Garnier Ultimate Blends Banana Hair Food Review

We all want soft, shiny, well nourished hair and we'll buy into all the conditioning products that claim to 'repair split ends' and 'condition from root to tip' only to be largely disappointed with the outcomes. It's not often that I absolutely rave about a beauty product now but I can't get enough of Garnier Ultimate Blends Banana Hair Food and I'll tell you why it's the best budget hair mask on the market at the moment. 

It can be used as a regular conditioner, a leave-in conditioner or a mask but let's just be clear I have only used this as a mask so I can't speak for the leave-in aspect but I've been using this now for just over a month 2/3 times per week so I can definitely give a well rounded view on 2 of the 3 things it claims to be able to do. 

Firstly, it smells amazing (providing you like banana) it does smell kind of artificial but I still absolutely love the smell; think those foam banana sweets and you get the idea. Not only does it smell amazing in the pot but it also makes my hair smell beautiful even after drying which very few hair product seem to have the ability to do. 

I usually use it as a mask, which involves leaving it on for 3-5 minutes (or longer if you have the time) and I always make sure I brush or comb it through my hair while it's on to make sure that I'm conditioning throughout my hair, not just the top layer (particularly important because I do have quite thick hair). It leaves my hair feeling beautifully smooth when wet, which is what you find with most conditioners but I think the real test of a conditioner is how it feels once your hair is dry. 

I've noticed a marked difference in the condition of my hair since using this; there does seem to be a lot less breakage and knotting (previously, I was finding that my hair would knot up every single time I dried it). Also, even though it conditions it beautifully, it doesn't weigh my hair down at all.

All this might be to do with the fact that the Garnier Ultimate Blends Banana Hair Food is free from silicones (which give the illusion of silky smooth hair but really it's just a film that weighs it down) and the ingredients are 98% natural (a claim I do question slightly due to the fact that 'natural' is an unregulated word). Also, Garnier claim that it's a vegan formula which it may well be but Garnier themselves are not a Vegan only brand so make of that what you will.

To be honest, all you need to know is that this hair mask is 100% worth buying, especially if you can find it on offer at less than £3.50!

Hair Styling Products for Damaged Hair

I've been really quite impressed with the condition of my hair just lately and I've put it down to a few products that I've been using for the past couple of weeks. Blonde hair can be a real pain to keep in good condition; my hair has often looked quite dry, split and damaged because of the heat styling/bleach that I've subjected it to. Obviously there's no denying that you can't actually 'repair' hair once it's split but you can reduce the appearance of split ends and keep it in as good condition as you possibly can to try and prevent further damage. 

Schwarzkopf Weightless Dry Oil Mist £4.05 £2.70 - This is the perfect finishing spray for me, a little bit like Tigi Haute Iron Spray but better and a sight cheaper. Getting any kind of shine on blonde hair is difficult but this makes my hair look and feel really healthy, it really is weightless but it makes my hair feel perfectly silky smooth after straightening. 

Schwarzkopf Dry Shampoo £4.05 £2.02 - I always say that no brand could get me away from Batiste when it comes to dry shampoo but this puts up a good fight. It's not as powdery and heavy, it smells nice and it does the job just as good if not slightly better. 

Schwarzkopf Heat Protection Spray £4.05 £2.70 - I went through a stage where I didn't use any heat protection at all before straightening and I could really tell a difference in the condition of my hair. Not only does this offer protection up to 220 degrees I also think it helps to keep my hair straighter for longer.

Label M Rejuvenating Oil Mist* £24.95 - This has fast become an important step in my hair routine, I spray this on wet hair before drying it and it is better than any serum or oil I've used in terms of how  smooth my hair is even before I've straightened. I think it's probably to do with the spray which means that it's more evenly distributed as opposed to a blob of serum/oil which is often concentrated on a certain part of your hair. Obviously I don't use this on my roots but for the ends of my hair I really think it's making a massive difference. It is a little bit pricey but I've said it before, for a product that works I don't mind paying!

The Wet Brush Review

Having a bad hair day can really set a day off to a really bad start; I know that if my hair won't co-operate in a morning I end up losing my rag and it'll just go up in some sort of crap scraped back look (and I'm cursing the fact that I've probably washed it the night before for no apparent reason because I'm not wearing it down) so I like to use products that are going to minimise the risk of waking up with crap hair. 

Just recently I've got back into using the Schwarzkopf Ultime Omega Repair shampoo and conditioner* (£4.99 each, Boots)and it's actually been working better for me this time than it did last time for some weird reason (probably because I'm being less lazy and making sure I actually rinsed properly every after the minor problems I had last time I used it). Using the shampoo and conditioner leaves my hair so soft and smelling salon fresh which is always nice. I've also been enjoying using the Omega Repair Beauty Balm* from the same range; it's been really nice to use something which helps to tame frizz and keep my hair soft without piling a load of silicone serum on. Although it does still contain some silicone ingredients, it's nowhere near as heavy as some of the serums i've used in the past and I don't worry about overloading my hair with it. In fact, I could use this before and after drying with absolutely no worries at all. 

