Project Repair Hair - Phase One

If this is the first you're hearing of my recent hair trouble you can see the original post here.

In an attempt to somewhat repair the damage yesterday I started with a DIY deep conditioning treatment. I mixed together a healthy dose of Moroccan Oil and this hair mask I received free in Glamour - I believe. The hair mask alone is actually really nice and having tried it on my pre-ruined hair I thought it would work well for this. I've done A LOT of research into hair damage this week and this method has come up time and time again so I thought I'd share it.

After slathering my lengths and ends (avoiding my healthy roots) in the mixture I popped on my Soap & Glory turban which I'd microwaved damp so it was toasty and warm. I then microwaved a second wet towel and bundled that on top in an effort to contain the heat. I did have to reheat the top towel once every 5mins or so during the treatment to keep everything warm but it wasn't so much of a hassle as I'd made myself comfortable in the kitchen by this point.

You can see my freshly chopped locks for the first time below..

I had already cut more than an inch of my ends myself in an attempt to save the rest and althoughthis treatment didn't restore health it definitely smoothed and conditioned.. it helped!

Also.. Note how straight my hair is. The straightening treatment worked I can't deny that but it absolutely wasn't worth the hair horror that ensued!

Unfortunately I'm still frazzled so step 2 will be protein. I ordered treatments from Redken and Aphogee, The Redken arrived as I was typing this but I'm going to hold out and use the Aphogee first as I've heard the results can be amazing. It's a salon brand and from what I've read it's not pleasant to apply but I can't wait to share that with you. You do have to be careful with protein as if you overdo it or your hair doesn't need it can also be very damaging so I'm nervous but when used properly it sounds like an absolute miracle product.

Aphogee was recommended to me on twitter and I'd never have heard of it otherwise so please, if you have any suggestions, let me know!

Miss BB

Products For Damaged Hair..

I uploaded this a few days ago and after the hair horror I experienced today it seemed relevant to post here as well..

Hopefully these recommendations will help any of you struggling with unruly tresses right now

Miss BB

Play It Straight? I Wouldn't Recommend It!

I picked this up at my local supermarket back in March specifically to review for you guys and just never got around to it so decided this weekend was as good a time as any. Before I used it of course I checked for other reviews but surprisingly I found none. I did find several sponsored posts promoting it but nobody that had actually used it... strange, I thought. Because of this I wanted to offer thorough step by step pictures as well as before and afters for those searching for them like I was.

Included in the kit:

Smoothing Serum

Sealing Cream

Plastic Gloves

My hair is naturally wavy, above is the result of sleeping on it damp. The got2b kit promises smooth sleek, manageable hair which is quicker to dry and leaves natural curls more defined.

 

The Directions say to wash and towel dry your hair and split it in to 4 sections. It's apparently important not to use metal clips to do this but I don't know why. You should then smooth the serum on to each section evenly and comb through. The processing time for this stage is 20 minutes, it instructs that you leave your hair down for that time and comb through regularly to keep it straight.

Once the time has elapsed rinse thoroughly and again towel dry and section before applying the sealing cream. You need to keep it straight for 10 mins this time, regularly combing through again.

Above you can see the condition of my hair after both treatments.

The packaging suggests you should blow dry and straighten for best results but truth be told I could barely get a brush through my hair while it was wet. I had to use a great deal of Macadamia Healing Oil to get it to the state you see in the photos above and below

In fairness my hair is very straight but it's absolutely ruined.

The pamphlet warns to be cautious when using on bleached or damaged hair but my hair was in decent condition so I saw no reason to be wary. Unfortunately it's not anymore and I see a substantial cut in it's future thanks to Schwarzkopf

As I type I have a concoction of Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer and the Body Shop Shea Oil slathered on my ends and wrapped in plastic in the hope it will save me some inches from the salon shears but I've accepted I'll have to make an appointment very soon.

