By Laurin
We have a saying in my homeland: “The
higher the hair, the closer to Jesus.” From her hair alone, I think
that we can deduce that my grandmother and her poodle were both very
close to Jesus in 1979. My relationship with the Holy Spirit is on
decidedly shakier ground, so I have to rely on modern artifice to
give me the volume I crave. Here are a few products I’ve rated
recently:
Eco Tools Hairbrushes
Eco Tools, who already have a high
quality range of affordable make-up brushes, are launching their
first collection of hairbrushes next month. They're made using
repurposed aluminium and renewable bamboo, which is great if you care
about your carbon footprint, but you should still check them out if
you don't. The range contains five different types of brush, so there
is something to suit everyone. I'm loving the Quick Volume Styler for
adding volume to my shoulder-length fine hair in the mornings, and
the Sleek + Shine Finisher is great for blow-drying a fringe, as the
tightly packed bristles hold the hair firm beneath a hot air blast.
The cream and blonde wood finish means they’re stylish enough to
display on your dressing table, and they're well-priced at £10.99
each. Advantage cards at the ready.
Eco Tools Hairbrushes are £10.99 each
and available in Boots from April 2014
Josh Wood for M&S
In case you haven’t noticed, M&S
have been seriously pulling their socks up when it comes to beauty.
What was once merely a reliable place to buy rose-scented foam bath
for your nan is now a spot to pick up everything from hard-working
French pharmacy brands to cutting-edge Icelandic skincare to damned
fine collaborations with British beauty experts. The latest
collection to hit the shelves is colourist Josh Wood’s range of
shampoos and conditioners for coloured hair. There are three pairs:
one for dry hair, one for frizzy hair and one for fine hair. I’ve
been testing the range for fine hair and while I can confirm that it
has indeed added volume and stopped my ash blonde hair from turning
brassy, what I really want to tell you about is the smell. This is
without a doubt the best-smelling shampoo and conditioner I’ve ever
used, knocking Herbal Essences off its sixteen year run in the top
spot. Instead of the generic fruit cocktail I’ve come to expect
from most shampoos, we have instead a warm, spicy ginger. It smells
like pressing your face into the bare neck of someone you love
deeply. Sexy. As. Hell.
Josh Wood Full-Bodied Shampoo and
Conditioner are £9.50 for 250ml and are available at Marks &
Spencer
And, speaking of things I love deeply,
I’ve developed a serious crush on the volumising powder from the
pseudo-Italian haircare brand Her, fronted by that well-known
haircare guru John Barrowman*. This one isn’t for everyone. If your
hair is already thick, curly or prone to frizz, you should probably
give it a miss. But if your hair is fine and flat, try using it to
live out your Amy Winehouse backcombing fantasies (we all have those,
right?). It instantly makes your roots into a slightly tacky web that
you can then scrunch and comb into skyscraper hair that won’t come
down until you wash it out. I realise that won’t appeal to
everyone, but I reckon I could trap both flies AND men in my hair
when I use it. My only complaint is that you have to shake rather
than spray it on, so make sure you have good aim. Use it sparingly: a
little goes a very, very long way.
In the picture above, on the left, you
can see my hair blow-dried without any product at all (and my make-up
free face, while we’re at it). On the right, I’ve added three
shakes of the powder around the roots at the top of my head and
backcombed ever so slightly. I’m not sure the picture does it full
justice, but this is a lot more volume for a very little effort.
Her Volumising Powder is £14 for 7g
and is available at www.thisisher.co.uk
Finally, on a
completely different note, it’s officially spring! Any day now I’m
expecting to catch sight of my first rage-inducing article on how NOT
to induce mass cardiac arrest on the beach this summer with my hairy,
wobbly flesh. For no reason whatsoever, I’ve spent the last
fortnight slapping Nivea Firming Good-bye Cellulite Serum on my
cottage-cheese thighs so that you don’t have to waste your money on
it when June rolls around. It promises to work WITH my skin “to
improve its firmness and reduce the appearance of cellulite in 10
days.” Did it? What do you think? It mostly made the skin on my bum
squeak when I touched it and caused my thighs to stick together like
slices of sweaty cheese. This is the part where I’m supposed to
tell you that cellulite creams don’t work, and I’ve decided to
just drink more water and sod what everyone thinks of my “bikini
body”. Except that I have no immediate plans for beach-based
frolicking, so what I’ve actually decided to do is eat more toast
and sod what everyone thinks of me spending my summer holidays in my
darkened bedroom, watching Gossip Girl on Netflix while I sit on my
well-cushioned bum. Problem solved.
Nivea Firming Good-bye Cellulite Serum
is £5.59 for 75ml and is available at Boots. Toast is free and
available in your kitchen.
**Yes, THAT John Barrowman. I'm not even slightly joking. Get Lippie had breakfast with him and everything. There are photos, which I'm legally bound** not to share here.
**She'll kill me, and besides, we've run out of brain bleach.
This post: Big Hair Round-Up: Eco Tools Hairbrushes, Josh Wood for M&S and Her Volumising Powder originated at: Get Lippie All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Get Lippie, then this content has been stolen by a scraper