Does anybody else get nervous about going to the hairdressers , especially when it’s a new salon … for the first time?

It might sound extremely silly but I do and it’s down to a combination of things.

A bodged up colour and a terrible cut in the past. Several terrible cuts in fact [mainly involving my pesky carflick … it’s caused some trouble in its day!] and one horrendous colour. Boy that colour was bad! I’d have given Jimmy Cranky a run for his money.

Saying that when I got the opportunity to attend Regis Hairstylists at Meadowhall to trail the new Smartbond treatment earlier this week I didn’t have to think twice.

While I get nervous I also love, love, love a good pamper. Tell me somebody who doesn’t? A trip to the salon is relaxing; a good excuse to do absolutely nothing for an hour or so.

Zonk out – turn your brain off, sit back, drink copious amounts of coffee and read magazines to your hearts content while your stylist works their magic.

Regis is situated on 55, High Street, Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Sheffield [ top floor next door to Carluccios]

It’s a small yet bright and airy space. The afternoon I attended it was fairly quiet with a relaxed atmosphere.

So here I am [above] all grey roots and frazzled , frizzy blonde-ish ends.

My stylist Jan [who I had met previously when I attended for my colour test a couple of days previously ] greeted me with a warm welcome, a friendly smile and an ‘oh aren’t you pretty today‘.

Charmed. It maybe the way he greets all his clients but I wasn’t complaining.

We sat down and discussed my requirements. We both agreed that my roots definitely needed re-touching. I hate my greyness and there was about half an inch on show. Not attractive in the least. Ghastly in fact.

Jan advised I take the rich, darker brown root colour further down my hair. Using a lighter toner / bleach he would then graduate the colour so it blended in subtly creating an ombré feel.

It all sounded fabulous to me.

He went on to explain a little about the Smartbond process and what to expect. It’s not as complicated as I had envisaged.

Basically during bleaching bonds in the hair traditionally become damaged, this in turn can weaken the hair. Smartbond has been designed to protect the bonds and prevent the usual damage caused during a colouring service.

It is a simple two-step process.

• Step one – The first Smartbond treatment is mixed in with your usual colour and applied.

• Step two – After rinsing the colour from the hair to remove any chemical residue the stylist applies a pre-shampoo treatment. This is left on the hair for approximately 10 minutes to work its magic. You can grab another coffee, have 40 winks or people watch like I did while you wait.  Don’t you just love people watching?

I was excited to see what my hair would look and feel like after the dye and Smartbond treatment had been removed.

So what was my verdict ? 

There was nothing overly dramatic with the colour, it looked like my hair only better. Much, much richer, perfectly graduated and extremely shiny.

The main difference I found was how beautiful it felt to touch. So soft and bouncy. It had gone from frazzled to fabulous.

I felt like Cheryl Cole in the L’Oréal adverts ; the one where she shakes her hair from side to side ‘because she’s worth it‘

I may or may not have done my boyfriends head in shaking my bouncy barnet around last night, stating the exact same thing!

I’m trying to grow my hair one-length but Jan gave me a quick trim to tidy up the edges. My hair was then dried straight.

As I feel a little boring and sensible that way I asked Jan to create some messy waves, which he did and he did so well. I really wish I was able to recreate the same effect at home.

Take a look for yourself …

I am absolutely chuffed to bits with it. I doubt my hair will ever look this good again!

I’ve had so many compliments. Even my dad noticed I’d had ‘something’ done to my hair and told me it looked good. Believe me that’s massive praise indeed. I once went from red to black and he didn’t even bat an eye-lid!

I can thoroughly recommend Regis and the Smartbond treatment.

Colouring services range from £25.00 to £80.00 dependent on your requirements. It maybe advisable to call the salon and discuss what you are after and get them to quote you.

Smartbond is available at all Regis salons and costs just £5.00 when booked in conjunction with a colour service. If you wanted it on its own [without booking a colour] it would set you back £15.00

Shakes hair side to side again and struts off into the evening ‘because I am worth it’

You know what we all are!

If you are after an inexpensive treat that leaves you looking and feeling like a million dollars then look no further. Smartbonds your man.

More information // HERE

Until next time, Tracey x

 

* Thankyou to the guys at Regis for gifting me with a complimentary colour and smartbond treatment in exchange for a review. All thoughts and words are as always strictly my own *