I'm not going to say this is a terrible product but much like the John Frieda Go Blonder range you need to know what you're putting on your hair. This product contains hydrogen peroxide so the damage you experience will not be dissimilar to that you would when using an at home bleach. For someone with virgin hair that's coarse, wavy or unruly this would probably work really really well but it IS going to cause damage! When I bought it I kind of expected more of an at home Brazilian blow dry which some of you may know contains keratin and is a highly nourishing treatment.. this is more of a DIY chemical straightening. I did check the ingredients before use and saw HP listed but I just had no idea how strong it would be.

My advice would be if you're trying to be kind to your hair (like I was) avoid this at all costs but if you're looking for a super strength straightening system for a bargain price and you think your hair can handle it then this will absolutely do the job. It's not a conditioning treatment and will not leave it any more manageable but by God it will straighten!

Schwarzkopf Straightening Blowdry Kit

Currently available at boots here for £5.49

Miss BB

*Although I couldn't find any other blog reviews online there are 2 reviews on the Boots site that echo my experience. If you have tried this yourself or do have a review to share please leave it in the comments as I'd love to hear others opinions of this product. I have contacted the company regarding my results and will update here once I receive a response

NOTE:

From 1st July my blog will redirect to missbudgetbeauty.co.uk 

This is no longer a blogger blog therefor GFC will no longer pick up my posts.

To stay up to date you can follow me via blog lovin' or hello cotton

Current Haircare

It's been a while since I did a post on haircare so I thought it was about time I update those of you that don't watch my videos and missed my recent ramble on the subject (I will link it at the bottom of the page for those interested). My shampoo and conditioner has been the same now since I think October time and I've only just had to repurchase a bottle of each. I never genuinely thought that it made a difference what shampoo you used, conditioner, yes but not shampoo. Aussie changed that, the Miracle Moist range is just fantastic. I try not to wash my hair more than twice a week so as not to lose the natural oils it needs to stay healthy but every time I do I use this and I think it's really helped the condition improve. 

Every other was I use an intensive masque. If my hair is particularly dry I will add a deep treatment to the ends of my hair over the top of my regular Miracle Moist conditioner. Both the 3 Minute Miracle and the Macadamia Deep Repair work well for me but if I had to choose the Macadamia would win. I hate that as it's so much more expensive but it's super moisturising and it really helps to smooth and control frizz.

Talking of smoothing.. Oils! I recently repurchase the 125ml bottle of Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment as well as a 100ml bottle of the Moroccan Oil. After using each for a few months now I would say I prefer the Macadamia in wet hair as a leave in treatment and the Moroccan for styling and smoothing fly aways. Both are great but the Moroccan is heavier and easy to accidentally over-use and look greasy where as the Macadamia is lighter and more like a serum so it's my oil of choice. 

Lastly I've only recently really started using heat protectant. I know that's very naughty of me but I just didn't do it. These are the the ones I'm using at the moment. The Aussie isn't the best because it squirts a concentrated stream of liquid which saturates one spot of hair whereas the Trevor Sorbie gives a wider mist. Either way I tend to spray them on my brush and run that through my hair so as to avoid weighing my hair down with unnecessary excess of products.

So that's everything I'm using right now. I recently tried a few things from the new Mark Hill range at Boots and you can expect to see a mini review of that soon. I only used the shampoo and conditioner once and it's definitely not going to make it in my regular rotation. I'm an official Aussie convert and Macadamia Oil products do wonderful things for dry, damaged hair so if you're looking to improve the condition of yours I would strongly recommend you give them a go!

Miss BB

Macadamia Deep Repair Masque - REVIEW

I have mentioned this in videos before but thought it deserved it's own individual review! I have raved about the Macadamia Oil products and get so many questions about which I would choose if I had to only pick one. Until now I've said time and time again.. the oil. It is versatile, you can add it to your regular conditioner, you can use it as a leave in treatment or even for styling. I love it... however.. I'm swaying a little bit toward the deep repair masque at the moment. I've never used anything that's given me such an amazing instant result before. A serious hit of moisture when I need it most. I will say that I always follow up with the oil as a leave in but the oil alone doesn't do for me what this does! The directions state you shouldn't use this more than twice a week but I try not to wash my hair more than that anyway as the shampoo can strip your hair of the natural oils it needs to stay healthy so I tend to use it every time I wash it. don't put it all over my head, I generally use my regular Miracle Moist conditioner from Aussie and then add this to the ends of my hair. Alternatively I might mix the two together and then apply it root to tip.