As much as I've been loving my shampoo/conditioner/balm routine lately, I can't tell you how much I have been absolutely astounded by how good the Wet Brush* is. I'll be totally honest and say that when I was sent it I didn't have very high expectations at all, I think it was to do with the design of the logo. That is so shallow of me I know, but it just looked like one of those JML things that promises to do wonders and s*** cucumbers when in reality it's just a bog standard brush. But oh-em-gee. I can see why this is the number 1 hairbrush in America because it is bloody amazing. You can use it wet or dry and I've found that it works just as well either way; this thing is so good at getting rid of knots and tangles without pulling your hair out of your head. Honestly, if you struggle with knotty hair, you need to put this at the top of your list to buy because it is absolutely incredible. I don't say this about many things but I really do 100% recommend this. It's available from lots of places but it's £8.99 on Fragrance Direct which I think is an amazing price for such a good product. 

What You Should Buy From Look Fantastic

It's not often that I get a chance to spend a decent amount of money in one go on beauty products because my wages usually get eaten up with with boring but essential things like food, bills etc. but I happened to have a voucher for Look Fantastic which was burning a hole in my virtual pocket for some time and I finally decided to grab some things that have been on my beauty wish list for a good while...

REN ClearCalm Clay Cleanser (£18.00) I bought two bottles of this in 2013 and it was my go to cleanser for a good while so I decided I wanted to remind myself how good it was. It's not cheap by any means but you get a lot of product for your money; with it being clay it really agrees with my blemish prone skin and it also removes eye makeup which is a bonus because I hate having to use separate product for that. You can see my review here but I reckon I'll be doing some kind of updated review when I've been using it for a few weeks.

Philip Kingsley Brilliant Blonde Collection (£15.00) This was a right bargain! I was originally going to buy a small 75ml tube of Elasticizer which is £15.00 on its own but then I noticed this set for the same price in the outlet section. The collection consists of a Pure Silver shampoo and conditioner, a 75ml Elasticizer and a mini dry shampoo so it's absolutely brilliant value because you're getting 4 products for the price of 1!

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm (£9.50) A blogger favourite that I've been putting off getting for years now since it became 'big'. I'm not usually one for giving in to hypes especially because I've read good and bad things about this but my lips have been particularly dry and hard to work with lately so I figured I had nothing to lose by giving it a go, I've got my thoughts about it though so there'll definitely be a full review on it.

Bourjois Rouge Edition 12 Hour Lipstick in Prune Afterwork (£7.19) I had to make it up to £50 so this was what went into my basket. I've tried the Rouge Edition velvets so I wanted to try the lipstick too, I read about them on Sandra's blog (The Black Pearl) and decided that Prune Afterwork was the shade for me. Admittedly it's not been swatched or anything yet because I've not taken any photos but I'm hoping it's a nice wearable day time shade.

Probably the last big beauty related haul I'll have for a while because as I said I tend to buy things one at a time rather than splurging (spending £10 five times creates a lot less guilt than laying out £50 all at once, I don't know why it's just how my mind works!). It did feel good to get a big box full of goodies though, I won't lie.

Note: the voucher was NOT gifted to me by Look Fantastic, I chose where I wanted the voucher for as compensation for a post which I wrote last month. 

Are ghd Hair Tools Worth the Splurge?

Ghd straighteners have been a part of my life for a good 7 years, I'm onto my second pair (because someone stood on my first pair, that was not a good day) and they've been going strong for 4 years so far. Everything about them just screams quality to me. They might be fairly slim in design but they are solid; after 4 years of straightening they aren't showing any signs of wear other than the ghd logo has rubbed off a little bit and they just don't look as pristine as they did. The coating on the actual plates is still in good condition and they still run smoothly down my hair. The salon length cord is also another aspect of them which I love; it makes it so easy to use them even if your mirror is a way from the plug socket. The ones I have are an older version of the IV Styler which are actually the cheapest of the designs at £89.00 but if you want to have a go with GHD straighteners these would be the place to start. They're the ones which you'll find in most salons and that speaks volumes to me!

After having a ghd Air hairdryer on my wish list for long enough I finally decided to buy one last Christmas. I had heard lots of people say how they were far superior to any other hairdryer they've used. The 2100w motor makes it a powerful drying tool and definitely makes a difference when you've got long/thick hair which usually takes ages to dry; using this has probably halved the time it takes me to dry my hair. I wouldn't say that it helps to stop it going frizzy because I don't think it does but like the straighteners, the overall design is sleek, sturdy and obviously good quality. Possibly a little on the pricey side at £89 and I daresay you could get an equally as powerful hairdryer for a fraction of the price but I'd be questioning how long it would last. 

Now onto the paddle brush. Before I continue I know that £20 is a lot for a hairbrush but you would not believe the amount of brushes I've been through because lots of them just do not stand heat styling or detangling the knots in my hair. For me, the ghd paddle brush is every bit worth the £20 I paid for it. None of the bristles have fallen out or misshapen under the heat and not one bit of the design has come at all loose. The plastic handle is totally solid whereas some cheaper ones just feel hollow and although it's solid it's not heavy or uncomfortable to hold. If you have thick, long or unruly hair then I highly recommend the paddle brush, it makes brushing so much more pleasurable. 
In answer to my initial question, yes ghd tools as a whole are worth the splurge if you can afford them. In my opinion, the straighteners especially, are far superior to any others I've used. When the sad day comes that I have to replace them I would be tempted to go for the new Eclipse styler which is more expensive but it looks amazing. The fact that I've spent a small fortune of my own money on these products is testament to how wonderful I think they are.

Moroccanoil Hair Treatments Review

I've gone on and on about products which claim to perform miracles but fail to deliver results; i'm a firm believer that split ends cannot be repaired as the hair is already broken; unless you glue it together it ain't going back! A couple of years ago I tried Moroccanoil Light and aside from the price tag, really liked it. In a moment of late night/early morning madness I made a bit of an impulse purchase from Feel Unique because I was feeling at the end of my tether with the dry ends of my hair.

