Redken Smooth Lock Shampoo and Conditioner

Redken Smooth Lock Shampoo and Conditioner - (RRP £9.00-£12.00)

I received these little sample sachets in this month's edition of the She Said Beauty Box, which I did a post about here. Shampoo and conditioner samples always go down well in my books because I'm always looking for something new to try on my hair. I tend to usually go for a shampoo and conditioner that offer protection for coloured hair, as my hair colour still fades from previously being bleach-blonde. This Redken duo is formulated to provide thermal care for hair, so I was very interested in trying something new. 

The Smooth Lock shampoo is said to cleanse, replenish and smooth heat-damaged hair with almond oil and thermo-activated polymer, while helping hair to keep its shine for longer. I did expect a lot after doing a little research about the products, and a lot of bloggers had said they love Redken products. When I first applied the shampoo to my hair and rinsed, I felt so disappointed with the quality of my hair. It felt so gritty and I literally couldn't run my fingers through it, which really surprised me from a really high-quality brand. With any other duo this would have left me to completely scrap the conditioner and go at it with my normal Aussie saviour, but I decided to not judge and applied the conditioner.

The Smooth Lock conditioner is said to do the same as the shampoo, but help to detangle your hair. This filled me with a bit of confidence and I'm actually really glad I went ahead and tried the conditioner. I left it on for about two minutes instead of rinsing straight away and after my hair felt amazing. There wasn't one knot in my hair and it was so silky and smooth... I actually felt a bit bad for doubting the shampoo in the first place. After blow-drying the condition stayed and my hair has a shine that I've literally never had before.

All in all, even though I only had one wash from each sample, I was really impressed with the overall quality of both products. I know I was ready to scrap them altogether but it really does show that you shouldn't always judge something straight away. I'm not sure if I would actually buy the products, as I can't bare to part with my Aussie routine at the minute, but it was nice to try something new.

Have you tried Redken products before? What is your favourite?