Part of the reason is because it's so rich and thick and I worry that my roots will be greasy and part is because.. well... it's not cheap! I am a huge hair product lover but I've never been one to spend massive amounts of money on haircare. I hate that I can't find something that does what this does from the drugstore and am looking in to the Argan Oil range and various others to attempt to replace it at a cheaper cost (watch this space) but until then I will buy this because it works and I can't put a price on that. My hair is looking the best it ever has, it feels healthy, it feels strong and it's all down to the discovery of Macadamia Oil. I've talked you to death about hair oils by now and I know there are those of you still unwilling to put grease in your hair.. I get that, try this! This is the ideal alternative for those wanting the smoothing, hydrating effect without the worry of looking like you've pulled a shift at your local chip shop. If your hair is coarse, dry, over-processed and heat damaged it will love this and I promise you will too!

When it comes to the texture, its thicker than anything I've ever put on my hair before. It's thicker than any body butter I've used so tricky to describe. Its smooth but you can see from the picture where I scooped the product out. You leave it on your hair for at least 7 minutes.. I would recommend longer if you can. If I'm paying ££ for something I'm not going to wash it off after 7 minutes. You don't need much though, a little goes a long way so it's still good value! The smell disappointed me, it's not bad at all in fact it's pretty much what you would expect a shampoo/conditioner product to smell like but I love the angel-esque smell of the oil and it's not the same.

The RRP is £23.95 and you can definitely pay that online but I found it on CheapSmells for £16.25

(link)

That's for 250ml but next time I will go for the 500ml for sure, RRP £36.75, but on CS it's £24.95

(link)

I am SO obsessed with this that I bought the travel sized products to take away with me and it includes the shampoo. I'm yet to try it as I'm so hooked on my Aussie but once I have I will of course review that for you too! You can get smaller versions of everything on Cheap Smells so if you don't want to shell out straight off the bat you might want t check those out. I would 100% recommend everything I've tried from the brand so far and having tried Moroccan Oil and been disappointed I'm pleased to have found an oil that works for me! 

PS

If you're really non-committal you can buy a 10ml bottle of oil for only £4.50 (link)  but it's not the best deal on the site and I swear you will use a bigger one!

Miss BB

Hair Oils : Macadamia vs Moroccan

Prior to the "big hair oil boom of 2011" the only mainstream hair oils I'd heard of were the old classics from VO5. Before Moroccan oil started popping up all over the blogosphere I did try 100% Argan oil having seen various reviews online but it did very little to improve the appearance of my hair and absolutely nothing to improve it's condition in the long run. I was disappointed. I went on to sleep in various natural oils over the course of the year, none of which seemed to have any impact whatsoever. So when the new designer brands burst on to the scene you can see why I didn't jump for joy at the prospect of hair restored to it's former glory as everyone else seemed to. It took me until last month to try the raved about "Moroccan Oil" and after just one use I was sold. I put off purchasing for months because it was so expensive. I knew what I was buying when I placed my order but I had no idea how tiny 25ml really was until it arrived in it's TINY box. That said you do only need the smallest amount. For my shoulder length hair I used a dollop about the size of a pound coin and that may have been too much. It made my hair sleek and smooth, I used the residue from around the bottle neck to tame any flyaways after styling and it might just have been the best my hair had ever looked. I couldn't stop staring at my shiny, swishy hair. I was at the mirror every chance I got. It really did do what everyone said it would.... HOWEVER. After about a week of using it I could feel the residue in my hair. The product builds up and the shine is lost. A good clarifying shampoo would no doubt rectify this but if your hair is dry the last thing you want is to be adding a good cleanse to your regular routine and losing any precious moisture you've managed to retain.

I do like Moroccan Oil and I wont be throwing away my teeny tiny bottle of it just yet but if I was to recommend to you a hair oil that would be it. 

