Forevermissvanity - A UK Lifestyle Blogger : Haircare

Holy Grail Haircare

The inspiration for this post came to me as I was showering at the gym and grabbed my trusty pot of Macadamia Deep Repair Masque. I was thinking to myself 'I cannot live without this product' as I applied it to my dry damaged bleach blonde hair. My hair has always been important to me and when I qualified as a hairdresser in 2009, I vowed to keep my hair in as good condition as possible even if I gave up hairdressing. I love how using quality products can really make a difference to the appearance of hair and can often feel more nourishing than high street alternatives. Don't get me wrong, there are some cheap haircare products that can work miracles - such as Bastiste, but when it comes to hydrating my hair, there are only certain brands I feel that I can trust.

When I was 16 years old I enrolled on a hairdressing course at my local technical college and spent many long days doing work experience in local salons. This is where my love affair with TIGI began. I remember walking into one of my placements and smelling the sweet aroma of the Bed Head 'Blonde Stuff' for the first time. The salon was a concoction of hair spray and candy scented fragrances, it was every girls dream. In between clients I used to sneak to the back room and spend 10 minutes playing with all the products. Although I'm not a hairdresser anymore, I'm thankful for everything that hairdressing taught me and I still spend a ridiculous amount of money on hair care products. Usually I buy salon sizes on websites such as www.capitalhairandbeauty.co.uk so they last me longer. Salon quality products can be on the expensive side, but they are not diluted like most of the products you can buy on the high street. This means that you're getting more product for you're money and you need much less product per wash, as well your hair stays cleaner for longer and feels in a better condition.

There are so many products I could mention in my 'Holy Grail Haircare', but instead I have gone with the three products I use on a regular basis. Firstly is the Bed Head 'Oh Bee Hive' dry shampoo (link). I was introduced to this product a few weeks ago when I was getting my hair done at Parklife and I fell in love with it. I'm a massive dry shampoo fan and I carry my Bastiste around with me everyday, the only thing is that I find my usual dry shampoo doesn't give me enough volume. I'm a girl that loves big curly hair. Not only does 'Oh Bee Hive' have a fun quirky name, it's a fabulous product that gives everything it says on the tin. It smoothes my fine hairs, adds volume and makes my hair look salon clean, it's perfection in a bottle.

My second 'holy grail' product is the Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Masque (link). Hand on heart, I really could not live without this product. My hair has been incredibly dry since bleaching it and this deep repair masque helps condition my hair, adds shine and also improve my hairs strength. I have been using this product for nearly 2 years now and I can't imagine not having it in my bathroom cabinet.

My final holy grail is the TIGI Urban Anecdotes Recovery shampoo & conditioner duo (link). These products are like 'Yin and Yang', they compliment each other so well and together they add volume, shine and nourishment to my hair. They also smell incredible. Since using these products my hair looks healthier, feels better and I'm getting a lot more compliments.

What are your favourite haircare products?

Four years ago, my hair meant everything to me. I went from pink to black, purple to brown and had many variations of cut from the classic bob to long tousled hair with a full fringe. This was when I did hairdressing and getting up every morning meant my hair had to be in a perfect state. If you didn't experiment with your hair, you would be classed as boring, if you didn't cut your hair nearly every two weeks you 'wasn't in style'. I loved hairdressing, the socialising, the chance to be creative, but it wasn't me. I longed to write, get a degree and create a career for myself. There's only so many blow waves I could handle and as my course dragged along, I found myself humming 'Beauty School Dropout' from Grease. Nevertheless, I managed to finished my qualification and before I went onto study Media and later go to University to study Journalism. The fact that I'm a qualified hairdresser is something I rarely let people know. It's been years since I touched a pair of scissors, do you really trust me cutting your hair for the sake of a saving money? I don't think so.

It's not losing the skills that has really bothered me about my hairdressing past, after all it's like riding a bike I'm pretty sure I'd pick it back up, it's my lack of willing to experiment with my hair that has gone missing. Being a hairdresser, it was in my nature to play around with colours and get stylish cuts, but the last few years I've settled with safe colours and the standard one length style. I'm getting bored, but I'm in such a style rut even I don't know what to do with myself. My spontaneity in the hairdressing department has vanished and my hair is suffering as a result.

This year I'm wanting a change, but right now I'm not sure what to go for. I absolutely adored my long blonde hair, but if I bleach my hair again it would probably be a disaster. My full fringe was the envy of most of friends at one point, but my hair growth pattern makes it stick up unless it's properly blow dried. These days I'm buying half wigs all the time and trying to play with different styles, but sometimes it would be lovely to go out with my natural hair looking naturally fabulous, something right now I can't see happening. It doesn't help either that my wedding is in 9 months and I have to be careful of how much I change my style in case I hate it and can't get rid of it before the wedding.

