Archive for the ‘Tried & Tested’ Category
When it comes to hair maintenance, I am a salonistic snob. Is there such a word? Probably not. I My hair is very much a big part of my appearance so I like to make sure it looks its best with regular salon visits for cuts and colour.
In between I can’t manage without blasting it with a hair dryer and keeping it slick with straighteners. This is the perils of having a bob. Sure, I give my hair hell with exposing it to these appliances several times a week but I can’t manage without the two if I don’t want to look like I come from Frizzville.
Taking my concerns into careful consideration, Remington very kindly sent me their hair dryer and straightener from their Keratin Therapy range to try. I can see the market is flooded with straighteners but so far, all that distinguishes a lot of them is what colour they are and as for hair dryers, consumers tend not to be too fussed so long as it does its job.
The Keratin Therapy collection vows to reinstate shine, vibrance and health’ into our hair through the keratin infused plates. There are several tools in this collection including curling tongs.
Let’s look at the AC8000 Keratin Therapy Pro Hair Dryer first. Solidly built with a long cord and beautifully designed, it comes with 2 different sized concentrators and a diffuser. It has ionic and ceramic technology to ensure sleek tresses without frizz. There are 2 speed settings with 3 for heat settings for hot air and for cool shot which are easy to control.
The beast is a whopping 2200 watts and I can blow-dry my bob in 5 minutes flat with a smooth finish. Noise-wise, it’s pretty quiet and I have to dispute the negative reviews which knock it for drying time, weight and the end results. I have had no trouble using this dryer especially on some hair extensions I had added recently either.
The S8590 Keratin Therapy Pro Straightener has varied temperature settings (160°C – 230°C) and comes with a guideline for heat and hair types from very fine to thick. It heats up in 15 seconds and sounds a beep to let you know when it’s ready. It will also shut down after an hour if left inactive.
The device has plates that are infused with Keratin and once the straightener heats up, the keratin is transferred to the hair and locked in. The keratin is said to last the lifetime of the straightener as well.
The straightener also comes with a Heat Protection Sensor embedded in the top plate that detects moisture levels in the hair and optimises temperature to protect from damage. It comes with a lengthy swivel cord making it easy to handle the straightener.
I have really enjoyed using this straightener for the past couple of months. It gives my hair shine and locks in the frizz. There is minimal damage on the ends which is expected when I’m using heated tools almost daily and they glide through my hair extensions absolutely fine.
I own both GHD and Cloud 9 straighteners so I’m in a good position to pass judgement. I know often the decision is down to personal choice, and what feels good on one person may not necessarily translate to another. However what Remington has done to make hair styling tools more accessible in terms of performance and affordability is commendable, sitting mid-range.
Interestingly, my very first straightener was by Remington with a little water reservoir for steam. They’re incredibly sophisticated and slick now, and the gap between high street and high end is tight. Salons favour the expensive tools otherwise what would set them apart? But using Remington’s Keratin Therapy hair dryer and straightener has regained my trust and confidence.
The Keratin Hair Dryer retails for £49.99 and comes with a 5 year guarantee and the Keratin Therapy Pro Straightener normally retails for £89.99. I would shop around as I have seen the two on special offer for £30 and £60 respectively by some retailers.
What are your thoughts? Do you own anything from this collection? I’d love to know what you think of the other styling tools from Keratin Therapy.
For more information on Remington’s Keratin Therapy range, you can find videos and more on their microsite here.
*PR samples
For years the hair styling tools market has been saturated with straighteners, but a good hair dryer is very much a staple requirement for anyone who takes haircare seriously.
With that in mind, I should tell you about Toni & Guy’s Touch Control Hair Dryer which I’ve been using for a few months several times a week.
Its name is the big deal here: “touch control”. Straighteners are controllable with various heat settings depending on the strength of your hair. This hair dryer offers the same kind of flexibility and control in taming your tresses with digital heat and speed control and ‘Advanced Variable Ionic Moisture Protection’ (I’m guessing that’s a good thing in guarding your hair from damage and split ends). You just change the setting at the touch of a button in the cool and hot/normal modes. Very easy-peasy. Mind you, the first time I switched the dryer on, it set off my smoke alarm (at least that’s working).