Macadamia Natural Oil. Now that's something special! Both of these products are less oil in texture and consistency than they are serum. The difference between the two for me is how easily they build up. So far the Macadamia hasn't come anywhere near to heavy on my hair, I can't feel it at all whether I use it mixed in with my conditioner, on damp hair or as a finishing product.. My hair gleams and feels like silk just as it did with the Moroccan but I can't accidentally put too much in.. trust me I've tried! I need a similar amount of product to get the same result but it's lighter.. oh and it smells gorgeous! Both oils smell nice, I would describe the Moroccan as a kind of sweet mint scent, The Macadamia smells really similar to Lee Staffords products which if you're familiar you'll know smell great (he even launched a perfume it was so popular). 

Now on to the price comparison. We all know it's cheaper to buy in bulk but when it comes to these two products you really have no choice, 

The Macadamia Natural Healing Oil Treatment 30ml £10.75 here 125ml £23.95 here

Moroccan Oil Treatment 25ml £12.85 here 100ml £30.45 here

Since I got the Macadamia Oil I haven't used the Moroccan equivalent and I will say I'm as surprised as anyone with that turn of events. When I loved the Moroccan Oil as much as I did and saw the other online I thought it looked like a rip off of my new hair love.. little did I know it was the oil for me. 

It won't be the case for everybody of course. Remember everyone's hair is different, just as skin care is not universal hair care is often specifically targeted to certain hair types. Mine is thick, dry and damaged from heat styling and over use of bleach and home hair colours. If you have fine, fly away hair this might be the last thing you'd want. Fair enough.. this is just what works for me.

I know that neither of these products are pure oil and both contain nasty silicone's which are oh so dreadful for your hair but if it can make my hair look and feel as fantastic as it does I really don't care! I'm sure lots of people will read this and have their conflicting, no doubt superior opinions to mine but this post is me sharing with you my experience of these two oils.

Have you tried either of these yet?

Leave me a comment with your thoughts, it's always good to share.. your experience may be very different from my own.. that doesn't make either one of us wrong. It just makes us different!

Miss BB

My 2012 Wish List

My wish list for the coming year is not long but it's compiled of items I am desperate to get my hands on. The Moroccan oil is a last minute amendment as I recently purchased the 25ml and will certainly be needing the larger size. The 25ml was on my wish list you see but I just couldn't hold it in any longer. Another thing to mention would have to be the Clarisonic which I am likely to receive next week but that's still technically 2012 and I have waited a whole YEAR to get it so it' still going on the list. The Naked 2 does not hit the UK until January 1st where I will be banging down the door at dawn to get mine so again.. it will be an early check off for that one too but I consider it an absolute MUST-HAVE! The Babyliss Big Hair has seen some major blogger buzz over the past few months and since I'm trying to lay off my straighteners I am loving anything that can leave me looking "done" while avoiding them and the reviews I've seen of this are amazing. Lastly, I'm not sure a haircut can really go on a wish list but I consider any trip to the salon a luxury. I've coloured my own hair for years and haven't had a professional cut in at least 3.. maybe 4 so it it kind of a big deal. I hate to pay for someone to cut my hair when I really don't want it doing but come January "Project Hair" takes effect and the dead ends must finally come off *sob*

 I am on a self imposed spending ban (all but for the Naked 2 which I am allowing myself as an early birthday treat) from now until our trip to Vegas in March. I have the wedding to pay for in January and then all my spare cash will go towards our spending money. It's going to be tough but I'll appreciate it when I'm throwing dollars around our hotel room and cleaning out Sephora (these are the mental images I've chosen to get me through this difficult time)

Watch out for my second annual Budget Beauty Awards post coming very soon where I round up the years most used and favourite products. I've switched a lot of my hair and skin care in the past month so many of my beloved staples have taken a back seat in my regime but they still have their place in my heart and I'm sure I will find my way back to them.. I always do!

What's on your 2012 wish list?

Miss BB

Philip Kingsley - Elastic Fantastic?

I was so excited to receive the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer in my November Glossybox. There was a lot of buzz about this wonder treatment at the time and judging by the reviews it seemed to be a firm blogger favourite. My hair is damaged and dry and very much in need of a cut.. let me take you back to February of this year.. this was my hair...

