How much time do you spend styling your hair? I don’t just mean blow drying it, I mean, curling, straightening, and re-styling? If you’re like most women, the answer is: “hours a week.” We are spending a good part of our lives, getting our hair ready to look good. Alas, then, with almost the same amount of speed , it disappoints us and “flops.”
Now, the brainiacs who came up with the Living Proof Anti-Frizz and Living Proof Anti-Aging lines of hair care, have created something so new, so revolutionary, you may not believe it until you try it. They have just launched a product called: Living Proof Prime Style Extender (now available at Sephora and QVC for $20.00) that actually extends whatever style you create after cleansing and styling, up to two times longer. The lightweight cream in a flip top tube, lightly slathered onto sections of your hair before you style, has the same function as a facial primer; to keep whatever you have created, lasting longer. It isn’t something you use in place of conditioner or heat styling products, or even gels, pomade, mousse or hair spray. You use it in addition.
When I attended the launch, literally the day before Fashion Week Spring 2013, began, I wondered why anyone would bother with this. After all, don’t we put enough goop on our hair already, and why add another step and more money and time? But, without going into a lot of tech-speak, it turns out that this product, really performs. If I understood the process correctly, when a person normally heats and dries her hair, temporary hydrogen bonds are formed that help “set” your style. But as soon as the moisture vapor re-enters the hair, it breaks the bonds that have created, causing the weak, hydrogen bonds that were just made, to break down, This causes the hair style to “flop.”
Living Proof’s Prime Style Extender, includes a high tech molecule (their creative team is from MIT), called OFPMA, that protects the hydrogen bonds from breaking, and it also repels dirt and oil, thereby prolonging the life of any style. The anionic, negatively charged formula lets you add this nearly weightless primer to your routine, without suffering the greasy, heavy, unfortunate effects you get from silicones or oils. Besides, keep in mind that this is a hair primer,not a frizz smoother (although it has the additional benefit of letting you style your hair smoothly, without frizz, and it is more likely to stay that way with Living Proof Prime Style Extender, on it). But as a benefit, PRIME is crated with emollients that smooth the cuticle, adds shine, helps to detangle, helps protect against breakage, and makes hair look generally better.
All this sounds like a miracle. Yes, I really was dubious, too. But being a beauty reviewer, I dutifully took it home, breathed deeply, and put it on my hair. Knowing that my thick, frizzy, hard to style hair might not be remotely like yours, I can only tell you that on my hair, the product did work. In fact, it works so well that if I didn’t carefully attend to the flat iron, my hair stayed just as I created it, which some times, was “messy.” So take the time to do your hair once, properly, and enjoy the benefits for days. My style lasted for days, and normally it lasts for, well….an hour at best. Impressive!
While I didn’t really believe the claim that some women could go four days without shampooing, I also discovered that my hair seemed to stay fresher, for longer, and I could spend a few days without dealing with the hair dryer and flat iron, again. Since I wasn’t constantly touching my hair, applying styling products and spray, to coax it into submission, and since I didn’t have to style it so much, I wasn’t touching it so often. That really helps keep hair clean, shiny and lovely, too. Despite rain, wind, sweat and very long days during Fashion Week, the Living Proof Prime Style Extender helped me get ready for every day, without having to worry so much about my hair.
The product is pleasant and simple to use, and good for all hair types (even chemically treated and colored hair). Those who are worried about chemicals, will be happy to know that it does NOT have; Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic Dyes, Phthalates, GMOs, or Triclosan. A little goes a long way, as long as you section your hair and lightly coat each section.
While reviews of beauty products can be highly subjective, this is one product that I am not afraid to say that I really love. I have used it many times since Fashion Week, and the results have been the same: great. You may love it too, because it is such a simple, affordable way to help make your hair look better and your style, last longer.
There are lots of things you can spend your money on, but if you want to spend more time enjoying going out and enjoying life, instead of spending it at your boudoir, getting ready, Living Proof Prime Style Extender is a little miracle you’ll want to add to your beauty routine. The tube may be $20.00, but reducing the time and effort you put into your hairstyle, priceless! It would also make a nice holiday gift for your hair-obsessed friends who could use a little more time having fun, instead of spending it in front of a mirror with styling tools!
NewsFlash: Living Proof announced on October 11, 2012, that it has joined creative forces with someone whose is famour for her hair: Jennifer Aniston. She is now a co-owner and hair care spokesperson who will actively help build the Living Proof hair care business . Her role will involve hair care brand development and creative marketing direction for Living Proof’s hair products as well as collaboration with our leading stylists and scientists on new hair care product ideas.
