Get It: A Q&A + Review on The Tress Club
Editors note: Since publishing, The Tress Club is no longer in business. All links to The Tress Club have been removed but the remainder of the post was left as written. -DS
There’s a subscription box out there for everyone and my little hair-obsessed Virgo heart found mine. The Tress Club is a quarterly box customized to my hair type filled with thoughtfully curated, full-sized hair products just por moi. Tress Club seemed to hear my cries of frizzy, unmanageable hopelessness, and sent out a sign they knew I would be sure to get; a targeted ad on Instagram. You can find my detailed review after my (virtual) sit-down with Mary.
Started in Silicon Valley, Hair Stylist Mary Rouse saw a gap in the market and decided to address it. Mary seems to have a firm grasp on how to achieve good hair days more than not. Browsing her professional Instagram @maryrousehair, her clients have the perfect balance of better-than-natural locks that are nothing short of enviable.
“I hear the same complaint every single day: I can never get
my hair to look as good as it does when I leave the salon.”
Super lucky for us, who are too far to visit her chair, she’s developed an amazing selection of products plus the most informative blog to shake up our unsatisfying routines and put the knowledge of how to get (and maintain) great hair right into our fingertips.
Q&A with Tress Club’s haircare goddess, Mary Rouse:
Also super lucky for us, I had the opportunity to pick Mary’s brain for a quick look inside her genius services:
AMK: What box do you use for your own hair?
MR: I alternate between the Frizz-Free Box and the TLC box. I have always had frizzy and wavy hair that needs to be smoothed, but sometimes after I get my highlights done I like to use the TLC box to put some protein back into it to repair the damage.
What’s the biggest complaint you get in your chair about hair?
I hear the same complaint every single day at work, without fail: "I can never get my hair to look as good as it does when I leave the salon."
100% of the time it is because they aren't using great products at home that are relevant to their hair type and texture, and that they just need a tutorial or two on how to style it themselves!
If you could only use one product for your hair for the rest of your days what would it be and why?
Leave-In Conditioner! It is the one product that every single hair type needs to be using to keep it healthy, moisturized, and protected from the elements! My current favorite is the 7 Seconds Detangler by UNITE, but I'm always switching it up.
There are more than a few subscription boxes on the market, what did you feel was missing that made you want to create your own?
We are a service that is for hair and hair only. I wanted to provide customers a customized experience of having a professional handpick products specifically for them based on the type and texture of their hair. I noticed my clients were spending hundreds of dollars getting their haircut and color done and then going to the grocery store to buy their shampoo which led them to frustration with their hair in the long run.
I want to disrupt that cycle and introduce women to their new favorite products and brands while teaching them how to do their hair.
"Avoid buying box dyes and reach out to your stylist
to see if they are selling at-home color kits.”
How do you curate the boxes? Are these products that are near and dear to you?
The contents of each launch are reflective of what everyone's hair needs during the current season. Like our skin, our hair is constantly changing with the climate and changes throughout the year, and our at-home regimens should be adjusted accordingly.
I try every single product on my own hair and have other friends of mine who are professionals with different textures experiment with the product as well to get a variety of unbiased opinions. I only want the best of the best in my boxes!
What’s your favorite hairstyle?
My go-to style on my own hair is down with beach waves. My favorite trending hairstyle right now is the one-length lob (long bob).
What’s a quick tip you share to help someone who’s not feeling their quarantine hair?
If it’s been longer than 12 weeks since you’ve seen your stylist for a trim, you should be using a moisturizing hair mask in place of conditioner every-other time you wash your hair. This will keep it hydrated, shiny, and will prevent your ends from breaking.
As for your hair color... Avoid buying box dyes and reach out to your stylist to see if they are selling at-home color kits. A lot of stylists are offering this to their clients to support them and their families during this difficult time.
And if it really comes down to it, I’ve shared a video tutorial on the blog to help you cut your own hair.
Lastly, since we’re all lost in a little bit of wanderlust right now: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be and with whom?
A big beach house with my family and our loved ones. And all the dogs of course!
Curious about Tress Club?
I get so excited to share things I love, and after taking the online quiz to figure out the type of box I needed, I have since received two of the @thetressclub boxes — and I can confidently say this is the happiest I have been with my hair in a while.
The winter box came with the Aquis hair system that challenges everything I thought about hair care. With messaging like, “Wet hair is weak hair,” and an aim to make the time your hair is wet very short, I knew I was in for a treat. Aquis uses a pre-wash treatment, ‘No Poo’ cleanser, and a leave-in treatment to get you well on your way to shiny healthy locks.
My favorite, though, was the Aquis Hair Turbin, which is made of super absorbent microfiber cloth. I was shocked (and pleasantly surprised) how much time it saved me with drying. It was incredible. And who doesn’t need more time? Even in quarantine...
Thanks to Tress Club’s introduction, I have already changed so much in my hair routine. The spring box (Back to the Basics) came with a beautiful hairband and a how-to card to help me style my hair. I also received a complete routine of styling products and have found favorites from this box that I will be buying again. Needless to say, I’m a huge fan of the Tress Club and eagerly await the summer box.
Haircare with heart
The Tress Club will donate a portion of its annual profits to purchase high- quality wigs and silk hair scarves for women battling cancer so that they can also feel comfortable, confident, and empowered. 🖤