It was dry, needed a trim, I'd cut myself a terrible fringe and I was searching for super conditioning hair-growing potion to make it long and lustrous...

Then in a moment of madness (of which I've had many) I decided I wanted to be platinum blonde)

I didn't quit achieve platinum but to get to this stage (in 24 hours I might add) I used ALL of the below...

For the first time in my many years of f**king about with my hair something I thought would never happen..did. As I was washing out the final dye my hair started coming awake on my hands. It had turned to chewing gum. It's one of those things you never think will happen to you.. you hear about it happening to other people but think it's totally fine to bleach your hair 4 times in a night and then continue to dye and tone it and it will be healthy as ever. Not so. I had a hair appointment booked, I knew I was going to need a trim at the end of my colouring adventure but I had no idea how big a trim. I couldn't face the hair dressers so I ended up chopping it myself. It turned out okay but quickly lost it's shine and went brassy so I was forced to return to the dark side. I was then left with this...

A super unflattering cut in a very similar shade to what I'd been prior to bleaching only now my hair was so damaged I thought it would never grow. Luckily I'd just found out I was pregnant. Pregnancy was very good for my hair. It grew fast and I didn't touch the bleach again until the day before I went in to hospital to have my son.. And then I enlisted professional help and only had highlights.

I'm still yet to take the plunge and get it cut though and those ends have really had it at this point. I was over the moon when I heard this Elasticizer stuff could leave me with virgin-like hair again. People were saying they had white blonde uber-dead hair and it brought it back. Why then did this amazing tube of miracle pomade do NOTHING for ME? I am both disappointed and perplexed. My hair is bad but surely not the worst. I have just invested in a whole host of healthy hair related goodies (which I'll post on later) I have enough makeup and right now my hair needs some special attention so you can expect more hair product reviews in the next few weeks. I was so hoping to love this Philip Kingsley treatment and was fully prepared to go out and buy a full sized full (£££) priced tub but it it left my hair feeling no better than before. For those totally out of the loop it's a pre-shampoo treatment that you leave on for 30 mins (I left it at least an hour) before washing and conditioning as normal. 

If you love this stuff please feel free to comment as I think that as with skin care what works for one doesn't work for all but I do think with something as pricey as this you want to try a sample first because it's not a guaranteed-to-work product!

God Bless Glossybox for giving me a sample because this is just the kind of "miracle product" I would have bought in desperation to avoid the hairdresser for just another month.

You can buy Philip Kingsley Elasticizer here for £25.50

You can also get a sample sachet here for just £3.50

Miss BB

September Glossy Box

This month GlossyBox have really excelled themselves in my opinion.

From what I've seen of other peoples boxes they are starting to tailor them to the individual from the questionnaires we filled out upon joining. Everything I got this month I liked and will be used, even the perfume is not terrible... okay I might not use that but otherwise... all good stuff.

SO... here's what I got..

I'll start with the highlight of the month which has to be this palette from HD Brows.

For one it's awesome for me 'cause I'm just about out of my Gosh palette so it's perfectly timed to replace it. For another the colours are a great match for me. You get a nude which I am assuming is to highlight a light brown, mid brown and a deep brown. From what I can ascertain online there are 3 palettes to choose from and this is in the middle, it's dubbed "Foxy" for those wondering.  I also really like that these are multi-purpose and can be used as eyeshadow as well as brow powder, hence the 2 applicators provided. Some of you may know of my constant search for good quality matte eyeshadows... If this hits that spot chances are I will be raving about this very soon.

It's available to buy here for £19.95

The next most exciting product I received this month was this Neal and Wolf Intensive Care Treatment.

I am obsessed with hair treatments and so anything like this would interest me but a full sized luxury conditioner promising to instantly repair and transform my hair? Colour me happy!

I will definitely to reviewing this!

You can buy Neal and Wolf Hair Care here

The Intensive Care Treatment is £12.95

Next, Plum Perfume by Mary Greenwell sample

Of all the perfume samples I've got from GlossyBox so far I like this best. It might not be the best for everyone, I've already heard lots of negative comments from other receivers this month but it has lots of notes I like such as Sandalwood and Amber so it might be a nice change of fragrance for Autumn.

