A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Celebrate with the brand for a chance to win a trip to Hollywood!

Established in 1980, Paul Mitchell, the professional hair care line is celebrating the big 3-0 and would like to give you the chance to take a friend to Hollywood.

Visit their special anniversary site to learn more about the brand’s history, how they’re commited to ‘giving back’ and of course, the chance to bag yourself an amazing prize!  Just remember to take me if you win!

I was watching “Never Mind the Buzzcocks” on Dave last night (if you have no idea what I’m talking about, that sentence is gonna sound pretty kinky – I only wish it were).

Anyway, up popped the ads – and as I was preparing to throw a shoe at the telly after the stupid Always advert told me to “have a happy period”, my mood was suddenly placated by an ad announcing that Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light is gonna be on offer in Sainsburys until the 18th August.

And what an offer!  Half price to be exact, so if you were contemplating trying the new range out… don’t bother going anywhere else for it!

With my fine hair, I’ll happily admit that I don’t always use conditioner.  I love how conditioner makes my hair feel smoother and softer, but I simply feel that with each extra product I use on my hair, the heavier my hair feels once dried.  With my current hairstyle (a bob) – it’s important to get a bit of root lift to stop my hair looking lank.

Pantene Pro-V’s new Aqualight Range is designed with one thing in mind.  Weightlessness.  It achieves this with some clever technology which I’ll try to summarise as well as I can.

1. Slimmed-Down Silicone. The Aqualight Range has re-evaluated the amount of silicone needed in products for those with finer hair.  Simple no?

2. Clean-Rinse Technology. Making the products as water-soluble as possible means that not only will the product rinse away faster, it will also leave less residue on the hair.

There were other sciencey things that involved molecules and the way in which they break apart, but I’m not gonna pretend to you that I understood it enough to explain it in layman’s terms!

There are 4 products in the range:

Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Shampoo – New Clean-Rinse Technology allows the products to be rinsed fast meaning hair feels cleaner and lighter. RRP £2.19 (250ml), £3.69 (500ml)

Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Conditioner – New “Liquid Conditioning” ingredients which stay liquid at room temperature and provide optimum conditioning levels without excess deposits.  RRP £2.19 (200ml), £3.69 (400ml)

Pantene Pro-C Aqua Light Spray Rinse-Off Treatment – A clever, ultra-light intensive hair treatment for extra nourishment without weighing hair down. RRP £3.99

Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Leave-In Treatment Spray – A lightweight nourishing spray to style and refresh your hair between washes.  The clever “dual phase” formulation contains nourishing ingredients at the top and detangling refreshing ingredients at the bottom. RRP £3.99

First impressions from my samples are good.  Better than good!  After washing and conditioning, my hair feels gently nourished yet light.  But where I really notice it making a difference, is after styling.

I shampoo, condition and then style with a root lifting product and the lift seems to last far longer than normal.  My idea of ‘styling’ is the rather lame “pointing the hairdryer at my roots and hoping for the best” trick, but I’m delighted with the results all the same.

I’m in love with the Aqua Light Rinse-Off Treatment too which is seemingly doing wonders for my dry ends.  Ok, they’re still splitting (need a haircut STAT!)… but they feel smoother and less rough when I roll them between my fingers.  Completely unscientific testing going on here!  I’m a bit unsure about the Aqua Light Leave-In Treatment Spray though.  The whole range smells beautiful and this is no exception.. but I just can’t get it to ‘refresh’ my hair.  It gives it a touch of gloss… but at the moment, I’m not noticing much more than that.

Honestly, I’m always seduced by new hair products that work fabulously well for a couple of months before they simply stop working, so I’ll be sure to come back and update this post if anything changes as I work my way through the products.

I think the Aqua Light range has been out in parts of Europe for a little while but I’ve spotted the shampoo and conditioner online at Tesco last weekend, so I look forward to hearing what you guys think about the range too!

Before you go, I’m curious!  Would you lovely ladies mind letting me know if I’m alone in shunning conditioner in preference for more ‘swishable’ hair?