I've gone on and on about products which claim to perform miracles but fail to deliver results; i'm a firm believer that split ends cannot be repaired as the hair is already broken; unless you glue it together it ain't going back... but you can help to improve the appearance of your damaged locks! Moroccanoil has an amazing reputation for being really effective on damaged hair making it smooth, soft, shiny and manageable. 

The two products I chose are to repair and hydrate my hair. The Intense Hydrating Mask is meant to be used a couple of times a week as a conditioning treatment which you apply to towel dried hair and leave to work for between 5 and 7 minutes. I chose not to go for the 'light' option because the ends of my hair are pretty bad, I just make sure I only apply this to the bottom half of my hair and I rinse thoroughly. It smells lovely and doesn't weigh heavy on my hair at all, it's just left feeling silky smooth. 

I use the Moroccanoil Treatment on the ends of my hair just before drying and also after drying to smooth things out further. Even though I got the light version last time, I think I actually prefer this original formula. Even though it is heavier and I wouldn't recommend it for fine hair, it is perfect for my thick hair. It smells gorgeous and does a far better job than any serum I've used; serums don't penetrate beyond the surface of the hair whereas this oil really feels like it's a deep treatment. 

I got the mini versions of both of these products because I didn't want to splurge on the full size, which would have cost £56.60, instead I only paid £21.10. Obviously it's better value for money if you know you love them and you're definitely going to use them religiously but if you're just looking to try some Moroccanoil products (or you simply can't afford the full size) then these versions are perfect!

L'Oreal Elnett Satin Heat Protection Spray

For so long I couldn't weigh up why my hair was becoming frizzy and dry, I always use conditioner and I use an intense mask regularly... it never even dawned on me that it's all the heat I use on it that could be causing the problem! When I first started using straighteners I always used heat protection no matter what and I completely forgot how it helps when you dry/straighten your hair.

I got a bottle of Elnett Satin Heat Protecting Styling Spray when I was last in Superdrug; there was no particular reason as to why I chose this over others, it just kind of caught my eye I guess. It's supposed to provide heat protection up to 230 degrees and it is said to help 'lock out' frizz and flyways... oh and keep your hair straight for 3 days *raises eyebrow*
The trigger spray makes it really easy to spray onto your hair and it doesn't make it excessively wet (no sizzling when you straighten!), it smells great and does seem to make straightening my hair a little easier. It does make my hair look less frizzy and the finished straightened look is definitely a lot more sleek than it was before I started using this. The 3 day straight thing however is completely untrue, well at least it is for my hair! I was ranting about false claims yesterday so I won't go into it today.
Overall though, I do really like this and I would repurchase it.

Bumble and Bumble Sulphate Free Shampoo and Conditioner Review

Quite a long time ago now, I went sulphate free for 2 weeks with some products from the Naked haircare range, I have to say I wasn't wow-ed by the experience with those products, I didn't see enough of a difference in my hair and it never felt as clean as it did if I used products containing sulphates. It's been just over a year since I did my 2 week sulphate free hair detox so when I was kindly sent some Bumble and Bumble shampoo and conditioner I was interested to see whether more expensive products meant that they'd perform better than high street products.

  

Bumble & Bumble Color Minded Shampoo* £23.00  I looove the smell of this, it smells soapy but expensive soapy; such a rubbish way to describe it but what I mean to say is that it's not heavily perfumed by overpowering fruity smells or anything like that. It leaves my hair feeling SO clean, I tend to double cleanse but with only a 20p sized amount the first time and a 5p sized amount the second time (I have quite a lot of hair so a double cleanse definitely is necessary no matter what). My hair is dyed blonde and I've found that this has helped to stop it looking brassy and off-colour which I'm really impressed with.   Bumble & Bumble Color Minded Conditioner* £25.00 The first time I used this I put it way too near the roots of my hair and the crown of my head was left feeling pretty greasy (probably half my fault for not rinsing properly) but after the first time I made sure I only used a 20p sized amount just to do the very bottoms of my hair and this is working well for me, the ends of my hair are nice and soft but not weighed down in the slightest. I just wish I could find a conditioner which I could use further up the shaft of my hair (shaft... what an awful word) because it feels a bit dry and strawy and quite hard to brush which means I still need a serum to fight the frizz.

Overall I usually have to wash my hair every day, if I want it to look in an acceptable state for public viewing but as time went on using this I found that I could leave my hair 2 days without washing, I might need a little dry shampoo towards the end of the second day but I'm so pleased with the progress it's made. One more day might seem like nothing to some but believe me when drying and straightening your hair takes as long as mine, you cherish the days you don't have to do it. I do believe that these Bumble and Bumble products have helped a lot a. because they're sulphate free and b. because they're quality products. I don't believe that Bumble and Bumble products pile any unnecessary products onto your hair which is why it doesn't feel greasy so quickly! It does seem a bit barmy, spending nearly £50 on shampoo and conditioner but I find that I never have to buy shampoo and conditioner at the same time (one always runs out before the other) so it's just over £20 for each. What I'd actually be tempted to do is just use the shampoo from this range and use a different conditioner, I'm just not sure if using a conditioner using sulphates is defeating the object of using a shampoo without them?

John Frieda Frizz Ease Range Review

You'll probably know by now that I'm a big fan of John Frieda products; I've posted in the past about the John Frieda Full Repair range, Sheer Blonde and the Frizz Ease Miraculous Recovery Mask sachet. Recently I've been using quite a few more products from the John Frieda Frizz Ease Range, including the shampoo, full size intensive mask, serum and hairspray.  The idea behind Frizz Ease products is that they hydrate and nourish dry, damaged and frizzy hair to restore it back to its former glory. I use heat stylers every single day so my hair is somewhat over processed and is always in need of some TLC. 

John Frieda Frizz Ease Shampoo* £5.99 

I've found it really difficult to find an actual shampoo which helps fight frizz and keep hair soft, for me the treatment has always been in the form of a conditioner but when I use this shampoo I can feel results as soon as I have rinsed. Usually shampoos leave my hair feeling too clarified to the point where my hair feels really coarse and unmanageable meaning that no matter what, I have to apply conditioner but Frizz Ease shampoo seems to help soften hair even without applying anything afterwards.

John Frieda Frizz Ease Miraculous Recovery Intensive Masque* £5.99

You probably all know what a sucker I am for a nice hair treatment masque, I've been using this twice a week and leaving it on for a good few minutes while I do whatever else I need to do in the shower. It's actually thinner in consistency than some of the intensive treatments I've used lately but I find this makes it easier to rinse but doesn't compromise the results. The only thing about this is that because it's in a pot it's quite difficult to use in the shower without filling it up with water, it would be more suited to using in a bath but rinsing your hair can be harder.  

John Frieda Frizz Ease Serum £6.29 This is and will probably always be my number one finishing product, I run this through the ends of my hair when I've finished drying and straightening it to prevent my hair looking dry and frizzy, I also find it helps to stop it kinking at any sign of moisture! You can also buy this in a travel size bottle if you're wanting to try it but you don't want to commit to full size; however I will say that I've used this for years and haven't yet found a serum which comes close. John Frieda Frizz Ease Shape and Shine Hairspray* £5.89 Admittedly, I'm not a big hair spray user if I'm wearing my hair straight because I hate that crispy feeling that you sometimes get. The last time I used a hairspray like this was when I was dancing and wanted a scraped back wet look, so I was a little hesitant with this at first but it has really surprised me! I've been spraying this closer to the crown of my head to help give me more volume and I really love it, you can get a much more even application than aerosol sprays I find and although it feels quite wet when first applied it dries really quickly and gives you something to work with when trying to inject some life into your hair.  As a whole I really love the John Frieda Frizz Ease collection, although I think I would prefer to use the Sheer Blonde shampoo with highlight activators along with the Frizz Ease intensive masque. The styling products are something which you should consider trying if you want that smooth, straight look but with volume and shine. 

TRESemmé Waterless foam dry shampoo review

I'm usually an avid Batiste user, I have tried cheaper alternatives from Superdrugs' own but I've never tried a dry shampoo which is different in the way you use it. Obviously we all know how Batiste works; you spray it on your roots, work into your hair and then brush out. TRESemmé is very different in that it is a waterless foam shampoo so you pump 2 to 3 times into your hand, work into your roots and then instead of just leaving it you have to actually dry your hair with a hairdryer. Although this doesn't sound like the most convenient dry shampoo I assumed that it would be better because obviously it takes longer... Unfortunately this hasn't worked out for me and although I don't like doing negative reviews, I honestly couldn't avoid it with this.

TRESemmé Waterless Foam Dry Shampoo

My thoughts: I had high hopes for this I really did, but it hasn't lived up to expectations at all. I didn't mind that it took a little more time to use because I started to hate the way my hair felt after using Batiste but I've followed the instructions on this to the letter on two occasions and it's just not working for me. My hair wasn't excessively greasy either time, I'm not trying to work miracles on hair which is greasy beyond rescue; it's been no greasier than when I would use Batiste (for example I might have washed my hair in the afternoon on the day before when I have used this the next morning). I've worked it through my hair then dried it with the hairdryer, brushed it and it looked just as greasy as before, if not a little worse actually. Not a good product at all and I wouldn't recommend this to anyone; I'll be sticking to Batiste from now on! 

TRESemmé Platinum Strength Deep Conditioning Treatment

I've haven't used a good hair masque for absolutely ages, I've just been sticking to a simple haircare routine; shampoo, conditioner and a bit of dry shampoo if I've needed it. I asked on twitter if anyone could recommend a good intensive hair treatment, a couple of people suggested the TRESemmé Platinum Strength Hair Masque, given that there was 1/3 off this in Superdrug I thought I'd give it a try. I have blonde hair which is subject to colouring and heat damage so it can start to look damaged and dull very easily, I need something that is going to inject my hair with moisture and restore some life and shine. I've been using Tigi S Factor Serious Conditioner every other wash and then using this TRESemmé one twice a week.

The claim on the bottle is that it could 'visibly repair up to 2 years of damage', but upon looking a the small print this claim is only applicable if you are using the whole system; ie. shampoo, conditioner and treatment. I also find it quite difficult to believe that it can repair severely damaged hair, I would imagine that once your hair is split you cannot repair that... but I could be wrong?

TRESemmé Platinum Strength Deep Conditioning Masque £5.99 Superdrug 

My thoughts: After using this for a good 3/4 weeks I have felt a difference in the feel of my hair and how manageable it is. My ends felt very dry when I was just using a regular but by using quite an intense conditioner more frequently (the Tigi S factor one and this one) but they now feel much better and I can see a visible difference the ends of my hair aren't as visibly split and it feel much softer immediately after drying (before, it tended to look very frizzy). My hair is quite thick and using a 50p sized amount on the bottom half of my hair weigh my hair down at all, although I wouldn't recommend using it on your roots because it would be far too heavy I think. I would also air on the side of caution if you have very fine hair as this may be a little too much for your hair.

I do think this is good for a high street hair treatment but I don't think it matches Morocconoil light treatment which I haven't repurchased for a long time due to it being expensive; if you're looking for a nice conditioning treatment at a good price then I'd definitely recommend this TRESemmé one.

Tangle Angel Brush Review

The Tangle Angel and its innovative design make it easier to manage knotty hair keeping it silky smooth and easy to style. Tangle Teezers seem to be the go-to detangling brush among most beauty bloggers but just recently I was kindly sent a new detangling brush, which for me beats Tangle Teezer on lots of points - a lack of awareness of the Tangle Angel has to be the only reason for it not being the favoured detangling brush. Suitable for all hair types, this is not only a detangling brush but it can also be used as a blow drying brush because its bristles are heat resistant (the fact that you couldn't use the tangle teezer with heat was one of its biggest downfalls in my opinion). It comes in five different colours; pink, blue, pearl, silver and black and is possibly the cutest brush design you've ever seen - it reminds me of something that might come with a Barbie doll!

Tangle Angel* £15.99 Tangle Angel Website What I love about the Tangle Angel: - It has two places in which you can grip it; on the handle for everyday use and around the wings for a more controlled grip. - Contoured bristles which detangle the hair on several levels rather than just tackling the first couple of layers. - Heat resistant bristles mean that you can use it with heat styling tools - this is a massive plus for me because you can just use one brush for all instead of having to switch up half way through. - Anti-static properties mean that it reduces flyaway hair when brushing.
I've been absolutely loving using this, it detangles really well and I love, love, love the fact that you can use it with heat tools without the bristles becoming mishapen. If you were to buy two separate professional brushes; one for detangling and one for blow drying and hair styling, you'd be spending at least £20-25 whereas this one is only £15.99 and it does both things. I would recommend this brush 100% to anyone who has hair that is hard to manage or that breaks easily with regular brushing. Tangle Angel also do a similar brush for children called the Tangle Cherub which has all the features of the Angel but in a smaller compact size.

Tigi S Factor Review

If you've been reading my blog for a good while, you'll know that I'm a bit of a haircare junkie; always looking for the next big thing to give me silky smooth, shiny locks. Blonde hair has to be the worst hair colour to try and get a shine on but over the past 3 years of being blonde it has become my mission. I've tried lots of different shampoos, some costing a fortune, others costing the measly sum of £1... and I have to admit that haircare is probably my favourite thing to put to the test. 

Recently I was sent the 'Serious Lustre' set by Tigi S Factor which contains two products; a 'Serious Conditioner' and a 'Smoothing Lusterizer' both packaged together in a cute little white bag (gotta love a bag that I can cram a load of products in reuse). This is the ultimate duo to fight frizz and rescue dry and damaged hair... I use heat styling on my hair pretty much every day so you could say that the ends of my hair are a tad dry and damaged; the amount of hair which falls out on a daily basis is quite alarming to be honest.

 Tigi S Factor Serious Lustre Nourishment Set* £22.45 Look Fantastic

Tigi S Factor "Serious" Conditioner First of all, I love intensive conditioners; there's no better feeling than washing your hair and popping a treatment on let it work its magic. The S factor "serious" conditioner contains sunflower seed oil to give your hair the injection of moisture it needs to get it looking shiny and healthy My thoughts: I like how this dispenses out of the tube, it comes out of a long tapered end which means that you get just the right amount of product out without wasting any. The conditioner is really thick and creamy, I use it once every other wash on the bottom half of my hair and after about a week of use I started to be able to see a difference. I leave it on for between 3 and 5 minutes when I apply it and it leaves my hair really manageable to style and it doesn't seem to break as easily.
Tigi S Factor Smoothing Lusterizer
This is to be used on either wet or dry hair in place of a serum and is packed with cyclomethicone to target and eliminate frizz from root to tip.  My thoughts: The main thing I absolutely love about this is the smell, it smells exactly like strawberries and cream... it's sooo nice! I use this on my hair both when it's wet and I find that using a 5p sized amount is perfect. I still prefer my frizz ease serum for when my hair is dry but using this on wet hair has made my hair really soft, shiny and manageable... also how cool is the shape of the bottle?!
If you're looking for a set to 'rescue' damaged hair then I'd definitely look into this because not only do the products work, they also work out to be a bargain in this gift set because if you buy them individually from the Tigi S Factor range it would cost double the price of this gift set. The individual products are bigger but I think if you're looking to try something from the range this is ideal, these work out at just over £11 each which I think is very reasonable for luxury hair products!

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Review

After finishing my bottle of Alberto Balsam I thought it would be quite appropriate to review the John Frieda Blonde range, if I went in Boots and I had to pick a bottle of shampoo which was a little bit more luxurious than the others, my choice would always be from the John Frieda range. Obviously I have blonde hair which is why I chose this particular range but you probably already know that there is a range for brunettes as well as red heads and there's also the John Frieda Full Repair range which I have also tried.

The main reason why  John Frieda is my choice of 'high street luxury' hair care is because it's like a salon standard treatment but without such a hefty price tag. The shampoo leaves my hair feeling clean, the conditioner makes it easier to manage and the serum is the perfect finishing touch to keep it from going frizzy. 

I double cleanse my hair with the shampoo, I have quite a lot of hair now (it's both long and thick!) so I think 2 applications does the job properly, I still only apply conditioner to the ends and I leave that on to work while I wash the rest of my body. I then apply the serum to the ends of my hair before drying and then another application after drying and straightening to just give it a final smooth out (only a teeny bit each time, you don't need to use a lot!).

Since using the Sheer Blonde range I've had a fair few people ask me if I've had my hair coloured (which I haven't, it's been almost 6 weeks since I had my last highlights done), so the 'highlight activating' claim seems to have some truth in it!! It doesn't weigh my hair down and it keeps it feeling really nice and the smell lasts until I wash my hair again. Like I've said in previous posts, hair care like this isn't essential to every day life but if you can afford it then I would say use it! If I had to pick one of these products as a 'must have' it would be the Frizz Ease Serum because it really keeps frizz to a minimum. 

You can buy all three of these products in your local Boots/Superdrug/Tesco, the shampoo and conditioner are £5.59 each and the serum is £6.29. There's usually offers on these in most places so keep an eye out if you were thinking of trying them, at the moment Boots has a 2 for £8 offer on!

Dove Intensive Repair Daily Conditioner Review

This was actually a product I discovered when I first started blogging as it came as a sample size in Marie Claire. I love the feel of conditioner, how soft and manageable it makes my hair but what I hate about so many conditioners, especially intensive repair ones, is that they weigh my hair down and make it greasy within hours of it being washed. Is it really too much to ask to have soft, clean hair for longer than 12 hours?

Dove Intensive Repair Daily Conditioner £3.99 Boots*

Normally I would just use a regular conditioner daily and then a more intense treatment once per week but Dove Intensive repair is designed to be used as your daily conditioner. I still love this as much as I did when I had the little sample sized one, I guess I just forgot about it because I'm constantly trying new products suitable for oily hair and I very rarely buy the same shampoo/conditioner twice because I'm convinced there's always something better no matter how much I like the product. 

This is an intensive conditioner but it doesn't weigh my hair down, I use it from half way down my hair to the ends of my hair, concentrating more at the ends as these tend to become very split and damaged very quickly. You don't have to keep this on for any longer than 1 minute if you don't want so I tend to shampoo my hair first and then apply this and have a wash etc. while this is working. Once a week I leave this on a little longer (5 minutes or so) and it leaves my hair really soft and manageable. 

I don't think this is as nice as the Neal and Wolf Conditioner I used but this is a fraction of the price at £3.99 (Neal & Wolf works out at around £10 per bottle). If you suffer from dry hair or for whatever reason you're looking for a really good, affordable conditioner then I'd definitely try this. The only hair type I'd be a bit weary of using this on is thin hair mainly because it is very thick and creamy and I'd be a bit concerned that it may weigh thin hair down. But my hair is quite thick and reacts really well to this.

Neal and Wolf Cleansing Shampoo and Intensive Care Conditioner Review

My hair is about ready for a cut, but I can't get in for another week or so with the stylist I'd like so I've broken out the big guns with regard to shampoo and conditioner because I have bleached hair and my split ends are almost out of control but I still need hair products for oily hair. Usually I can get away with missing out conditioner every other wash but at the moment my hair really is like straw if I don't put some conditioner on the ends; it's hard to brush and almost too unmanageable to style. But the Neal and Wolf Cleanse and Treat Duo has made washing my hair a little more bearable. 

Neal and Wolf Cleanse & Treat Duo - £19.95*

I've not really dabbled in high end shampoo and conditioner because my opinion used to be that it was just washing the dirt out of my hair, how can brands differ so much? I realise now that I've experienced high end, that is does make a difference what you use on your hair in terms of how good it feels when washed and conditioned. 

Containing silk and milk proteins the Ritual Daily Cleansing Shampoo cleans and boosts moisture to help tame fly-away hair (which is often a problem with fine hair but equally so when any hair type is damaged). And of course it is suitable for daily use which is ideal for me because no matter what shampoo I use I struggle to go more than 24 hours without washing my hair. 

I'm not sure whether the Harmony Intensive Care Treatment is meant for daily use but I've been loving using this every day, it's given my hair the injection of moisture it needs because it's so in need of a cut. I have actually noticed a massive difference between this conditioner and high street brands; this seems to penetrate my hair rather than just sit on top of my hair feeling silky for the couple of minutes that it's actually on my hair. Once it's washed out, towel dried and even blow dried I can still feel a massive difference which I can't say I've ever had with a high street brand; they usually condition enough for me to get a brush through my hair while wet but as soon as I start drying it gets harder and harder.

The scent of these Neal and Wolf products is like a soft perfume, they smell expensive (I'm sorry if you don't know what I mean, I have a very rubbish way of describing smells) but anyway it's how I would expect a high end shampoo/conditioner to smell... I always loved using my Nana's Paul Mitchell shampoo years ago because it had a gorgeous signature salon scent, Neal and Wolf is much like this but more on the glam side I think. The packaging also looks lovely in your bathroom, minimalist but screaming luxury!

Naked Silicone Free Shampoo and Conditioner Review

2 weeks ago I tweeted complaining that it was like hair carnage every time I brushed/dried/styled my hair; every time I look down the surface below me is covered in broken hair and it absolutely guts me because I've been trying so hard to grow my hair for ages and to see it just break off like that is not nice. I usually look for hair products for greasy hair but I think this problem calls for me to change up my routine. Luckily I have some really helpful Twitter followers and this time Jayne came to my rescue and suggested I give my hair a detox from silicones and sulphates. I know the products I had been using were pretty much packed with these kinds of things so I figured a detox could be just what my hair needed. Jayne explained that silicones are essentially plastic, these plastics build up in your hair and can then melt onto the hair cuticle during heat styling, making it brittle and fragile; causing breakage. This is why she recommended some products from the Naked range as they do a silicone free shampoo and conditioner.

Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner*

Naked Strength Renewing Shampoo*

Naked Style Little Miracle*

The idea behind 'Naked' products is that they are just that, 'Naked'... they use 97% natural products and what's more important in this instance is that they are all free from silicones, sulphates, parabens, phthalates and petrochemicals which is what I hoped would help my hair back to strength so that it doesn't look like hair carnage every time I brush my hair.

The Verdict

Naked Strength Renewing Shampoo - £3.98 Naked Bodycare*

With hibiscus and frangipani, this shampoo is designed to 'rescue' your hair by fortifying brittle hair, no harsh detergents; just plant based ingredients. To be honest I was a little apprehensive about using this as I'm so worried about products that are designed for weak/mature hair being too much for my easily weighed down, greasy rooted hair! I was warned that this wouldn't foam as much as normal shampoo because it's the additives that generally cause lots of foaming, however I found that if I shampooed my hair twice a better lather was created the second time, which is good because I use the bubbles as a guide to know that my hair has been properly cleansed. 

It was explained to me that I would need to give this some time to start making a difference to my hair which is why I've called it the '2 week detox' and I'm quite pleased I gave myself a goal because I think I would have stopped using it after a few days because it seemed to leave the crown of my head as if it still had product on it or it was still greasy no matter how much I got back in the shower and rinsed I even stopped using the conditioner to see if it was that. However, after using it for a week my hair seemed to get used to the shampoo and a double cleanse did seem to work... it just didn't feel as squeaky clean as it normally does.

Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner - £3.98 Naked Bodycare*

Containing shea butter, this is designed to help repair and improve the appearance of split ends without causing a build up of silicones (which can weigh your hair down and cause breakage). The consistency of this is much like a mask rather than a regular conditioner (hence why it's called intensive care) so I have just been using this every other wash during the past 2 weeks as I felt any more would be too much for my hair. I just applied this to the very ends of my hair, left it on for 2 mins or so and then rinse out, this left my ends feeling lovely and helped to prevent the knots which were causing my hair to break so much when brushing. However, there is no way I would use this on my roots under any circumstances because it is very thick and heavy; absolutely perfect for every day use for people with really dry/frizzy hair but because my hair is prone to being greasy at the roots I found that once every other day was enough. 

Naked Miracle Worker Leave In Conditioner - £4.99 Naked Bodycare*

This also contains shea butter but has the added ingredient of argon oil, I found myself using this on the days when I wasn't using the intensive care conditioner as this was much thinner in consistency and I figured this is the closest thing I'm going to get to my beloved Moroccanoil without using a silicone containing product! Again, I just used this on my ends and it made my hair much more manageable, especially if I used my tangle teaser rather than a regular brush just to get the majority of knots out without breaking the hair too much. I'm thinking I may continue using this product even with a regular shampoo/conditioner because it's doing the job for me at the moment and although I love Moroccanoil, this is a sight cheaper at £4.99!

Overall I've found that this range has done my hair good, even if it's just while I lay off all the products I was using; my hair does feel stronger and although it still seems dry at the ends it's not breaking as much as it was. I won't lie, I missed using 'normal' shampoos and conditioners just because they're what I'm used to and I don't think I could ever go silicone/sulphate free forever, but I will be keeping these in my collection so I can do another 2 week detox again because I do feel my hair has benefited from it and it's made my reconsider my choice of regular shampoo/conditioner. I'm going to scrap what I was using before I detoxed and look for a different range I think, maybe not necessarily silicone free but I don't think a bit of internet/blog research would go amiss to help me decide!!

If you're vegetarian/vegan/against animal testing, Naked products are absolutely fine for you and the brand itself is very ethical; with relationships with charities such as Oxfam, using recycled material for packaging where possible and their ingredients are all 97% natural. You can buy Naked Body Care products from various high street shops including Boots, as well as the Naked Body Care website.

John Frieda Full Repair Review

Normally I'm going on about trying to find the perfect haircare for greasy hair, but there are occasions when my hair has just needs an injection of moisture and shine to it because it's over processed.

Because my hair is blonde I find it really difficult to get a decent shine on it and I often end up with really damaged ends to the point where you can really see how split they are if I don't use loads of product on it to smooth it down when straightening... and then I end up with a vicious circle of dry to greasy from too much product. 

This is where John Frieda Full Repair comes in.*

I've known about John Frieda for ages, I used to use the brunette range when I hard dark hair aged 15/16 so I was looking forward to trying the new full repair range; I was sent the shampoo and the deep conditioner. Full repair should help over-styled hair to look more radiant and healthy without the build up; sounds like the perfect remedy! I think it's important to review the items in their own right as well as together because lets face it, we haven't always got time to use a deep conditioning treatment because it does need a little while to work properly. 

Full Body Shampoo

I dont always like to use conditioner so this is great for me, my hair felt really clean and smelt great without any weighty feel of product build up which is pleasing! It also made brushing after washing a little easier too; usually when I just use shampoo without conditioner my hair goes into some sort of rats tail mess before I brush it but this shampoo seemed to sort that out a little bit, it was still a bit of a pain to brush but didn't take as much effort as it normally does. Definite thumbs up from me!

Deep Conditioner

I love a good deep conditioner, I don't know many people who don't... that feeling when you're just washing it out after 5 mins of relaxation and your hair running through your hands feels like silk! (went off on a bit of a mills & boon-esque tangent then, sorry!). This full repair one really isn't any exception, in fact I'd say that it was slightly better than some I have tried; usually deep conditioners are really thick and quite frankly difficult to rinse out of your hair properly without getting that 'ohhh no' moment when you feel you're hairs still slimey in one part when you've got to the drying stage. 

Full repair is quite thin in consistency and a little difficult to get a decent amount onto your hands but when you get it onto your hair it glides through effortlessly. I tend to only put it on the bottom 3/4 of my hair just because my roots don't need the intense moisture with them being oily already. I left it on for 5 minutes and rinsed it out really well and dried it... my hair felt beautiful, so manageable, shiny and smooth. Exactly what I expected from full repair, and it seemed to hold my straight style for longer than usual. 

Overall Verdict

As you can imagine using both products together gives you double the repair but given my hair type I won't be using the deep conditioner overly regularly not only because I don't think it'd be good for my hair but also because you really don't need to use it for any reason other than a hair treat when you really need it. The tub will last ages I reckon, so definite value for money there and the tube of shampoo is also pretty sizeable! 

Deep conditioner is £5.99 from Boots

Full Repair Shampoo is £5.69 from Boots

If you have issues with damaged hair or you find yourself tugging at your hair and snapping it by brushing, I definitely recommend trying something from this range, even if it's just the conditioner but I honestly think it's a fab range! If you want to find out more about this range and other ranges just head over to the John Frieda website.

Tigi Catwalk Haute Iron Spray Review

Personally, I'm not a big lover of using loads of hair products but I do think that iron spray or some sort is pretty essential. What is key for me is that it doesn't weigh my hair down (because my hair has a tendency to get greasy quickly) but still makes it look sleek and straight. 

I bought the Tigi Catwalk Haute Iron Spray when I had a bit of a splurge on Feel Unique in between Christmas and new year purely because my hairdresser used it and I loved it; the product itself and the gorgeous packaging, it looks great on my dressing table.

Tigi Sleek Mystique Haute Iron Spray £10.95 Feel Unique

It's supposed to protect your hair from heat styling up to 232 degrees whilst helping to add shine and de-frizz the hair.

It's an aerosol spray rather than a pump action which I think means that the product is distributed evenly and without a build up. I will say that with this product a little does go a long way, a quick spray and theres enough to work with, I don't spray the whole of my hair first I section and then spray just before I straighten. It also doesn't make your hair 'crackle' in with the heat of the straighteners; some heat protectors wet the hair so much that the when the straighteners hit your hair it 'sisses'... this really is just a light mist if used correctly.  (sorry about the description, i'm rubbish with describing sounds, hope you know what I mean).

Without an iron spray my hair feels really dry at the ends and tends to flick up at the back quickly but with this product it really makes my hair look sleek and shiny and helps to hold it in place. It also smells lovely, which is one of my main loves about it; it smells like I've just come out of the hairdressers. The actual scent as described on Feel Unique is 'Mandarin Patchouli Noir'.

Overall I would definitely recommend this product for all hair types and it is a styling product suitable for greasy hair but just make sure that you don't get too spray happy with it otherwise it will make your hair look greasy! I will definitely re-buy when this eventually runs out.

Lush I Love Juicy Shampoo Review

This was my first Lush purchase for a long time, I daresay that my last purchase for myself was about 5 or 6 years ago simply because I sort of forgot about it and always classed it as a bit over priced for what it was. But since I've been blogging I've heard all sorts of rave reviews about their hair products so I thought I'd enquire as to whether Lush had shampoo for greasy hair, because as gross as it sounds - greasy hair is a real pain in the neck and my main aim is to try and cut down the number of times I have to wash my hair. Currently it's every day but I really need to take it down to at least once every other.

She introduced me to I Love Juicy; explaining that her mum had bought it and a massive bottle lasted her, her sister and her mum for a few months for 2 reasons... a) you don't need a lot to get a good lather b) you don't need to use it every time you wash your hair. 

I love the smell and how it makes my hair feel; it does give me around another extra day or so without washing my hair and the smell really sticks to your hair... it's a gorgeous citrus lemon scent! The one thing I will say is that I don't think it'd be suitable for someone with heavily coloured hair because the citrus ingredients do have a tendency to strip; given that I'm blonde it can have some lightening qualities especially if I use it for a few days on the trot; however that isn't one of the benefits which Lush lists. 

Basically this is one shampoo that you should definitely try if you have greasy hair or you tend to get a product build up. It is £6.25 for a small 100ml bottle which is ideal for a first try or if you want a weekly hair cleanse/detox and they also do larger bottles if you want to use it more frequently.

Other Lush product reviews:

Lush Handy Gurugu Hand Cream Review (Discontinued)

Lush Sweet Lips Scrub

Lush Golden Egg Bath Bomb

Lush Ultrabland Cleanser Review

Lush D'Fluff

Lush Sesame Sun Tan Lotion