Sample Saturday - Philip Kingsley Body And Shine Try Me Kit*

My name is Louise and my hair is driving me mad :( Thanks to illness and a great deal of medication I've been having problems on and off with my hair for a few years now, and at the moment I just so happen to be having a bad spell. I wouldn't say it was particularly dry but it's definitely lacking in life and volume, and it seems to thin and break at the drop of the hat, particularly around my hair line.

I'm forever trying new hair products and trying different things to try and boost my lowly locks, and over the past couple of weeks I've been trying out a few products that I was sent from Philip Kingsley. Philip Kingsley is a top salon brand, but he isn't a hairdresser, he's actually a trichologist, with over 50 years of experience in dealing with serious hair and scalp problems. As well as having his own well respected trichology clinics both here and in the USA, he also produces a range of products that are designed to deal with some of the most common hair and scalp problems.

I've been using the Body and Shine Try Me Kit for the last couple of weeks now. This kit contains 3, mini 20ml, products that are specifically designed for fine, limp and flyaway hair with heat or chemical processing.

Philip Kingsley Body Building Shampoo - 20ml

The first product in the kit is a 20ml shampoo, and this one is the Philip Kingsley Body Building Shampoo. Specifically designed for fine, limp and flyaway hair, this gentle, frequent use shampoo contains both natural cellulose and keratin proteins which help to improve the hair texture and to strengthen the hair and add shine

This shampoo has a clear gel formulation and a pleasant almost floral, parma violet like aroma. It's quite a thick gel and you only need a small amount to produce a  creamy, soft foam. Ir rinses away easily, and the hair almost instantly seems smoother and fuller. It isn't the most moisturising shampoo that I've ever used, so if you have dry hair you'll definitely need to follow it with a conditioner, but my hair definitely looked a felt more silky when I used it and it didn't look quite as frizzy.

Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Conditioner - 20ml

The next product in the kit is a hair conditioner. I did try the shampoo on it own a couple of times to review it in it's own right but more often than not I followed it with a blob of this conditioner. This is the Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Conditioner. Designed for medium, textured wavy hair or fine processed hair, this conditioner is specifically designed to deliver moisture at the end and the mid lengths without adding an extra weight.It contains both elastin, which is designed to leave the hair shinier, smoother, and tangle free, and wheat proteins which have natural anti-static properties.

The conditioner is off white in colour, and has a milky, lotion type texture -  it wasn't quite as thick as I was expecting but it still felt quite creamy. It spread through the hair quite easily, and it rinsed away quickly, leaving the hair with a clean, but subtle, almost musky, herbal, aromatherapy type scent. The hair felt smoother and less tangled almost instantly, this isn't the most intense conditioner that I've used but it definitely gave my hair a god moisture hit, and tamed my frizz and fly aways without leaving my hair, heavy, weighed down or overloaded. If your hair is really dry, this might not be enough for some people, but it's perfect for frequent use, and people with finer hair.

Philip Kinglesy - Elasticizer - 20ml

The final product in this kit is probably the product that Philip Kingsley is most famous for Elasticizer! Originally created by Philip Kingsley in the 1970's Elasticizer was created for one of Philip's most famous clients, actress and all round icon, Audrey Hepburn. Elasticizer was the world's first pre-shampoo conditioning treatment and it's designed to improve hair manageability, bounce, strength, shine and elasticity, without coating or weighing down the hair.

I'm going to be honest and say that this I've used this product on and off for a few years now, and it's one of two intensive hair treatments that I swear by. Its easy to use and I genuinely think that it makes a difference in just one use.

It's unscented, white in colour and has a lovely thick creamy texture, that spreads easily through the hair. This is a pre-shampoo conditioner, so all you do is apply it to wet hair. You don't need to have a shower or shampoo your hair, you just need to wet your hair down before you apply it. Then just leave it for at least 20 minutes to give it a chance to work - You can leave it for as long as you like though, I've even left it on overnight, and if you're using a sauna or you're on holiday then you can use it to both protect and condition your hair.

As it soaks in to your hair, your hair can start to feel a little bit sticky, but don't worry about it, it's just doing it's thing. It takes a little bit of rinsing, but just rinse it out with warm water,  and work it through your hair, then shampoo and condition as normal.

Even after just one use Elasticizer, which contains castor and olive oils, elastin and glycerine, makes a difference to my hair. Every time I use it my hair feels smoother, and stronger, I seem to lose less hair and it seems to give my hair a huge boost. This particular product has an almost iconic status in the beauty industry and for me it thoroughly deserves it.

I've only managed about 4 uses out of each tube but it's easy to see why both Philip Kingsley and his products are held in such high regard. I've only used them a few times but they definitely seem to do what they promise. My hair looks smoother, and I've definitely noticed an improvement in  the manageability and the texture of my hair

Although you only get a small amount of product, a little goes a long way,  and kits like this give you a good opportunity to try out a more expensive product before shelling out for the full size items. This Philip Kingley Body And Shine Try Me Kit retails at £6 and it comes in various versions depending on your hair type or concern. I think that these kits would make an ideal small gift or a stocking filler for anyone who is new to the brand or for anyone that spends a lot of time travelling and uses a lot of minis. If you're already a Philip Kingsley devotee though, there are lots of other Philip Kingsley gift sets available this Christmas containing an assortment of his most popular products.

You can buy Philip Kingsley products directly from the Philip Kingsley website and various other retailers including Feel Unique, John Lewis, QVC and Look Fantastic.

Even though my hair product game is already strong I have my eye on quite  a few of the Philip Kingsley products and I would especially love to receive some of the new Geranium and Neroli Elasticizer in my stocking, so if your listening  Santa you know where I am ;) Have you get any Philip Kingsley products on your festive wishlist this year? Let me know x

*Sample