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I was invited along to The Clothes Show London courtesy of Pantene Pro-V on Friday and my God was I ‘glowing’ by the time I arrived.  How hot was it?  I was with Rowena from Cosmetic-Candy who looked far more ‘together’ and composed than me.

Flared nostrils, crazy-eyed “too many sweaty people near me” expression, melting eyeliner and foundation that had pooled somewhere around my ankles meant that the ladies behind the press desk had a genuinely hard time accepting me as a bonafide member of society let alone someone they should let in without a chaperone.

However, once safely inside Earls Court, we were led to the Pantene Pro-V stand for a wash and blow dry.  I was positively foaming at the mouth over the thought of getting a hair wash (that’s how hot I was) and if they’d retracted their offer at that point, they would have found me moments later with my arse wedged in the sink hosing my sweaty head down anyway.

After the most beautifully refreshing hair wash with some brand new products due for release this Summer, (more on those when I get the info next week) I got to experience a proper blow dry thanks to session stylist Lara Zee.  It was very different to my home attempts which generally involve me flipping my head upside down till all the blood rushes to my nose.  This actually achieved some incredible volume.  Gotta love a professional!

The blow dry was followed up by a fabulous makeup refresher from MUA Laurey Simmons who shared some of her current favs with me (Max Factor Lash Extension Effect & Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser – or was it False Lash Effect… bollocks, now I can’t remember!).  The woman is a psychic… opening up her Shu Uemura palette, I watched her reach for (what looked to me like) the beautiful ME 850.  I walked away a rejuvenated, regenerated and slightly less sweaty version of my former self.  Fabulous.

Time for shopping!

Bar some black tops from ASOS, I actually can’t remember the last time I bought something for myself that wasn’t in powder, liquid or creme form.

Eagle-eyed Rowena spotted this on a stand and practically challenged me to walk away without it.  I couldn’t.

Say Cheese!

Mr. L is unimpressed.  It’s apparently screwed up his plan for my Birthday present as he had his eye on this.  I reckon I should have both AND something else now too seeing as he gave away his surprise by telling me about it DUH!

The Clothes Show itself was a bit disappointing… the discounts were mostly underwhelming… £7 for O.P.I polishes (or 3 for £20), Make Up Store offered some products at 2 for £15 but things like the eyeliners were set at their standard instore price and they didn’t bring the High Light creme things to the show either.

OMG Marketing had a tough time accepting ‘no’ or even “do you have a website?” for an answer which put me off the Art Deco konad-a-like’s more than I thought possible.

However, in fairness… this isn’t IMATS and I ain’t no fashion blogger (or fashion anything really).

The Style Stage attracted a lot of positive attention with Caryn Franklin (I grew up watching her!) putting in an appearance and Pantene encouraging the audience to ‘swish’ their hair in order to win a goodie bag, those in attendance seemed to be thoroughly enjoying all the onstage antics!

And look what I saw!

I spent a wee while hovering at the Eclectic Eccentricity stand which hands down had the prettiest jewellery on display at the show.  All the pieces were so tactile and kinda interactive… I’m surprised I didn’t drive the owner a little bit mad ooh-ing and poking at things *blush*.  If I hadn’t been a little bit naughty in Harrods Beauty Hall earlier in the day, I would have definitely walked away with one of these and one of these too!

All in all, a lovely afternoon made even better by reading this little snippet of news the night before attending.  Ahhhh.

Have you ever been to The Clothes Show?

ARGH!

I hate it when the seasons change!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to Summer… but my scalp is itching and sore!  I have fleas!

I don’t really have fleas… but twice a year (Spring>Summer & Autumn>Winter) my scalp goes to crap and I’d love to know if this is some weird personal freakishness or something that other people experience too?

Anyway, I mentioned it to a PR lady ‘cos I was explaining why I wasn’t suitable to review some other hair products at the moment and she mentioned this Philip Kingsley range to me…

Flaky/Itchy scalps…. sexy.

