ghd Platinum+ Limited Edition - Hair Straightener in Warm Pewter

I am sure everyone remembers getting my first pair of ghd hair straighteners, I remember mind arriving when I was at University and I haven't looked back since. I don't even really know how I ever survived without them in my life. New to my collection is the ghd Platinum+ Limited Edition - Hair Straightener in Warm Pewter which I have been kindly gifted and I don't know what I love more, how easy to use the straighteners are or the box that they come packaged inside.

Over the years I have been using ghd's, my Rare's still being just about usable and then my second pair the Platinum+ Black having been my go to stylers until now.

Submit to your deepest desires with ghd’s Platinum+ Limited Edition Hair Straightener. Arriving in a new, warm pewter finish with an opulent vanity case, the styler has been upgraded with deep metallic accents – just in time for the festive season.

My hair, which is finally about to see the inside of a hair salon after almost 2 years, is naturally wavy and whilst everyone always tells me that I should make more of those waves (whatever that means) I actually like taking time out to straighten my hair, I find it oddly relaxing and ghd make it so simple and without stress.

The latest edition to the ghd range is the Platinum+ Hair Straightener in Warm Pewter and it is so sleek and shiny and definitely the most luxe pairs of straighteners I have ever used.  As with all ghd's, they can be used to curl and straighten your hair, depending on your style of choice and these are described as having advanced floating plates which have been precision milled to give that seamless glide through the hair without snagging or pulling.  Impressively they are ready to use within just 25 seconds, so no having to stand around waiting for them to get even remotely warm.

These straighteners also use 'Predictive ultra-zone technology and infinity sensors' which not only monitor the temperature, but cleverly they also adapt to your hair’s thickness and styling speed to give that more personalised experience, ensuring the heat is evenly distributed through your hair.  These straighteners also arrive with an optimum styling temperature of 185ºC and if you don't use them after 30 minutes, they enter into automatic sleep mode.  They also feature a unique wish-bone hinge and rounded barrel for snag-free, versatile styling which means no more tripping over wires as you style your hair - one of my bug bears!

I can't write a review about how amazing this styler is without mentioning the beautiful Vanity Case, the most stunning case I have ever seen for ghd's and I was pretty attached to my Leopard Print one.  Described as having an Emerald-Green Hue is a Velvety Hard Lizard effect vanity case which has a deep black interior to keep those ghd Straighteners safe and secure when they are not being used. They also come with a heat resistant protective plate guard which also means you safely take your ghd's with you wherever you want to go.

These ghd Platinum+ Limited Edition Hair Straightener in Warm Pewter are on sale now via ghd, Lookfantastic, John Lewis and Selfridges to name just a few places and they are priced around £199 but can be found with offers on!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Revlon Pro Collection Salon One Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer

I am all for making hair styling as easy as possible and when a device tells me it is a revolutionary 2-in-1 styling tool that puts the Power of a Dryer and Precision of a Styler in your hands, I want it.

The Revlon Pro Collection Salon One Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer is just that and I have been using it for the past few weeks and am surprised at not only how easy it is to use, which as far as I am concerned gets a huge thumbs up, but one which actually is what it says it is.  When I style my hair currently, I use a paddle brush and GHD hair straighteners and interchange between the two, it is a bit of a faff and I often pick the GHD's up at the wrong end and burn my fingers, so using this hair tool has been quite a revelation.

Using Ionic Technology, which helps you both dry and style your hair in less time than it would usually take, Negative ions saturate the airflow which works to reduce the size of water droplets for faster drying. Faster drying also means less damage and the use of the Ionic Technology also means less frizz and much less static and the ceramic coating of the brush also helps to evenly distribute the heat.  There are two heat setting (low and high) as well as a cool shot and given that it combines what is essentially a hairdryer and hairbrush in one tool, it is really lightweight, something I hadn't expected if I am honest. 

I found the design of the brush and the oval shape brilliant for getting close to my hairs root, which in turn helps to create that much needed volume. Then on the reverse where the brush is slightly flatter, it works just like your paddle brush to help straighten and smooth the hair which in turn is where the less static and frizz is controlled. For me, static is often an issue when I straighten my hair, especially around my face where it literally looks as though I have stuck my fingers into an electrical socket.  

As you manoeuvre the brush through your hair, there are massaging ball tips at the end of the brush which are really gentle on the scalp and what I really love is that the cord is a swivel cord, so it means it rotates with you, so no tripping over the cord! Instead, sitting in front of the mirror and actually styling your hair, whilst drying it becomes so easy, I now do it without even thinking about it.  

My hair is just past my shoulders and naturally wavy.  I always used to dry it first with my hair dryer and then tackle it with a brush and my GHD's, now I wrap my hair in my Aquis Towel, wait for it to become almost damp, apply my heat protection product, because again you are using heat on your hair, then section my hair to dry it and style it.  One thing I have always wanted to be able to do is to do a home blow dry without having to be a contortionist to reach the back of my head.  With this brush, I can actually manage it without doing some kind of odd-looking yoga pose to read and the end result is that I have blow dried straight hair with a bit of volume, it isn't flat against my head, it doesn't look lifeless, I have bounce, I have no static, I have no frizz and I have soft, smooth straight hair which takes less than half the time it would usually take to style.

