Rio Colab Dry Shampoo

I adore Ruth Crilly's blog - A Model Recommends - her no nonsense honesty alongside her amazing natural beauty makes it a must read for me and is one of the blogs I've been reading for a very long time. I actually bought this COLAB dry shampoo a few months ago and it's very nearly finished. I adore this stuff. It's a great dry shampoo - I haven't had any horrible white chalky moments with it. I tend to not use it so much for dry shampoo but mostly to add a little texture to freshly washed hair. I've always used Batiste but have found in comparison that brand clogs my hair up a bit whereas this is just fresh texture whilst keeping that feeling of clean. The range comes in a host of different scents - Rio was my personal favorite although it was a very hard choice. The range is available at Superdrug including the new extreme volume range which I can't wait to try. 

Georgina x.

John Freida - Luxurious Volume Blow Dry Lotion Root Booster

As if I needed anymore volume inducing hair products - this one was just £5.99 in Boots (currently 2 for £8). I'm always a little scared of products I have to spray directly to my roots from the fear of having greasy locks straight after washing them. However I went through with it and spritzed all through the roots of my freshly washed hair. I didn't need to worry once blow dried you can't even tell this is there. This didn't give me a much volume as I perhaps would have liked but it did avoid that freshly washed flat feeling I get when my hair is first washed. It gives it that bit more oomph that makes styling easier and just leaving my hair natural more acceptable and far less flat and lifeless. This is a welcome addition to my haircare routine not that I needed any more products to join in.

Toni and Guy 3D Volumiser - Review

Of course I'm talking about a new voluminous hair product - literally can not get enough of them. This is one of the best ones I've recently bought (and there's been a lot of them) it's the Toni and Guy 3D volumiser spray. Firstly how pretty is this bottle - it's perfect packaging for me! The matte finish, gorgeous type and a funky little spray applicator means this little beauty gets dressing table space. It costs £7.19 and the range is pretty much always in some kind of haircare boots deal I got mine in a 3 for 2. It spritzes out in a really fine and even mist and smells o so divine - like luxury hair. It's directions say to spray from root to tip on wet hair then dry hair for volume and shine. What I really like about this is it has the perfect amount of hairspray too it which holds a style without making my hair crispy. The added shine is also a bonus as it's one of the only products I own which has this included it makes a nice change to a matte finish and avoids me using a shine spray after and overloading my hair with product. I love having big hair at the moment and this is a very welcome addition to my many volumising hair products.

John Frieda Frizz Ease - Consistent Curls Range

 

I've been using the John Freida consistent curls range for nearly 2 weeks now so thought it was about time I shared my thoughts. The range consists of 4 products - a shampoo and conditioner, a heat activated spray and a hair oil. Like all John Frieda products they small amazing - that gorgeous salon hair smell that I can't get enough of is true of all 4 products in the range. The shampoo and conditioner are really nourishing and keep hair soft with a slight shine once dry. 

The heat activated spray is probably my least favourite of the four. It needs to be sprayed onto wet hair quite generously but I can't really tell what it does particularly. I used the same routine with and without this spray and couldn't really tell any difference between using and not using this spray. It doesn't make the hair any tackier or easier to manage and I don't really find my hair to hold it's curls anymore. I can't say I hate it it's just that I'm not really sure what it brings to the table. 

The hair oil in this range is my hands down favourite though. It's the perfect styling oil, I've found using it on wet or dry hair leaves the glossiest finish and  makes my hair so manageable. It's a clear oil (the bottle is coloured) and is a dream to use. As you can see from the before and after photo's my hair is much glossier and sleeker which I think I can owe mostly to the hair oil. It also leaves no oil residue in the hair so styling is an absolute dream. 

Charles Worthington Texturising Spray - Review

*please excuse the awful setting of this photo I was in such an excited rush I forgot that not only the product was in shot! 

I'm sure we've all heard so many people rave about the Oribe Texturising spray but at £38 but in all honestyl unless I win the lottery it is never going to be in my collection. Anyways when I read 'the battle of the texturising sprays' by Anna with her recommendation that this was the best budget buy I had to get my hands on it. It comes in at £6.99 and is often on 3 for 2 (like right now) it's a good buy but a little more expensive than the vo5 texturising spray I love. 