The fact is though… I don’t care if it’s a bit taboo… a lot of people suffer!  I can’t wear black tops for at least 2 months of the year whilst I’m going through these flare ups and trust me, nothing makes you more HUGELY self-conscious than feeling your husband gently brushing the flakes off your shoulder whilst you’re standing in a checkout queue.

The Philip Kingsley Scalp Mask is basically an exfoliator for your scalp.  It’s a tricky product to apply and if my hair were longer and thicker I’d have struggled to use it.  I got instant relief from it though and I was able to use it despite my scalp being quite sore.  It gives a lovely cooling sensation and simply eased the itch and temporarily cleared the dry skin that was clinging around my hairline.

I was also surprised at how reasonably priced it is, £3.85 and available with free shipping from FeelUnique!

The other product I was sent was the Philip Kingsley Shampoo for itchy/flaky scalps which I have been using in conjunction with the mask.

Sadly, not quite so affordable.  A 250ml bottle will set you back £16.15 delivered from Feel Unique.

But it’s worth every penny.

3 shampoos in and I’m clear of the scabby bits (gosh, how attractive)… I’m still a touch flaky along the hairline, but it’s really easing off and at this rate I’m gonna be completely clear in a few more days.  I’m going to continue to use it for maintenance twice a week and if I only have to purchase it twice a year, it’s really worth it for me.

In addition to the fact that this stuff simply works, it’s also gentle… I colour my hair regularly and anti-dandruff type products are notorious for stripping and dulling coloured hair.  This isn’t having any effect on my dye-job!

I’m not gonna ask if you ladies are in need of a product like this, but I’d love to know privately if you’ve noticed any correlation between the changing seasons and the condition of your scalp?

I’m pretty rubbish when it comes to styling my hair.  I’m growing out a bob at the moment, not on purpose… I’m just too lazy to make the appointment for a trim.

As the layers are getting longer, the increased weight is starting to have an effect on my roots… weighing them down and increasing the slaphead factor – not an encouraging look.  I was offered 2 different styling products to have a play with and after a couple of weeks experimenting on just how to get the best out of them, I thought you might wanna have a read of my observations.  If you don’t… whatever, just don’t bother darkening my door again.

Clynol Move Massive Volume Spray (£6.75)

Technology: Pro.VolumeForce.Complex, with Panthenol and volumising resins.

Benefit: Volumises the hair, providing strong yet moveable hold.

Usage: Spray evenly onto dry or damp hair and style as preferred. Leave-in.

I’ve used this on both wet and dry hair and I prefer the results I get from using it on dry hair.  I lift sections from the front backwards, spraying quite generously before taking my hairdryer and giving my hair a quick upside-down blast at the roots.  I then take my brush and coax the hair back being careful not to flatten the roots with the weight of the brush and once styled, the root lift seems to stay in place for a good few hours before dropping.  I particularly like the Clynol Move Massive Volume Spray for when I’m styling my hair into an updo, the effect seems to be more apparent and gives some great ‘flathead’ avoidance.

I like, that as a spray, it’s easy to use and great to reach for in a hurry.  I’ve used it successfully in conjunction with my Batiste Dry Shampoo (again before pinning my hair up) and it really freshens up my style.  It smells great and most importantly, is completely non-sticky

Neäl & Wølf Elevate Volumising Lotion (£11.95)

Goodbye to drab limp locks, and hello to luxuriously thick hair, filled with body. ELEVATE has been designed to leave hair stronger, fuller and give more control.  Designed to improve body and texture while enhancing shine and manageability.  Specially selected ingredients complete the effect, reducing static and adding a spectacular glossy finish.

The more traditional serum format that I’m used to…  Just aswell really, ‘cos there aren’t any usage instructions on the bottle… however, being a salon brand rather than one for numptys like me, this is possibly understandable.  I initially didn’t notice many benefits from using this product until I started applying it a touch more generously.  After towel-drying my hair, I squeeze out a good 10p-sized blob and apply throughout my roots.