So what you have from Revlon is:

• A 2-in-1 styling tool that gives the power of a dryer and a volume of a styler
• An oval brush creates volume at roots and curled ends.
• A Swivel Cord cable
• Boosted by IONIC TECHNOLOGY, hair dries faster with less damage.
• 2 heat settings plus cool setting.
• Ideal for medium to long hair

So all of this, one happy lady right here and the cost? Well nothing like you will be expecting because it costs just £59.99 from Boots or Amazon.

Now here comes the biggie...I am giving THREE of you a chance to win one of these devices so you can give them a try and all you need to do is use the rafflecopter widget below to enter and it is worldwide.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Bardou Hair Care

The Bardou is a luxury beauty company who not only specialise in hair care and cosmetics but they have the most incredible salon in London's West End which offers blow dries, updos and even makeup application and it is well worthy of booking in for a bit of pampering before that big event. Not all of us do have time to get to a salon and the ethos behind Bardou is that they believe that anybody can have great hair if they have the right tools and using that thought, BARDOU created an at-home haircare range to ensure everybody can achieve the perfect blow-out, hair-do and hairstyle.

I have recently been using two products from their own hair care range which I was kindly sent and if you want luxury in your hair care, then Bardou do just this from their packaging to the actual product. 

The Immaculate Spray Dry Shampoo is described as being a dry shampoo was born of the desire to provide women with a high-quality hair product that offers instant results. It will refresh your hair within minutes, offering you a fabulous look while, at the same time, nourishing every single hair strand due to its innovative formula enriched with natural keratin. 

This Dry Shampoo smells incredible and it doesn't leave those horrid white traces in your hair or on your clothes.  I have combination hair which essentially means greasy roots and dry ends and certain times of the month can exacerbate the situation leaving my hair feeling so greasy I literally want to wash it twice a day.  We all know that doing so would be a bad idea, so instead, when the need arises, I grab my dry shampoo.  For me, having hair that looks and feels freshly washed is important and this dry shampoo does that but there is something a little special about it, not only does it not irritate my scalp it also helps give volume to my roots and it feels really lightweight.

Priced at £15 for 200ml.

The second product is the Finishing Mist and this is a product I never thought I would get much use out of until I used it.  Described as being the Finishing Mist which will answer all your styling needs, providing long-lasting medium-hold, offering flexibility and repairing damaged hair so that you can fully enjoy the benefits of a high-quality finishing mist without any disadvantage.  

I have in my time used quite a few finishing mists which are designed to hold your 'do' in place and admittedly I prefer them to an actual can of hairspray.  This one again comes with an incredible scent and rather than dry hard on to your hair and leave that horrid chemical smell, it not only holds your hair in place and allows free movement, it keeps the frizz at bay and also adds shine.  When it comes to brushing your hair at any time, there is no white residue, it isn't in any way sticky or tacky and it doesn't leave my hair feeling dry or dehydrated.

Priced at £12 for 200ml.

The Mist and the Dry Shampoo are incredible products and both are enriched with natural Keratin so they care for your hair whilst styling it. As well as being SLS and cruelty-free, the products are made right here in the UK and there are quite a few more products within the collection that I am eager to try.

Have you tried anything from The Bardou range?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

John Frieda Salon - Mayfair

A year on from my last visit, I found myself back in the chair at no.4 Aldford Street in Mayfair in the amazing John Frieda Salon. A salon that I absolutely loved the first time I visited and even more so now after my second visit.

Why do I love it so much? To be honest it is the atmosphere inside the Salon. Set back from the busy shopping streets of the West End, what looks like a snug little salon is so far removed from that, it is actually quite big.  But big doesn't mean too in your face, it isn't crowded and they have certainly made use of the space, it is comfortable and you are made to feel like one of the family. Everyone in there knows their stylist, the girl washing their hair, the lady who so kindly takes your coat to the receptionist who takes your name, you are more than just a customer, you are a friend.

Sitting down with Andreas, who was to sort my hair out, he didn't look too perplexed when I said 'I don't know what to do with this, what do you suggest' meaning my hair. Seconds later, I am in a rather comfy chair having my hair washed chatting about current affairs and London Fashion Week.  I love having someone wash my hair, if I won the lottery this is the kind of treat I would gladly pay for.  At John Frieda my hair was washed, conditioned, my head was massaged and I managed not to fall asleep...just!

Back in the chair and Andreas and I continue chatting about life, politics and weddings as he gets to grips with my unruly hair.  I have fine hair but a lot of it, a phrase I hear a lot and one I repeat a lot. It means I have lots of hair on my hair which is fine and it is naturally wavy and I never really know what to do with it.  You should never be afraid to ask your stylist for hints and tips on what to do with your hair and how to do certain things, even washing your hair is a handy tip to have.

So the decision on how to have my hair cut and styled was left to Andreas, not as scary as it sounds, after all he is the professional and knows what he is doing. I just mentioned that I hate having hair on my face, so a fringe will always be a no no, but other than that, off you go. So having bushy hair that hadnt been cut for over 6 months (oops) turned into this:

My hair is now shoulder length, it is manageable, it is a delight to style and I just love that the very few layers that have been added give my hair some movement and that swishy feel when I am ready to go out. My highlights grew out some time ago, so some roots have begun to appear but for now, I am totally chuffed with my hair.

John Frieda for me is more than just an experience, it is everything a salon should be and I can see why everytime I am fortunate enough to go that the regulars in there keep coming back, it is just so friendly, warm and welcoming and nothing is ever too much trouble.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise