Hi Pretty People!!
As a collective, us beauty enthusiasts love looking at other people's beauty buys. Wether it be hauls or the ever popular 'whats in my makeup bag' post, we love to have a good virtual rummage through other people's beauty items. So I decided to jump on this bandwagon and start off with one that I personally don't see a lot of; hair care.
I suppose I should really give you a bit of background on my hair so you know just how much abuse it was put through! I have dyed and bleached and re dyed my hair a lot over the years, been most styles and of the colours of the rainbow, but I'm not really a fan of hot tools or hairdryers so I think I saved myself some breakage that way. I have quite fine, naturally blonde hair, but quite a bit of it. At the moment I'm my natural blonde with dip dyed purple ends, after being fully purple for quite a while. I wasn't able to manage the colour maintenance in hospital as I don't think they'd appreciate splashes of purple all over the bathroom!
So back to blonde I went, well bleached back to blonde I went, with mixtures of lowlights. This was all about six months ago but as anyone who has ever had their hair bleached will know, the process does serious damage to your hair and it will take a while for the hair to recover. Afterwards my hair was dry, brittle and tangled with no real lustre to it, which gave me plenty of excuses, I mean reasons, to try out products to bring my hair back to life!
So after a lot of testing these are the products I found the best:)
Shampoo:
Garnier Ultimate Blends The Marvellous Transformer:
This is a relatively new range on the market, and initially I wasn't attracted to its cheapy looking packaging but after getting a sample I must admit I fell completely in love with it. Theres no parabens, and it contains argan and camellia oils and is designed for dry, dull hair. Its very good value, comes in two sizes and be purchased in the supermarket with matching conditioners, which I've yet to try out. You don't need a lot of product to create a lather, which leaves the hair clean and smelling beautiful. It does require a conditioner though afterwards if you have very dry hair. I'd definitely recommend to try out this range as it really works and is very affordable. Available in supermarkets.
La Roche-Posay Physiological Gel Shampoo:
Every now and then, usually when I'm stressed, I get a sort of acne on my scalp which can be quite painful. This shampoo was recommended to me as it's suitable for very sensitive scalp and is gentle enough to use even on children. Its paraben and silicon free and like all La Roche-Posay products is made with thermal spring water. It does take quite a bit of product to work up a lather, but its great for removing build up on the scalp and makes my hair very bright and clean looking. However, this product seems to strip quite a bit of colour out of the hair, and I wouldn't recommend it for every day use for coloured hair. Its a bit pricey but well worth it and I'll always keep a bottle of this in my bathroom. La Roche-Posay is available in selected chemists and online.
Mask:
Wella System Professional Hair Mask:
It was only when I was putting this list together that I realised I don't have a conditioner I really like. Generally as well as using it as a mask, this product doubles up as a conditioner for me. The consistency of this is quite thick and you only need a small amount of product, which is just as well as it on on the higher end of the price spectrum. It has a nice gentle smell that reminds me of the hairdressers, which makes sense as this can only be purchased in salons! It recommends to leave this in towel dried hair for five minutes, but I've often left it in for longer. Just a quick side note, I tried the shampoo from the same range and felt it left my hair very tangled and dry, so just give the mask a go. Available in selected salons, but I purchased mine on E-bay.
Oils:
Penny/Primark Hask Argan Oil:
This product is so cheap and cheerful. It has a very thick consistency almost viscous, is orange in colour, and smells lovely. I have used the Moroccan Hair Oil, but it's so expensive and I find this stuff does the trick just as well for a fraction of a fraction of the price tag of Moroccan Oil! Less is generally more, unless you have very thick hair and only put this at the ends. Available from Pennys/Primark. (Even the small ones, yippee!)
L'oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil:
I reckon this is L 'Oreal's dupe of Moroccan oil, and again it's a brilliant product. This is available in most supermarkets, and there is sometimes a offer on this line. There is also a formula for coloured and fine hair, but this one is just the original. This oil smells divine and is not too heavy for my thin hair. I simply apply this on towel dry hair and just leave it for a few minutes to work its magic! My only complaints about this is its a pump, glass bottle. I hate pump bottles as I never feel you can get all the product out and,I don't really see why it is has to be a glass bottle. Maybe to keep the Moroccan Oil dupe theme going? Either way it makes it heavy to carry on holidays or weekends away but still it won't stop me from repurchasing! Available in supermarkets and chemists.
