Friday, 13 January 2012

Percy & Reed Discovery Collection: the Marvellous Moisture version

Today I'm going to do a mini-review on the Percy & Reed 6 Piece Discovery set in the Moisture version I got myself before Christmas:

Talking about hair-products isn't my favourite part of beautyblogging. My hair is kind of simple because it is really long and doesn't require 'wild' experimentations with volume or curls.

I often skip straightening or curling devices for the sheer reason the texture of my hair is too stubborn to hold anything for more than 1 hour. If I do experiment with curling tongs: I usually go all Cinderella and dissapear within an hour. ...Seriously, because they hair will become more of a pumpkin pie.

Haha, not very handy for my social life, though. But I admire the bobbed and layered, and curled and short-haired ladies a lot. Nevertheless, knowing I tried most of those too, and still had ridiculously stubborn hair and the same Cinderella-complex decided me to go for the easiest option to be simple and long. (Even when I had a hairdresser's friend & short hair the hair was still a nuisance and the friend just had to come with me clubbing for maintainance only, kidding, I enjoyed the company too)

A mini-review, but still one of 6 products so this will be a longer post.

I got interested in trying Percy & Reed after the glorious review of worshipofblues. QVCuk.com had this set listed but it was out of stock for a while. When it got there again, I was fast enough to purchase it.

The attraction of these products are aesthetic as well. I love the retro design and simple colour scheme, the front, and most of all the long-haired, carefree ladies on the packaging. It kind of makes me believe these hairdressers are not about making all women have a dramatic haircut...And the girl on the Finishing Polish is sporting a cute bob, so it's not about the long-haired ladies alone either...


Right, you see 5 products of the 6 products set. So here is no 6 and I'm starting with that one:
Percy & Reed Bodyfing Cream
1.Percy & Reed Bodifying Cream

Superstar and Supersized, and the girl on the packaging declares "let's create a bit of a do".
Volumizing products can be somewhat problematic: they might create volume but sometimes you have to give up on the shine (mattifying powders such as Schwarzkop Osis or some dodgy mousses) or they create more birdnest volume than Jerry Hall volume or Rosie Huntington-Withely volume:

Jerry Hall in the 70s with glam 70s hair

Modern Bombshell Rosie Huntington-Whitheley with some serious volume
Results: Some volume, but not as dramatic as with Kerastase Volumactiv Mousse. It works well in conjuction with other volumisers and the thin-hair serum. It also is rather smoothing so it can keep the hair both smooth and a bit thicker.

 2. The Finishing Polish (Quite Franky Flawless)
The Alexa Chung bob-lookalike declares "Caution, may turn heads".

Overall, quite some promises to declare that it will simply make your hair flawless. More expectations are raised at the description on the back of the tube:

Result:
Somewhat similar as the Bodifying potion, only without bodifying...;P. Seriously, it makes the hair a bit smoother but isn't a miracle saver for dryer ends, although it does smooth them a little.



3. Session Hold hairspray (reassuringly firm)

Before my opinion, check out the videos the duo of this haircare range have made themselves of this product (here)
Description:
Result:
I kind of like hairsprays that give a softer result. You know the kind of hairsprays that are excellent in giving helmet-hair dos or the ones that are perfect for teased hair, this ain't that kind. It's a softer hairspray that looks invisible (only shiny) in the hair. And this travel-sized can with that cute outfit girl is so cute it will become one of the things I will put in my bag more often.

4/5. Splendidly Silky Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioners

The shampoo/conditioning twins, and they also look like twins when I put them next to each other:

Percy & Reed Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner
More promises and a detailed description of the ingredients:


Results:
For a product that aims to target more moisture, I wasn't really impressed. It isn't drying or such, but I believe similar priced ranges such as L'oreal Expert are much better in delivering moisture and keeping the hair soft. The conditioner, especially, is really thin and not really moisturizing on the dryer parts. This would be better for normal to oily hair, in my opinion.

6. The No Oil Oil (Smoothed, Sealed & Sensational) for thick hair

The product that got me in (thanks worshipofblues) in the first place. And a lovely oxymoron, the no oil oil. Indeed, it is simply a silicony serum and not an oil at all (thinking of oils such as Kerastase Elixir Ultime, Morrocan Oil, Shu Uemura Essence Absolue)
Result:
A lovely serum, but I actually prefer the one they have for thin hair (I have that one as well). Perhaps that has to do with my hair being not so thick anymore.

Sheet and description/ingredients of all the products in the set (click for larger view)



Overal conclusion:

I enjoyed using the set for discovery, duh, that is what it is called and what it is for. My favourites are the Hairspray and the Serum for thinner hair. Those could be repurchases.
The Bodyfying Cream is lovely too, but I want to try some more concoctions with other hairproducts to see how that works out, volumewise.
I will probably use up the Finishing Polish too.
As far for the shampoo/conditioner? Less impressed than the other products


Moreover, I want to say the products are strongly fraganced in a sort of cheaper version of Balenciaga Paris perfume. I really like that product so that is no gripe to me when I combine it with that perfume. It lingers quite long too, I even smelled in on my third day (yes people, dry shampoo and an unsocial weekend).
So, eventually the stronger perfume is a bit of a gripe to me. It isn't so obvious in some of the products, such as the serum and the hairspray, but the bodifying cream/finishing polish are really strong scented.
I enjoyed using the set for discovery, duh, that is what it is called and what it is for. My favourites are the hairspray and the serum for thinner hair.

I bought them on QVCUK.com for £20.28 and they ship to Europe for a reasonable fee. I picked the moisture set, but they have a volume set as well (that is the one with the thinner hair serum).

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I had been wondering about this brand so its really helpful to see such an honest review of a lot of the products, it sounds like its quite a mixed bag, thanks for sharing :)