Holy Grail Hair Product

I count myself lucky when it comes to my hair, it's generally in pretty good condition and I don't have to do too much to get it to look how I would like.  That said, like many of us, I get my hair coloured regularly and I'm perhaps a little too fond of heated appliances, so I am naturally drawn towards products that will counteract the damage these do, or prevent too much damage happening in the first place. This is the latest addition in my quest for healthier hair.  I was a bit dubious when I kept seeing it crop up here, there and everywhere;  I mean, what does a hair primer actually do?

Well... it comes with quite a hefty list of claims. Not only does is protect against heat and UV damage, but this blend of six featherlight oils also help to soften, de-tangle, de-frizz, tame flyaways, ease styling and protect against breakages... phew! Usually when I leave my freshly washed hair to dry on it's own, ALL of the above happen! It gets so frizzy and knotty and is just impossible to do anything with.  But after spritzing this onto towel dried hair and combing it through with my fingers, my hair dries to a much more manageable finish with a slight wave that's perfect for everyday.  I'll sometimes repeat this process as it's air-drying if I want to enhance this effect, but even just doing it the once is pretty miraculous and I actually feel I can leave the house with my hair looking like it does! It also smells gorgeous and doesn't weigh your hair down at all.

At £19 it's not exactly cheap, but with 250mls of product, it will last you a long time.  I've had mine over 3 months and still have absolutely loads left despite using it at least twice a week.

Have you tried any Bumble & Bumble products?

Dove Refersh & Care Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo has, in recent years, become an absolute staple in my haircare arsenal.  It was a life saver when my hair was dyed red as less hair washing meant a slowing down of the dreaded fading.  Even now my hair is a more natural colour, I'm still a big fan.  I normally stick to good old Batiste as it's cheap and cheerful, and almost always on offer somewhere.  However while going a bit mad in Boots during their 3 for 2 offer, I opted to give Dove's version a go and, in all honesty, I'm really pleased I did.

One thing that tends to bug me with most dry shampoos is that even though they do a great job of making your hair look a lot better, it doesn't always feel it.  They often leave a bit of a residue in my hair that makes it feel quite chalky to the touch.  For this reason I'll usually still end up wearing my hair in a ponytail or top knot.  I'm pleased to say this was not the case with Dove's dry shampoo.  My hair actually felt really nice and soft, and I could feel no residue at all.  I still wore a half-pony, but that was mainly because my top layers were looking a bit unruly and I didn't have time to go over them with straighteners.

Another major plus is that Dove's dry shampoo is virtually invisible in my medium/dark brown hair.  I've found that even those dry shampoos designed for darker hair still leave a bit of a white cast at my roots, and I've enough greys to be worrying about as it is without spraying more into my hair! Although there still is a tiny bit of a white cast with this, especially if you're using loads, it really is very minimal and much less than I've noticed in other dry shampoos.  It blends in so easily, and once brushed though you can't see it at all. It also has a really fresh, clean smell.  I often find some dry shampoos lose their scent once in the hair, and just "smell of dry shampoo" if that makes sense? With the Dove, the scent is long lasting, yet not at all over powering.

At £4.99 for 200ml it is more expensive than the likes of Batiste, but it seems to work much better, for me anyway.  I've also read it makes a pretty good texturising spray, similar to the infamous Oribe spray, but for a fraction of the price.  I've not tried using it like this as yet, but I can certainly see it working as it's much lighter than a lot of dry shampoos out there and £4.99 for a multi-purpose product isn't all that bad.  I've been tending to use Dove for days when I still want to wear my hair down, and keeping a bottle Batiste on my fringe for days when my hair is tied up for work. 

What's your favourite dry shampoo?

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.

Amargan Hair Therapy*

Amargan Advanced Styler* £10.95 (100ml), Hair Therapy Oil* £15.00 (100ml), & Ultimate Curl* £7.86

After mentioning the Amargan Hair Therapy Protect and Shine Spray in my haircare routine post, I was contacted by the lovely peole at Amargan to ask if I'd like to try some more of their products.  Obviously I jumped at the chance and a few days later, a parcel arrived in the post.  I was sent a full size version of thier Ultimate Curl Cream, which I am still trying out, and also two bottles of their oils which I'm going  to talk about here.

