Just a quick one from me today to say I’ve not disappeared into a hole – or, rather, that I have, but that being in said hole doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten all about ML.com. The hole I’ve been in has actually been quite fancy and very unhole-like indeed; I’m currently working at Glamour UK, which, writing aside, means that I get to pretend I’m completely and utterly nonchalant about working in Vogue House when of course that isn’t the fact at all and 16-year-old me squeals a little bit inside whenever I pass through the revolving doors and say hi to the ever-cheery John at the door like a much less well-groomed someone from The Devil Wears Prada. (Also, it must be added, my editor there is very cheery and charming and never, ever throws a coat or my copy at me when she comes in.)
So, yes, not gone, just busy.
But I know there’s some admin to be done here. First: L’Oreal competition winners, who are Mia Scott and Rebecca Anderson. Thank you to everyone who entered and in so doing telling me that you love a freebie. I will of course oblige you by arranging more.
I’ve also got a bunch of products I’ve been storing up in my head to tell you about, but I’m going to start with a simple one which isn’t hugely expensive and which I think would work on anyone who likes their hair to look softer and shinier.
I’ve actually previously (mis)used this before had therefore not raved about it, which was a huge oversight on my part because you really need to know it exists. It’s by a brand called Color Wow –which colourist to every single perfectly-dyed celeb, Nicola Clarke, is an ambassador of – and it’s called Dream Coat.
But, a caveat, if I may. I know there are some who despise softer than soft hair, finding it hangs limply around their faces and looks fluffy. My sister is one such woman, who so fears that baby hair look that she avoids brushing her hair and applies sea salt sprays and texturising products galore. If you’re into that, this one isn’t for you.
I am of the opposite view; my hair doesn’t work if it looks tangled, and I instead like it to be shiny and lustrous – healthy, in short. But it isn’t, of course. Although I have often openly admitted that my attitude towards styling my hair could be characterised as lazy in the extreme, I still straighten, colour, and generally abuse it and then expect shimmery greatness with very little frizz from it.
If you have similar leanings, I recently discovered that said Dream Coat fakes the finish I find so desirable and with so little faff that it’s actually a feasible option when in a hurry/if disinclined to do much to hair.
But you have to follow the instructions. Previously, I’d dallied with it, spritzing it a few times into my hair and expecting a big result, only to end up with hair that was perhaps ever so slightly more smooth but not wildly more glossy than before.
A little extra time while on holiday sorted that out. I read the instructions and, as I didn’t have anyone especially special to have dinner with, I didn’t worry about spraying it very liberally into my hair in case it made it a sticky mess (holiday hair is, I find, so low risk on account of really only going to dinner wearing any particular do and then ending up wetting it the following day, anyway).
The result was properly beautiful, glistening, healthier-looking hair with very few frizzy bits indeed. I loved and love it. Handily, Color Wow also make it in a travel size, so it’s really a good one to pack if you’re trotting off for a week and don’t want to take the big bottle with you.