Yet, I'd not balk at shampoos and conditioners that were ringing in at eighteen to twenty-five dollars, even when I did not always see results that were superior to less expensive products (sometimes, I do, though). I never considered the breakage on my ends to be more than the often inevitable outcome of long hair needing a trim, or all the coloring that I do......its the same crazy logic where women won't wear sunscreen but spend lots of money on products to undo damage. It never occurred to me that the BRUSH that I used would make such a significant difference....but just like a story I read recently about a woman who used a friend's 'Cadillac' iron and it changing her feelings about ironing, these brushes changed my mind about what to expect from brushing in general. Whether you end up with a Jean-Pierre brush, a Mason-Pearson or another high-end product, consider this: a good brush does make a difference! It can help prevent damage, distribute scalp oils more evenly, encourage shine, and make styling more efficient and speedy. If your brush is not helping you do all these things, perhaps its time to re-evaluate what you're using...considering the shape, materials, and function as you do! That being said, here's the results of my Jean-Pierre experience.

The original company, Jean-Pierre Creations de Paris, Inc. was founded in Montreal in 1963. The products enjoyed popularity throughout Eastern Canada and the Quebec area for decades before the American sister company, House of Jean-Pierre, was established in 1995. The products are backed by a 100% unconditional warranty (including lifetime replacement), free gift wrapping and free shipping and are available on their website at www.jean-pierre-creations.com. One thing I particularly liked about the site, and the information I recieved is that there is comprehensive information on selection and care of these brushes. The investment, as the company president pointed out to me, is worth it as the brushes last easily 20 years, even with daily use. The most expensive brush in the line is $46.95, considerably less than the daunting prices of the Mason Pearson line.

THE FOUR BRUSHES I REVIEWED:
Prestige Melange, Privelege, Desiree and Classique are all distinctly different. Here's how I felt about them:

MELANGE - This is their newest hairbrush. The one I tried was a combination of first-cut natural boar bristle and black nylon, (suited for normal and very thick hair. )The site recommends this one in the all-boar for those with finer hair texture - and I think this would have been even better for me, not because my hair is fine textured but because of its dryness and it being color-treated). The very thickest heads of hair may respond best to the combination as listed here, or even the all-nylon because it 'cuts thru' hair a little better. However, because boar bristles are very efficient at distributing scalp oils, it helps encourage shine in the hair and cuts down on the 'oily scalp, dry hair' syndrome much better than any conditioner will...the full sized paddle brush was easy to use, the padded surface was gentle and comfortable, and was best suited for me as a general brushing tool. Four stars, very efficient and comfortable, it has indeed been more gentle to my hair and thus has become indispensable.

PRIVELEGE - I tried this long, slim brush in the Crystalline Nylon. While this brush, for regular brushing, struck me as a bit stronger than I wanted, and did not seem to cushion as much, it suited me very well for brushing my hair when it was wet, or for detail work where I needed something small and exacting. For the finest or most delicate hair, this would be best in the Natural Boar, so that the hair is given as gentle a treatment as possible. I did not use this one quite as much, but it was, by far, the best for thicker, coarser, wet or damp hair because it worked thru the strands easily, and it turns out, that's what its really made for. I would also think it would be great for short hair. Three and a half stars.

DESIREE - This brush has really sold me on the concept of all-boar bristles, and made me wish I'd tried the Melange in the boar as well! Its smaller size means it ended up in my purse, and what I really like it that it was small enough to fit in there, but large enough to be a quality brush for on the go touchups. Many small, cheap purse brushes I have found to be hard to manage, and quite hard on the head. This one, just like its larger cousins, was cushioned, comfortable, and easy on my hair and scalp. A terrific, reasonably priced quality brush for home or purse. Five stars!

CLASSIQUE - I did not use this wood-handled round, boar bristled brush quite as much, not so much because I did not like the concept or materials but because for round brush styling and blowdrying, I keep coming back to this gigantic aluminum-barrelled brush that I have had for awhile, and this one was a smaller circumference and had much longer bristles (which are harder for me to use when styling) than I usually use. They do make it in three different widths, so I know there are other ones that perhaps would have been better suited to my (now quite) long hair. This would make an EXCELLENT round brush for shorter, thin or fine hair, though, because it was gentle and did have boar bristles, the only bristle available on this particular model. I give it a hesitant three stars, because it was not quite right for me, but I imagine the larger barrel would have been fine.

Overall, I am really happy with my newfound brushes and the knowledge of 'what does what' when it comes to shape and type of bristle. With a particularly big 'thumbs up' to the Desiree and Melange, I recommend this as a great line for someone looking to step up into a higher quality brush at an affordable price. I saw a reduction in breakage, an increase in shine and less oily-vs-dry contrast from ends to scalp once I used these regularly. I don't think you'll be dissapointed!