Terax haircare products are relatively new to the beauty scene; even now that they've come up from underground, they're still mostly unknown. As favorites of celebrities and salon/spa owners worldwide, these Italian-made shampoos and conditioners are beginning to acquire a cult status that's making them the latest "must-haves."

These are the Terax products I have tried and what I thought about them:

Shampoo Miele (8.4 fl.oz., about $13): This honey-scented shampoo, fortified with vitamin E, is super-gentle and is formulated for use on dry hair and/or hair treated with color or chemicals. It made my hair silky, soft and shiny - and I love the smell of honey! Pricey, but a little goes a long way. The bottle says it can double as a body wash, but I'd rather use it just on my hair.

Shampoo Delicato (8.4 fl.oz., about $14): This shampoo also is extremely gentle, and I like to alternate it with the Shampoo Miele. Nothing particularly special about this one, but again, it does leave hair smooth and shiny, and I probably would use this post-color or process.

Latte Shampoo (8.4 fl.oz., about $14): Mmmmmm … yes, it really does smell like a latte! This deep-cleansing yet gentle shampoo has its delicious scent going for it more than anything else, but I still like it very much. Another winner.

Crema conditioner (5 oz., about $18; also comes in a 16.9 oz. jar for about $48): The first time I tried it, I wasn't too impressed. But now I'm really into this very moisturizing conditioner. When used with one of the Terax shampoo treatments, the Crema softens hair like nothing I've ever tried before; it's also a great detangler. I haven't had any split ends since I started using Crema, and even my hairdresser noted how healthy my hair looks since I've been using it. I like to leave it on for about 10 minutes in the shower so it can really penetrate the hair shaft. I'm not crazy about the smell, which is more "shampoo-y" than yummy like the Miele or the Latte, but it still gives hair a nice soft fragrance. Again, a little of this goes a long way. Good thing, too, 'cause I'm hooked.

Teragloss (1 oz., about $15): This is a serum-type treatment meant to be applied to dry hair (although I guess you could work it into wet hair, too) to control frizzies and flyaways and lend a little shine. It does make hair very shiny without looking greasy, as long as you don't use too much, but I didn't find it to be much different than any other silicone-based shine enhancer I've tried. And I like Aveda's Purefume Brilliant Anti-Humectant Pomade much better for fighting frizz. I doubt I'd buy Teragloss again.

Where to Buy Terax

Terax hair-care products are available at:

• Bliss Spa and its Bliss Out! catalog at http://www.blissworld.com; call 1-888-243-8825 toll free to order
• Bellisima in Tucson, AZ at http://www.bellisima.com; call 1-888-742-1701 toll-free to order
• Diamond Beauty Supply in Studio City, Calif. at http://www.diamondbeauty.com; call 1-800-669-6638 in the U.S. or 1-818-761-1778 worldwide to order.

Terax also is available at Sephora and Bigelow Chemists, both in New York City.