Natalia Talks About

Earlier this year Andrew Fitzsimon, hair stylist to the most debated interesting Kardashian to look at, released his very own collaboration with Primark. That’s right, Andrew may have Kourtney K, one of the world’s most famous celebrities as a client and a pal, but he was thinking of the everygirl when he released this range with Primarni, A.K.A., Primark! With killer prices, a hair accessory and essential to cover your every beauty need, how does the AF range actually stack up?

Let’s start with the basics:

Where?
Available in Primark in the U.K. you can buy his hair accessories online, but most of the products can only be bought in store. Luckily, I purchased mine back in March (pre-lockdown) in the Primark flagship store on Tottenham Court Road, London.

Products
There is an abundance to choose from, but Andrew has released a large selection of the following, complete with his iconic AF branding:

• Shampoos
• Conditioners
• Hair Mask
• Hair Oil
• Glam Styling Spray (Heat protector)
• Dry Shampoo
• Texture Spray
• Bounce Spray (Hairspray)
• Silk Hair Ties & Scrunchies
• Flat (No mark) Clips and Hair Claws
• Flat Paddle Brush
• Blowdry Brush
• Rail Comb
• Hairdryer
• Hair Curler
• Make-Up Bag
• Eye Mask

Range

• Shine
• Volume
• Nourish

Price

• Hair accessories = £2-3
• Sprays = £2.50
• Shampoos = £3.50
• Hair oil = £3.50

First things first, I love how aesthetically pleasing each product in the range is! If I had it my way, I would have bought them all to try. Alas, I am confined to a mere drawer of hair accessories and tools, so I decided to sample only a few. As pictured above, I bought the Shine range, Luxe Hair Oil, 3 of the sprays, satin scrunchies and blowdry brush.

Since purchasing the AF range, I’ve now used the Shine range a handful of times. First and foremost, I just adore how the shampoo, conditioner and mask each make my hair smell incredible and in turn, how it makes me feel a million bucks! And importantly, as you can see in this first impressions video, there actually is some noticeable shine to my hair; a result that is usually only obtained at hair salons.

However, I do feel the products slightly disappointed me on hair softness. If I compare this range to my typical go-to affordable hair brand TRESemmé, or to my favourite splurge buy, Kerastasé, my hair was noticeably less soft. Usually, I don’t need to use hair oil after I wash my hair, but I feel it’s more of a necessity with this range. I’d recommend to generously apply the Luxe Hair Oil on your hair when both wet and dry, to get that super soft feeling. On the flip side, you could also use a lot more conditioner or leave the hair mask on your hair for longer, to try and obtain your desired softness.

A big plus for me, is that so far none of the products have contributed to any colour build up – a common issue for blonde/dyed hair. In addition to this, the Luxe Hair Oil hasn’t tinted my hair with brassy tones either, an unwanted result I have noticed with other common drugstore brands. So, how do I rate the products I tried overall?

Shampoo, Conditioner & Mask = 3.5/5
Although my hair lasted 3 days before it needed washing again with workouts in between, other brands that are on par with price, have left my hair feeling softer.

Hair Oil = 4/5
I’d recommend using at least 2-3 pumps of this oil on both wet and dry hair. If you massage it into your hair as suggested you will reap the benefits!

Hair Ties =3/5
These are really cute and I wear them on a daily basis even when I exercise, and I can confirm that my hair did not slip/fall out… even on those jump lunges! I also haven’t had any battles trying to detangle my hair from the bands. However, I was disappointed with the finished quality on the larger hair scrunchies which had loose threads.

Blowdry brush = 4.5/5
No complaints here! This brush is really sturdy and comfortable to hold whilst I style my hair, and the bristles didn’t pull or frizz my hair whilst drying.

Smell & Appearance = 5/5
Again I cannot emphasize just how much I love the sweet, fruity scent of these products!

Price = 4.5/5
This range is so affordable that I almost gave it a 5/5, however I certainly wouldn’t begrudge paying a tiny bit more if it meant the products were finished to a slightly higher standard.

What would I buy again?
I have found it difficult to find a Texture spray that my hair likes, but this one does the trick. The Glam Styling spray gave me movie star vibes and I actually really like the hair oil and think it’s good value for money!

Overall rating = 4*!
Although the quality could be better for certain products, considering how affordable the whole range is, I think it’s a bargain. If you’re on a budget but fancy a small splurge, I recommend you give the AF range a go.

Have you tried any of the AF X Primark products? What did you think?

If you want me to review any other products, let me know in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this post you should subscribe and check out the following:

Blog Posts
Lockdown | A Day In My Life In 10 photos
One Month In Lockdown
Touching the Surface of Amsterdam

Videos
AF X Primark | First Impressions Video
AF X Primark (Part 2) | How I Curl My Hair Video
Travel Vlog | Dublin