I found it very different from all of the texturising sprays I've tried it dispenses in the same way but is a lot more hairspray than dry shampoo. It's less tacky than hair spray but doesn't have the chalky texture of dry shampoo. I do really like this product for completely different reasons to the vo5 spray. This is perfect for adding texture to styled hair and for slightly setting a style without getting the crunch of hairspray. I don't find it's as good for just adding texture to my natural hair style. It's good to spritz over loose curls or waves to add a little more oomph to the style. 

I can definitely see myself buying this again - this and the vo5 spray together meet all of my texturising needs. 

Empties - The Shower Edition

I really love the dry texturising spray from the vo5 plump it up range so was excited to try out the shampoo and conditioner from the range. Overall I quite like it but I did find it took a little getting used to - it's not as sleek as other shampoo/ conditioners that I've used. It washes hair really well but left my hair with the feel that it was clean but next day clean. I found my hair less manageable and took a lot longer to brush through after using it. It's good if you're styling your hair but on a day to day basis I found it hard work. I'd pick up some smaller bottles to have in the bathroom as it would be perfect to wash your hair with if you were going straight out as it gives you a little boost before you even begin getting product out. They're only £4 for both at Superdrug though so definitely worth a go. 

I picked up the Superdrug pink grapfruit tea tree facial wash ages ago as it was cheap and I had a few little pimples on my chest so without spending lots of pennies on a specific showergel I thought this might do the trick. And it did within just a few showers! I wouldn't use it on my face personally as it was a little drying and my skin couldn't handle it. I can't find the pink grapefruit scent online but the lemon is available here for just £2.99. 

Finally I've used up my little morroccan oil shampoo and conditioner samples. I really do love this stuff - it's a once a week treat for the hair that's full of oil just leaving the softest sleekest hair behind. I wish it wasn't so expensive - I did find 500ml of each for just under £40 here which is amazing but still so so much money considering the vo5 came in at a 10th of the price for the same amount. I'll always be on the look out for some crazy deal that doesn't exist but I might pick up some small bottles again as they do last for ages. 

February Empties - 2014

I'm near to the end of so many make-up products but never quite finishing them off - the problem with having so much! I have finished some skin care and hair care though *yay*. I got the REN rose otto body wash in a sample set a while ago. I love the rose scent and it's a really lovely body wash. If you're looking to splurge then I do recommend it but I personally can't part with such money for a shower gel so I won't be repurchasing. It has been lovely to use though especially followed up by the matching moisturiser. 

I mentioned in a recent post that I was cooling off with micellar solution and using it as a pre-cleanse. Bioderma is the original and the first I tired - as much as I like it I don't think it does anything ground breakingly different to its drugstore counterparts so I won't be repurchasing this one. I've tried L'Oreal and this on and off and I can't see any more benefits in the more expensive bioderma brand so I'll be sticking to the brands I can pick up more easily and cheaply from now on. 

I've been using the Tresemme Liquid Gold complex for over 18 months now (first review) and it's happily sat within my collection that entire time. I really love it and I have no doubt it will be repurchased at some point - right now I'm trying some more natural alternatives but it's always an oil I reach back for. 

Clean start Welcome Matte moisturiser has been in my life (samples and full size) for about a year. I do love it and it's mattifying qualities. I think my skin has changed a lot in the last few months though and that maybe this range isn't for me anymore. I've become a little obsessed with skincare posts so I'm going to work out which is the next moisturiser I'll buy over the next few weeks or so. I really recommend this if you have teenage spot prone skin though it's an amazing range as a start out to skin care. 

Finally the Philip Kingsley Scalp Toner has been used up. I blogged about it a year ago - I didn't see any notable differences to it then and I still don't now. I could swear I just bought some water in a rather pretty bottle but surely that can't really be the case. Instead I'll settle with it just not working for me. I've recently picked up Superdrug's scalp toner for just £1.99 - a much more pleasant price if it doesn't work out - can you tell I'm desperate for scalp toners to do what they say on the box? 