When I first started using this, I was nervous of making my roots greasy… but I needn’t have feared.  I add more product (10p size at a time) until I’m happy that I’ve applied a nice even amount throughout.  Then I flip my head over and blow-dry upside down, encouraging the air to pass through my roots and teasing with my fingers to encourage more lift.

The result is BIG hair, and I’m sold.  It takes a little more work than the Clynol, but the results are more dramatic if you take the time.

I’d happily use both products for different situations.  The Clynol is great for a lower maintenance lifestyle, which to be honest is me (most of the time).  But if I wanted to bring out the big guns, I’d reach for the Neäl & Wølf Elevate.

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Overall I was impressed with both products, sadly neither lasted the full day… but in honesty, I didn’t expect miracles.  All volume had flattened significantly by lunchtime, earlier if I was naughtly and didn’t stop playing with my hair.  I’d also recommend that if you ARE going to use these styling products then it might be wise not to overload your hair with too many other products at the same time.  Keep it to the minimum to achieve the best results.

Do you have any tips for bringing the 80s back to our barnets?

Leila has my mother’s hair.  It’s blonde, fine and very very floaty.  It kinda skims the top of her head, resting about an inch above the scalp in thick swathes of unstylable defiance.  If I brush it around the shape of her crown, it springs back…. floating, floating… always floating.

Of course, it’s beautiful… and I love it.  It’s getting long now and I lie with her twirling it gently around my fingers whilst she simultaneously grabs handfuls of mine, a look of frantic curiosity on her face.

I could deploy the old tried and tested method of spitting on my hands before swiping my palms over her barnet… but really… that’s just disgusting isn’t it?  She may be small and kinda stupid but that’s no justification for styling her with gob.

Enter Original Sprout, who make an entire line of Children’s styling saviours from Curl Calmer to Styling Balm.  I’ve got my eye on the Children’s Hair Gel.

They say:

Loved by Babies & Up, our Ultra Clean & Light Baby Hair Gel is made of nourishing emollients & gentle botanicals, smoothing frizzies, taming flyaways & supporting curls softly. Thermal Protectants keeps hair safe from styling & enviromental aggressors.

There’ll be no “styling aggressors” in this nursery *puts the straighteners down* but this has gotta be better than spit right?

And just ’cause this is about the only day in the year I can like TOTALLY get away with it:

…is my hair dye.

I’ve been using Superdrug’s Colour Performance for the best part of 5 years and simply haven’t found anything better for the price.

It’s a permanent dye which is gentle on my sensitive scalp.  A few others that I’ve used in the past *cough Excellence Creme cough Nutrisse* have irritated and left my scalp sore despite patch tests.  Colour Performance leaves me with no irritation at all.

I generally either plump for the shade shown (3:0 – Natural Rich Darkest Brown) which is a very dark brown or (4:0 – Natural Dark Brown).

One of the reasons I give these hair dyes so much love is because the browns are ashy in tone.  Red or mahogony based browns tend to clash with the pink tones in my skin, so I’m happier with these ashier shades which are surprisingly hard to find on the high street.

Dying my hair is a chore I hate the thought of, but once I’m done… I’m always left wondering why I left it so long.  This dye is foolproof and has consistently returned great results for me *whispers* even over my dodgy grey roots… I’ve unfortunately been going grey since I was 19 *sniff*.

And then there’s the price… I usually buy 2 of these at a time when they’re on offer. 2 for £5.  I think individually, they’re around £3.20.  Amazing.

I actually had a mini panic attack when I saw these new packs on the shelf:

Colour Radiance 10. I emailed Superdrug, worried that it meant they were discontinuing my beloved Colour Performance.  “Of course not”, was the reply… “they’re very popular!” Phew!

Have you ever tried Superdrug Colour Performance or Superdrug Colour Radiance 10?

…. Ceona!

This traumatic episode in Ceona’s life had me and Mr. L wiping tears from our eyes.  Sorry Ceona, we were laughing WITH you.

14 year old me: Muuuuum. I want a perm. Muuuuum, I really want a perm. Pleeeeeaseeeeeeeee!

