World's most expensive shampoo? Beauty Pride's APPS+E(TPNa)

I feel like my hair is aging fast, so I went in search of something I might be able to do about it. Cosme just put out new rankings for shampoo, and Beauty Pride's APPS+E(TPNa) took top prize. The comments are positively glowing. Apparently, this stuff is the real deal and can actually reverse damage. Also, as the real deal, it is ridiculously expensive. A bottle of shampoo costs 8600 yen. Conditioner: 8600 yen. You can get samples online for about 2100 yen. This is a review of the sample sized product.

I have to admit, this is nice stuff. It feels good in your hands when you pump it out. It lathers nicely in your hair. The conditioner is thick, but doesn't weigh hair down. I used all the product in the individual use packets, but I think I could get away with using only half on my mid-length hair. In the end, I got soft, silky, bouncy hair. I got "just-stepped-out-of-the-salon" hair.

I usually wash my hair every 2-3 days, depending on my running schedule. On day 2, my hair continued to be soft and manageable. No noticeable traces of oil/grease. After pulling my hair into a low ponytail for an 80 minute yoga class, there are no traces of the "band."

Some of the comments on cosme say that after an initial great impression, the product fails to "wow" the second time. So, I washed my hair with Beauty Pride's APPS+E(TPNa) shampoo and conditioner a second time, using only half the product in the individual packets, on day 3 (no other product used in between). I also did not style my hair after washing, so this was all the work of the product. I have to say, it was lovely. It still had that light-bouncy-soft feeling.

I am torn. I LOVE these products, but the cost is SO high!

So, I tried a little experiment. First, I shampooed with my normal MUJI seven herb. I followed up with the APPS+E(TPNa) conditioner. Result: Nice hair. Not quite as bouncy as when I used both products together, but it had the same look on day one, day two, not so much. Also, it felt like there was product in my hair, but nothing like the after-product feel of the Mogans conditioner.

Then, I shampooed and conditioned with the MUJI and Mogans. Same results that I normally get. Ok, but not great.

Finally, I shampooed with the APPS+E(TPNa) and followed up with the Mogan's conditioner. Result: almost the same results as with the regular MUJI and Mogans.

So, if I can stomach the price, I will first buy the conditioner. When my MUJI shampoo runs out, then I'll spring for the conditioner. I'm trying to remind myself that I spring for facial beauty products, why not some for my hair?