A John Frieda Affair

John Frieda and I go a long way back. My mum used to sigh when I insisted on throwing in a variety of hair products every supermarket trip, and would proclaim 'You and your hair products!' Well mother, sometimes you just have to keep on with what you love. At uni, I would have preferred to go without good food and make sure I had enough money to feed my cosmetic needs, which says it all really. 

A few weeks ago, John Frieda sent me a box full of goodies to try out. Firstly, what I love is that they tailored the products to my hair - A* for effort John Frieda - hair is very personal, and keeping the products personal mean that you can hopefully find the best product to work for you. I was sent the Everlasting Blonde Colour Preserving Shampoo and Conditioner, Luxurious Volume Blow Dry Lotion, and the Frizz-Ease Hair Serum.

Lets start with the shampoo and conditioner. Packaging is typical John Frieda and I've always been a fan of their shape bottles. That's all we need to say about that really. What about formula? As a girl who has been highlighting and dying her hair for over a decade, blonde hair is notoriously difficult to keep bright and have that 'freshly dyed' feel about it. To give the products a fair deal, I started using the shampoo and conditioner the day after I had my hair highlighted. 3 weeks on, my hair is still bright, feels nourished and has certainly had its colour preserved. Blonde hair will fade in between hairdresser appointments, but already I can tell that the shampoo and conditioner will certainly help in the later weeks that we all dread. Scent is fresh and awakening and perfectly lovely, as is consistent with John Frieda shampoos. I will say that I think I preferred the shampoo to the conditioner. It's fab with de-tangling but in the shower, it didn't feel as nourishing as the shampoo. Both shampoo and conditioner get a thumbs up from me. I will be throwing these into my shopping trolley.

So the Luxurious Volume Blow Dry Lotion. I have dabbled with root boosters but have found them to be a bit of a waste of pennies in my case. My hair is very long and the root boosters don't seem to have much of an effect. I usually do a little back combing to get the root boosts I need, but I tried the Blow Dry Lotion with a positive mind. I have been spraying it into damp roots, massaging slightly and then turning up the heat. The formula wasn't sticky which is a bonus, and I did get a lift in the roots, but it doesn't last as long as I would like. Maybe this product would be a good shout for people with finer hair - worth thinking about?

Onto the Frizz-Ease Hair Serum. I have about 3 of the serums in my hair basket at the moment so I already knew what to expect from this product. It's one of my fav John Frieda products and keeps my hair under wraps during those flyaway days. I love the versatility of this product - you can use it on damp hair as a pre-dry serum with the added heat protection quality, or as I often like to use it, after drying and styling as an after-serum to keep the frizz at bay. I don't use it every day, but when my hair is feeling a bit dry and lacking love, the locks lap up the formula. This will always be one I buy.

So I really am in a bit of a relationship with John Frieda aren't I? Out of the four products, the one I didn't find beneficial was the Blow Dry Lotion, but it's not the end of the world. If you're a blondie, I highly recommend the Colour Preserve shampoos and conditioners. They get the Little Glitter seal of approval.

Plus, if Max approves and sniffs out the goodies, then you know you're onto a winner ;)

-Tamsin xxx