A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

As a global brand marketed to the masses, Pantene have never been known to rest on their laurels.  To remain competitive, uber-brands such as Pantene who dominate their markets in this way simply have to stay ontop of the latest technologies and even more than that, often be the first to implement them.

The downside to this, from a consumer point of view is that TOO MUCH CHOICE can be a bad thing.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stood in-front of the haircare shelves in my local supermarket, taking far too long to decide which shampoo to buy and I know that most of us (unless you’re majorly brand loyal) face this same dilemma each time we shop.  I mean, ok… it’s one of those 1st world ‘problems’ that isn’t really a problem but in such a competitive market-place, these little things can make a big difference to consumers.

Pantene have relaunched, re-branded…. all that “re” stuff that doesn’t really matter too much to us unless we’re interested by the marketing side of things.  What they’ve actually done, in terms that I can get my head around is have a little re-jig.  And it looks something like this…

Still looks a bit excessive right?  It’s not!

Here are three choices, you can only pick one.  Is your hair?

Fine
Normal to Thick
Coloured/Highlighted (if your hair is coloured, choose this option regardless of the texture)

OK, got one?  Well, that’s all you need to know to shop the entire range easily and with confidence because Pantene have divided all of their products into these three categories which should in theory, make choosing the right product for your hair type, simple.

Gone should be the days of working out that “volumising” shampoos should be used for fine hair, “protecting” for coloured and “smoothing” for thicker hair types.  The industry loves a good buzz word and the above examples are some of the less “out-there” descriptions of what a hair product is supposed to achieve.  With the relaunch, stick to that initial question and you’ll be sure to choose a product designed with your hair type in mind.

As part of the relaunch, the brand are also introducing new formulas and ingredients, one of which involves a breakthrough ingredient for dry, frizzy hair-types called AM Triquat-76.  This patented whatsit (insert scientific word there) aids silicones to deposit themselves evenly across the hair shaft, thus smoothing the cuticle more effectively with less weigh-down than before and offering better protection from styling.

So, there you have it – the new look Pantene and the reasons behind all these changes.  To read more about the relaunch and what it means for your favourite products, click through to the Pantene site.

 Which hair type are you?

This new treatment from Pantene Pro-V promises to tame the frizz for up to 24 hours with a non-sticky formula.  Well, it pretty much does what it says on the tin.  THE END.

Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek Range (minus the intensive treatment!)

OK, not really the end… that would be a speed review and a half.  There’s a teeny bit more to this new hair release than meets the eye.

Pantene asked one of the top UK Spas (Stoke Park Spa by SPC) if they were willing to embark on a little experiment with them.  It involved a blind test… you know the deal, get in some guinea pigs – give ’em the posh cat food hair treatment and then give ’em the high street alternative.  Well, the punters couldn’t tell the difference between the Pantene range and the £60 spa treament and neither could the expert stylists.

Stoke Park Spa by SPC, when I die… I’d like Heaven to look a bit like this.

But what does this have to do with the Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek 24h Frizz Fighter?  Well, the range that was put to the test was indeed the Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek line up which now comprises of 4 ‘spa-endorsed’ products.

Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek Shampoo 250ml – £2.19
Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek Conditioner 200ml – £2.19
Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek Intensive Treatment (wash out treatment) 200ml – £3.99
Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek 24h Frizz Fighter 150ml – £3.99

The Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek 24h Frizz Fighter feels more like a leave in conditioner in texture when compared to something like John Frieda’s iconic Frizz-Ease serum.  I’m a fan of both but I like the lighter texture of the Pantene for my fine hair.  I have to be very careful with the Frizz-Ease not to overload and the Pantene certainly seems to be far more forgiving.

9/10 cats couldn’t tell the difference between the salon at Stoke Park Spa by SPC and my bathroom.

