Living Proof Prime Style Extender

Primers have become big business for the cosmetics industry over the last two years, with a boom in popularity and the high street market tackling the popular trend, so it was only a matter of time before a primer for your hair was invented.  A primer is essentially the glue that holds everything together - first helping to keep make up in place and now hair products and styles.  When I first heard about the Living Proof Prime Style Extender, I was initially skeptical but nonetheless intrigued.  

Living Proof claims that this will lock in your style for longer, that it's weightless, weather proofing and time saving.  When I first started using this product I wasn't sure what it was actually doing but as time went on I found that my hair was lasting better between washes, that I didn't have to apply so much heat to my hair, as it usually remained quite straight and that my hair didn't feel at all weighed down by the extra product in its routine.  The big test came when I curled my hair.  I, like many of you no doubt, struggle to keep my curls in place all day.  It seems the bigger the curling iron I use, the harder it is for them not to drop.  Using this and then spraying my hair with a curling product, I've found that my hair lasted a lot longer than it would have without.  

The product itself is a creamy gel, which can be used from root to tip and has a fresh, fruity scent - not dissimilar to Kerastase Ciment Thermique.  I use about a walnuts sized blob, warm in the palms of my hands before running through my hair and adding any other products I need and blow drying.  This is a product that needs to be used on wet hair, to help lock in those products and give you the longevity you require. 

At £17.00, it's an expensive extra to add to your hair care routine and by no means a necessity, but if you find that your hair needs to be washed every other day or your sick of your styles not lasting, I would say it's worth getting a sample and trying it for yourself. 

Have you tried any of the Living Proof range?

Bleach Blonde Haircare

With bleach blonde hair, I can't afford to be sloppy when it comes to my haircare routine.  I use products both in and out of the shower that help to keep my tresses in the best condition possible after the strain I put it through with heat styling and regular bleaching.  Here's how I keep my goldilocks healthy, with a few tips and tricks thrown in for good measure.  

I wash my hair every two to three days as it's quite porous and will become dry and frazzled if I wash it everyday, plus I find that thanks to the bleach my mane doesn't get greasy too fast. Before washing, I always brush through my hair to get rid of any tangles.  I have a choice of two shampoo's depending on what my locks needs.  The first is L'Oreal's EverPure Colour Care and Moisture shampoo which helps to lock in moisture and prep my hair for conditioner.  The second is a tone correcting purple shampoo by John Freida, which helps to keep brassy yellow tones at bay.  I only use the John Frieda once a week as overuse can end up leaving a purple tinge to the hair.  I then follow up with a slathering of conditioner, which I comb through before washing out, to ensure the product is evenly distributed.  My favourite at the moment is also from the EverPure range.  Once a week I will go ahead and apply the EverPure Reinforcing Intense Mask, concentrating on my mid-lengths and most importantly, my ends.  It says to leave on for 3-5 minutes but for an intense treatment I leave it on for about an hour.  This is a great time to have a bath and read a good book.  

Fresh out of the shower I then brush through my tresses with a Tangle Teezer.  I think I would have a lot less hair if I hadn't had invested in this product.  It glides through my hair effortlessly, even without a detangling spray and it doesn't pull or snag, creating unwanted breakages.  If I'm going to blow dry my hair I will then go ahead and spritz some heat protection spray throughout, right now I'm using the EverSleek spray but I also like the TreSemme one too.  Another heat protection treatment I use is Kerastase Ciment Thermique, which actually requires heat to work.  This treatment helps reconstruct damaged hair and also acts as a heat protectant that needs to be replenished every five days.  Most times that I wash my locks, I like to leave them to dry naturally, so I will just use Moroccan Oil Light and get on with whatever I'm doing.  

Before I go to bed, I'll brush my hair and plait (braid) it, as it prevents any tangles forming through the night. Plus, if you're feeling lazy the next day, it's an easy, heat free way to get soft waves.  I hope some of you found this post helpful and picked up a few tips. My hair stylist is happy with the condition of my hair, so I must be doing something right! 

What's your holy grail haircare product or tip?

Full product reviews: L'Oreal Ever Pure Colour Care and Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner; L'Oreal Ever Pure Reinforcing Intense Mask