Close Shave

I think Britney may have taken Rogers and Hammerstein a little too seriously this week. Rather than washing Fed-Ex and Isaac ‘Fed-the-Second’ Cohn right out of her hair she seems to have opted for the more extreme shave it all off option. Admittedly she may have realised that her taste in men leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe an extreme make-over might save her from more such ridiuclous choices of bed-mate, but I think it’s a bit extreme and maybe the final step too far. She also got her tummy button pierced which is a stretch mark disaster waiting to happen, considering she’s already shown a certain disregard for when she has children and who with. It can take up to two years for your tummy to recover from a piecing.

Last week Britney’s ex assistant and best friend announced that she was aware of what was happening to Brit but that the 25 year old singer, who spent one day (!) in rehab in Antigua last week, was beyond the help of her friends. I do appreciate that of late Britney has suffered from many a hair disaster, constantly chopping (ha ha) and changing between blonde and brunette, long and short, curly and straight, extensions or natural. Her only hair-disaster equal seems to be Jessica Simpson who recently stumbled into a terrible dye job. Luckily she quickly remedied the situation by choosing a more chocolatey less ginger terrier hue.

I’m pretty sure that most women after being dumped try to make themselves look as fabulous as possible so the evil ex can see what he’s missing out on. However, I have to say that although Britney is no Sinead, now she can really pull off the shaved head, Brit isn’t looking too horrific (as Mr J was quick to point out!). This could signal a fresh start for Ms Spears, a clean slate or new leaf. Lets hope so because there is only so much more her loyal fans can overlook before Fed-Ex’s full custody of the children starts to look appealing, and lets face it who would have thought that that would ever happen.

So for those of you who need to wash someone or something right out of your hair but aren’t ready to reach for the clippers just yet, here are some favourites of mine and the Misses.

Shampoos:

I am always trying to get my hair thicker and bigger. It has a tendency to get a bit flat and one drop of rain turns me into a poodle. This combination is not attractive. I’ve tried so many different volumising shampoos and the only one that I found to work was Pantene’s Full & Thick. Aussie and John Freida both do great volumising shampoo’s but if your hair flattens at the sight of a hat or the great outdoors, I’ve found these cannot stand the strain. I should point out that I have only tried the rather than his special volumising range. John Frieda Blonde Thickening Shampoo,Toni & Guy and Charles Worthington also do great thickening shampoos but again they are fabulous at first but seem to have no staying power. I thought I was destined to spend hours with my head upside down blow drying and straightening the difficult Miss B locks. That is until I decided to try Thicker Fuller Hair Shampoo. I’m a packaging snob and this really looks like something that could be re-bottled as shower gel or conditioner. However, it is the only shampoo I have found that gives lasting volume and really lifts the hair at the roots. I’d recommend any of the shampoos mentioned above as they are all great but if like me you really need all the help you can get the Thicker Fuller Hair range is the one for you.

For those who are lucky enough to already have voluminous hair but want smoother more moisturised locks there are some great products out there. If you have dyed hair the John Frieda range is great. TRESemme’s new moisture shampoo really works. I’ve been taking part in a two week trial for them and my hair, which can feel quite dry most of the time actually feels smooth but hasn’t lost any ‘body’. Miss S is a TRESemme devotee.

Conditioners:

I have yet to find a conditioner that does not flatten my hair even those which are specifically made to be volumising. Pantene, John Frieda, Charles Worthington and have all had a go at my hair and none of them have quite managed the job. Sadly I have to say, I’ve slightly given up so I don’t condition my hair anymore. Once every couple of weeks I will use Tony & GuyJohn Frieda’s Blonde Hair Repairing Treatment. I also use his Healthy Attitude Leave-In Nourishing Spray or Aussie’s Leave-In Conditioner (but I’m not too keen on the smell).

The best leave-in conditioner spray has to be Cobella’s Weightless Leave-In Conditioner which not only really works but smells great too. To condition or not to condition really depends on your hair. It is important to keep it healthy and try and keep split ends at bay especially if you have dyed hair. I have to admit mine is platinum peroxided to within and inch of its life. The TRESemme Moisturising Conditioner from the hair trial is great when applied just to the ends.

Post Party:

I have actually been known to throw a tantrum when my Tigi Bed Hed After-Party Smoothing Cream runs out. If you have been out and your hair smells of anything (fags, booze and god knows what) this is the only thing I have found that will help. It covers the smell and to be honest I don't even know how to describe it. It literally sorts your hair out - you don't even have to tie it up. I have one at my house, my parents house, Mr J's house, and in my washbag. Its that good. If anyone has anything to rival this please let me know.

Straightening and smoothing:

Straightening, blow drying and indeed any heat is bad for your hair. No one is going to tell you different.. What with having frazzled dyed hair, a scary obsession with my GHD Classic Styler Ceramic Hair Straightener 170C and a tendancy towards Bon Jovi hair even when I don't blow dry. I need all the help I can get. And I think I've found it. Whilst your hair is still wet try Pantene's Heat Protection Cream which not only defends your hair against heat but softens it too. As a more general protection i.e. you can use it whenever and wherever you want, Toni & Guy's Iron It Heat Defence Spray is a weightless protector that won't affect your hair (except to protect it).

There is only one detangler and smoother for me. John Frieda's Spotlight Glosser has been a constant in my washbag for 9 years!! Toni & Guys Shine Addiction will add a bit of gloss before you go out and it smells great too. I've never been a fan of John Frieda's Frizz Ease. Some people love it but I think its only for girls with curls. Whilst on a cruise The Mumma B discovered Lanza Strait-Line Formula: Smootherwhich is worth every penny of its (approximately) £10. Miss F loves Cobella Stay Staight Flattening Balm - it smells fab, keeps you hair soft and shiny and it lasts forever.

Colour Protect:

As I've mentioned I err on the Platinum side of blonde. I'll try not to be biased but I think its one of the hardest colours to maintain. You not only risk not canary yellow but also green and I'll do anything to not look like Orville so once again I've spent some money on these products, mostly shampoo's. Every couple of months or so I'll buy John Frieda's Sheer Blonde Volumising Shampoo. He makes them specific to your hair tone so you can be really choosy. He also does a great Forever Blonde; Total Colour Protector - but beware you only need a little, it can leave a coating on your hair.
Volumisers:

As for post-wash volumising treatments I think I have spent more money on these than most other products. There are some great ones out there so I’ve narrowed it down to my top five which I would recommend to anyone. So in no particular order:

1. John Frieda Spritz and Blitz - Lifting and Thickening Spray
2. Toni and Guy Volume Explosion Thickening Cream
3. Pantene Full and Thick Lightweight Conditioning Foam
4. John FriedaFull Blown Blonde Volumising Spray
5. Charles Worthington Full Volume Styling Spray

So after all this money and time spent grooming myh hair rather than shaving it what are the top five hair products I would take to my desert island?

1. Thicker Fuller Hair Shampoo
2. Tigi Bed Head After-Party Smoothing Cream
3. Cobella Weightless Leave-in Conditioner
4. John Frieda Spritz and Blitz - Lifting and Thickening Spray
5. GHD Classic Styler Ceramic Hair Straightener 170C (ok ok they aren’t a product but I can’t bear to be without them) xx

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