Love it or hate it, 'holiday hair' volume that's often the result of a long walk along a tropical beach is somewhat tricky to recreate at home. Although the first few days of a getaway I struggle to get to grips with my new found texture and embrace the corresponding volume, after a while I realise it actually looks far better than super sleek hair and adds a touch of youthfulness to my holiday look. As someone with incredibly thin hair that looks straggly if I let it get too long, I'm always seeking products to add volume to the root without causing my frizz to go into overdrive; a lot of frizz-fighting conditioners weigh hair down and leave it looking limp, so it's an ongoing struggle to balance all of my requirements without spending hours preening. Redken's Beach Envy shampoo and conditioner landed on my desk some time ago, but it's not been until very recently that I've started to use it as an alternative to my usual 'shine enhancing products. Having recently removed my hair extensions (it's a constant battle between loving the length and hating the maintenance) I wanted to create volume, style and effortless waves without having to battle with electrical styling tools for an hour. Step in these translucent formulas that hold a secret technology that helps to plump up hair from within.
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You may remember the L'Oreal Paris Fibrology thickening hair range that launched a couple of years ago; it contained a technology called Filloxane which was a complete game changer and saw the £3.99 bottles of shampoo fly out of stores as women across the nation discovered it really did work. Rather unusually this technology is now expanding into L'Oreal's premium owned haircare ranges (including Redken) in order to offer the same benefit to a professional audience. (I find it fascinating that technology is filtering upwards, rather than downwards as in makeup!) If you're interested in the technology, then essentially Filloxane penetrates deep into the hair fibre to create thickness by expanding; it remains there even after washing, for a long-lasting cumulative effect. Based on the same principle as those clever windscreen repair gadgets that fill in small cracks and ensure they're good as new, the Redken Beach Envy products help to create volume from within for a more natural and frizz controlling result.
The amplifying properties of the shampoo and conditioner are enhanced by the transparent gel-like nature of the formula, meaning there's absolutely no weight and hair is left bouncy after washing. Rather than double cleansing, I've also started to quickly wash my hair only once with the rich lathering shampoo and add a small amount of conditioner over the mids and ends of hair for a touch of natural texture. Although hair doesn't feel silky smooth when you step out of the shower, a blast of the hairdryer leaves it feeling full of volume and perfectly suited to creating effortless waves. One of the best styles for thin hair is a loose wave, enhanced with a spritz of something sea-salted; after using this shampoo and adding a quick curl using my hair straighteners, I feel like my hair looks and feels a lot fuller without the weight or faff of any hair extensions. Although you could save a few quid and opt for the L'Oreal Paris alternative, I personally much prefer the texture that this provides without weighing hair down; with the original I felt my hair was quite course and needed a lot of styling, whereas Redken have managed to perfect the art of volume and movement without the dreaded dullness. It's like holiday hair in a bottle.
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The Redken Beach Envy shampoo (£14.00) and conditioner (£15.50) is available now, online and via professional hairdressers.
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You may remember the L'Oreal Paris Fibrology thickening hair range that launched a couple of years ago; it contained a technology called Filloxane which was a complete game changer and saw the £3.99 bottles of shampoo fly out of stores as women across the nation discovered it really did work. Rather unusually this technology is now expanding into L'Oreal's premium owned haircare ranges (including Redken) in order to offer the same benefit to a professional audience. (I find it fascinating that technology is filtering upwards, rather than downwards as in makeup!) If you're interested in the technology, then essentially Filloxane penetrates deep into the hair fibre to create thickness by expanding; it remains there even after washing, for a long-lasting cumulative effect. Based on the same principle as those clever windscreen repair gadgets that fill in small cracks and ensure they're good as new, the Redken Beach Envy products help to create volume from within for a more natural and frizz controlling result.
The amplifying properties of the shampoo and conditioner are enhanced by the transparent gel-like nature of the formula, meaning there's absolutely no weight and hair is left bouncy after washing. Rather than double cleansing, I've also started to quickly wash my hair only once with the rich lathering shampoo and add a small amount of conditioner over the mids and ends of hair for a touch of natural texture. Although hair doesn't feel silky smooth when you step out of the shower, a blast of the hairdryer leaves it feeling full of volume and perfectly suited to creating effortless waves. One of the best styles for thin hair is a loose wave, enhanced with a spritz of something sea-salted; after using this shampoo and adding a quick curl using my hair straighteners, I feel like my hair looks and feels a lot fuller without the weight or faff of any hair extensions. Although you could save a few quid and opt for the L'Oreal Paris alternative, I personally much prefer the texture that this provides without weighing hair down; with the original I felt my hair was quite course and needed a lot of styling, whereas Redken have managed to perfect the art of volume and movement without the dreaded dullness. It's like holiday hair in a bottle.
The Redken Beach Envy shampoo (£14.00) and conditioner (£15.50) is available now, online and via professional hairdressers.
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