So after spending a silly amount of money of Shu Uemura haircare which left me feeling a bit deflated and disappointed, I gave a more affordable and purse-friendly old favourite another go. I have not really indulged in John Frieda since the original frizz-ease days (I used to use that serum religiously/daily/always)…but was recently sent a bunch of products to try from them so am re-igniting my love for them.
My hair is very fine, coloured, damaged, a bit frizzy….pretty much the worst combination: I need to wash my hair pretty much every day so can’t use anything too heavy that weighs it down but I do need to condition it well as it is damaged/ coloured and a bit dry at the ends. HORROR HAIR.
Currently I am using the luxurious volume shampoo & conditioner*, the Full Repair deep conditioner*, volume blow-out spray* and the volume-building mousse*. I absolutely love the bright aqua packaging of the volume range , it really stands out and looks very appealing to me. The sizes are nice and big too at 250ml…and the flip-cap squeezy tubes make them very easy and quick for shower use. I cannot stand twist off tops when I am in the shower.
Shampoo & Conditioner [ £5.89/each ]
The shampoo is great for everyday cleansing without stripping the hair and colour-safe. It left my hair feeling really clean and lovely…it foams up gently and smells lovely: Very fresh and a bit fruity. The conditioner is very light and gel-like in texture. It conditions the hair without weighing it down. Also a great de-tangling treatment. After using the shampoo and conditioner my hair feels soft but with a bit of texture. If I use very rich shampoo & conditioner, my hair feels lovely and silky but it is literally flat to my head and I cannot style it. With the John Frieda volume range it definitely gives my hair a bit of swish and move-ability.
Thickening Spray [6.99]
My favourite styling product I have used from this range. I have a huge plethora of expensive thickening lotions, blow dry sprays and volume makers….similar to this. This, for £7 is honestly as good as any of those I have used. It’s a spray that you apply through your towel-dried hair and then blow-dry. As with most of these type of sprays…you do really need to add heat to get the best out of it. A great tip is to also spray an extra load into the roots when it is around 3 minutes from drying, and then continue to style/blow dry. This is a great product and WORKS.
Thickening Mousse [£5.99]
No matter what I do, I just cannot get on with hair mousses. I think it is just a pre-conception of mine…thinking of that crinkly, stiff perm from the 80’s drenched in cheap mousses…I am just a little adverse to the thought of them. This one, by no means, left my hair crinkly and actually I couldn’t feel or see any mousse-like remains. It is an alcohol-free formula and also has added heat protection and of course, thickness-boosting properties. My hair did feel and look really great when I layering the mousse and the spray together before drying.
[ TIP: For ultimate body-boosting, lightly drag the mousse form root to tip in wet hair and then spray the thickening spray over the top, concentrating more on the roots and making sure you really massage I through the whole head, not just the top!]
However, I just know it will get pushed back behind my other styling products. For me….I like quick and simple styling products, so would rather just use the blow-out spray and be done in one-step. I know from trying these that layering and using both together is the best way to get luxurious volume but for lazy-asses like me it will only happen for special occasions, not daily.
Full Repair Deep Conditioner [ £6.99 ]
As I am pretty much washing my hair daily and I suffer from damaged , I do need some kind of mask /treatment/ deep condition so I am also using this deep conditioner from the ‘Full Repair’ range.
This is great for a burst of deep hydration and promises to give you 90% smoother hair in just one use. It contains a lightweight Inca Inchi oil which is deeply repairing and reduces the risk of further damage and breakage. For very dry/damaged hair, this would be ideal as an every day conditioner, for me I am just swapping it between the volume conditioner about twice a week.
I also have the shampoo and conditioner from this range but I think for my fine hair and everyday washing, this may overload it a bit. Using the deep conditioner amongst the volume range is working really well for me. Another thing I always recommend is not to straight away think you need to match your shampoo and conditioner from one range: I often use a repair/damage shampoo with a volume conditioner..custom-pick it to your hair’s needs.
Over the years, I have switched up my haircare from high street to high end, and I think everyone will agree there is only so long you can use one range for before it *stops working* on you. For me, I will still swap to something else after using this, but will absolutely go back to John Frieda when I am drugstore hair shopping, it has come on a long way since those silver packaged frizz-ease days that I don’t-so-fondly remember. What other high street/drugstore haircare brands are good at the moment??