You can buy 100ml of this perfume for £90 from House of Fraser

 

The Green Balm.... ever heard of it? me either but a multi-purpose balm intrigues me.

I'm always looking for the ultimate lipcare so this could fit the bill there but according to my google "research" it can be used for many different purposes from dry elbows to insect bites. Sounds like something handy to have around the house but I don't know whether I'd buy the full sized version.

You can buy 50ml jar from feelunique.com for £8.50

Lastly I got 2 sachets of Dead Sea Spa Magik Salt Scrub. I cannot wait to try this in my next shower. I've been trialling a few scrubs this month so this will make it into my combined review and I'm expecting great things.. it even contains my new favourite ingredient - coconut oil! They say it has a "hypnotic citrus aroma" and You Magazine voted it Best Exfoliator. Another one guaranteed to be reviewed.

You can buy 500g of this for £13.30 here

From what I've seen online already the variety from box to box is widest this month so you may have received totally different products to me but I think you'll agree even if you don't like everything it was a great month for value for money. I more than got back my £12.95 subscription

What did you get in your GlossyBox this month?

Have you tried anything I got?

Sex Machine Hair

As some of your know I've recently been on the hunt for a miracle repair for my damaged hair and on my quest I came across the James Brown Rich Moisture Range. I was doing my weekly Boots.com check of what deals/offers they have and discovered 3 for 2 on Haircare. At first I was drawn to my regular Lee Stafford treatment until I saw the James Brown stuff.. I've never tried anything by this brand but I really value the reviews on the Boots site and everyone spoke so highly of this I just had to try it.

I picked up the shampoo and conditioner as well as an intensive treatment from the new "photo fabulous" line (3 for 2 so I effectively got that free!)

I thought I'd offer my first impressions of the shampoo as I used it last night for the first time. I'm yet to try the treatment because I wanted to give the shampoo/conditioner a fair test as a standalone system so you will have to wait for that review. First of all here's the blurb on the back (click the photos to enlarge)

James advises that when you're using a treatment shampoo such as this you needn't wash more than once but you should leave it on your hair for a minimum of 2 minutes to give it time to work. As with any conditioner you would do the same.. I would generally leave a conditioner on for 5 mins or more.

The shampoo left my hair feeling clean but while wet I noticed no special effects. I rinsed and slathered on the conditioner but it didn't give me the same feel as usual. I normally rub the conditioner into my lengths and ends to really penetrate the hair and get the most out of the product but it didn't feel "slimy" like I've come to expect.. I am struggling to find the words to describe the feeling of conditioner but I'd liken it to the difference between a body oil and an oil free moisturiser. They both moisturise but one feels like it's doing more. The product didn't spread well in my hair and it didn't feel like a treat for my hair... isn't that what conditioner is supposed to be? It was a disappointing. When I came to dry my hair it wasn't smooth and manageable it was a bit ball of frizz and split ends. I will admit that it was possibly the softest it's ever been but it didn't LOOK great and again.. isn't that the whole point?

I have only used this once so this is just my first impression and I'm going to keep using it for the next few week so you never know.. I might change my mind but right now? My money could definitely have been spent better.

  

Lee Stafford Argan Oil

I haven't been really excited about a product in the longest time but this has REALLY peaked my interest!

I haven't bought ANY beauty products in about 3 weeks because I'm saving for my big purchase but this may have to break my ban for this. I'm just about out of my Lee Stafford treatment (below)

I have nearly used up 5 tubs of this stuff now and am absolutely in love so when I go replenish my stock I don't see how I can not pick up the new Argan Oil.

here's what Lee says about the product:

Argan Oil is big news. This miracle ingredient has been used by the Berber women of Morocco as part of their beauty regimes for centuries, because of its huge number of benefits, including keeping their hair full of moisture in those dry desert conditions. But this beauty industry secret is too good to keep under wraps, so now I’m bringing my ArganOil™ NourisHing Miracle OiL to your shelves.

My NourisHing Miracle OiL contains Pro-Argan™ complex, which is a special blend of ingredients that will help to make your hair look amazing and feel in top condition. Pro-Argan™ complex contains Argan Oil, which is associated with the repairing of hair and the creation of luxurious healthy hair. It will help to enrich the natural shine of your hair, for the smoothest, silkiest hair yet.