£1.49 Nourishing Natural Hair Oil

The longer my hair gets the more nourishment it needs and I've recently been looking for more natural and chemical free products to fit into my haircare routine. I picked up this almond oil from Superdrug for just £1.49 and my hair has loved it. For that tiny price you get a whopping 200ml of oil which will last me absolutely ages. Almond oil has a long list of benefits for skin and hair - Almond oil naturally works to help split ends and heavy hair fall, making hair look healthy with more shine, and is a good substitute for leave in conditioners. 

I've been using it for a little while and my hair has loved it. I haven't replaced my normal branded hair oils post wash through the ends of my hair as almond oil doesn't have a scent you'd really want to swish around with you all day. I have however been including it my hair conditioning treatments. I rub this through the lengths of my hair and massage it into the scalp - this stays on all day and then I wash it out before bed (a Sunday thing). I've really loved being able to be generous with an oil that doesn't cost the earth it also has been great for my scalp. My hair is so much less weighed down and shinier after using this. 

The only downside of this is the oversized bottle that spills everywhere but I've overcome this by decanting it into my Tresemme hair oil bottle with pump (favourite hair oil bottle of all the bottles). I've really loved introducing this into my hair care routine - you can really feel that it's just full of goodness. I'm trying out coconut oil as well as the scent means that can be used on damp washed hair too. There's lots of natural oils in the superdrug range so if you've tried any I'd love to hear your thoughts too. 

Enrapture Amplify Jumbo Wave Styler

 

Enrapture Amplify Jumbo Wave Styler RRP £60 - Amazon £40

I've had this heat styler for ages but somehow never got round to posting about it. It's something I was looking for, for ages and I'm really glad I bought it. It's the styler that gives you that inbetween style instead of curls and straight hair. It's so easy to use you simply clamp the hair in it for about 15 seconds and then move the styler down until the length of the hair is in waves. What I love about it it is it gives that messy volume which means you don't have to be so neat about it. It's only downfall is that it's super heavy. I have a lot of hair so by the end of styling my arm aches a little. It's really nice heat tool that gives a nice everyday style that you don't have to think too much about. I like messy hair with a bit of volume so this is perfect for me.I really want the totem styler by enrapture next it's firmly on my curls wishlist. 

Tresemme Texture Style - Divine Definition Spray

Tresemme Texture Style Divine Definition Spray £5.50 Boots

I definitely didn't need another hair texture spray but I do enjoy using and trying them out. I really love the Vo5 texturising spray  but I'm massively fickle and nothing's ever perfect. The Tresemme texture style divine definition spray is very similar. It's a little more 'airy' though by 'airy' I mean it kind of blasts your hair bigger at the time but does give you that same overall effect after a little settling down. It adds volume and texture to the hair whilst staying matte. I'm not a huge orange/ black fan so the can doesn't hugely appeal but the product is good. I don't think it's that much better or more outstanding than the Vo5 one though that comes in at nearly £2 cheaper so I'd still hold my opinion that the Vo5 spray is my favorite but if this is ever on offer or in your supermarket I would recommend it for the dry messy layered look.

Batiste Dry Conditioner

Batiste Dry Conditioner £3.99 Boots

I've never tried or heard of dry conditioner before but as a firm batiste lover I thought it definitely couldn't hurt to give it a go. Dry conditioners do the opposite of dry shampoo's by aiming to tame and add shine rather than matte and reduce oil to the hair. The idea is you can use dry shampoo for the roots of your hair matte them and add volume whilst spritzing this through the length and ends of your hair to tame fly away ends and add shine. As like all Batiste products this smells really lovely and feels more nourishing than your average shine spray. It hasn't made it's way into my everyday routine but when I remember to use it I really do love using it. I can imagine this becoming so popular for long hair as it revives those dry ends without feeling like it will dry them out further after a wash. 

