L'Oreal EverSleek - Sulphate Free, Not For Me!

I've heard a lot about sulphate free products over the past 12 months. I don't generally buy in to that kind of thing but I am all for trying something new where hair care is concerned so when L'Oreal launched their new Hair Expertise range it seemed as good a time as any to give it a go. 

The range consists of shampoo's and conditioner - £5.99 - as well as styling products and intensive masks - £6.99. There are 6 hair type specific formula's to choose from...

Colour Care & Moisture - Overprocessed, Dry, Coloured Hair

Colour Care & Smoothing, Overprocessed, Dry, Coloured Hair

Colour Care & Volume, Overprocessed, Dry, Coloured Hair

Smoothing & Moisture, Overprocessed, Frizzy Hair

Smoothing & Nourish - Overprocessed, Frizzy Hair

Reinforcing & Vitality - Overprocessed, Fragile Hair

So it would seem this range is targeted at overprocessed hair? Yes, I think so.

I'm not convinced that the moisture and smoothing versions aren't exactly the same but hey, that's the cynic in  me. Don't even get me started on the bad grammar that is 'Smoothing and Nourish' ugh, but that's the one I chose. I didn't really shop around, I just picked up the first one I saw, had I done more research ahead of my purchase I may have chosen a coloured hair formula.

I so wanted to like this, I wanted to tell you it had transformed my hair and I wished I'd banned sulphates years ago but.. I cant. My hair did feel smooth and nourished but it didn't feel clean.. and isn't that the main objective here? Yes I want my hair to feel and look healthy but that means squat if it's hanging from visibly dirty roots. I really stuck it out, I read up on how to get the best from it, I was washing my hair twice I was leaving the shampoo in for longer but nothing worked. Every time I dried my hair I had to follow with dry shampoo so my hair never looked or felt freshly washed - and I've run out of Batiste! I persevered for 2 weeks before enough was enough, I used my regular shampoo and wow did I feel clean. It was like I'd been grubby for a fortnight and finally taken a shower, I can't explain the relief.

I'm sure that 'no-sulphate cleansing systems' (L'Oreals tag line for this range) have their place but that place is not on my head. I don't care what anyone says or how bad they are I need my sulphates and silicones and artificial what-nots to make my hair look good. If you're hair is extremely damaged or dry then by all means give this a go but it is not something I'll be revisiting anytime soon. 

I can't discredit all sulphate free formula's based on this one product and if I was to head out into that murky wilderness again I would for sure go organic rather than high street but if you're hair is normal/oily don't go near this stuff!

Available at Boots.com

Miss BB

My Travel Toiletries..

Perhaps this is not the most conventional video but we bloggers are as much about hair and skincare as we are about the gloss on top so I guessed people would be interested in what made the cut in my travel essentials. I'm going to be honest and admit that what you see in this video is not entirely what I took. As with my travel makeup bag I came to pack and realised I was taking too much stuff so again and condensed but i had no time to re-film either so up they go. I will likely do a Vlog  on what I packed when I unpack at the other end so if you want to see that along with my other Vegas adventures be sure to check out our vlog channel (and subscribe of course - shameless plug). Anyway.. I don't usually like to post a video with no additional info or pictures but I'm not sure how great my wi-fi will be so needs must and I'm posting this here in case you didn't see it in your subscription box.. scheduled posting is know to be temperamental so this is a back up if you will.. I'm covering all of my bases! If you want me to go over what I did take in a blog post separately let me know.. I am going to have a lot of free time on the plane home to blog!

Without further ado.. here's the video...

Miss BB

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

Wedding Countdown - Beauty Bootcamp

4 DAYS TO GO

Here's a little peek at the beauty regime I have been following in the run up to the wedding. As you know it was all booked last minute and so I had little notice to start looking after myself but I've been using most of these things for around two weeks now. Some are part of my usual routine and others have been brought in to up the anti for my "beauty bootcamp" 

Facial Skincare

I now religiously use Liz Earles Hot Cloth cleanser with my Clarisonic mia every evening. I use the original hot cloth to remove my eye makeup and my mia to polish the rest of my face. I have a full "first thoughts" post on the Clarisonic here and although I still don't feel like I've had it long enough to give it a proper review I can tell you that so far I LOVE it! It leaves my skin so soft and I honestly believe it's shrinking my pores. After I've cleansed I use S&G's Wish Upon A Jar which is sold as a 21 day collagen treatment to be used every three months but I've been using it off and on since I bought it and since the start of this month it's been firmly in my every day routine. The best thing about this cream, other than it's genuine magical powers, has to be that you can use your regular moisturiser on the top. I don't tend to need that but as and when I get a breakout I can use my Clean and Clear dual action moisturiser to neutralise is. Although I find that my skin needs a little more moisture lately the Clean and Clear remains one of my all time favourite products.. you can watch my rave review here. Lastly I use Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream on any super dry patches but more often, my lips. It's officially winter out there now and for me this is a must have.

Bodycare

Other than my regular body lotion (Garnier 7 day Moisture - Shea Butter) I have been experimenting with the above two products over the past fortnight. The Loreal Cellulite gel is something I'm hanging a lot of hopes on because if it works it will be a staple in my bikini prep before we go to Vegas in March. My Wedding dress is short.. just above the knee and my pregnancy cellulite still lingers and is (no joke) also all the way to my knee so I'm doing the crazy lymphatic massage and all that jazz in the hope this will diminish it before the big day. Does it work, who knows? I'm not sure it would be feasible to gather accurate before and afters but I figure it only matters that you think it's worked, right? As Gok would say.. "It's all about the confidence!"