My plan of action for the moment is to put off changing the colour or getting any dramatic cuts, but to improve the health of my hair and style experimenting with a few different styles. Adding curls every couple of days might give my hair a new lease of life and when it's healthy, hair always looks better. I'm planning on investing in more Macadamia hair products as I've always found them to give my hair excellent shine and nourishment and I would also love to try these sleep in rollers as I've tried sleeping in my other rollers in the past and they're very un-comfy. Finally, I plan on purchasing more half wigs and some good quality remy extensions, like the high quality brazilian hair from Pauls Hair World.Clip in hair are a great way to change your look*, I don't think I would survive without them. I have many clip in and half wigs right now, like the ombre half wig from Wonderland Wigs and the straight long locks from a seller on Ebay. Before I do anything dramatic, I need to see if I can love the hair I already have. Then, if I find that i'm really not happy I can start making changes. The worst thing is walking into the hairdressers and getting a spontaneous hairdo. Sometimes it works, but I've always been hit with regret.

Do you have any plans to change your hair this 2014?

And which out of my hairstyles do you prefer?

I will let you all into a little secret, I've always suffered from fine hair and it's the reason why I hide behind a head of fake hair the majority of the time. Every shampoo and conditioner have tried makes my hair look shiny and leaves it feeling soft, but always lacks the volume. My mother has always been the complete opposite. She's always had pretty thick hair and until she had a serious reaction to hair dye, she had the most wonderful hair I'd ever seen - long, thick and glamorous. These days it's easy to add a few hair extensions and give the illusion of volume, but wearing hair extensions all the time can be quite uncomfortable and leave your shredding all over the place. I was approached by John Frieda to try out the 'Luxurious Volume' range and I said yes in less than a heartbeat. I've coloured my hair with John Frieda Foam hair dye in the past and had excellent results and I also loved the 'Brilliant Brunette' range. Could this range be the answer to my problems? The answer is an almighty yes. One attempt at properly blow drying my hair using all these products has given my roots a complete uplift and left me looking ten times better than before.

The first two products in the range that I'd like to introduce you to are the shampoo and conditioner. They both have a wonderful scent and cleanse the hair with very little effort. I left the conditioner on for an extra 5 minutes to give my hair a conditioning treatment and I lept out of the bath with my hair feeling softer and revitalised. I quite like the packaging of the John Frieda range simply because it matches my bathroom colour scheme of baby blue and looks pretty sleek.

The second two products are the 'Blow Dry Lotion and 'Fine to Full' spray. Both these are applied to towel dried hair and used when blow drying. The scent of these products isn't as nice as the shampoo and conditioner on first use, but when your hair is fully dried, it leaves a very pleasant post blow drying scent.

After using the products I've noticed that not only my hair is more volumized, but it also has helped accentuate my natural waves. I'm now left with hair that looks a little bit closer to my Kate Middleton hair role model, than looking like someone who has got out of bed and not even bothered doing my hair.

Would I buy the John Frieda volume hair range again? Most definitely. In fact I think i'm converted. The John Frieda volume range starts from as little as £5.

Would you try the new John Frieda collection?

It may not look like it in this photograph, but for the last few months I've been having problems with hair. It felt like my hair had gone for amazing to a nightmare literally overnight due to dryness. I blame my holiday to Ibiza for a start. The humidity gave me frizzy hair all week through and ever since my hair has felt frazzled by the sun. Secondly, I've been quite a naughty girl when it comes to using styling equipement without any heat protection. As an ex-hairdresser I should really know the best treatments for my hair, but it seems like lately I've lost all willpower to nourish my locks.

My 'knight in shining armour' came in the form of press hair products I had been sent* by a brand called Yuko. Yuko haircare originates from Japan, but has recently made its way to the UK, making an appearance in many top salons.

The products I've been using are the 'Lock in Colour' shampoo and the 'Lock in Colour' treatment conditioner, which have both given me fantastic results. Since using this new haircare, I've seen a dramatic difference in the amount of frizz I have on a daily basis and my colour seems to shine radiantly. Another thing I have noticed is that my hair dries more quickly since using the conditioner, meaning that my cuticles have less damage and my hair is finally getting tangle free again. I've always been prone to hair knots and since I'm currently growing my hair, I've noticed they have started reappearing like a fast spurt of acne.

For years on end I swore by only two haircare brands: Macadamia Oil and BedHead. It seems like now I'm willing to add another one to the list - Yuko haircare. I don't usually rave on so much about conditioners, but I really haven't experienced any negative effects with this one. I should add that I also suffer from a very sensitive scalp and that a lot of shampoos tend to irritate me - another thing that this brand didn't do. If I had to say one constructive criticism it would be the scent. It's a bit bland and I love my hair smelling fruity or floral rather than smelling of normal hair. However, if it means putting the scent aside for luscious long locks, I think i'll just have to do that.