And the results?  Well they’re GOOD!  Whether I leave to dry naturally or blast with a hairdryer (whilst trying to flatten the hair cuticles of course) I achieve smoother locks.  I still have the odd flyaway near the roots but running my fingers through the ends of my hair confirms that the entire shaft is smoother, not as rough which as you can imagine results in an overall sleeker do!

Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek 24hr Frizz Fighter is available at Boots and the other usual outlets!

* press sample

I’m not going to wrap this up in my usual 4348390 words incase I somehow lose the point of this post.  Let me simply tell you that I experienced a miracle this morning (yesterday morning by the time you’re reading this!).

I worked a blob of the new Pantene Colour Seal Concentrate through my hair last night after doing the usual shampoo/conditioner routine, left it on for 2/3 minutes and rinsed it out.  I went to bed with wet hair, fully expecting to regret my laziness the next morning and instead woke up to the softest, smoothest hair I can remember having.

The coarseness had completely disappeared and I was able to gather my hair into a smooth ponytail with ends so sleek that I couldn’t stop stroking them.

It’s now 13 hours later and my hair is sadly starting to feel a little more like it’s usual rough self so I’m not sold on Pantene’s claims of long-term effectiveness… still, even a full day of glossy locks has brightened my mood.  Yes, I’m as shallow as that last statment makes me appear.  I don’t care how it works (probably silicones, smoke and mirrors), I just care that it makes my hair (temporarily) very happy.

Pantene Colour Seal Concentrate should be available in your usual Pantene stockists now as part of the Pro-V Colour Protect range, it’s priced at £3.99 and I really recommend that you stop whatever it is you’re doing to go and buy some.

Last week, I was invited to the Savoy hotel in London to meet Pantene ambassador Cat Deeley and to learn a little more about the new Pantene range for coloured hair.

Before heading up to London, I was asked if I had any questions I wanted to put to Cat.  Without hesitation I wanted to ask who her ‘Tonight Matthew, I’m going to be….” would be?  Then I remembered that I write a beauty blog, not a StarsInYourEyes fan blog.  So more on what I actually did ask her later…

I’ve talked before about the new Pantene Colour Protect range and you can read this post for further details on the products that are currently available in the UK… but tonight, we focused on meeting the brand’s ambassador and seeing the differences between virgin hair (uncoloured), coloured hair and coloured hair once treated with the new Pantene Colour Seal Concentrate (not released yet).

The results were surprisingly tangible.  We watched a demonstration of hair porosity…. and as someone who has (many times) in the past coloured her hair without giving any thought as to what long term affects this might have, perhaps a little sobering aswell.

The hair in the bowl on the left is virgin (uncoloured) hair, whilst the bowl nearest to the camera contains a sample of coloured hair.  Can you see how the virgin hair retains it’s waterproofing abilities that allows it to float whilst the coloured hair has literally swelled with the water and is no longer resting on the surface?

Well who cares right?  Well, me… because hair porosity is important to how hair looks and feels.  Frequent colouring can encourage the hair cuticle layers to stay raised… allowing more moisture in and ultimately letting more out, which leaves your hair feeling dry, brittle and pretty rubbish.  The rougher the cuticle, the less shiny your hair will appear and if you want silky, smooth locks?  Forget it.  You’re only getting those with a nice smooth hair cuticle.

The new Pantene Colour Seal Concentrate creates an artificial protective layer over our hair’s natural cuticle that mimics how our hair should be if we didn’t mistreat it.  I felt the difference between untreated and treated coloured hair and one was considerably smoother in texture.  The other good thing about the Pantene Colour Seal Concentrate is that you only need to use this about once a week as it’s effects will last a few washes before you need to reapply.

I haven’t tried this on my own hair as it’s not released until next month but I’m all for quick fixes and this seems like it could be just the ticket.  If it’s good enough for Cat Deeley (who happened to let slip that from the entire range, it was the Colour Seal Concentrate that was her favourite – shh), it’s good enough for me.

Once Cat had said her hellos and kicked off her beautiful (but killer) Louboutins, she got straight to answering some questions that we’d posed.  Here’s a few highlights from the Q&A:

Finally, Cat answered my question “Who has more fun, blondes or brunettes?”

