We get asked about the Davines Oi line almost every day behind the chair, and the question that comes up most is whether the smaller trial kit is actually worth grabbing before you commit to full sizes. So here is our honest take from the team at Sølvi Salon, our Scandinavian-inspired studio at 104 S Capitol Blvd in downtown Boise. We have used this product on real heads of hair, in our dry Idaho air, and we have opinions.
The short version. The Davines OI Ambiance To Go Kit runs $30.00 and gives you a low-commitment way to test the Oi softener before you buy the bigger bottle. For most of our guests, that is money well spent. For a few, it is not the right pick. Here is how we sort it out.
What you are actually getting
This is the trial-size version of the Oi softener. The hero ingredient is Roucou oil, which is where the antioxidant smoothing comes from. It is a weightless softener, so it works through clean, damp hair to leave it softer and shinier without the greasy, weighed-down feeling that heavier oils can cause. You comb a small amount through, then style as usual. That is the whole routine. No heat activation, no rinsing, no second step required.
The other thing you are paying for is the scent. Oi has a signature warm, lightly sweet smell that lingers most of the day. Some people fall in love with it on the first use. A few find it too present. The kit is the cheapest way to find out which camp you land in before you bring home a full bottle.
Why it works so well in Boise
Our climate is hard on hair. Boise sits in high desert, the humidity stays low most of the year, and that dry air pulls moisture out of the cuticle and leaves frizz and flyaways behind. A weightless softener like this one is a smart match for that problem. The Roucou oil smooths the surface and tames frizz without adding the heaviness that fine Idaho hair tends to hate. We reach for it on guests with dry or frizzy texture, and it pulls its weight without flattening anything.
If you have ever walked out of a blowout looking polished and then watched it puff up by the time you reach your car in February, this is the kind of product we would point you toward. It is one of the staples we keep stocked because it solves a real local problem.
The honest drawback
Here is where we keep it real. This is a trial kit, and trial sizes do not last long. If you have thick, long, or very coarse hair, you will burn through the smaller size quickly, and the per-use cost stops making sense fast. For that situation we would tell you to skip the kit and go straight to the full size.
The second honest note is about what this product does not do. It is a softener, not a styler. It gives you slip, shine, and frizz control, but it offers no hold and no structure. If you want grip for a textured cut or a style that needs to stay put, this is not your product. Pair it with a styling product, or look at something else entirely. We would rather tell you that now than have you disappointed later.
Who it is for, and who it is not
Buy the kit if you have fine to medium hair, you fight dryness or frizz, and you want to test the Oi softener and its scent before committing. At $30.00 it is a fair, low-risk way to find your answer.
Skip it if you have a lot of hair to cover, since the trial size will not stretch, or if what you actually need is hold rather than softness. In both of those cases the kit is the wrong tool, and we will happily steer you to a better one when you come in.
How we use it at the studio
Our stylists work a small amount through towel-dried hair before a blow-dry, then add a touch to the mid-lengths and ends once the hair is dry to chase down any leftover frizz. A little goes a long way, which is part of why the trial size is enough for most people to get a true read on whether they want more. If you want us to demo it on your hair and show you the right amount for your texture, that is exactly the kind of thing we cover during a service. You can see what we offer on our services page.
Curious enough to try it for yourself? Come see us in downtown Boise. You can book an appointment online, and we will help you decide whether the kit or the full size is the smarter buy for your hair.