Really i shouldn’t be left with too much time on my hand. I mean three whole days off in a row?! I’m bound to do something naughty .

This time it involved a box of hair bleach.

Wanted the ombre hair for a very long time, i even went to a proper salon to get it done (balyage) but left completely disappointed. Got the deal from Groupon for Revive hair salon, which is very close to where i live. It turned out to be a very bad choice, the staff wasn’t very friendly and the results unsatisfactory. Had a consultation before hand and a patch test to establish what i want, all went well so when i went for the real deal, was very surprised to be told that my hair is very dark and couldn’t possibly do much on it. I mean, you could’ve told me this at the consultation!

Anyway, today i took matters in my own hands and these are the results:

NB. My ends are not damaged at all, its frizzy because is still wet. I’m going to let my hair air dry to prevent more damage.

How i did it?

1. got a box of Wella Hair Streaking Kit (blue box, old fashioned photo on display).

2. painted the ends of my hair with the mixture, using a brush.

3. covered the strands in aluminum foil, heated with the hair dryer.

4. left it for aprox 30 min. I checked it several times during the process, i advise to do so.

5. washed and repeated for a second time, skipping the foil part. Left it for aprox 20 min.

6. washed and conditioned heavily. Left to air dry in a bun, hence is curly and frizzy .

That’s it! I should’ve done this from the start, it would’ve saved me €100 . I will top it up in a few weeks time, but i want to leave my hair recover.

I am not a hairdresser by any means, i advice everyone to do a patch test first to check for any sensitivity. If you have very dark hair, be very cautions as it can turn orange.

Because of my whole ‘hair growing program’ i bought the latest L’Oreal haircare range meant to promote hair grow and help keep hold of the existing one, by making it more resistant. I went all out and got the entire range, for maximum benefits.

Shampoo, conditioner, mask and scalp spray.

I waited until i finished the whole shampoo and conditioner before ill make a review about it, so here it is:

I don’t like it!

In the past Ive used tons of Loreal hair products, don’t mind a bit the sea of silicone in their products – my hair tolerates them quite well. Actually if im not using silicone my hair becomes a frizzy hair ball, tangled and unmanageable. Used with success the red line (colored hair, my favorite ever), pink (shine), royal jelly and the multivitamin one (2in1). Every time it was fine, grand even.

And then ‘Triple Resist’ appeared in Boots. On Sale. TV and magazine inserts with the beautiful Jennifer Lopez swishing her Rapunzel pony tale. It was a sign!

First week was ok, was using every second day the shampoo and conditioner and the spray every night. The mask was  saved for Sunday treats.

Then it came second and third week.

a) the build up was unbelievable. And not that shiny, soft buildup….no, it was my hair was looking ‘dirty’ even if it was freshly washed.

b) the spray ruined my scalp. It has become so sore to touch, that it brought tears in my eye when brushing. Obviosly ive stopped using it.

The spray contains the highest concentration of Arginine, which strenghtens the hair from the root. It also contains the highest concentration of alcohol.

c) the frizz! oh my goodness the frizz of it all, due to the alcohol applied every night, my hair was frizzy from the root. Combined with the buildup, i was a true vision. A vision of yuck.

Im cracking out my Shu Uemura shampoo to re-store sense and health to my hair, hope its not too late.

As i mentioned in the previous post, i was lucky to receive a goodie bag full to the brim with hair products as part of a work incentive. I don’t want you to think that i run and bought a million shampoos at once, i only have one head after all !

Got so excited about it, mainly because this means i have loads of products to research for the blog. You know i do love a good review!

Pureology Purifying Shampoo, Repair Color Defense Spray and Restorative Hair Mask. These are sulfate free products, rich in natural ingredients. From my experience, my hair always loved the silicones in the shampoos and i only have one average experience with Sulphate free shampoos (Tigi Volume), so I’m curious to see if there is any improvement.

Kerastase Soleil range: Shampoo, Repairing Mask and Protective Spray. I will save them for next summer holiday, as these products are meant to protect against the sun, sea and pool water. Also they have UV protection.

Kerastase Huile Celeste – again this hair oil is from the sun range and its meant to add luminosity and shine to your tresses. It has a gorgeous gold shimmer in, the magpie in me cant wait to soak my hair in it.

