The Legends London Maximum Hold Hair Gel + Giveaway

On 30 June I had an out of body experience - I visited The Legends barber shop in Holborn. If you haven’t seen how they knocked years off me with the best haircut ever (what the hell have you been doing?) you should as they also gave me a bag of goodies to give away. You can read about the out of body experience here. 

I have to confess I was cheeky and asked for a tub of The Legends London Maximum Hold Hair Gel for myself as I really liked the style my barber Darius had managed used it. 

In the shop Darius used just a tiny bit of the gel, explaining that it was unique in that you could achieve different styles depending on how, and how much you apply. It says that it is a no flaking formula (oh god, there really is nothing worse - especially in a black or dark blue suit) medium matte finish. 

The marketing blurb/instructions say:

‘Spike it up or slick it flat, get that wet look or keep it dry, Maximum hold hair gel gives maximum hold and frizz control without flaking for your every style.’

For my cut my hair had been dried and a little massaged into the shaft of the hair which resulted in a fantastic matte look.

The day after I tried applying to my hair while still damp which the blurb says should result in a wet look and guess what, it did, in fact the hold was solid once the gel had been absorbed and absorbed in my hair. Styling was a breeze with damp hair and while the gel does leave a sticky residue on the hands to wash off it has a reassuring crisp feel to the touch. 

When applied to damp hair I found myself checking throughout the day that it hadn’t flaked onto my suit jacket. I’m happy to report that there were no such signs all day. In fact, on examination the morning after applying there were still no flakes in my hair - result.

I really wanted to recreate the style that I had in the shop so applied to dry hair, styled and then dried it on a low setting so not to blow out the style. Styling wasn’t the easiest - I think more down to my ability rather than the product. After a few tries I managed to get close to the style I wanted and my hair had a great matte finish, in fact it looked and felt a little ‘fluffy’ as though it had more volume than usual rather than when I have sharp spikes.

The dry, matte style also didn’t result in any flakes being visible. It’s a big bug-bear of mine that most products do but this doesn’t.



Again, even when applied to dry hair it holds, and holds and holds. 24 hours after applying the style has remained rock solid and for a hair gel to can’t beat that. Even better, if you want to re-style while out and about you simply run a damp palm through your hair and hey presto you are ready to go again.

So, what can I say? This gel has a 1980’s retro feel to it. It looks great in neon pink and has that retro hair gel fragrance, an almost chemical aloe vera aroma that doesn‘t overpower aftershave.

At £8 for a 220ml tub of The Legends Maximum Hold Hair Gel this represents great value for money. Less than a pea sized amount is enough to style hair at about an inch in length which means that this will last month after month after month.

You can find stockists at their website here.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I have a 220ml tub of the gel, a smaller travel tub and some alum matchsticks to give away thanks to the lovely people at The Legends. To enter just click here and fill out the rafflecopter entries.

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The Legends London + a Giveaway!

Any readers of the blog with a Rain Man like memory (and stamina for wading through my musings) may recall that I once took the plunge and admitted to having a morbid fear of hairdressers and barbers.

It stems from a trip of young Stephen to the barber (known as whip it off Wilf) for what I thought would be a trim, instead Wilf, god rest his soul (no I didn’t kill him, he was old and it was 30 years ago so safe to assume) took his cue from my dad (no, I haven’t forgotten dad) and proceeded to shave my head. Imagine a peanut that has been in the sun for a week and you get the idea of what I looked like.

This fear has meant that trips for haircuts have been few and far between throughout my life. I once found the perfect stylist when working in Southwark, London – Trevor was the first hairdresser who could cut my hair to perfection but sadly he moved on, it was also expensive at the time circa 2005 at £40 for a wash and cut. Trevor’s departure resulted in very infrequent visits to my local barber shop for an acceptable cut at £10.

Out of nowhere I received an e-mail from The Legends, a traditional barbershop based in Holborn, London asking if I would like to try a cut and some of the treatments they offer. Their full contact details are below and directions can be found from their website. 