The Palmers Gradual tan is up for discussion. I used it last week in preparation for my hen do and loved the result but I'm not sure I want to be fake tanned, let alone risk it going wrong. Most of all I don't want to make Lee look even paler beside me.. he's practically translucent as it is!!

Teeth Whitening

Very briefly.. I know this works, You can see my review and results in this post. I only started using them on Monday night so I'm not sure what effect they'll have in 5 days but it's another last minute attempt at improving my overall appearance. I have pretty yellow teeth and always have, I don't drink coffee of red wine I'm not a smoker, there's no rhyme or reason but I've never had white teeth so anything that can help is something I'm willing to try.

Haircare

I'm going to do a comprehensive current haircare post very soon because I've found my perfect products but this masque is one thing I've recently added to the mix that I am totally in love with. It advises to use it a maximum of twice a week but having read and watched reviews I know that some people use it in place of their regular conditioner on a daily basis. I'm sticking to the recommended usage for two reasons, 1. I add macadamia healing oil to my regular conditioner every time I wash my hair anyway and 2. it's not cheap! I can't afford to use this as a conditioner!!! It does leave my hair soft, shiny and manageable and I will be using this the night before the wedding to give my hair an extra bridal-worthy gleam.

Phew.. that was a longer post than I anticipated and it's very much my bedtime now but I hope you enjoyed it and can get some tips for your own "beauty bootcamp"... whatever the event.

Miss BB

Outfit Month #18

*What I'm Wearing*

Jeans - Next Maternity

Top - Next

Cardigan - Zara

Boots - Next (sensing a pattern)

Bag - Radley

Sunglasses - Kenneth Cole Reaction

For all those that have enquired recently my hair colour is Loreal Casting Iced Chocolate

If you're interested in hair care and all that jazz you may also be interested in this video...



What's in my Closet?

This is the closet in my makeup room. It should have a hanging rail but the previous tenants insalled extra shelving which suits me just fine! Down the right hand side I have all of my handbags/clutches/purses and in my old plastic makeup storage. Down the left hand side I have hair products,skincare products, makeup bags and miscellaneous other stuff. In the bottom is basically junk that belongs nowhere else.

The closet is floor to ceiling so there's an extra bit on top.. see below

That's where I keep my sewing machine, fabric and random magazines I've held on to over the years.

Until quite recently all of this stuff was all over my house in various draws and cupboards and this closet just held a lot of junk that needed throwing out so now it's finally organised I thought I'd share it with you guys. I was shocked at the amount of stuff I actually had when it was all in one place. I found so many products I'd doubled up on and forgetten about so now if I want to try something different I can just pluck something out of there instead of shelling out more cash for more clutter. It really opened my eyes to the amount of products I buy and only use once or twice before moving on to something new. I am positive I don't need to buy another body moisturiser for quite some time and yet inevitably I know I will. 

How do you store all of your lotions and potions?

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.

  

colour control freak?

"Cher lives to do makeovers, it gives her a sense of control in a world full of chaos"

Never have truer words been spoken.

I was pondering today my hair colour addiction and the conclusion I came to was that the rest of my life is so out of my control, my personal appearance (especially my hair) is the one thing I can change on a whim.

I am in that phase again, my colour is fading, the ends are in bad condition and it's at an awkward length.. the shortest layers are WAY too short. The condition means the natural wave looks like I've not brushed it in weeks and I'm avoiding straightening to hopefully improve that but in the mean time I'm left with BAD HAIR!?!?

I want to colour it because the roots and red and the ends are light brown. My options are dye dark again (and face this same problem in 2 weeks when it fades) or go lighter... my plan of attack with this would be to use ColourB4. If you didn't already catch my video on this the last time I went lighter here is the link for you now.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxV9OBmLT14

I loved the effect it had.. it was amazing! it lightens so well.. I did go a ginger colour but I had a lot of colour build up and I was very dark... my hair is a lot lighter now.. I'm thinking if I did that I might be able to colour over a light brown and minimise the damage done by repeated dyeing and and the fading.

*unrelated side note*

I'm currently re-watching the proposal and ahhh Ryan Reynolds in dreamy!

*anyway...*

So I'm torn... my hair is quite literally doing my head in.

I know myself well enough to do something to in in the next week... if not day. If I had my car today, on my day off I would have surely driven to the local shop this morning to buy supplies.. probably best I don't.

now I'm going to make a cup of tea and eat the rest of these mini muffins that have been staring at me.. and continue to look for celeb hair-spiration on google images until 3.15 when I pick up the baby from school.

Have a great snow day y'all

xoxo

miss bb

How I care for my BLONDE HAIR

most of the time i leave my hair to dry naturally... it has a wave to it so once its dry i use aussie curl definition serum to define my waves and make my "do" look more "done" ;) ...


if i'm going to blowdry/straighten my hair i protect it first with aussie heat defence spray...


when i do straighten my hair i like to use a straightening serum to smooth my hair beforehand... i use a small amount to smooth fly aways when i've finished styling, i love this bed head control freak...



this is a fab trick i learnt about from belledujournyc
once a week i leave argan oil in my hair overnight! i wet my hair and towel dry, massage the oil into my hair and wrao it in a towel, i have to thoroughly shampoo the next day but it works wonders making my hair feel nourished and conditioned...


my favourite conditioner to restore shine and strength.. i like to massage it in to my ends and leave for 5/10 mins to work... my hair always feels healthier afterwards and it's an inexpensive treat...


What I use to keep brassiness and yellow tones at bay....