Shu Uemura Cotton Uzu Defining Flexible Cream. Ill use it when ill be curling my hair for definition. Ony has his eye on it so might share it with him.

Last but not least, Shu Uemura Essence Absolute Hair Oil. Read some reviews about it and its suppose to be the business against frizz and split ends.

This is it, i will try to use them up one at a time (from the same range/with the same properties) so i can have a clearer view of what they do. The only question i have is with which one shall i start first?!?

PS. For ArtDonatella my new hairdo

Same shizz only with a side fringe. Think i like more the blunt full style though. Ah well, its only hair it will grow

xxx

I’m making a two part haircare post simply because im in bed and got bored of taking photos . Plus the second part of the haul will be about some haircare products i got in a goodie bag as part of a work incentive and i want to keep things separate and honest.

Went today to Boots after i got my hair cut in Peter Marks looking for some new hair brushes and styling products. FYI, Peter Mark has a 20% off sale on the Kerastase and Redken hair products.

This is what i got:

Denman Paddle Brush, Denman Head-Hugging Brush, Shu Uemura Small Round Brush (Shu is from my goodie bag)

Lee Stafford Hair Growth range: shampoo, conditioner and hair mask. I like the sound of the promises on the packaging, my hair is long, chest length and i would like to see it past this stage. They were 3 for 2 in Boots, but when i got home and checked my receipt i was charged for the 3 of them boooo .

Tresemme 24H Hold Root Spray. My hair is flat as a pancake at the root because its long and heavy, so my stylist suggested a root lift spray to boost it. Have some already in the house, but what the heck another one for review purposes wont hurt.

Got 2b Volume Mousse and Volumizing Styling Powder. Can you see the pattern here… After all this im expecting to achieve ’80s style volume. Think BIG!

Shu Uemura Prime Plenish Shampoo and Conditioner from my goodie bag. Excited!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m very excited about my new haircare routine, i believe i  finally discovered my HG shampoo!

Let me explain.

My hair is quite long and although its in very good condition, i have a major problem: it gets oily very fast, especially at the roots and my fringe, while the middle part remains normal to dry. Its so bad that sometimes i have to wash it twice in one day if I’m going out in the evening. This is a major pain in the bum,  it takes ages for me to dry and style it.

I have tried different shampoos designed for oily hair, but i found them too harsh. What seemed to work best were the normal formulas (any brand), it didn’t striped my hair to much.

Anyway, as i tend to change my shampoo brand after finishing it *all in the name of science of course* i came across the Kerastase one. It was actually great timing, as my boss gave my a little bag of Kerastase goodies as part of a work incentive. What can i say, i love my job!

So far I’ve been using the Kerastase Biotic shampoo with the Kerastase Resistance Conditioner.

Kerastase Biotic Shampoo 2.5% Bioflorine

At a first glance, initially i thought its a dandruff/medical shampoo so was a bit indecisive if to try it or not. After reading the label properly *doh!*, i noticed that it is designed for combination hair (oily roots, dry ends), it has a purifying action and its meant to care for the scalp. Exactly what the doctor prescribed!

I have three weeks of continuous use and im totally in love with the shampoo:  if in the past i would’ve washed my hair daily,  now i can strech it for 3 whole days. 3 days! This is very close to a miracle.

My scalp its in great form, neither oily or dry, with no signs of dandruff or dry patches. My ends and overall length isn’t dry or coarse, everything is in balance.

What i have to find out, is if i can use the shampoo on a long period of time or if its meant to be a balancing treatment and used occasionally. Must investigate.

Kerastase Resistance Ciment Conditioner

The Ciment Conditioner does exactly what it promises: seals the hair cuticle, making it more resistant and shiny. At first i wasn’t to keen on it, it made my hair flat and too slippery (barely could have it up in a pony tale). This happened because silly old me used way to much of the product, i mean they said to use approx. 2 euro coin size on the middle length and i used the size of golf ball .

With proper use – a tiny amount of product applyed on wet hair and left for a couple of minutes,  i found that it made my hair very elastic and it doesn’t tangle as much. The formula can be deceiving on wet hair, it doesn’t feel moisturized or nourished that’s where the tendency to use more.

This was the first time when i tried Kerastase products, what are your thoughts on them?

In other news, im addicted to Yankee Candles just bought another 3 new ones.

xxx