After considering the phobia I tentatively accepted and on Monday (30 June) I made the short walk from my office to the shop to see what they could do with the face and hair only a mother could love. Below is the arty shot taken before I stepped in (and after about the third cigarette smoked with shaking hands)!

So what do The Legends say about themselves?

‘The Legends Barber Shop carries you back to a time when taking care of the way you look was part of being a man.

With uncommonly friendly service and a passionate attention to detail, the trained professionals at The Legends Barber Shop are schooled both in the time-honoured traditions of barbering and shaving.

With skills firmly rooted in tradition, all of The Legends barbers will work hard to give you a haircut you can be proud of.

Our friendly and talented staff will hook you up with the latest styles as well as a fresh interpretation of the classics. From the traditional and short hair cuts, through to old-fashioned hot towels and a straightedge shave, to the head massage you enjoy when you are finished.

At The Legends Barber Shop, we bring you the nostalgia of yesteryear with a modern twist.’

The shop itself is traditional in nature, the window display of antique barber ware struck fear into me but it does look cool. There are chairs for waiting customers but what strikes you from the moment you walk in is the feeling of openness and light. It is really bright considering the narrow shop front and as you walk down towards the rear it really opens up to reveal a host of barber chairs, sinks and the coolest cash register ever.

The barbers, all dressed in white look the part (always check out the hair of a hairdresser is my motto) and as soon as I arrived and before they knew who I was they were attentive, noticed I was a bit warm and offered to take my suit jacket.

My barber was to be Darius, a cheerful looking chap - he looks 35 (claims to be older) with a well groomed beard and moustache. He looked the part and after a brief introduction I sat into the chair of doom. 

I had considered letting Darius loose on my hair with a brief of ‘do what you think would suit this face’ but decided I might be a tad upset if he placed a paper bag over my head. Instead I opted for the sides to be shaved with really short top that could be styled into a bed head look.

After washing my hair and trying to keep consciousness (chilled out as my head was massaged by one of Darius‘ glamorous assistants - they set to work). A promise was made, “by the time we’ve finished you’ll look 16 again”. A pretty impressive boast I thought. 

Normally when I get my hair cut they start by shaving the top - instead Darius trimmed away at the top and as I gasped at the sheer amount of grey hair falling into my lap we struck up conversation about blogging, how they had found my blog, the history of the shop and his ethos as a barber. 

As the cutting continued I was surprised given it’s location tucked away between Red Lion Square and Theobalds Road at the number of people popping in to book appointments, having their hair cut or just stopping by on the off chance of a cut. This isn’t a place that needs bigging up in any way I thought to myself. 

The haircut took around 40 minutes and we chatted away, my nerves put completely at ease. We moved on to talking about shaving, blades etc as the clippers came out and the sides were shaved down to the bone. 

It was a completely painless experience and actually incredibly relaxing - I could have happily closed my eyes and slept I was that relaxed and at ease. 

Readers will have to wait for the final look at the bottom as the haircut wasn’t the end of proceedings - oh no. What I will say here is that for the first time in 10 years, and for only the second time I have found a barber who makes my hair looks simply amazing, is easy to style and does actually make me look substantially younger. 

Darius is a barber, not a miracle worker but I’ve been surprised at work with the number of really positive comments on how it makes me look younger (had three of these), that I now look like Andy Coulson the disgraced spin doctor who used to work for David Cameron (seven of these and counting - Jane Bailey*) and two where people had to take a second look to realise it was me.

You can’t beat that!

Anyway, I digress - I’d always wanted to have a traditional shave using a cutthroat razor and this is on offer. After applying lotion that cleared my sinuses in seconds (a lovely mint/menthol) a warm towel was placed over my face for a few minutes. Again I had to resist the urge to sleep I was so relaxed.

After wiping off my face shaving cream was applied. My leg started to tremble - I was nervous as soon as I saw the blade. Darius, sensing this put me at ease with references to the size of his liability insurance and some good humoured banter. The shave was such a unique experience and the final results were one of the closest shaves I’ve ever had.

His hands were steady (bonus), he didn’t cut me (bonus) and when the phone rang and I jumped he didn’t slash my throat (bonus). 

