Bleach London Silver Shampoo

I love my ombre hair, but sometimes the colour doesn't look quite right. When I changed my hair colour, I leaped and went straight from almost 'black' dark hair to blonde. Since the dramatic hair colour change, the tips of my hair have a tendency to look brassy and far from the blonde locks I previously desired. Although I do have the option to continue bleaching my hair, I'm trying my hardest not to as it is causing a lot of damage. My hair is taking long to dry due to my split ends, my hair falls out when I comb it and some days it lacks the vitality it had when it was darker. When I studied hairdressing I used purple shampoo all the time on my blonde clients, but when it came to myself, purchasing purple shampoo has always been an after thought. A few days ago I was walking through Boots and came across the Bleach London Silver Shampoo (link). It was the first time in awhile that I had seen purple shampoo on the high street and since I had heard so many good things about  the Bleach London brand, I thought I would give this a go. 

For those who have never heard of Bleach London, they are a London based salon that have recently took the high street by storm with the line of crazy do it yourself hair colours and home bleaches. They have the most fantastic packaging and have received lots of attention from bloggers and the press.

According to the silver shampoo bottle: "Bleach Silver Shampoo is for blondes that constantly strive for whiter, brighter hair colour." This sentence describes me perfectly. All I want is to get rid of that slight unnatural brassy tone to my hair and look a little bit blonder for the summer. The Bleach London Silver Shampoo also has wheat proteins and vitamin B5 to moisturise your hair - another trait that I look for when buying shampoos, something that will nourish my hair and help me regain vitality. I tried the shampoo for the first time last night and I have already seen a big difference. My hair looks healthier, shinier and I'm happy to report, it also looks blonder. The Bleach London Silver Shampoo is the perfect quick fix without instantly heading for the bleach bottle. Of course it doesn't do miracles - if you're looking to dramatically change your hair colour this won't work, but the shampoo lived up to it's description and helped eliminate those annoying brassy tones. The best thing about this product is that it is affordable. £6 will buy you a 250ml bottle and you only need a little bit at a time and you're advised to use it once every couple of washes. This was my first time using a Bleach London product and I'm really impressed, in fact I can't wait until after my wedding so I can begin experimenting with my hair.

Have you used any Bleach London products before?

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My Haircare Favourites

Recently my hair hasn't been in the best condition and as a qualified hairdresser, it saddens me that I've left myself go. A few months ago if you asked me what my haircare routine was I would say I did a conditioning treatment at least once every two weeks and I always use heat defense. These days it's shampoo, conditioner and a lot of heat from the hairdryer. Since becoming anemic my hair has been shedding a ridiculous amount and the thought of having thinner, duller hair has been really upsetting me. When I went to the hairdressers a few weeks ago she told me that she noticed a fair amount of my hair in the sink after shampooing and mentioned that I need to work hard at protecting my hair so it has a greater opportunity of getting back to good health when my iron improves. During the last month I've taken all this information into account and really changed my haircare routine. My hair is looking and feeling better, but it's still early days. 

When I'm having a bad hair day my first port of call has always been Macadamia. I've done so many Macadamia reviews in the past and I believe that none of them really does the brand justice, their products have really changed the look and feel of my hair more than any other products that I've used. The Macadamia Flawless is great for giving your hair the ultimate shine and condition. Macadamia Flawless* is a 6-in-1 hair treatment, giving you a conditioner that cleanses, cuts blow-drying time, detangles, gives volume and eliminates frizz. If you're searching for the 'just left the salon' look, Flawless is the perfect product. My next Macadamia favourite is the Deep Repair Mask*. The Deep Repair Mask helps add moisture to your hair and it's perfect for a little home salon treatment once every couple of days. My hair is feeling more vibrant and the dryness has started to disappear since using this mask on a regular basis. Finally for the Macadamia section is the Macadamia hair oil*. The hair oil is probably not my favourite hair oil, but it does a great job, I use it regularly and it smells nice too. If you like the look of all three of these products, Macadamia are have lots of pretty gift sets incorporating all of these products in time for Christmas.

When it comes to heat defense, I'm in love with the Magical Quick Dry Potion by Cloud Nine. My hairdresser suggested this product when she asked about my haircare routine and advised me to buy a travel sized bottle to try it out. The Quick Dry Potion not only smells divine, but it leaves my hair feeling silky soft and it's quicker to dry my hair. I wouldn't think of blow drying my hair without it these days and I'll definitely be purchasing a bigger bottle in the near future. This was my first experience trying out Cloud Nine products and so far they have won me over with this little beauty.

Even though I shouldn't really be colouring my hair on a regular basis, one of my favourite products is the Garner Olia Iced Chocolate hair colour. It makes my hair look vibrant, gives me a beautiful chocolate brown colouring compared to going almost black like most brands and I'm always happy with the results. 

What's your favourite haircare product?

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John Frieda Volume Collection

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?

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Yuko Haircare

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?

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Herbalife Hair Care

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?

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Prepped For Valentines

Getting prepped for Valentines day is no easy task. It's the one day of the year that I always want to feel sexy and like arm candy for my husband-to-be as we take our seats at our regular favourite restaurant. Tonight we will be dining in candlelight, eating Thai food, which is of course my favourite.

My makeup look today is bold, yet demure. I'm wearing fake eyelashes with black cat flick mascara, coupled with relatively nude blushers and lipstick.  

Stepping away from the makeup, my hair is one of my problem areas. It never does as it's told, so on Valentines day I know I have to be extra vigilant.  My approach this year was to invest in a good sturdy  brush and a small hair kit that would give me the thick, long and wavy tresses I desired for this evening.  Of course I'm wearing hair extensions, but it's important my own hair is in good health. When the rest of your hair looks hideous, hair extensions don't blend that well - especially when it comes to my hair. 

This evening I used my new, really cute Denman brush that comes with a small lip balm covered in kisses. This brush will be taking place in my handbag tonight, as it's the perfect size for travelling and I would love to show it off. Durin my time as a hairdresser, I loved using Denman brushes on clients. they were an easy way to get straight, beautiful hair whilst blowdrying and also proved successful in getting knots out of girls with incredibly long, fine hair.

Denman Brush £7.31

My next fail safe hair kit was the Berber Oil hair mask and shampoo. The Berber Oil duo have argan oil in them that help restore dry and damaged hair. The hair mask can be left on for up to five minutes for extra shine, which has proved rather successful for this evening. Finally, the kit includes a lovely mini berber oil perfect for blowdrying and keeping away all the damage  My hair looks the healthiest it has been in a while. The Berber oil kit costs around £9.75.

I'm looking forward to my meal out this evening and feel incredibly glamorous  What are you doing for valentines day?

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