The oils came packaged in their own little box along with a small detangling comb, and also a letter explaining what each product was for, which I thought was a nice touch. First up is the Hair Therapy Oil which is the original Amargan product.  Designed to be used on wet hair in place of conditioner, this oil is pretty thick in texture but it soaks into the hair instantly.  This really does leave your hair feeling soft and in great condition.  I've often put this on my hair and left it to dry naturally which normally would cause my hair to frizz.  With the oil, this frizziness is greatly reduced and my hair is left smooth, shiny and healthy looking.

The Advanced Styler is for use on wet hair that is going to be blow-dried or heat styled, as it is heat activated.  Along with Argan Oil, it also contains Keratin which is a potent ingredient that strengthens hair by improving its structure from the inside out.  Keratin fills in any breakages or gaps in the hair shaft, which in turn helps to make hair more supple and easier to style.  After applying the first oil, I apply the Advanced Styler in the same way and comb through.  I'm really impressed with this oil too; my hair is so much smoother after using this, and takes a lot less straightening too which is obviously great for my hair.  It works just as well if I'm wanting to curl my hair as opposed to straighten it.

Both these oils are well worth checking out if you're a fan of Argan Oil.  They can be used independently of each other but when used together they're brilliant.  I received a 30ml bottle of each and as you only need a couple of drops, I'm sure they're going to last a long time.  However when they eventually do run out, I'll definitely be repurchasing!

You can find out more about Amargan here and buy them in selected salons, or online here

*All of these products were sent to me free of charge by the company.

This does not affect my thoughts on the products.

Osmo Blow Dry Potion

"Once upon a time in a land far away, a potion was sent from your fairy godmother..."*

I've mentioned the Osmo blow dry potion in a couple of posts now - my haircare routine and my August favourites, so I decided that since I clearly love it so much I should give it its own review!  As I said before, I picked this up from my local beauty supply store completely on a whim; I'd gone in for a Tigi hairspray that they were apparently selling off, but were sold out of, and while browsing, I spotted this and decided to give it a try.  The product itself comes in  250ml bottle with a nozzle type applicator.  It's a bit of an odd shape with it getting slightly wider towards the top, and its a lovely pinky purple colour.  To be honest it actually does look  a bit like a "magical potion" sat on my dressing table!

Osmo say:

"Transform hair with this specially forumlated styling lotion designed to thicken and hold all styles.  Enjoy an efortless blow dry expirience while reducing friction and breakages causedby heat stying.  Hair is left full, static free and healthy."

So basically it claims to add volume to the hair while giving it a bit of hold.  So is it any good? Well, in short, yes it is! After washing and towel drying my hair I take about a 50p sized amount and rub it in my hands, then apply to my hair.  The product itself is very liquidy so be sure to squeeze the bottle gently or you'll end up with way too much product. It's described as a "thickening" product and oposed to a "volumising" one and I'd say that's about right.  It certainly doesn't give me masses of volume, but on a day to day basis, that's not neccissarily what I want.  My hair can sometimes appear a bit flat after blowdrying, but since using this I've defintely noticed my hair appear thicker and not so stuck to my head.  It leaves my hair feeling sleek and smooth, which is a huge bonus as it means I don't have to go over it so much with my GHD's.

I've found it also helps to keep my blowdry in place.  As my fair is more on the fine side (even though I have loads of it) I tend to find the ends of my hair, mainly at the front, can become a bit wispy and out of place as the day goes on.  This is no longer the case, my sleek 'do' has stayed put for much longer, with little to no static, which is another thing that used to drive me mad! It also really helps if I've chosen to curl my hair.  I like quite loose waves for a casual look, and tend to brush my curls out to aheive this.  This stuff helps to stop my hair just going frizzy when I do this, and also keeps the waves in place.

One last point; I can't end this review without mentioning the smell, which if I'm honest is what swayed me into buying it in the first place! I was in two minds until I gave it a whiff! It smells devine; it's really fruity and reminds me of some kind of cocktail.  Beautiful, but I'm fairly sure it won't taste as good as it smells!

I believe the RRP for the Osmo blow dry potion is around £8.  I paid £5.99 for mine, and I've seen it  at various prices around the web.  Feel Unique currently have it on sale for £7.99 but if you shop around, I'm sure you could find it cheaper.  Having said that, I'd happily pay the full price for it as it really has worked wonders on my hair!

Have you tried any Osmo products?

*those are the wesbite's words, not mine!