Here's a little picture of how my hair looked just before going out the other day. I'm rather impressed with how shiny it looks on camera!

Yuko Haircare starts at around £12 and can be purchased from http://yuko-london.com/

Have you tried this brand before?

The last few days I've demonstrated in my blog posts how to change your hair from brunette, to ombre, and curly brunette. It's been one hell of a fake hair week, with forevermissvanity more fake hair than at a barbie factory and i'm pretty sure it's not going to be the end of my extension experiments. However, for now, the last lot of hair extensions I'm going to show you are the hair pony tails from Hot Hair.

Images taken from the HotHair website

HotHair.co.uk has a variety of clip in hair extensions to suit your everyday need. Whether you're looking for long flowing tresses or a perfect pony, they have it in stock. My main focus today is their range of clip in pony tails, great for those who have fine or shorter hair. There's a vast selection to choose from like hair that is already curled or a braided pony tail. These are great to use when you're in a hurry as they simply clip in and go. HotHair kindly sent me a pony tail to show you, however the shade is slightly darker than my own hair.

As you can see, the pony tail is clipped onto the back of my pre-existing pony and a piece of hair is then wrapped around the base to cover the hair fixtures. In this photo, you can see the difference of shade between my hair and the pony tail, however it's not too bad. It's advisable that you really analyse the different colours available to you before buying and maybe even asking a friend or relative to double check you're ordering the right one. With hair extensions, it's almost impossible to get the exact shade of your own colour as the majority of your hair pigment is a mix from all the previous colours you may have used or natural highlights due to sun exposure. Despite this muddle up, I do see the benefits of the clip on pony's. Having fine hair myself, I really do think that they are the solution for a thick lengthy pony hair on a night out. At £19.00 - which is cheaper than a hair cut and blow-dry, you really can't go wrong.

http://www.hothair.co.uk/

The Au Natural Look - Still looking a bit poorly hence the blemishes, but on the mend!

The area where I live has been heavily hit by snowfall - the traffic is barely moving, people are looking far from glamorous with snow boots and hoodies and I'm feeling very uninspired in the hair department. Recently I've been tying my hair into a ponytail, grabbing my nearest jumper, which at the moment seems to be my pole dancing hoodie and running the bus stop as quick as I can to avoid the flourishes. This morning I woke up in utter despair as my locks looked dry, my roots were halfway down my head and the realisation that I had let myself go started to kick in. Yes, I've unfortunately been ill lately and the weather has not been the best, but I must try to make an effort, after all it's this face that my partner wakes up to every morning, I should be rolling around in silk pyjamas with my hair perfectly coiffed.

All these sudden thoughts made me jump out of bed, embrace the snow and run to the nearest Boots. After my mini spree, I returned with a handful of goodies which I'm very eager to try.

The first product is the Got2B - 2 Sexy mousse. I love the bright pink container as it blends with my bedroom and looks very girly. I've been a fan of Got2B products since I tried their hairspray last year and I'm seriously hooked on it.

The next product I purchased was the Wild Ombres kit from L'oreal Paris. I'm finding my hair really bland at the moment and would really like to spice things up a little. I'm hoping that this kit will be easy to use and give my locks a new lease of life. Look out for the review in the next week or so.

Finally, the last item I bought was the Flat Iron Protection Shine Mist from the Lee Stafford range. I used this earlier when I got out of the bath and straightened my hair. The product smells quite refreshing and my hair is now glimmering with shine. Although I've only used it once, I have really noticed the difference between using a heat protector and not using it before. It's been a long time since my TIGI Catwalk heat protector ran out and I probably shouldn't have left it this long to replace it.

Three other products I'm seriously in love with at the moment are all from the Timotei range. I was lucky enough to be sent two samples a few weeks ago and I've been religiously using them since they came in the post. The dry shampoo is really refreshing and perfect for those days when you're in a hurry and need your hair to be looking it's best. I like the simple packaging and that the product isn't too over fragrant. Both of these factors has made my partner take a liking to this product and he happily uses it when he's at my hair and hasn't had a chance to wash his hair before work. The dry shampoo can be purchased for under £2 and I think it's a reasonable price. Unfortunately nothing will make me stray from my Bastiste obsession, but this dry shampoo is definitely close second and a firm winner for my fiance James.

