'Pillow Proof Primer' 'Pillow Proof Primer' 'Pillow Proof Primer'

Earlier on in the year a few of us from the Charlie Brown team attended the Redken Symposium at Londons' Kensington Olympia. Throughout the day there was one clear favorite product with all of the superstars on stage yet none of us back at the Charlie Brown hub had ever seen or heard of this product, let alone know what it does...
  'Pillow Proof Primer' 'Pillow Proof Primer' 'Pillow Proof Primer'

You can imagine our excitement 2 weeks later when lots of lovely boxes of the infamous Pillow Proof Primer arrived at the salons. Its been used on almost every client since and is proving hugely popular with not just the stylists but with clients too, so we thought we'd give you a full review on the product.

What does the Pillow Proof Primer claim to do?

- Provides heat protection up to 450 degrees F

- Reduces blow-dry time (a few of us were a bit dubious about this working due to past products claiming the same without the result)

- Leaves hair 3 X stronger and healthier

- Prevents breakage

- Extends the life of your blow-dry

- Absorbs oil to refresh hair and roots 

So it was time to put it to the test! 2 days ago I got Charley here @ the Coulsdon salon to Blowdry my hair using the Pillow Proof Primer to see if the above promises actually worked! 

My hair is naturally wavy with a little bit of a frizz to it, Here's a snap of my hair before!

My hair was shampooed twice with Redkens' Body Full shampoo and conditioned with Redkens' All soft conditioner (my favourite combo). Once Charley had towel dried my hair she sprayed 4-5 sprays of the primer from roots to ends lifting up sections as she went. 
She blowdried my hair with a medium round blowdry brush in sections lifting hair up to create body and winding in the ends to create a bouncy flick. My hair takes forever to dry usually as its deceivingly thick but as Charley made her way through the sections they did seem to dry quicker than usual! Once finished I applied no hairspray as i wanted to see exactly how long it lasted with no additional help!

Here's the finished result, my hair had a nice movement to it it felt very light, like I had hardly any hair on my head as well as feeling smooth and silky to touch. I was quite worried at first as the scent of the product is quite strong when initially sprayed (I have been known to get a headache when products have smelt too strong in the past) but once the hair was dry it smelt beautiful and fresh without feeling too perfumed which is exactly what I like!

After a nights sleep my hair genuinely felt as fresh as it had before I went to bed the bounce had dropped a little but it still had a nice movement to it and apart from re-blowdrying the fringe which I normally do daily anyway and putting a brush through it I didn't have to do anything else! RESULT!

So today's the last day and this morning would normally of been hair wash time and I must admit when I woke up, subconsciously I did think grrr i'm going to have to wash it but that was before looking in the mirror again after putting a brush through it and re blowdrying the fringe the finished result was this...

Not bad hey? Overall I must say that I really am impressed and anyone that knows how fussy I am when it comes to hair products would be bowled over by my response!

My hair genuinely does feel fresh and I still like the overall look so thumbs up to Redken for creating a product that really does give a longer lasting healthy looking blowdry!

The pillow proof primer is priced at £15.80 meaning its slightly more expensive than some of there other products in the Redken styling range but after testing out its promises and feeling the benefits... its worth it right? 

Repunzal

Micro-ring hair extensions have been around for a while now, but so many people are still unsure of how they work, the upkeep, and how they're different to the old fashioned bonded extensions! And with so many different hair types on the market its difficult to know what to choose... 

Here's the full Lowdown on how it all works!

