HAIRCARE BEAUTY EMPTIES - SHAMPOO & STYLING PRODUCTS

I go through haircare products faster than any other product, so I thought I would dedicate this empties post to all things hair related. Toni & Guy Cleanse Shampoo and Nourish Conditioner, 250ml £6.49 each – I always stock up on hair products at Christmas once the gift sets go in the sale. These are great sized bottles and suitable for normal hair, but the formula is quite average so suitable for everyday. It does the job of cleaning my hair but I don't miss it when I don't use it.  The shampoo is suitable for dry hair which needs nourishment and improves manageability so it's easy to style. The conditioner repairs the hair with it's advanced formula that penetrates the hair fibre for stronger, healthier hair and helps prevent against split ends. Loreal Professionnel Pro-Keratin Refill Shampoo and Masque, fullsize with conditioner £28.08 - I received these great sized samples in a Lookfantastic beauty box. I had not tried this range from Loreal before but I really enjoyed using them, especially the masque. This formila is designed to help improve the look and feel of damaged hair. It's enriched with Pro-Keratin and Incell and helps to leave hair feeling replenished and protected against external aggressors. I loved the scent of this range and would repurchase. Kerastase Reflection Bain Chroma Captive Colour Radiance Protecting Shampoo, 250ml £12.20 - This shampoo is designed especially for highlighted hair, I featured this shampoo in a past 'currently in my bathroom' post. My hairdresser recommended this product to me as I have gone darker at the roots but I still want my ends to look fresh and bright. The formula helps colour to last longer and helps bring back shine every time I use it. It smells great and my hair feels moisturised as well as cleansed, I would definitely repurchase this product. Kerastase Nutritive IrisomeBain Satin 1 and Lait Vital Nourishing Care Condtioner, full size duo £26.55 - Another shampoo and conditioner I received in a beauty box. This is my mum's go to haircare line now, she won't use anything else. This haircare line is suitable for normal or slightly dry hair and conditions and replenishes hair without weighing it down. It really makes your hair soft, the samples were a great size for travel and I would buy this full size duo again. Loreal Professionnel Serie Expert Silver Shampoo, 250ml £6.55 - This product is perfect for blonde hair to keep it looking as fresh as the day you went to the salon. The formulation is a purple shampoo and works to brighten hair and tone the colour. I like to use this at least once a week, in rotation with other shampoo's. I always have some kind of purple shampoo on the go, I currently have another bottle open in my bathroom. It gets rid of any brassy tones and leaves my hair nice and shiny.Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Backcomb in a Bottle, 200ml £6.00 - I received this bottle in a Christmas set but I have used this styling product before. I used this product as a texturising spray, but it's suppose to be more of a styling up do spray to create instant texture and volume so it looks like you've back combed your hair. It makes your hair look thicker and lasts all night. It's so easy to use and creates so much volume that you don't need to use anything else. I also really like the packaging of this range. Loreal Elnett Satin Hairspray, 200ml £3.99 - I have been using this product for so long, I rarely use hairspray just mainly because I wear my hair down straight most of the time. Loreal Elnett is definitely the holy grail hairspray, another product my mum loves. This is an old limited edition Cheryl pink can, but it's still the same formula. It holds your style depending if your curling your hair or wearing it up. I like the scent, it's easy to brush out and it doesn't make my hair feel greasy. Redken Pillow Proof Blowdry Express Primer, full-size 170ml £12.60 - I got this sample in a Redken set at Christmas and I was very excited to try this. I love the scent of this and it works as heat protection that you spray in before you blow dry your hair. This product is designed to reduce blow drying time and I definitely have seen a difference when I use this. It repairs the hair and is a must have product for healthy, salon perfect hair. Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence Conditioning Spray, 250ml £22.00 - I really like Philip Kingsley hair products at the moment. I think this sample size came in a Latest in Beauty box, but I would repurchase this myself. You can use this product as a leave in conditioner before you blow dry your hair. It protects hair from daily environmental wear, such as UV rays, as well as heat protecting and instantly boosts the overall condition. It's suitable for all hair types and ensures hair is soft, strong and radiant. Loreal Elnett Satin Heat Styling Volume Spray, 170ml £5.99 - Another product that took me a while to get through, I know there was quite a bit of hype surrounding it's release and we all wanted to know if it lived up to the standards of it's well known hairspray. The formula leaves your hair shiny and soft, as well as creating volume and calming down flyaways. This formula claims to lock in a voluminous style for up to 3 days, but I wash my hair too often to see if this actually works. 