Simply use it like a serum — on wet hair to seal in moisture before you dry your hair, or smooth a small amount through the ends of your hair after styling, to leave it looking amazingly healthy and sleek. And don’t be fooled by the word OiL — this product is BEAutifully lightweight and won’t result in any product build up!

I have tried Argan Oil and I have to admit... I wasn't super impressed with the results, I think the effect I get from the Lee Stafford hair growth treatment is better so why would I bother putting a messy oil in my hair?

Well... When we're talking the amazingness of Lee Stafford combined with the healing properties of Argan Oil... consider me INTERESTED

I have high expectations and when I pick this up at the weekend you can expect a review early next week.

Have any of you try this already?

Tell me it's fabulous!



Goldwell - Kerasilk

You guys know the hair trouble I've had recently, well in a bid to improve it's condition I picked up the Goldwell Kerasilk line and I have to tell you... so far... I like it!

I got the Shampoo, Treatment and Styling fluid. After washing my hair can become totally unmanageable, I can't brush it and when I do I pull more hair out. The instant silk fluid puts moisture back in my hair so I can do something with it. I use it on towel dried hair to get a brush through and sparingly on dry hair to boost the appearance as it looks so dry right now. The shampoo and conditioner... mmmm. I know that the "treatment" which I believe is their conditioner equivalent for this line is doing something. It recommends massaging it into towel dried hair, leaving for 5 mins or longer and rinsing and when I do that I don't even need the silk fluid stuff> The treatment has impressed me, the shampoo.. I just don't know. I have never found a WOW shampoo, I don't think you can ever tell how great a shampoo really is when we're talking about damaged hair, I'm not looking for super clean or super bouncy I'm looking for repair and I don't know if a shampoo can do that. So I'm persevering with the set in the hope that any other shampoo would make my hair worse by drying it out where as this is perhaps maintaining the what I still have and hopefully moisturising a touch as it goes. I will do a full review when I've used it all up... the real test will be upon the repurchasing decision after all. 

If any of you have tried this and want to share your opinions go ahead in the comments below.. If you want to recommend a great repair product then do that too :)

24hrs in BLEACH

Here is the video I made whilst dying my hair...

...And my big "reveal" video...

Ok so it's fairly safe to say I've ruined my hair :/

Why I do it I don't know but I think this time I've learnt my lesson.

Over the past few days I've used colourb4 taking my dark brown/black hair to a lovely auburn red shade... not for me, I dyed it a "light brown" which proved to be darker than it had been BEFORE the colourb4 so ... back to square one. Then I decided to bleach my hair... then again... then I dyed it a dark blonde because it wasn't lifting and I had yellow roots and ginger lengths... this dye evened it all out pretty well but by day it looked pretty terrible on me so something had to be done. I of course (less than 24 hours later) bleached my hair TWICE more and then toned it... by this time the bottom 3 inches were like chewing gum and impossible to comb/brush, but my hair was still very yellow/orange/uneven from the bleach... so what did I do?

Dye it of course! So for the final time I used a medium ash blonde and it seemed to eradicate most of the yellow tones and leave me with a pale gold blonde... rather flattering and I can live with it ... GOOD NEWS! 

Of course my hair was trashed, I mentioned before that I had a hair appt and I intended to have a long bob cut but in all honesty I couldn't face a hairdressers judgement so... I cut it myself (with a little help in the back from Lee) ... I must be absolutely CRAZY! 

I actually really love the cut and the colour is nice, I will probably use a toner again to lift the remaining yellow tones but otherwise I think I'm done, my hair needs a serious rest. The last time I did anything remotely as reckless I had to have a pixie cut (I cannot pull that look off) so I was off my head to do this but I am what they call a beauty addict... this is my addiction...

I have joined a program and put down the bottled blonde

Hopefully my mistakes will help someone else and my hair isn't beyond repair.. oh and my journey has made for good TV lol..

Either way, it's done now, I'm off to have fun... I've heard that's what blondes do :P