Her eyes twinkled as she took in the words, and she grinned… aware that she could potentially offend half the room in one fell swoop!  Her answer was clear though… “Blondes!”  Cat followed up by explaining that you can only have fun when you feel comfortable in your own skin (or hair colour!) and that for her, that was her tried and tested honey blonde.  Nice save!

I spent a few minutes appreciating the newly refurbished Royal Suite at the Savoy… check out the view from pretty much every room.

I wouldn’t grumble about having to clean those windows.  Well… actually, I probably still would.

After this, I headed straight for hair stylist, James McMahon to pump him for extra tips on the perfect blow dry that we’re all so desperate to recreate.  James was straight to the point, reiterating how hard it was to achieve by yourself simply because the angles are all wrong!  I was happy to let him demonstrate on me what a perfect blow dry should look like.  I know, I’m too good to you… SELF-LESS.

Look at me, taking one for the team… I hope you’re grateful.

So, with my blow-dry questions exhausted, James talked a little about coloured hair.  I asked him if he felt it was really necessary to use specialist shampoos and conditioners for coloured hair?  He told me that nothing damages your hair more than the thing that you do ‘most’ to it.  In the majority of cases… that would be washing our hair and that if our hair is already fragile from over-processing then we should ensure that we’re using a shampoo and conditioner designed to care for our coloured hair.

I then asked James if you could pick and choose from a set range.  I explained that my scalp is ridiculously sensitive and that I generally prefer to stick to tried and tested shampoos that I know won’t aggravate my picky scalp.  He said that there would be nothing wrong with just choosing to use the treatments from a range or intensive conditioners if you didn’t want to change over your entire haircare regime.

With those wise words ringing in my ears, I’m swapping out my usual conditioner for Pantene’s 2 Minute Damage Rescue Treatment and after feeling the difference between the hair samples demonstrated earlier in the evening… I’m impatient for the Pantene Colour Seal Concentrate to become available too!

I’mma gonna get those bloody hair cuticles flat if it kills me!  I want Cat hair!  That’s it.  The gloves are off… only I’m fighting in the brunette corner.

‘Cos brunettes have more fun.  Innit!

Pantene are introducing a new range to the UK market next week called Pantene Colour Protect.  It will come in two variants:  Pantene Colour Protect & Smooth and Pantene Colour Protect & Volume.

Designed to protect coloured hair from premature fading, it claims to achieve this by reducing hair porosity which over time can facilitate faster colour fade.  Coloured hair (by it’s very nature) is particularly vulnerable to damage from environmental factors and anyone who colours their hair should be looking to provide it with some extra protection from the rigours of styling.

Pantene Colour Protect & Smooth (priced from £2.19) is designed for coloured hair that is prone to frizzing… great for thicker hair types that want to protect their colour without compromising on the ability to perfect a sleek style.

Pantene Colour Protect & Volume (priced from £2.19) is designed for coloured hair that lacks volume.  That would be me (although, show me a rain cloud and I can frizz up with the best of them too!), ideal for finer hair that needs a lightweight formulation that will rinse quickly and cleanly.

The shampoo ingredients can be seen below (I know you savvy lot love to see a list!):

And the conditioner:

Alongside the shampoo/conditioners, Pantene will also be introducing 3 treatment products to the range:

~ Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect Colour Seal Concentrate (£3.99/58ml)
~ Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect 2 Minute Damage Rescue Treatment (£3.99/200ml)
~ Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect Instant Nourishing Shine Spray (£3.99/150ml)

I’m most interested by the Colour Seal Concentrate and Shine Spray… I love the idea of treatments that offer a boost to complement my current routine (which rather unglamourously is designed to protect my flakey scalp more than my colour).  Being able to mix and match in this way is like having the best of both worlds!

