Refill pouches are one of those things clients ask us about constantly at the chair. "Is the Davines Love Smoothing Refill Pouch actually worth it, or is it just a fancier way to buy shampoo?" Fair question. We stock it on our shelves here at Sølvi, and we use the Love Smoothing line in the studio, so we are going to give you the honest version. Not the marketing version.
What it actually is
The Love Smoothing Refill Pouch is a shampoo refill, not a set. One pouch holds 500ml (16.8 oz), which is the equivalent of two standard bottles of the Love Smoothing shampoo, and the refill format uses roughly 74% less plastic than buying two bottles. It runs $56 at our front desk. So to be clear from the start: that $56 buys you a single 500ml shampoo refill. Nothing else is in the bag.
The Love Smoothing line from Davines leans on natural smoothing ingredients to soften coarse, frizz-prone texture rather than coating the hair in heavy silicones. It is built around Minuta olive extract, a Slow Food Presidia ingredient that softens the hair and adds shine. That matters for the kind of hair that goes flat and greasy fast when you load it up with the wrong products.
How we use it behind the chair
The shampoo does its job in the shower, the same way any good cleanser would. You lather, you rinse, and you follow with your conditioner. There is no leave-in step inside this pouch, so a refill on its own will not make your hair blow-dry smoother by itself.
If you want the full smoothing effect we talk about with clients, that comes from a separate product: the Love Smoothing Perfector. It is a leave-in thermal cream that you work through damp hair before you blow-dry, and it protects the hair up to 450°F. The Perfector is the step that cuts blow-dry time and gives you that sleeker, frizz-tamed finish. We sell it separately, so ask your stylist for the current price when you pick up your shampoo refill. Running both is what we reach for on coarse, thick hair that fights the brush, but they are two products, and you can absolutely buy just the shampoo.
Why it matters in Boise
Boise is dry. Really dry. Our high desert air pulls moisture out of hair fast, and that is a recipe for the kind of static frizz that no amount of brushing fixes. A smoothing shampoo is a solid base for that fight because it cleans without stripping. If you want the cuticle to have something to hold onto when the humidity drops to single digits, that is where the leave-in Perfector earns its keep. We see this all winter long with clients across the Treasure Valley.
If you have ever walked out of a salon with perfect hair and watched it puff up by the time you got to your car downtown, this is the category of product that addresses that.
The honest drawbacks
Here is the part the box will not tell you. The shampoo itself suits most coarse and frizz-prone hair, but the smoothing routine is not for everyone. If your hair is fine, limp, or already pretty straight, the leave-in Perfector can weigh it down and make it look flat or even a little greasy by the second day. We have had fine-haired clients try the Perfector and come back saying it was too much. That is real feedback, and we would rather you know now.
None of this is a keratin treatment or a chemical smoothing service. It softens and tames day to day. It will not give you pin-straight hair that lasts for months. If you want a longer-lasting result, that is a conversation for an in-chair service, not a bottle. You can see what we offer on our services page.
And to be blunt about the pouch part: a refill is a refill. If you have never used the Love Smoothing shampoo before, you may want to start with a full-size bottle so you have something to pour into. The pouch is the smart, lower-waste move once you are already a fan.
So, is it worth it?
For the right hair, yes. If you have thick, coarse, or frizz-prone hair, $56 for a 500ml shampoo refill is a fair deal, especially since it works out to two bottles' worth of product with a lot less plastic. That is genuinely the part we appreciate. For fine or already-smooth hair, we would steer you toward something lighter, and we are happy to do that in person.
If you are not sure which camp you fall into, ask your stylist. We can feel your texture, see how your hair behaves, and tell you straight whether the shampoo, the Perfector, or both make sense for you. Come see us at our studio at 104 S Capitol Blvd in downtown Boise, or book an appointment online and bring it up at your next visit. We would rather sell you the right thing than the expensive thing.