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There was a time, when every hair follicle that sprouted from my head was silky soft, sensationally straight and short of split ends. Indeed, my mane bounced with healthy shine and as I tottered along Fulham Road, local gals about town whose tresses hung in a fine limp frizz gazed longingly at my display of hair finery. I was however, nine months old, had inherited my father’s thick black locks and was pampered from top to toe by my first time parents as though I was on a lifelong visit to a health retreat.

Fast-forward twenty-one years and my mother understandably no longer tends to my every whim. Having been granted sole custody of personal bodily matters from aged seven, when I made it be known my locks longed for more than L’Oréal Kids Very Berry Strawberry Shampoo and my idea of bathtime fun was not alongside Molly Matey Bubble Bath; my diva behaviour blossomed. Going alone in the hair and beauty world has allowed to me to discover a professional haircare range that combines the ultimate in product excellence and glamour; Neäl and Wolf. The brainchild of Neil Capstick, his debut range stems from his extensive experience and understanding of salon and salon owners, providing the ultimate combination of luxury and function whilst being an accessible range of products that make us women feel special daily.

Neäl and Wolf’s Ritual Daily Cleansing Shampoo and Conditioner are a duo that lavish one’s locks with oodles of lustre. Cleansing the hair and leaving it fresh and full of shine, the Ritual Daily Cleansing Shampoo, with its infusion of silk and milk proteins, boosts moisture to deliver easy to manage locks. The Ritual Daily Conditioner acts as a diligent accomplice, detangling hair and leaving it smooth and ready to style with liquid shea butter extract, creating brilliant shine. Blow-drying bars are the hip joint of the moment; and with A-listers and red carpet honeys placing hair on tandem with fashion, blow-dry services are in mega demand. Neäl and Wolf’s Silk Smoothing Blow-dry Balm offers a daily acquisiton of glamour; putting an end to tangles and frizz, its hydrating wheat protein complex provides moisture, balance and manageability. For those beauties lusting after a barnet speaking volumes, Elevate Volumising Lotion turns the limpest of locks into spun gold; luxuriously thick hair filled with body and oozing glossy class. To maintain a head of hair that shimmers with shine, Neäl and Wolf’s Glow Super Shine Spray adds long-lasting gleam that transforms hair leaving it glimmering with glitz. A ten product range, the Neäl and Wolf collection also includes an Intensive Hair Treatment, a Hold & Shine Spray, Sculpting Lotion, Heat Protection and Pliable Paste.

For fragrant locks that oozes hair primping prowess, Neäl and Wolf are the turn to products to achieve beautiful tresses, creating hair so heavenly that even Aphrodite, Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty, will be lusting to get her mitts on this heaven sent range.

Prices between £10.95-£11.95

www.nealandwolf.com

In 1966, The Temptations had a hit single with ‘Beauty Is Only Skin Deep.’ Unfortunately, I was 24 years too late to bust a groove to this funky number but their message that beauty comes from within continues to be fitting as centuries pass. Indeed, I blub during Utterly Butterly adverts, my heart melts when I see a dad give his son a high five, and the little old ladies at the zebra crossing get me every time; I am, it seems, a sensitive soul. I therefore channel my innermost being to my outer beauty regime, by using Senzimi’s range of natural skin and haircare products formulated for sensitive, irritable skin.

Morning and night, I am religious about cleansing my skin using gentle products so as not to disrupt my skin’s balance. Senzimi’s Sensitive Cleanser is thus the perfect product to wipe away surface dirt and impurities without stripping skin of its natural oils. Its Jojoba Oil unclogs pores and helps restore the skin’s pH balance, leaving it soft plump and supple, while the hydrating aloe vera and soothing chamomile calms inflamed skin. In using this facial formula, my skin feels caressed, cleansed and confident.

Moisturising is of course, a fundamental procedure when you’re a sensitive sista like me. Senzimi’s Sensitive Moisturiser is both light and easily absorbed, and contains aloe vera, cucumber, rosehip, oat extract and argan oil to protect and refine. Its soothing anti-inflammatory and anti-irritating herbal extracts encourage skin-rehydration.

My mane is made up of strands of sensitivity; Senzimi’s Sensitive Shampoo and Conditioner therefore tend to my tresses and soothe my sensitive scalp. Enriched with vitamin B12 and wheat protein, both help repair dry and damaged hair, whilst natural active ingredients derived from meadowfoam oil improves sheen and the feel of hair, leaving it untangled and smooth.  Neem oil is active in helping heal various dry skin conditions.

In 1968, The Temptations had another hit single with ‘Cloud Nine’. Unfortunately, I was 22 years too late to bop to this anthem, but, I regularly join the Emperors of Soul on said cloud, because that’s where I am transported to everytime I use Senzimi.

Sensitive Cleanser - £13.99

Sensitive Moisturiser - £15.99

Sensitive Shampoo - £11.99

Sensitive Conditioner - £11.99

www.senzimi-skincare.com

The confident swagger, cheeky accent and polished suave of the Essex gentry makes me go weak at the knees. Once I cast my eyes upon an Essex born and bred chap, take a look at his get up and a take in a whiff of his cologne, his voice will do the rest; I'm hooked. Celeb hairdresser, Lee Stafford, is one such fella who, with his Leigh-on-Sea charm, definitively represents the menfolk of his county.

Keen to immerse myself in the Essex way of life I took it upon myself to put his pretty in pink hair products to the test and see if ‘ThE PiNK RaNge’ really ensures that a Surrey girl will ‘Have Fun, Look Wicked, Smell Beautiful’ like Lee of Leigh-on-Sea does so promise. 

I knew our Lee wouldn't let me down. His range of HAiR GRowTH TREATMENT products are haircare's answer to a BFF. Long locks are on the wish list of girls across the land and with this gorgeous range, Mr Staff is our knight in shining armour. The Pro-Growth™ complex of the HAiR GRowTH SHaMPOO, CoNDiTiONER and TREaTMENT gives hair strength from within by fertilising follicles and thus allowing a healthy environment on your scalp to help hair grow faster. Its soothing formulation reduces irritation as well as moisturising the scalp, keeping it healthy and improving volume and feel of one's locks. By ensuring that I used the treatment in between shampoo and conditioner, I found that after a few weeks, my mane was indeed longer, in tip-top condition and looking BEAutiful.

Mr S. When you're next painting the town PiNK in Essex, give a girl a tweet, @basinglawson and I'll whirl round the M25 and be with you in no time. 

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment - £7.99

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Shampoo - £6.99

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Conditioner - £6.99

Available from Boots instore and online