Mum after years of my begging: Ok, we’ll speak to the hairdresser.

Hairdresser: No. No no no. It won’t work. Your hair is too thick, it will fall out. No.

Me: Hairdresser, I want a perm. Oh please, please, pretty please. I won’t blame you if it falls out.

Hairdresser: Oh fine. I’ll do it.

Hairdresser gives me a trendy spiral perm. Hairdresser repeats through the whole thing that it will fall out. Hairdresser uses extra perming solution.

Result: I end up with the tightest spiral perm you have ever seen. I am, in fact, Spuggie from Byker Grove (google it youngsters). I am mortified. The hairdresser is delighted and thinks it’s fabulous. I retreat home and burst into tears.

My sister, bless her, does me a french plait. And I wait for the perm to drop. All my friends have bad home perms that drop into cute waves.

Mine does not. Mine grows out very, very slowly. I use industrial quanitites of mousse to control it. I have crispy hair too. At one point I have straight hair to the tops of my ears and tight curls underneath. I do a home dye. I neglect to read the bit about permed hair taking dye more strongly. I have two tone hair.

Eventually, I get a bob.

You’ve won some lovely Aussie products, please can you email me your details so that I may pass them on to the lovely bods at Aussie?

Thanks for sharing everyone xx

So, 8 of you sealed my Aussie ‘Hair Mare’ fate.  But when I dug out the promised photo, it kinda didn’t look as bad as I remembered, you can see for yourself… it’s bad… but it’s not a patch on The Agassi is it?  I decided it was only fair to share a few more. Upping the ante as it were.

So… as promised… my shameful hair mares…

A). Honestly?  I’m too busy looking at how tight my necklace is to concentrate on the hair.

B). In my defence, I look about 7.  This is my MOTHER’S shame, I’m not carrying this one.  Who lets a 7yr old have a perm anyway?

C). OK, this is the spiral perm… but it’s hard to see.  So let’s concentrate on the bum head parting instead.  Not only that, so much mousse… those curls were crusty. and flammable.

D). Dec 31st 1999. Man I thought I looked cute. I was… um… *counts*… 18.  Old enough to know better.  That spidery hairpiece took about 3 hours to ‘attach’ too, so it’s not like I had made a rash decision.  Just a bad one.

Since my last post, Aussie got in touch… and want to send one of you lovely ladies some product to steer you back onto the path of hair righteousness.  If you’ve already commented to confess your secret hair embarrassments, you’re in.  If you’ve yet to share your secret barnet shame… better do so now, ‘cos only Aussie can help!*

*well… Aussie or a great big sombrero.

I’ve already told you about my triangle hair… and my spiral perm from 1992…

Now it’s your turn…

Aussie, Agassi and me want to hear about your hair mares!

Go on, tell me about your nightmare ‘dos!’

If I get five horror stories I’ll upload a pic of the spiral perm.  And let me tell ya, it makes Agassi look coiffured to perfection.

EGO Professional are a haircare company that manufacturer a number of styling tools including: 2 types of straighteners, curling tongs and a hairdryer.  I had the opportunity to try a set of their hair straighteners for potential review, and I have been putting them to the test throughout December.

Back in November, I tried the Cloud 9 straighteners, and whilst I was very pleased with their performance at lower temperatures… I was concerned that they tugged a little more than I had expected.

I was curious to see how these EGO Professional Hair Straighteners compared as they are both marketed as salon quality irons, both with a RRP of over £100.

The packaging is simple, a blackened red box housed in a plain white cardboard sleeve, it simply doesn’t have the ‘kerb’ appeal that the Cloud 9’s had with all that sleek black and turquoise.

A few things about these irons from the “blurb”:

Take statement styling to a whole new level with Ego 1″ irons. Featuring fully adjustable heat settings, a polished exterior and ribbed outer body, these fabulous irons utilise heat boost technology to deliver a consistent, optimum temperature in seconds. Whether you want to simply straighten or create amazing waves and curls, all the inspiration you need is now in your hands.