As I left I had the biggest smile on my face in a long time. My hair looked great, my face was so smooth and I felt like a new man.

There are pictures littered throughout this post about my experience and they show the magic that is The Legends and in particular Darius who is clearly a hair artiste with skills other barbers can only aspire to.

The shave was £22.50 and I will be having one again, probably as a treat now and again or if I’m going to a special event.

The full price list can be found on The Legends website here but at £18.50 for a wash and cut that is only just a touch more expensive for what I have been spending to be under whelmed by my local barber. You could add £20 onto the price and I would still pay it.

When they claim to give you uncommonly friendly service, passionate attention to detail and give you a haircut you can be proud of they are right on the money. Everything they claim to be is true and that is rare in this day and age. 

In summary:

Darius = Legend
The Legends = Legends

I normally have a kind of scale that I use ranging from ‘avoid at all costs’, ‘not recommended’, ‘recommended’ and ‘highly recommended’. In this case I have had to add a new one ‘forget the rest and go with the best’.

Forget the rest, go with the best

*names have not been changed to protect the very guilty

THE LEGENDS LONDON GIVEAWAY

In addition to making my week, I also have some of The Legends products to giveaway to one lucky blog reader thanks to the generosity of the staff, the Rafflecopter widget is below.

For a chance to win:

• 220ml tub of The Legends London Maximum Hold Hair Gel (another post on the way)
• 40ml tube of travel sized The Legends London Maximum Hold Hair Gel
• A pack of The Legends London Alum Matchsticks (used to mop up blood from nicks when shaving)

 

• Sadly this giveaway is limited to residents of the United Kingdom (don’t worry; another giveaway for a global readers is not far away).  
• If you are under 18 years of age, please ensure you have your parents permission to enter because I will need your address to post the prize.
• All Entries will be checked

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Wella Shockwaves Ultra Strong Power Hold Hair Gel

I have probably spent the last week praising Soho Fish products but behold, for man has several hundred hair products and brands to choose from.

I have to say, after having my ‘Happy Mondays’ cut shaved off and spiked at aged 24 (after people said my hair made me look 40) it was recommended by the butcher of my locks that Wella’s styling mousse was best for the hair type and length.

For a while it did the trick but as the length of the spikes increased they started to droop. Another product was required. I tried everything (and it cost me a fortune) and in the end I settled on Wella’s Shockwave range and the Ultra Strong Power Hold gel.

In terms of hold, only the Shockwaves Tuff Stuff beats this gel.

There you go; you don’t have to read any more unless you want the full analysis.

Ultra Hold became a mainstay in my bathroom - it was cheap and widely available, and remains so to this day. A small 200ml tube costs between £2-£3 and you can often find them on multi-buy offers.

Back when I first started using this in 2003 the packaging used to provide the same promises as every other Wella styling product. The gel has a special micro-defuse system that separates individual strands leading to a firmer, longer lasting hold with the added advantage of easier styling. In addition to this, the gel should (in theory) brush out when required. Now, they have the ‘re-style with H2O’ marketing blurb that says you can reactivate the gel with wet hands to reset.  No offence, but of course you can re-style it if you wet it! It’s a gel!

So, with this being ‘Ultra Strong’ I expected amazing results.

Application and results:

When applying gel, it’s always recommended that you apply to fresh washed hair that is slightly damp. Not only does this mean your hair is clean before application, it also makes the gel go further as it is mixed in with the moisture already present in your hair.

I applied the gel to my hair after it had been dried slightly with my hair dryer. The gel’s fragrance when it leaves the tube is quite strong, with a fresh clean aroma with hints of apple. Although the smell was pleasant, the fragrance died down as soon as it was applied.

Taking into account the length of my hair (3-4 inches usually) and the messy look I go, a lot of the gel was needed to cover every strand. In fact, approximately 25ml was required. It was absorbed fairly quickly and was extremely easy to apply to the actual strands of hair.

The gel seemed thicker than the Wet Look version and this did become apparent when styling. It was far, far easier than using a wax, putty or clay. The spikes in my hair stood up immediately and once gentle heat was applied, dried very quickly meaning that further hair inspections weren’t needed prior to leaving the house.

