Imagine a new kind of M&M's with a hundred times more chocolate packed into every morsel. Or a bag of rainbow Skittles with an actual pot of gold inside. When it comes to hair care, you don't have to just imagine the extra indulgences: L'Oreal's new Vive Pro line really is a chemically souped-up version of the drugstore classic. Why call it "Pro" when any consumer can easily purchase a bottle? Well, when L'Oreal decided to reformulate Vive, they turned to a team of professionals for guidance--and not just any professionals, but renowned hair gurus Garren, Christophe Robin, and Orlando Pita.

The result? Shampoos and conditioners that are truly transformative: Color Vive Pro makes dull, drab tresses appear more vibrant; Style and Body Infusing Vive Pro takes strands from limp to full-bodied; Smooth Intense Vive Pro turns frizzy manes into soft, silky ones; and Vive Pro for Men bulks up thinning hair and prevents dandruff. Within each category, there are several options depending on your hair type (so girls with thick tresses, for example, can purchase a customized version of Smooth Intense Vive Pro that's different than the one their fine-haired friends will use).

Since the summer sun, salt water, and chlorine had left my once-dazzling multitonal strands looking ho-hum, I turned to Color Vive Pro Shampoo and Conditioner for Highlighted Hair ($5 each; walgreens.com). After using the duo for a week, my highlights were noticeably brighter and more lustrous (like I'd paid for a pro job, which I did, rather than suffered a D.I.Y. disaster); plus, my hair felt silkier and more manageable. Meanwhile, a certain man I know (I'm sworn to secrecy) had equally good luck with Vive Pro for Men, emerging with a flake-free, fuller head of hair after only a few washes. --Marissa Kristal

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