One of these blow dries costs £17 at Primark and the other is a posh £90 one

A TRIP to Primark typically involves rummaging amongst mounds of clothes to find the latest bargains and battling against the hordes of shoppers.

But what if you went for a relaxing pamper? When I heard Primark in Oxford Street now offers £17 express blow dries, I popped along to see if it could hold its own against a posh London salon.

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Primark's new beauty area is nestled in their busy flagship store in the only inch of floor space not dominated by racks upon racks of the latest fast fashion.

Primark has teamed up with stylish Chelsea hair company Duck & Dry, and promises to deliver 18-minute blow dries for the busy shopper.

As well as in this London store, the beauty service will also be offered at the world's biggest Primark in Birmingham and there are plans to expand it to 20 other outlets nationwide.

It sounds like a great idea for time-strapped shoppers to get glam fast – but is the quality worth it when you are getting styled in the time it takes to grab a coffee?

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Fabulous Digital put the service to the test and compared it to a blow dry on the other end of the spectrum – a £90 luxury experience at John Freida with a top stylist.

I was desperate to love the Primark offering.

After all, who wouldn’t love to shop for an evening outfit and get their hair done in less than an hour. And for a bargain price – even better.

Eager to be impressed, I rocked up during a busy lunch time and was welcomed by the friendly team.

Around me, other customers were getting their nails or eyebrows done, and if you ignored the mass of shoppers just metres away, the space looked like a pretty and girly haven.

It was decorated with flowers, lights and glam pictures on the wall, and apart from the noise from browsing customers, was an inviting beauty spot.

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Unfortunately I hadn’t washed my hair for the occasion, and had forgotten I was booked in for the express blow dry which comes without a shampoo and condition.

From the rows of dry shampoo out on the side, this was clearly a common situation and didn’t stop the glam squad from doing their thing.

My hair stylist, wearing jeans, trainers and a T-shirt, asked what I’d like done, and gestured to a series of photos on the wall which helpfully gave the options available.

There are six styles you can choose from; bouncy, wavy and straight and then three up-do looks with which featured braids.

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I opted for the "bouncy beaut" blow dry, keen to look like the Charlie’s Angels-esque woman on the poster in less than 20 minutes.

Grabbing a Diva Pro-Styling tong, which retail for around £49.99, the stylist started to wrap parts of my hair round on the tong to create tight curls.

“It looks like a work of art”, said my stylist’s colleague as she strolled by to inspect the curly progress.

From the mirror, I looked a bit like a poodle, and was worried in case this was the finished look.

But held my tongue as she sprayed it with £6.50 Bed Head Hard Head spray, and then thankfully said: “Now I’ll brush it out”.

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Once she had brushed it out, it definitely looked curly and glam, and for under £20 was ideal if - like me - you are terrible at doing your own hair.

I usually like my hair to be voluminous and bouncy, and it was slightly flatter than I’d usually go for, which means I’d probably be inclined to pay a little extra to have a wash and dry too.

Coffee and refreshments were available – but you had to go up to the café a few floors above and fork out for them.

But if you have a party or special occasion and don’t fancy forking out the big bucks, this is a great option to look the part and buy a great outfit, in under an hour.

As I swished my hair throughout the day, the curls did remain intact – which was impressive given the windy weather around London, and I would definitely recommend for those short on time.

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On the other end of scale, I booked in for a slot with John Frieda salon manager Sherman Sullivan which typically costs *slightly* more than Primark at £90.

Yes, for just a blow dry without a cut and colour, you can fork out nearly £100 for the service.

But than again, you are paying for the name and experience of the stylist - with John Frieda himself having styled royalty with Princess Diana and even the likes of Paul McCartney.

At nearly five times the price of Primark’s blow dry, I was expecting great things – but was it worth the hefty price tag?

As I arrived, bottled or tap water was offered, and I admit I was surprised there wasn't champagne included in the cost.

I was led straight to the sinks to have my hair washed.

Not only did the woman double shampoo my hair, but also threw in a free head massage, which was the perfect start to the experience.

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My hair instantly felt and smelt 100 times more luxurious thanks to the Virtual shampoo and conditioner, which retail for £36 a bottle.

From one girl at Primark styling my hair, I now had a team of two working on my tresses at John Frieda.

You could tell Sherman, who had worked there for 29 years, was a seasoned pro and could have done my hair blindfolded.

He styled my locks while his friendly assistant was on hand to literally hold the dryer until he needed it.

I felt in safe hands as he too curled my hair, this time with a Babyliss curler, and then brushed it out to unveil an incredible, bouncy do.

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I felt every inch a star as the finished look was unveiled – despite him pointing out that I had a few split ends.

While Primark aims to offer the blow dry in under 20 minutes, the John Frieda experience took around double, thanks to the thorough shampooing and expert drying job.

The extra time, in my opinion, is well worth the wait if you prefer the finished result.

The curls did fall slightly as I headed back to the office, but my hair smelt incredible and felt silky smooth – but would I pay the price tag?

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Back in the office a number of people couldn’t tell the different between the two looks, which wasn’t ideal given the expensive blow dry was nearly five times the price.

But my hair felt healthier after John Frieda, which gave me an instant confident boost as I left the Fitzrovia salon.

For those who can afford the luxury of a £90 blow dry, the experience was not to be sniffed at and I would highly recommend.

But you have to bear in mind that whatever the cost, your style will be washed away with your next shower.

For the rest of us watching the pennies, Primark’s offering is a cheap and instant way to feel more glam without breaking the bank – and still have money left over for a cocktail.

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Here are the first pictures inside the world’s biggest Primark, including the Disney cafe and T-shirt printing station.

In more Primark news, the store is selling a mermaid swim outfit for just £10.

And they've even launched Friends-inspired duvet covers, blankets AND pyjamas.

Get extra savings on your hair products with The Sun Vouchers' discounts and voucher codes.