Once dried, the gel set my hair like cement. I’m not joking here; nothing would possibly move it. I could jump up and down, shake my head and not a hair would move. As this is the major function of a hair gel, and the main criteria for any future purchases, it scored 10/10.

But, I don’t just take final results into consideration when making the decision which gel to use and the overall performance of the gel has to be taken into account.

Yes, it has fabulous hold, it made my hair look shinier, but, to the touch my hair felt far too crisp and a greasy residue was left on my hands after touching it.

The gel didn’t leave me with any white flakes on my clothing while out and about, but in the morning the usual problems that occur with gel were evident. My hair was full of white flakes, so much so, simply applying more gel was not an option. My hair had to be washed to remove the flakes. Brushing it out was not an option. I have since had my hair cut and don’t use as much of this gel as I had previously, but I still wake in the mornings to find a head full of white flakes. So, it wasn’t a problem with the amount of gel used, it is a problem with the gel.

Apart from the crispy feel and the white flakes in the morning, this gel was great; it kept my long(ish) hair in place for well over 8 hours which is an achievement.

So the good points:

• It’s easy to apply
• Cheap, especially when bought on offer
• Holds hair in place for in excess of 8 hours
• Made styling easier
• Dried quickly when left to dry naturally
• Makes hair look shiny
• Easy to wash out
• Only a little is required to style short lengths of hair
• Smells clean and fresh

The bad points:

• A lot of gel is required to style longer lengths
• Makes hair crispy tot he touch
• Leaves hair looking fluffy in the morning
• White residue in hair once the gel was worn out

Would I recommend this product? Yes I would. It has downsides, but most styling products have these and the ones applicable to the Ultra Strong are nowhere near as bad as other products I’ve used in the past. The amazing hold it provides is worth the little drawbacks detailed above.

If you need a strong product to style your hair, this is for you.

RECOMMENDED for short hair, messy styles and people who don’t touch their hair a lot.

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Fishshape Hair!

As a first foray into the world of product blogging I was handed a small pot of Fishshape texturising cream to test and give my feedback on. There is a picture of me to the right-hand side of this article giving an idea of the length of my hair, but needless to say over the years I’ve tried a number of gels, creams, clays, putties and waxes all with varying results.

In all honesty I hadn’t heard of Fish or any of their products and looking at the way it’s packaged it probably wouldn’t be something that would catch my eye or make me pick it up as an impulse buy. That is why I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the way in which it came into my possession and the results of using the product.

The product blurb as you would imagine plays up the benefits of using the product – it’s the ultimate texturiser by all accounts. Not shy with their claims then! Described as more subtle than wax, it is designed for short to medium length hair and can be used on dry or towel dried hair. I’ve been using the cream since just after having my hair cut down to around an inch in length and up to now while it’s three to four inches in length.

When using the cream they say only a pea sized amount is needed. I beg to differ! Enough to cover the entire tip of my finger (and I have big hands) is needed to shape and sculpt properly, especially when applying to completely dry hair. The texture of the cream is on a par with most moisturisers and is very easy to spread across your palm and apply evenly. It does leave some residue, but that’s to be expected.

It smells lovely, a rich clean and fresh fragrance – there are no chemical aromas coming from your head or hands.

Styling is a breeze – the cream clings to the shaft of the hair and allows for spiking and sculpting that is really easy. However, as my hair has grown in length I have struggled to style it and maintain upright spikes in my hair, even when twisting them. This is down in part to the fact that the hold weakens quite substantially as hair gets heavier. It’s no ultra-firm gel though so this can be forgiven especially as those annoying white flakes that comes an hour or so after applying alternatives such as styling mousse, gel or wax.

This product won’t have you brushing flakes off your shoulders as though you are suffering from a severe bout of dandruff and will give you the confidence and reassurance of a long lasting hold.

I would recommend for use if your hair is shorter than two inches in length. The cream will keep your style, won’t leave your hair looking greasy and those pesky flakes are a thing of the past.

Try it - I think you’ll like it and it is available from Boots retailing at around £6

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