I Tried Custom Shampoo & Conditioner From Function Of Beauty & I'm Obsessed

Walk down a hair care aisle and the options are overwhelming: Volumizing, smoothing, and what's a co-wash? I hardly know what products are best for my hair, and if my hair needs more than one of those things? Forget about it. Function of Beauty reviews piqued my interest in a brand that's here to change all of that.

Function of Beauty was co-founded by Zahir Dossa, an MIT graduate with a background in computer science and engineering, who saw an opening in the haircare market, and had a reason to fill it (he has long hair). Dossa's goal wasn't to create yet another beauty conglomerate telling you what your hair needs, but a personable brand that asks you what you want for your hair.

Function of Beauty has been around since January 2015, fulfilling online orders from a small factory in Pennsylvania, but the brand is now expanding to include an in-person shampoo-building experience for some of their customers. The lab, which looks more like an #apartmentgoals Pinterest board, is in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City and opens to the public (by appointment) on Feb. 21. I was able to get an early appointment at the highly-Instagrammable lab, and create some custom shampoo and conditioner, and it was like Willy Wonka for for my hair.

Upon walking into the space, there's a rainbow wall of hair products, showing off all of the ingredients used in the shampoos and conditioners.

I got to see one of Function of Beauty technicians hard at work testing out potential new formulas. Beats my day job.

Whether you visit the lab or place an order online, the first step is taking the hair quiz to determine the personalized formula for your products — there are an infinite number combination possibilities, so chances are yours really will be one of a kind.

After answering questions about your hair's general appearance and texture, the quiz gets more personal and asks about your #hairgoals. You can select up to five goals, and the quiz provides a description of how each one is achieved and why each ingredient works, so you really understand what you're getting.

Then comes the fun part — choosing the colors and scents of your products. I chose pale blue (or you can go dye-free), and the peony scent. If you can't get to the lab to smell the fragrance options, don't stress, Function of Beauty offers free exchanges if you don't like the scent you choose. The shampoo and conditioner must both be the same fragrance, but can be different colors.

After my hair quiz, I got to watch my formulas come to life and see each individual element go into the mix. The components were funneled into the bottles from the rainbow wall of ingredients.

The bottles come in eight ounce and 16 ounce sizes, you can mix and match and get an eight ounce shampoo and a 16 ounce conditioner, or buy only one or the other. You also have the option to place a one time or set up a recurring order. Every step of this process is so customized it makes you feel special AF. Another amazing aspect of these products is that everything is cruelty-free!

Then I tried not to get a headache while watching my concoctions get blended.

The brand's unofficial mascot Reese (named after Reese Witherspoon) was there to keep me company while I waited (another perk of visiting the lab).

Voila! The Function of Alison: these are my baby-blue bottles of hair-beautifying goodness.

I tested the shampoo and conditioner that night, and aside from really feeling like the unique being that I am, my hair felt so soft. My #hairgoals were achieved! I noticed in particular that after using the shampoo (before conditioning), my hair already felt softer. With other products, shampoo can leave my hair feeling rough and brittle before I condition, but the Function of Beauty shampoo made my hair feel amazing. And having my name printed on the bottle made everything that much more special.

If you're in the New York City area, book an appointment online to check out the Function of Beauty lab and develop your custom shampoo and conditioner in person, or take the hair quiz online to place an order from afar. Doing you has never been easier.