Let’s take a closer look at the irons…

I was a little confused by all that ribbing.  I’m used to sleek smooth barrels for optimum curling, and I even commented to their PR that I didn’t understand how the ribbing could help create curls at all.  Reflecting on my comment… I think that I was hoping that it might lay a foundation and soften the negative review I was sure would transpire after attempting curling.

As you can see, the ribbing covers the whole of the barrel from the tip to the base of the ceramic plates.

The controls are very simple, comprising of two features.  An on/off switch and a dial which controls the temperature of the irons.  Disappointingly simple really when compared to the Cloud 9’s flash LED enhanced interface.  It took a little more “peering” to ensure that I had selected my desired temperature setting.  Not generally a problem, but in the dark winter I did have to angle the straighteners towards the window to get the light to fall on them so I could tell how hot I’d set them.  I’m being finickity, but it made me appreciate that sleek interface of those Cloud 9s. 1-0 to the Cloud 9s.

Back to the design of the Big Ego Hair Straighteners, I captured some close ups of various aspects of the tools…

The barrel is a matte red, unisex in appearance and not smooth or at all ‘silky’ to the touch.

The Big EGO Hair Straighteners boast ceramic 1″ plates, overall build quality is very solid and not at all flimsy to the touch.  They heat up in a matter of seconds, easily as fast as the Cloud 9’s leaving me barely enough time to spritz my hair with my chosen heat defence spray!

The power cord (at 10ft) is more than long enough to allow for a great reach and the swivel connector ensures that you can use them without having to contort your arms into weird and wonderful positions.

Slightly more important than the swivel connector though, is the glide.  Oh god, do they glide? Swish! Straight down the hair shaft without a single pull or tug… Ah-mazing.  I’ve tried with dry hair and damp hair and I simply cannot make these babies give my hair a yank.  Smooth as silk.  1-1, that’s a tie folks!

But how does they perform?

Here’s the obligatory ‘before’…

Same as my C9 trial, I went to bed with wet hair… woke up like an explosion in a mattress factory.

And after…

Hello sleek bob!!  (please ignore the weirdness that is the layers my hairdresser has cut into the back of my head – yet another reason to ditch her).

This is at 150 degrees (or as close as I could tell on the dial).  I wanted to use the same temperature for comparison purposes.  I was able to achieve this finish in around 13 minutes, which is longer than the Cloud 9s but to be honest, I *think* the time difference was at least partly down to me being more cack-handed on the test than the fault of the straighteners.  Out of fairness though, I’m gonna have to give the Cloud 9’s a point for speed.  2-1 to the Clouds.

The final thing I wanted to try was curling, I actually curled one side with my Cloud 9s and the other with the Big EGO hair straighteners, and instantly… I preferred the C9s.  I found the Big EGOs awkward to use with the ridges on the barrel.  I actually gave up halfway through after getting annoyed with them.

And then I tried a couple of weeks later…

Oh my word.  I don’t know what ‘clicked’… but my hair seemed to find a natural path through the channels in the ribbing, the strands wound round the barrel with ease and I was left with defined but smooth waves, kinda like my before picture but tamed.  Whilst the C9s curl admirably, these seemed to leave my waves with greater definition.  And I’m (rightly or wrongly) putting that down to those funny grooves.

2-2 – feel the tension!

Both straighteners leave my hair feeling soft, shiny and smooth.  My hair hair feels almost ‘conditioned’ once straightened and I’ve not noticed any damaging effects from regular use (although I always ensure I use heat defence spray, and mostly use the irons at 200 degrees or below).

One last thing…

Price.

The Cloud 9’s retail for around £129, the Big EGO’s around £109.

3-2 to the Big EGOs.

Two very good pro styling tools, both with great capabilities… but that glide… those waves…

The Big EGO Hair Straighteners are where I’d put my money.

You can purchase the Big EGO Hair Straighteners online and Feel Unique are currently offering them for £99.99 delivered – bargain!