10 key facts about micro-ring hair extensions

1- No heat no glue (NO DAMAGE) 
Unlike Bonded hair extensions, micro-ring uses a small metal ring (with silicon lining for kindness to your hair) that is clamped into the hair along with the extension and a section of your own hair.
2- Quick application - gone are the days of sitting for hours in the salon
A full head (usually around 200 extensions) on average takes about 2 hours to do, however this does vary depending on the thickness of the natural hair.
3. Easy to maintain - as wearable in your office as they are on holiday
Apart from your head being a little heavier than normal, hair micro rings are styled, washed and used in exactly the same way!  Maintenance is needed every 6-8 weeks depending on how well you look after the hair. During a maintenance appointment the rings are moved back up to the root of the hair as well as reapplying any extensions that have come out during that time ( it is normal to loose up to 20% of your hair extensions within a 6 week period) 
4. Suitable for almost ANY hair type- adding not only length but thickness
Most people have extensions to add length to the hair but did you know that ladies with fine hair perhaps not wanting meters of hair dragging behind there back can also get extensions and have them cut to the same length and style of their own hair to create body and volume. 
5. Hair lasts up to 12 months depending on the type chosen
Whilst there are over 50 types of hair you can buy, sourced from countries all over the world these are our 3 favourites and most popular
Indian hair - lasts up to 4 months 
Eu 16  hair -lasts up to 6 months
Russian hair- lasts up to 12 months
6. Easy to remove
When you decide that its time to take the extensions out the micro-rings are simply popped back open and the extension is removed, which can take as little as 30 Min's to remove an entire head.
7. Injection of self esteem given in a matter of hours
For people that have been trying to grow there hair for a while (or since they were 5 years old like me!) and seem to be getting nowhere, or equally for people with fine hair that just want a volume boost, Extensions can make you feel although your carrying an entire new head of hair and your confidence levels will be improved dramatically (that's a Charlie Brown promise!)
8. Natural looking  
We all remember the famous Britney Spears shots of her extremely poor weave, that is defiantly a thing of the past, Micro-rings are so seamless, flowing beautifully with you're own hair with a professional cut to finish the look you can rarely notice that anybody has got them in at all!  
9. Affordable cost
At Charlie Brown consultations are free,the stylist matches your hair to the correct extension colour as well as going through pricing, assessing your hair to ensure the correct extension method has been chosen and discussing which hair type is best for you. 
Full head starts at £200
10. The most popular type of hair extension on the market 
With celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Cheryl Cole, and Frankie (from the Saturdays), Rhianna, and Sam Faires endorsing micro-ring extensions, its no wonder they are so popular!

POPBAND VS HAIRBAND

 

 

 

So some of you guys might have seen the new Popbands floating about but the main questions on everyone's lips are;

 Why Popband? Whats the difference?!

 

Apart from the fact that Popbands look far better and much cooler on your wrist as well as in your hair there are so many other benefits too!

 

 Have you ever noticed when tying your hair up with regular elastic hairbands it pulls the hair really tight and sometimes even causes it to break or snap? So many people don't actually realise how bad elastic hairbands are for your hair! Popbands on the other hand are kind to the hair whilst still tying the hair up as securely as any normal hairband would!

 

As if that wasn't enough of a reason the Popbands also eliminate the annoyance so many people find when tying their hair up with regular hairbands, the DREADED KINK! Popband somehow manages to tie the hair up securely without leaving any marks on the hair whatsoever! Making it perfect for when doing a workout in the gym or tying up freshly straightened or curled hair whilst getting ready before a night out!

 

There's also loads of different colours and styles to choose from and multipacks available, prices range from £5! They're not only perfect for yourself but they also proving so popular with children and are making perfect little gifts too!

 

Its about time everybody gets popping!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hair to help!

Lets face it we all have those days when our hair is the furthest thing from our minds don't we? Before we made it as stylists choosing the right style and managing our hair throughout our hectic day to day lives, was a massive struggle for us as well so don't worry! Its not about being an expert its about knowing the tricks the experts teach..which is exactly what we are here to do, with regular updates on current styles, advice on choosing the best style to suit you and your image, reviews on proffesional products, tutuorials and handy hints and tips we are hair to help!

Here's a few of our favorite hairdos over the last few weeks

1- Kardashian sisters @ the opening of their new DASH boutique

2- Maria Menounos 2014 Oscars updo

3- Sky Ferreira for the new Redken 5th avenue campaign