Charles Worthington Instense Rescue Balm

After having a touch of ombre added to my hair last month, I noticed that the ends were feeling rather dry, so off I popped to Boots to see what they had to offer.  I actually posted about the things I bought here and I thought I'd do a post about my favourite of the three; the Charles Worthington Intense Rescue Melting Balm.  This is part of the 'Salon at Home' range which, as the name suggests, is designed to give you the "salon experience" in the comforts of your own home. 

At £16.99 it's not exactly cheap, but the fact that all the Professional Haircare range was on a 3 for 2 offer, it didn't work out too bad.  The pot itself is also tiny, so it does feel like you're not getting a great deal of product for your money.  However, where this hair treatment is different from so many others out there is that it is in fact a hard, solid wax, almost like a cleansing balm, or coconut oil.  You only need to scoop out a small amount as when you rub it between your palms, it transforms into a light oil.  You then apply this to dry hair, and leave on for around 20-30 minutes.  It's entirely up to you; you can even leave it on over night if you so wish. I definitely prefer this method; you can carry on doing other things while the balm does it's magic, and you don't have that annoying loiter in the shower like you would with the usual post-shampoo treatments.  With it being an oil, you hair will feel rather greasy after application, but clipping it up out of the way stops it being too annoying, you could even wrap it up in a warm towel as the heat would help the oil penetrate the hair.

After this time you simply wash your hair as normal. From the first time I used it, the condition of my hair has improved loads, especially the ends where the, albeit diluted, bleach had dried my locks out somewhat. I think I've used this about 3 or 4 times now, alternating with my Lee Stafford conditioning treatment.  I definitely prefer this one though, even if just for the convenience of applying it before getting in the shower.  The smell is also gorgeous. I can't quite put my finger on what it is that is smells of, but it's really light, yet luxurious, and lingers on your hair afterwards. This product has been around a good while now, and I think the initial hype surrounding it has definitely eased.  However, if like me you didn't succumb to the wonders of it then, I suggest you get yourselves to Boots pronto and give it a whirl! Yes it's expensive, but a little bit really does go a long way and more importantly, it really does work.

My Current Haircare Routine

I'm actually pretty fickle when it comes to my haircare routine; I normally buy a different shampoo each time I run out, and I'm forever trying out different serums, sprays and the like.  I probably only wash my hair twice a week, three at most. Not much I know, but if I'm not leaving the house I often skip hair washing as it seems poitnless, and my hair's under a sexy hat at work anyway so it's not as if anyone will see.I can easily get three days out of my hair without it looking overly greasy and I think that, in conjunction with these products has made me love my hair again.

Until about two months ago I had dyed red hair.  I loved it, but the upkeep was too much like hard work.  Saying that, my hairdresser did recommend using a sulphate-free shampoo to help slow down the fading process which did help a fair bit.  Even now my hair is dyed back to pretty much my natural colour, I still opt to use a sulphate-free shampoo.  The one I'm using at the moment is from Organix, and is part of their Argan oil range.  We all know that Argan oil is very good for our hair, so having this in a shampoo and conditioner that would be kind to my coloured hair can only be a good thing. My hair definitely feels stronger and in better condition after using these. Organix claim that all their shampoos are free of sulphates and parabens which gives anyone wanting to try a sulphate-free shampoo plenty to choose from.  I'm tempted to try another one next time, just not sure which as yet!

The next product is a bit of a new addition and something I picked up completely on a whim.  While I have a lot of hair, it can be quite fine and often falls flat after blow volumising shampoos as they're not great for coloured hair, and instead opt to use a spray or cream to give my hair a bit of life.  While having a look inside my local beauty supply store, I came across this blowdry potion by brand called Osmo.  It's not really described as a volumising product, instead it claims to thicken and hold all hair styles. Intrigued, I decided to give it a go. I find it gives my hair just enough lift to stop it sticking to my head, and holds any curls or waves I may make with my GHDs.  It also smells amazing!

For heat protection I use Amargan Hair Therapy Shine and Protect Spray which I picked up from the same place as the blow dry potion mentioned above.  My hairdresser used it on my hair a few months ago and I instantly fell in love. It can be used to protect hair from heat damage from straightening and curling, but also protects against UV damage. It can also be used on dry hair to define curls and add shine. I prefer to use it on wet hair as applying too much to dry hair can make my hair a little greasy looking.  I find you don't have to be quite so careful when my hair's still wet so using it this way prevents any hair disasters!

For the most part, I'll at least leave my hair to dry naturally until it's about 90% dry. If I'm washing my hair before bed however, or if I'm going out, I use my trusty Remmington Pearl Hairdryer which I've had for a few years now.  I'm sure they're better hairdryers on the market now but this one does a pretty good job anyway so I'm more than happy with it.  I love how the concentrator nozzle is nice and thing, ensuring a sleek finish if that's the look I'm going for.  More often than not though, I don't bother with this, I'm not even sure where it is at the moment to be honest! I'll usually just blast my hair, alternating between the heat settings, maybe doing a bit of sectioning depending on time.  I'll then turn to my GHD's which were a Christmas present last year.  I still have my old ones which are over eight years old now, but they're definitely on their last legs so I've demoted them to my back up pair! I'm not a fan of the overly straightened, sleek look for day to day, so I just tend to do this very loosely, maybe adding a bit of a wave depending on time.

Then I'll use my Lee Stafford hair oil which I reviewed here.  I'm still on the same bottle as you hardly need any at all, especially if using it on dry hair like I tend to do.  I find it adds a nice shine to my hair and helps define any waves I may have made.   I'll sometimes use hairspray if my style requires a bit of hold and the one I have at the moment is one by Elnett.  While it gives good hold and isn't sticky, I'm not a huge fan of the smell. I'd rather have one that is frangranced as opposed to having that generic hairspray smell.   However as I don't use it that often, and this bottle is huge, I think I'm stuck with it for a while yet!

The only other item I use on my hair on a regular basis is dry shampoo.  My one of choice at the moment is Batiste's Dark and Deep Brown.  I swore by the red version of this when I had red hair, and when I went back to brown, I naturally switched to this.  The red was great to disguise my roots, and while now I don't need to hide my roots as my hair is pretty much my natural colour, Dark and Deep really helps to cut down on the grayish tinge most dry shampoos leave on your hair.

So that's pretty much all I use on my hair. You may have noticed I don't use any hair masks, or deep conditioners.  I've used a couple in the past but I'm yet to find one I'm a huge fan of.  If you have any to recommend, please do so in the comments!