Organix Moroccan Argan Oil

I really loved using the Organix coconut milk anti-breakage serum so was really excited to see Santa (my boyfriend) had popped the Moroccan argan oil from the range into my stocking. I've tried lots of hair oils and spend most evenings especially Sunday's covering the mid length to tips of my hair in the stuff so it doesn't dry out completely. The Organix moroccan penetrating argan oil is very different to other hair oils I've tried. It has much thicker consistency but still rubs into damp hair in the same way. I find it's consistency means I use a lot less product however I do find the product doesn't leave my hands very readily. Most hair oils melt into the hair completely but I find I still have a lot of residue left on my fingertips even after using the smallest amount. I do prefer hair oils with pump dispensers but the squeeze bottle on this does make it easy enough to use. I feel this penetrates the hair more so than others I've tried and the silkiness is more than a one day effect. Overall I'm really enjoying using this about once a week for a more thorough hair treatment and as you need the smallest amount it is very good value for money.

Tresemme Thermal Recovery Deep Treatment Masque

Tresemme Thermal Recovery Deep Treatment Masque - RRP £5.49 (Superdrug)

I've always had a love for Tresemme as the products they produce and I buy never seem to let me down. My hair is not loving the winter cold and is awfully in need of huge amounts of moisture so I picked this up due to its sheer size (500ml) knowing it would easily see my locks through the winter months. It says its for heat damaged hair but I find it's just perfect for dry hair that needs extra nourishment. I find Tresemme products scent hard to put my finger on the only way to describe it is that salon scent that all Tresemme products have and that I really love. This hair masque is nothing revolutionary but it really does do the job - I put it through mid length to the ends and leave it in over night for super nourishment. This hair mask is amazing value for money though a 500ml tub for just over a fiver and often on offer is brilliant! This tub will be on my dresser all winter long, I'll be extra generous with it to make sure my hair doesn't completely dry out before spring comes around.

Tresemme Silky Smooth Glossing Spray

Tresemme Glossing Spray £4.99 Boots

I keep trying to avoid going into town so I can attempt to save some money but I think it's just resulting in buying myself treats in supermarkets - mainly hair products. This week I picked up the tresemme glossing spray for a few reasons mainly because who doesn't want shiny locks like Kate Middleton, I do love Tresemme they never let me down, and it said argan oil on the bottle so I thought a little bit of nourishment wouldn't go a miss either. 

I've been using this for a few weeks now and I as I normally go for a matte textured (messy) hair look it's been quite nice spritzing this through the lengths of my hair to add a little shine. This spray is really light and once dry you can't feel it at all. It adds a really nice light gloss to the hair that looks really natural and healthy. I sometimes find glossing sprays a little greasy but this isn't at all. Overall I'tm really enjoying using it - it's adding nourishment and shine to my normally pretty limp and dry hair.

Christmas Obsessions: Hair Care Gift Guide

Save
Palmers Coconut Oil Hair Mask - £3.09
Palmers Olive Oil Conditioning Spray - £4.49
John Frieda Full Repair Conditioner - £6
L'Oreal Intense Hair Mask - £6.99

Spend
Morroccan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner - £17 each
Tara Smith Feed the Root Kit - £12.50

Splurge
Bedhead Party Gift Set - £30
Morroccan Oil Styling Essentials Gift Set - £48

Batiste Cherry Dry Shampoo

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Cherry RRP £2.99 (£1.99 in Boots)

Dry shampoo is an everyday staple in my hair routine not only reviving hair between washes but also to just add some texture to my hair that's gotten ever so long. I've tried most own brand dry shampoo's and some competitors and none really hit the mark like Batiste does. I have no fear of white roots with Batiste which is why I've always got a bottle in my cabinet. I normally stick to the original or tropical but fancied a change when stocking up so went for cherry mainly because the bottle is ever so pretty. This reminds me a little of the cherry's that 'my baby all gone' used to eat off the never ending spoon when I was little. It's ever so sweet but I do like that the scent on these doesn't really linger around so it's just a nice burst when applying it first thing on a dreary November morning. 

