I flew to Sydney for a blow dry

Yes, you read right. On Tuesday, I rose at 4.30am, showered, dressed and drove 100km to Brisbane Airport, hopped on a plane, landed in Sydney 1.5 hours later, was met by a nice man holding a sign with my name on it and driven to a hair salon 30 minutes away.

It’s wasn’t even 9.30am (Queensland time) and I had been transported – literally – from the mundane to the world of glam and luxe.

The reason?  I had been invited to experience first hand a new range of hair products.   A range that is a hybrid of salon and supermarket from two greats in the hair product business, Pantene and Wella.

Are you scratching your head and wondering how ever that would happen?

Both Wella and Pantene are owned by the same parent company so it makes complete productivity sense that the science and styling gurus from both brands sat down together over more than a few lunches to discuss how they could make a hair product that was both affordable but also indulgent.

That discussion and development lead to Pantene Clinicare.

Pantene Clinicare ... turn back the time on your hair

The first products in the range have been developed to address ageing in hair.  Yep, hair ages just as skin does.  ‘Fraid so.

No wonder they had me sitting upstairs in Barney Martin, Surry Hills, surrounded by candles and sipping on a green tea.  The gorgeous PR Justine had to break it too me gently that it wasn’t enough for me to slap on all manner of anti-ageing potions and lotions on my face, I needed to worry about my hair as well.

Justine softened the blow with green tea ... I may have needed something stronger

(She did make me feel a little bit better when she explained that even a woman half my age needs anti-ageing products.  Phewww.)

Apart from how many *ahhem* years we’ve been on this planet, our collective and obsessive colouring, ironing and love of the beach all contribute to making our hair look old.

Which in turn makes us look old.

Quick … get me to that massage chair and basin. Stat.

I stopped hyperventilating as Van, my stylist, went to work shampooing and conditioning my hair using the Clinicare range.

While Justine was out of the room, I whispered to him, “Is this as good as the stuff you use downstairs?”.   I wanted the inside word from someone who’s washed a gazillion heads of hair with salon-only products.

“Yes, it is very good,” he said. Then also said something about the biggest mistake women make when conditioning their hair is using too much product and spreading from the roots instead of mid-lengths down. I didn’t hear much more beyond that point because he started massaging my head like it’s never been massaged before.  Umm, did we need to stop?

Yes, we did – it was blow-dry and styling time.

Go to town, I said,  it wasn’t every day I’m flown 1200km for a swish hairdo.  Who was I to get in the way of Van’s creative juices?

As my hair was almost dry he changed his mind and opted for messy texturising instead of loose, bouncy curls.  Love.  And my hair does do.

Go on, tell me it’s looking younger. It is, isn’t it?

Pantene Clinicare - before and after

Just over four hours later and I’m back at the airport and winging my way north … to make dinner and help with homework.  My brief glimpse into a life of luxury over. Lucky I now know my next indulgence is just a supermarket visit away.

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About Pantene Clinicare

The range includes Micro-repair Revitalising Shampoo (250ml, $14.99); Micro-repair Revitalising Conditioner (250ml, $14.99); and Micro-Repair Revitalising Rinse Off Treatment (5 x 15ml $19.99).

The three products work together as a monthly ritual (the range was developed in Japan and inspired by the age-old tradition of the Japanese tea ritual).

Six years of research and development went into the formula so that the scientists could work at a nano level on specifically addressing the properties of ageing hair.

The products work to revitalise stressed and damaged hair and to bring back radiance and resilience by introducing a protective coating on the hair fibre.

Stockists:  ph 1800 028 280

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* Nikki Parkinson was flown to Sydney as a guest of P&G beauty & grooming and Saunders & Co PR.  For more information about the Styling You disclosure policy, read here.  She was not paid to write this post.