I’m not sure there’s anything better in life than a big, bouncy blow dry from your favourite salon. As I’m sure you’ve all experienced, the feeling of walking out of an appointment with your hairdresser in freshly-styled locks is second-to-none. As with all of life’s mysteries, I really don’t know how they do it. I certainly haven’t mastered the art of mixing voluminous waves with that iconic sleek and shiny appearance yet. Now, my everyday ‘go-to’ hair style is usually just freshly-washed, straightened hair in a medium length (much to my dismay). I know, I know, I shouldn’t be using straighteners every day but unfortunately, my natural hair is quite frizzy and unmanageable before it’s been heat styled. Although straighteners help to achieve a smooth, sleek style, they can lead to hair appearing flat and lacklustre.
Constantly on the prowl for hair care products that will lift at the roots and add volume, you can imagine how happy I was to find this Bumble and Bumble ‘The Gift of Great (Big) Hair’ Blow Dry Set in Boots for an incredible £8 the other day. I’ve noticed Bumble and Bumble sneaking in to Boots store nationwide over the past year or two, but their high price tags have always put me off. I’m more of an Aussie girl. Nonetheless, £8 for a set that currently retails online for £49 is quite a steal. What I want to know is, will this kit be worth the cash? And would I pay full price for a second box? Read on to find out…
What I first noticed about this set was how lovely the packaging is. As I picked up an £8 box in the clearance, the edges were a little tatty, however I can imagine that when impeccably boxed and given as a gift, this set would look very alluring to the lucky recipient. Not only that, but the included products are good sizes and look set to last a while. Here’s a round-up of what’s inside:
- Bumble and Bumble Does It All Styling Spray – 125ml
- Bumble and Bumble All Style Blow Dry – 150ml
- Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil heat/UV Protective Primer – 60ml
- Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder – 14g
All of the included products can be bought separately at Boots. The Styling Spray retails at £19 for 300ml which is double the size of what’s included in the box, whilst the All-Style Blow Dry cream costs £23 for 150ml – the same size as that which is included in the box. The Invisible Oil Primer will set you back £20.50 for a 250ml bottle and lastly, a tub of the Pret-a-Powder will set you back £22 for 56g (and that’s quite a lot bigger than the sample size we’ve got in the box). In total, buying these four products separately (where three are considerably bigger than those in the box) is going to cost you £84.50. With this in mind, the only real benefit of buying the box – in terms of cost alone – is getting deluxe sample sizes that you can try for just over half the price.
Cost aside, the actual products are very good. The Bumble and Bumble (BB) Does It All Styling Spray feels light and airy when fixing a style, and the formulation doesn’t leave your hair feeling particularly sticky or coarse. I love the smell of all of these products and the overall vibe is very boho, emanating the Bumble and Bumble vision. The BB All Style Blow Dry is a lovely product that’s a little like whipped cream for your hair. The whole formula from scent to feel and finish is distinctively Bumble and Bumble and it leaves your hair feeling plump and soft. I find products like this really help me to achieve a better blow dry style, and this paired with the Invisible Oil Primer make for my two favourites. Whilst I can’t rate a primer on whether it’s protecting my hair from damage until I’ve truly waited months, I really love the way it feels in my hair – or more that I can’t feel it at all. The most unique product from the set, though, is the BB Pret-a-Powder. Dubbed a miracle hair-care product, this little powder is much like banana powder for the face. It conceals what you don’t want to show and highlights what you do, adding radiance and shine to your locks. I’m not sure this is a ‘must have’ product, but I think it’s definitely a ‘must try’.
All in all, the whole set feels deliciously premium and gives you a real taste for the brand. Bumble and Bumble is relatively expensive but I guess it’s opening the doors for premium hair care. After all, I don’t think twice about buying luxury cosmetics and skincare items, but it’s probably my hair that I’m the most fussy about. In reality though, I just can’t see myself spending £49 on a set like this, although I do think this bundle will last me a while. I definitely think that this set would make for a wonderful gift, and if you’re buying for a daughter who loves looking after their hair, or your mother who you’d like to treat with something a bit different, this is a wonderful idea. If not for gifting though, I can’t really justify the splurge. That being said, there’s one or two alternatives that make a lot more financial sense to me – particularly, the Bumble and Bumble The Thickening Hair Set Full of Cheer. At £22 and containing three similarly-sized products, this set is well worth opting for. I think I might have to try this one myself…
The Style Intervention 