VO5 Give Me Texture Dry Texturising Spray

VO5 Give Me Texture Dry Texturising Spray £3.79 Boots

I've nearly finished my first bottle of this and I can't believe I haven't written about it before. Without being over dramatic this is my favourite ever hair product - I literally can't get enough of it. My hairs pretty long now and is often weighed down just by the sheer amount of it. I don't like to use heat on it in the week partly because I'd rather have another 10 minutes in bed and also because I don't want to do more damage than I have to. This spray is like a cross between a salt spray, dry shampoo and hair spray. It gives a messy tousled finish in seconds without leaving the hair crispy or unmanageable. I do find as its so light my hair does go a little limp as the day goes on but a quick respray or just messing it up again leaves it looking like new. I picked up on a whim as there was a 3 for 2 offer on and I was there to stock up on hairspray but I'm so glad I bought this as I've used it everyday since. I really love VO5 for hair products they are so reasonably priced and always delivery what they say they will. I mainly use there finishing products but think I might try out some shampoo and conditioner when I next need them. Are there any other amazing products by VO5 that I need? 

Dove Heat Defence Protection Mist

Dove Heat Defence Protection Mist - £1.79 Tesco

Dove is a brand synonymous with nourishment and moisturising - this product is no different. I try not to use heat on my hair if I can help it as my hair is now really long so I don't want to dry it out anymore than it already is. This protection mist smells of that standard dove scent and spritz's onto the hair leaving it really moisturised. When straightening my hair this product leaves really shiny still and avoids any straightening frizz anywhere. It always seems to be half price from its RRP of £3.50ish and I think for less than £2 it's a real winner and is currently my go to hair protection spray when I do use heat to style my hair. 

Morrocan Oil Travel Size Mini's Set

Moroccanoil Travel Kit £33.85 Feel Unique

I received this kit so long ago as a gift and I've been scared to use it for 2 reasons. 1. I didn't want to like the products in it as much as I already like the moroccan oil as I can't afford to bring them into my everyday hair care. 2. They are all so mini I didn't want to use them up too quickly. But the other weekend I had a long weekend away with friends and thought it was time to just bite the bullet and use these gorgeous little mini's. I've already professed my love for the moroccan hair oil (original review here) which I am still making the mini bottles I get in gift sets last forever. 

The shampoo and conditioner are pretty special - they leave the hair so smooth, silky and leaves the hair feeling full of natural oils. It leaves my hair feeling like so nourished and soft literally like no other shampoo conditioner combo I've ever tried. However after one or two uses it's a dream but any more I find my hair gets greasy far too quickly and builds up oil too heavily. It's a lovely once a week wash for my hair but I'm super glad it's not something I want in my everyday hair routine as 250ml of either shampoo or conditioner come in at nearly £20 a bottle. 

The intense hydrating mask is again a really lovely product it's a much richer thicker version of the standard conditioner where a little goes a really long way. 250ml of this mask costs nearly £25 as much as I love it I'm really not in the market for such a pricey hair mask at the moment. If I'm looking for hair treats I'd definitely head to Moroccanoil as all of their products really nourish my hair and give it a salon finish.  

Philip Kingsley - Elasticizer

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer (75ml Shown £12.75) (150ml £23.40) (1000ml £62.90)

I first bought this last year and it didn't do anything for me. I've read so many good things about this product but I didn't feel like my hair was left any different to any other (often much cheaper) hair masks. I then grabbed InStyle magazine recently and gave it another go. I think I had such high hopes for this product that I over thought the whole thing. It is a lovely hair mask it smells good and you don't need all that much of it to give your hair a lovely treatment. I just don't think it did enough more than any much cheaper hair mask to warrant its price tag. Don't get me wrong if I had a Beckham bank balance I would get the gorgeous pump dispenser 1000ml bottle for my dresser but for me to warrant spending so much more than your average hair mask it needed to do something really special. I don't really get the hype with this one. I really love the L'Oreal Everpure range of hair masks that come in at just £6 or £7 for 200ml which is so so much cheaper than the Elasticizer. It's one of those things if you had the money then why not but for me it just doesn't wow or do anything spectacular to charge so much more than all the other hair masks.