Hair Brush:
Tangle Teezer:
I honestly don't know how this brush works, but it does! I bought this out of sheer desperation as I couldn't get any brush through my hair in the first few weeks after bleaching, and heard this got great reviews. I don't think I could ever not have one of these, and I can't see why or how it would break. Its ergonomically designed (that means its comfy in your hand) and made completely of plastic. There's several different variations and colours available, sadly I just have boring black:( Its very easy to clean, and simply does what it says on the tin! Available in Boots and some chemists.
Denman Grooming Brush:
This brush is great for smoothing hair and I often use this after back combing. Its also good for removing tangles with out pulling on the hair too much.I love this brush so much because thanks to it's natural bristles it manages to take a fluffy mop of hair and make it smooth and controlled looking! It is expensive but I think especially, when you have problems with your hair its worth spending some money on brushes, and Denman is a time-tested successful brand. Available in Boots and most chemists.
Styling Products:
Lee Stafford Sea Salt Spray: I love the beachy waves tossed look and this spray is the best I've come across. I've not tried the cult Bumble and Bumble one yet though. I do have a love hate relationship with this spray I must admit. It creates the really wonderful tossed look I love so much and it smells gorgeous, and the smell does linger in your hair. However, it leaves me with horrible tangles the next day which have to be washed out, the product makes the hair itself dryer and fades hair colour. This seems to be the price you pay for using these types of sprays. It's only something I would use on occasions but I still love this. Available in most Boots.
Fructis Hairspray: This hair spray has a few different variations and I love the Crystal Resist version. Its very affordable and holds. It can't be brushed out like the Elnett, and can make the hair a little crunchy, but once you put this on your style it does.not.move. End of. This is great for backcombing and up dos or sleek pony tails, but may not be as good for curls as it is slightly crunchy. It also doesn't dull the colour of the hair. Available from supermarkets and chemists.
Redken Rootful 06: This spray is great for giving hair a bit of life and movement without weighing it down. It has a 'precision application' nozzle, which means you can apply it direct to the roots of the hair. Great for layered hair. After towel drying, I flip my hair upside down and try to separate the layers in my hair and apply the spray to the roots. I found even when I don't blow dry the hair this spray still gives volume. Available in salons.
The Hair Product I Can Not Live Without!
Revlon 2phase Detangling Spray: Saving the best for last! This is my all time favourite hair care product. This spray detangles when nothing else can work and leaves no residue on the hair. It acts as a leave in conditioner and makes a huge difference in the condition and strength of the hair. This comes in several sizes, formulations and there is also shampoo and conditioner which I have yet to try. Just shake the bottle to mix the two 'phases' together and spray onto towel dried hair. When my hair was in very poor condition or slightly tangled I used this on dried hair also. I.love.this.product. Definitely on my desert island list. Available in certain salons and salon supply stores. Go buy it. Like Now.
However! There is a new product Revlon are marketing as the new and improved 2phase, Uniq1. This spray is supposed to do everything the 2phase does and more. Believe me, it doesn't. It has a horrible heavy, cream texture which doesn't spray well and the nozzle often clogs. It doesn't detangle or improve the condition of the hair nor is it easy to apply, and I'm afraid its just been left sitting on my shelf. Revlon, stick to the original, it is the best.
My hair dresser, in the wonderful Lunatic Fringe on Grafton Street in Dublin, gave me some tips which I'm kindly going to share with you;
Use products on your hair when it is mostly wet, not towel dried, and only on the ends.
Don't brush your hair until its 80% dry, its very prone to breakage when its wet.
Even when rough drying use a nozzle on the hair dryer or other wise the hair just gets blown around in all directions and will be harder to style after.
Massage the scalp gently while shampooing rather than scrubbing. This will encourage blood flow and growth and also cause less damage to the hair.
So that's my recommendations and tips! These products would suit almost any hair type and while some are a bit expensive, they're mostly budget friendly. Has anyone else tried these products? Or even better, does anyone else have any other recommendations? Hope you guys try some of them and let me know how you get on:)
Much love! xx