If you want the opportunity to get your hands on the new range before anyone else, be sure to follow PanteneUK on Twitter as they’ll be giving away 10 sets of the new range on Tuesday.

The new face of Pantene Pro-V has been announced as presenter and former model Cat Deeley.

Why Cat? A spokesperson from Pantene said; “Cat Deeley is the ultimate Pantene Pro-V girl, she has natural beauty, and healthy looking, gorgeous hair. Her genuine likeability and infectious charisma have led to her being adored in the UK and now also the US. For us she was the obvious choice to lead the Make A Swisssh movement behind this campaign.”

Excited about her new role Cat said: “Has your hair ever felt so good you can’t help but swish it? – you know  that elusive ‘swish’, when hair moves perfectly. It’s that beautiful, healthy looking, enviable hair that we all want – that’s what you get with new Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light.” Cat Deeley

Her work with the brand will kick off with Cat as the face and hair of the new Aqua Light Make a Swisssh campaign launching on the 1^st August.

I know loads of you have been using the new Aqualight range for a little while now, still enjoying it?

I’ve been absolutely loving the shampoo this week.  My mother in law’s shower is genuinely the worst in Britain.  It doesn’t shower me… it dribbles on me.  I normally have to stand under this dribble for around 10 minutes until I’m left with no residue.  The new Pantene Aqua Light shampoo is rinsing away effortlessly in about 30 seconds!

Simple things please simple minds.

With my fine hair, I’ll happily admit that I don’t always use conditioner.  I love how conditioner makes my hair feel smoother and softer, but I simply feel that with each extra product I use on my hair, the heavier my hair feels once dried.  With my current hairstyle (a bob) – it’s important to get a bit of root lift to stop my hair looking lank.

Pantene Pro-V’s new Aqualight Range is designed with one thing in mind.  Weightlessness.  It achieves this with some clever technology which I’ll try to summarise as well as I can.

1. Slimmed-Down Silicone. The Aqualight Range has re-evaluated the amount of silicone needed in products for those with finer hair.  Simple no?

2. Clean-Rinse Technology. Making the products as water-soluble as possible means that not only will the product rinse away faster, it will also leave less residue on the hair.

There were other sciencey things that involved molecules and the way in which they break apart, but I’m not gonna pretend to you that I understood it enough to explain it in layman’s terms!

There are 4 products in the range:

Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Shampoo – New Clean-Rinse Technology allows the products to be rinsed fast meaning hair feels cleaner and lighter. RRP £2.19 (250ml), £3.69 (500ml)

Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Conditioner – New “Liquid Conditioning” ingredients which stay liquid at room temperature and provide optimum conditioning levels without excess deposits.  RRP £2.19 (200ml), £3.69 (400ml)

Pantene Pro-C Aqua Light Spray Rinse-Off Treatment – A clever, ultra-light intensive hair treatment for extra nourishment without weighing hair down. RRP £3.99

Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Leave-In Treatment Spray – A lightweight nourishing spray to style and refresh your hair between washes.  The clever “dual phase” formulation contains nourishing ingredients at the top and detangling refreshing ingredients at the bottom. RRP £3.99

First impressions from my samples are good.  Better than good!  After washing and conditioning, my hair feels gently nourished yet light.  But where I really notice it making a difference, is after styling.

I shampoo, condition and then style with a root lifting product and the lift seems to last far longer than normal.  My idea of ‘styling’ is the rather lame “pointing the hairdryer at my roots and hoping for the best” trick, but I’m delighted with the results all the same.

I’m in love with the Aqua Light Rinse-Off Treatment too which is seemingly doing wonders for my dry ends.  Ok, they’re still splitting (need a haircut STAT!)… but they feel smoother and less rough when I roll them between my fingers.  Completely unscientific testing going on here!  I’m a bit unsure about the Aqua Light Leave-In Treatment Spray though.  The whole range smells beautiful and this is no exception.. but I just can’t get it to ‘refresh’ my hair.  It gives it a touch of gloss… but at the moment, I’m not noticing much more than that.

