Hey kittens, today’s blog post is all about haircare – and since you lot ask me frequently how I look after my very curly hair, I thought I would share with you some products that I have been loving recently.
This summer, Umberto Giannini launched a new product range, aimed at taming frizz and keeping curls in place. #CurlFriends is a range of shampoos, conditioners and treatments that are aimed at those of the very curly hair variety (me), and so I was the perfect target audience when Harvey Nichols Manchester invited me into their Umberto Giannini hair salon to learn more about them.
After arriving at the salon and being offered a choice of tea, coffee or processco (duh – easy choice!) I was talked through the range by a very lovely hair stylist. Truth be told, I am always nervous about having a hair expert examine my main – it is really curly and I am a wash-and-go kinda girl so I don’t tend to style it on a daily basis, but I felt totally welcome and relaxed in Harvey Nics. After talking me through the range, I was left with a bag of goodies to try for myself and I have been using these over the past two months.
The first set of items I was given to try were the Pure Curls Detangling Shampoo, Bouncy Curls Curl Enhancing Conditioner and Smooth Curls Intensive Conditioner. Obviously, I was told not to use both conditioners at once, but that it would be a good idea for me to use the shampoo then switch between the conditioners as and when I wanted. Now, I don’t use a lot of product on my hair for fear of making it ‘too soft’, but over two months down the line I still have a reasonable amount of product in the Detangling Shampoo, whilst I have ran out of both the Enhancing and Intensive Conditioners.
To be honest, I don’t find shampoos to vary that greatly for different hair types. I am not fussy about which ones I use and I only use a small amount as to not make my hair frizzy – this one is no different. However I do really like both of these conditioners. I am so fussy about what conditioner I use, but when I used my Curl Friends conditioners I definitely noticed a difference in reduction of frizz compared to standard hair conditioners. I would definitely repurchase these (retailing at a reasonable £5.50/£6 at Boots), perhaps using with a cheaper shampoo.
The last three products I was given to try were styling products. Aside from washing my hair twice weekly, I only usually add in a little frizz taming gel after a wash (and perhaps two days in if needed) to calm my curls, and that’s that. I have since been trying the Umberto Giannini Create a Curl Scrunching Jelly, Natural Curls Styling Cream and Ultimate Curls Nourishing Oil.
For me, the Styling Cream is most similar to what I would usually use on my hair – a light cream that I run through the ends of my hair when wet to minimise frizz and keep curls in place. I do really like this, but you have to be careful not to use too much. The Scrunching Jelly, I can give or take, but I wouldn’t usually purchase an item like this to be fair. However, the Nourishing Oil, I love! I have used this both mid-wash before conditioner to make the product take to my hair more, but also more frequently after washing when my hair is still damp. I like to run this through the ends of my hair before letting my hair dry, and I notice the difference now when I don’t use this. At £8, it is more expensive than the lower end brands I have used before but for a high end, salon brand I think it’s a reasonable price and one I would be more than happy to pay again – over 2 months in to using this and I have half the bottle left. I reckon that’s pretty good.
Full time I'm an ambitious Head of Marketing and Communications in the luxury industry. Part time, I'm an enthusiastic British Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle blogger and YouTuber from Manchester, UK. This blog has been my outlet for the past 7+ years, and as a longstanding, Award-winning blogger I take the most enjoyment from creating content I truly love and believe in. All authentic. Always.