The second product I was sent to review is the 2in1 Timotei Pure Shampoo. I'm happy to report that product really exceeded my expectations. It has managed to revamp my hair and it really does wonders on my sensitive scalp. Having a sensitive scalp runs in my family and my mum has been borrowing this product every other day to use. The shampoo is quick and easy to use and gives an overall glossy look to the hair. I barely have any pitfalls about this product, but one would probably be that I need to purchase a Timotei shampoo that is more catered to my dry hair. The glossy look is perfect, but my ends dry out really quickly. This is perfect for anyone with normal hair and I would recommend it to anyone. The other product in this picture is an older Timotei product that I have been using for quite awhile now. This conditioner really helps revive my hair when it's having a dull moment and it's another conditioner that I would happily rate in my top 10.

I like that all these products have made me embrace my natural side and that my hair is looking in a healthier condition. I can't wait to properly try all the products that I bought today and I hope my dip dying session doesn't end up in a hair disaster.

Have you made any hair care changes recently?

Since colouring my hair blonde, my beautiful locks have never quite recovered. My hair is often dry, lifeless and the only way of a revamp is to wear extensions and hope for the best. Being a hairdresser in the past, I've always been very picky when choosing shampoos and conditioners. I've been told by my old lecturers, that the trick to determine whether a shampoo is that good is whether it foams up straight away or not. If the shampoo foams up in the first wash, it's diluted and probably wont keep your hair clean as long. Many hairdressers recommend two washes for a reason - the first is to get rid of the dirt and the second is to cleanse the hair before conditioning. I really don't know whether this is an old 'hairdressers' tale, but I take it very seriously and I normally find that my hair is in great condition for it.

Being fussy about my hair means I care a lot about what goes on it and if at all possible, I like shampoos or conditioners that use natural ingredients. Herbalife Strengthening shampoo and conditioner is a paraben and sulphate free range, that contains aloe vera to add a fresh scent and keep your hair well mositurised. With a combination of lemon blossom, white lilies and musk, this little duo is perfect for those who love beautifully scented hair. The olive oil extracts and shea butter help to replenish dull hair and add the all important moisture our cuticles are in need of. The winter weather can be quite harsh on hair, so it's important to give it a treat now and then, so you and your hair look your best.

I have used these products twice since I got them and so far I'm really impressed with the results. I love changing my hair care routine every couple of months so that my hair doesn't become dull. The Herbalife shampoo and conditioner seem like the perfect next step to combat my dry, split ends and I'm already seeing an improvement. Herbalife's strengthening duo costs £9.22 for each item, but a little goes a very long way. When I go to the hairdressers, they always say that my hair is in excellent condition for someone that has changed her hair colour as almost the amount of birthdays she has gone through. I will only use the very best for my hair and if it involves spending a little bit more to get that shine, I'm happy to do so.

The Herbalife shampoo and conditioning set are so gentle that I've used them to wash my hair extensions and the above pictures show the results. I've had many compliments since using the products - many people have approached me asking if I've changed anything about my hair. The simple fact is that I've switched my hair care routine. I think my hair was trying to tell me that I needed a change and that change has made a big improvement.

For more information and the products check out: http://products.herbalife.co.uk/

What do you think of the range?

Amargan Hair therapy is a completely new and advanced styling range, giving you sleek styled hair and providing protection against heat damage and the environment. The product is light as feather and avoids after effects of most products, leaving you with silky soft party locks. Having recently bleached my hair, it's important that I regularly condition those hair cuticles and try to absorb as much moisture as I can before I visit the hairdresser again.

The Amargan Hair Therapy Range includes:

Amargan Hair Therapy Oil

Amargan Advanced Styler

Amargan Shine and Protect Spray

Amargan Nourishing Cleanser

Amargan Purifying Cleanser

Argan oil started being used in beauty therapy in Ancient Morocco, where women collected the oil from Argan Tree and used this for their nails and hair to protect against climate and ageing. I decided that if the oil was good enough for the Moroccan ancestors, these products would definitely be worth a go and since my initial trial began, I haven't looked back. The Amargan products possess a very earthy, naturally sweet, distinct scent. When sprayed onto the hair, the oils soak into the cuticles and the scent lasts for hours.

Each product is easy to use and my favourite by far has to be the Amargan Shine and Protect Spray. If there was one hair care product that I had to take everywhere with me, this would be it. I've noticed a huge difference in the softness and shine since using the Amargan oils. Each product is light as a feather and you barely even notice that it's there, apart from the overall impact it has on your hair.

Purchases and Product enquiries can be made here:

http://www.amargan.co.uk/

Here's how healthy my hair has been looking lately, what do you think?

♥♥♥

Holy Grail Haircare

The Many Hairstyles of Forevermissvanity

John Frieda Volume Collection

Yuko Haircare

Hot Hair Hair Extensions

Hair care Splurge

Herbalife Hair Care

Amargan Hair Therapy