Honestly, I’m always seduced by new hair products that work fabulously well for a couple of months before they simply stop working, so I’ll be sure to come back and update this post if anything changes as I work my way through the products.

I think the Aqua Light range has been out in parts of Europe for a little while but I’ve spotted the shampoo and conditioner online at Tesco last weekend, so I look forward to hearing what you guys think about the range too!

Before you go, I’m curious!  Would you lovely ladies mind letting me know if I’m alone in shunning conditioner in preference for more ‘swishable’ hair?

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I was invited along to The Clothes Show London courtesy of Pantene Pro-V on Friday and my God was I ‘glowing’ by the time I arrived.  How hot was it?  I was with Rowena from Cosmetic-Candy who looked far more ‘together’ and composed than me.

Flared nostrils, crazy-eyed “too many sweaty people near me” expression, melting eyeliner and foundation that had pooled somewhere around my ankles meant that the ladies behind the press desk had a genuinely hard time accepting me as a bonafide member of society let alone someone they should let in without a chaperone.

However, once safely inside Earls Court, we were led to the Pantene Pro-V stand for a wash and blow dry.  I was positively foaming at the mouth over the thought of getting a hair wash (that’s how hot I was) and if they’d retracted their offer at that point, they would have found me moments later with my arse wedged in the sink hosing my sweaty head down anyway.

After the most beautifully refreshing hair wash with some brand new products due for release this Summer, (more on those when I get the info next week) I got to experience a proper blow dry thanks to session stylist Lara Zee.  It was very different to my home attempts which generally involve me flipping my head upside down till all the blood rushes to my nose.  This actually achieved some incredible volume.  Gotta love a professional!

The blow dry was followed up by a fabulous makeup refresher from MUA Laurey Simmons who shared some of her current favs with me (Max Factor Lash Extension Effect & Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser – or was it False Lash Effect… bollocks, now I can’t remember!).  The woman is a psychic… opening up her Shu Uemura palette, I watched her reach for (what looked to me like) the beautiful ME 850.  I walked away a rejuvenated, regenerated and slightly less sweaty version of my former self.  Fabulous.

Time for shopping!

Bar some black tops from ASOS, I actually can’t remember the last time I bought something for myself that wasn’t in powder, liquid or creme form.

Eagle-eyed Rowena spotted this on a stand and practically challenged me to walk away without it.  I couldn’t.

Say Cheese!

Mr. L is unimpressed.  It’s apparently screwed up his plan for my Birthday present as he had his eye on this.  I reckon I should have both AND something else now too seeing as he gave away his surprise by telling me about it DUH!

The Clothes Show itself was a bit disappointing… the discounts were mostly underwhelming… £7 for O.P.I polishes (or 3 for £20), Make Up Store offered some products at 2 for £15 but things like the eyeliners were set at their standard instore price and they didn’t bring the High Light creme things to the show either.

OMG Marketing had a tough time accepting ‘no’ or even “do you have a website?” for an answer which put me off the Art Deco konad-a-like’s more than I thought possible.

However, in fairness… this isn’t IMATS and I ain’t no fashion blogger (or fashion anything really).

The Style Stage attracted a lot of positive attention with Caryn Franklin (I grew up watching her!) putting in an appearance and Pantene encouraging the audience to ‘swish’ their hair in order to win a goodie bag, those in attendance seemed to be thoroughly enjoying all the onstage antics!

And look what I saw!

I spent a wee while hovering at the Eclectic Eccentricity stand which hands down had the prettiest jewellery on display at the show.  All the pieces were so tactile and kinda interactive… I’m surprised I didn’t drive the owner a little bit mad ooh-ing and poking at things *blush*.  If I hadn’t been a little bit naughty in Harrods Beauty Hall earlier in the day, I would have definitely walked away with one of these and one of these too!

All in all, a lovely afternoon made even better by reading this little snippet of news the night before attending.  Ahhhh.

Have you ever been to The Clothes Show?