smoother and shinier and felt noticeably softer without feeling oily.
And then came the teenage seal of approval: compliments.
Both girls had people comment on how good their hair looked and smelled. When you’re 17, I’m pretty sure that qualifies as peer-reviewed research.
The Surprise We Got the Morning After
This was the part I was particularly curious about.
My thick-haired daughter and I don’t wash our hair every day, and neither of us woke up with noticeably greasy hair after using the oil.
My other daughter normally washes hers daily, but she wasn’t feeling well and skipped it. She fully expected her hair to look oily the next morning.
It didn’t.
Okay, Lanese. We see you.
So Does It Really Work?
After trying the oil on three different hair textures, the biggest surprise was how lightweight it felt.
All three of us saw less visible frizz, more shine, and softer-feeling hair without the heavy or greasy finish we’ve experienced with some oils.
The one thing we agreed we’d change? We wanted more fragrance.
We could still smell the scents throughout the day, but considering how good they smelled, we wouldn’t have minded if they packed a little more punch.
My biggest advice is to take the brand’s “less is more” approach seriously, particularly if you have fine hair. Start small. You can always add another drop.
TAWNY TESTED: 9.5/10
Tames frizz? Yep.
Leaves hair shiny and soft? Absolutely.
Feels greasy or heavy? Not at all.
Would we use it again? Already planning to.
I’m still looking forward to trying Lanese after fully styling my hair, but considering what it did for my unstyled, humidity-hating hair on a bad hair day, I’d say it earned its place on my bathroom counter.