Compared to my usual dryer, Toni & Guy’s Toch Control Dryer is light-weight as just over 500g. It comes with a Concentrator Nozzle, goes up to 2000 watts and has a 3 metre cord – pretty much measuring up to salon requirements. The only thing it doesn’t come with is an extra pair of hands to do the job for you.
The only problem is the touch-control button on the side with the on/off switch located underneath the fan filter so when you’re holding the dryer it’s inevitable your thumb might press on the touch-control and change the temperature while you’re using the dryer.
Other than that little quibble it’s a styling tool which offers control, protects the hair and makes it look oh-so nice at the very affordable price of £40. You can’t really complain about that, can you?
For more information on this and others from Toni & Guy’s styling range, visit http://store.toniandguy.com.
The dryer is also on sale at Debenhams for the incredible price of £29.70 and Superdrug too.
*PR sample*
Area H20 should rename itself to ‘Area H2Woah’. It’s a new hair care range free of fancy schmancy ingredients and instead addresses how the type of water in the area you live in affects the condition of your hair.
Area H2O has been scientifically formulated by biochemists to work with your water type, not your hair type. It makes sense since you may have noticed how different your hair looks and feels wherever in the world (or the country) you are in.
There is a useful illustration of the UK map on the bottles highlighting which areas are hard, medium and soft and it looks exactly like this:
I was sent the soft water shampoo and conditioner because although I live in London (notoriously a hard water area), I have a water softener installed.
The products are scent-free with the shampoo clear like water. It’s worth noting that it takes a few washes before you notice a difference. Actually it’s all part of the detoxifying process with Area H20 filtering out the build-up left behind from other products and the effects of the water type.
So how does this marvellous concoction work? Well it combats the effects of mineral deposits by acting like a magnet and attracting the metal ions that are present in every water type. This makes it easy to wash them away before they react with your shampoo to form deposits.
If you live in a hard water area, limescale is a major factor – it doesn’t lather well with soap and the residue it leaves behind won’t give you the sleek and shiny appearance that you crave. If you’re in a soft water area, water lathers better but the chemical imbalance makes it more difficult to rinse off hence your hair looks limp and lifeless.
It’s also useful to know both shampoo and conditioner contain a PH of 5.5 – the body’s natural PH.
Since switching to Area H20, my hair looks fuller, healthier, smoother and remains this way for a lengthier period of more than a day in between washes. It also ‘feels’ cleaner. Look!
I do get spoilt with all marvellous hair care products sent to me for review but Area H20 is one that’s wowed me without any fuss or frills. If you’re prone to sensitivity of the scalp then this may well be ideal for you too.
You can buy Area H20 at Look Fantastic and what’s more, it’s so reasonably priced.
It’s available in variants of a Hard, Medium or Soft Water Shampoo for Normal to Fine Hair, Coloured Hair at £9.95 (250ml) and Hard, Medium or Soft Water Conditioner at £9.95 (200ml). Also there are Duo Packs for £17.50. You can also purchase via the official site http://areah2o.co.uk/
*PR samples*
I never thought I would see the day I would use FemFresh. There you go, I’ve confessed. Well who admits to using a ‘feminine hygiene’ product? And what’s the point of it? If you keep yourself clean every day, you’re not likely to be aggravated ‘down there’, are you? And if you are, well sometimes the reasons are beyond your control and that’s when a trip to the GP or chemist is in order…or have I misunderstood the need for this product?
FemFresh, which has been repackaged and relaunched in a choice of 3 scents (the one above is enriched with cranberry oils), is safe enough to wash with so your lady parts won’t be agitated, which can often be the case with some soaps and gels that are highly perfumed. However the emphasis with FemFresh now is that it’s not just limited for ‘down there’, it is a shower cream for all over…so that’s less embarrassing.
It’s a very plain and simple wash, subtly scented but doesn’t linger on the skin. I reckon this product would be ideal post-pregnancy or indeed for anyone super-sensitive and at £3.49 for 250ml a bottle, it will last a long time.
FemFresh also has a travel size available and interestingly wipes, which would be perfect for festivals although they should do handbag sizes for emergencies. How many times have you gone to the loo and there wasn’t any toilet roll? Precisely the case on South Beach when I was bursting to release the bladder. Too much? Sorry.
Come on then, do you use femine hygiene products or do you reckon it’s all a load of…?
For further information visit www.femfresh.co.uk.
*PR sample*
