I recently had the pleasure of meeting Andrew Collinge and his lovely wife Liz at a British Style Collective Bloggers Event. Based at Oh Me Oh My, the event was held to inform bloggers of the brands and events that would be showcased at the newly reformatted Clothes Show.
The iconic Clothes Show event has run consecutively since 1989 and models (turned celebs) such as Holly Willoughby, Cat Deeley, Vernon Kay and Rosie Huntingdon Whiteley were all scouted there. This year, the event has found a new home in Liverpool and the British Style Collective 2017 will be taking place across the city from 7th-9th July. Sadly I will be on holiday when the event takes place which I am gutted about…but I wouldn’t swap the sunshine for it.
As well as demonstrating and discussing their new hair products, CO by Andrew Collinge, Andrew and Liz spoke candidly about their careers in hairdressing and it was super refreshing to hear them discuss the positive repercussions of moving their work away from London and into Liverpool.
I also had the opportunity to speak to Andrew and Liz after their audience Q+A as they answered questions about my hair not holding colour due to damage! Interestingly, Andrew advised me to apply tomato sauce to my hair as a ‘filler’ / ‘tint’ before applying any colour – I haven’t tried this yet, but I sure am intrigued.
CO is available online here, or in Andrew’s salons which are dotted around the Liverpool and Wirral areas. I was very kindly given (by Andrew himself) two of the products from the range including the: Firm hold hairspray + the Finishing Gel Serum Definer. Over the past few weeks or so, i’ve been giving these products a whirl to see what I think.
During the event, Andrew demonstrated both products on the host, Antonia O’Brien to create a messy, beachy summer vibe on her hair. Now, as we all know, my hair is quite short, and quite shit at the moment – so I don’t have the most beautiful tresses to trial these products on – But I do want to share my thoughts with you.
Finishing Gel Serum Definer* Perfect for men and women with short hair (check) the gel serum definer is ideal for controlling unruly frizz (especially in this heat!) as well as smoothing split ends and defining curls – it also adds a little texture and shine. Performance aside….On a side note, the packaging for this product is so satisfying, when you knock on the top of the tub, it makes a seriously cool vibrating drum sound.
The formula is made up of a clear, gel putty and it smells divine. As this product as been developed for shorter to medium hairstyles that may be dry, curly or damaged, I apply the formula to the ends of my hair after blowdrying. My hair is naturally poker straight and quite lank so the definer is ideal for giving it a little zjusj! For £14.50 you get 100ml of product, so we are talking salon prices here – but is it worth it? Yes! I really like using the definer for a little volume and to smooth any fly-away hairs. It is non sticky so you don’t get a greasy residue, also a plus point for me.
Firm hold hairspray*: It would be a lie to say that I am an avid hairspray user however, my boyfriend is, therefore every now and again I find myself giving my hair a little spritz – especially when i’m rocking an up-do. The CO Firm hold hairspray is a non sticky, long lasting hold formula that includes UV protection and a sassy scent of sandalwood. (Adam said he really liked the scent, of which I agree!)
I have used the hairspray when my hair is up, and when my hair is down and I have noticed it doesn’t dull my colour down, it actually makes it shiny! You can also quite easily brush the formula out to reapply later. The spray is £12.50 for 100ml of product which, for me I probably wouldn’t pay as I don’t really use hairspray and a tin of Silvikrin hairspray for a couple of quid will do me fine. But if you want something treaty, or salon quality performance – the scent of the CO hairspray is a good enough reason to purchase alone!
*Post contains gifted items