What's your favourite haircare products recently?

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REDKEN DIAMOND OIL CHRISTMAS SET

Redken is a brand I go back to again and again, as I know their shampoo and conditioner works for me. I have tried the All Soft, Extreme and Blonde Idol ranges in the past, but have always wanted to try the Diamond Oil variety. This Christmas Set is one of my Black Friday purchases, Look Fantastic were offering an extra 25% off this set so I thought it was a great chance to try it for myself. The set comes with a full-size shampoo and conditioner and a sample size Pillow Proof Primer, which I also haven’t tried before. I always like to have a more expensive duo on the go as well as a high-street shampoo and conditioner, so my hair doesn’t get too used to the formula and stops working so well. The Diamond Oil range is a hair care line focused for dull and damaged hair. The shampoo is really cleansing and foams up nicely, which helps to strengthen the hair to prevent breakage. It also boosts shine and makes my hair feel super smooth and I find my hair can go longer without washing it again when using this formulation. The formula contains coriander oil to seal, coat and smooth the hair cuticle for shine, camelina oil to penetrate deeper layers of the hair, and apricot oils to penetrate the hair and condition deeply. The formula is really moisturising and smells great in the shower and I can still smell it after styling my hair.

This is a great gift for a friend who loves hair care, it’s packaged up really nicely and you get good sized products for the price. It’s even a great set to buy for yourself if you want to try out the range and it’s a lot cheaper than buying the products separately. Look Fantastic also has a set which comes with a Maybelline Mascara instead of the Pillow Proof Primer. I managed to get my set for £16.57 which was a real bargain, but Redken is currently 25% off at Look Fantastic. I have also wanted to try the Pillow Proof Primer since it first came out as well, so it’s nice to have a sample size to try. This product is designed to reduce the time it takes to dry your hair, provides 24 hour lasting volume, helps protect against heat up to 23o degrees, leaves hair up to 3X stronger and helps protect against hair breakage.

The Diamond Oil range also has a Deep Facets Intensive Treatment, a Shatterproof Shine Hair Oil, An Intense version, A High Shine version of the Shampoo and Condtioner and a High Shine Airy Mist. I’m most excited about the Shatterproof Shine Hair Oil and will be definitely adding this to my wish list. I would definitely recommend Redken products if you want to try something more upmarket to add to your hair care routine. These are also great sets to look out for in the boxing day sales as they get reduced, I will definitely be picking up a couple! 

Have you tried Redken Haircare?

REDKEN BLONDE IDOL SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER

I mentioned in my everyday hair care post back in July that I was using the new Blonde Idol range from Redken. Now that I have nearly used up these hair care products, I thought I would review them properly in their own post. I have enjoyed using Redken products in the past, especially the All Soft and Extreme range, so when I saw this range for blonde hair was being released I knew I had to give it a go.

Redken knows that no two blondes are the same that’s why they have brought out two conditioners in the range, one for cool blondes and one for warmer tones. The new formula has the exclusive Kera-bright system which balances and brightens to guarantee no brassiness. The shampoo has to be my favourite out of the two, like other Redken shampoo’s their really moisturising and gentle. This daily cleansing shampoo is sulphate free and I tend to use this every other time I wash my hair. It leaves my hair super soft and brings my highlights out more than before use. I have read reviews saying the formula is not as good as Redken’s discontinued line Blonde Glam but my hair has preserved it’s colour between trips to the hairdressers. It lathers up nicely for a sulphate free shampoo and contains violet leaf extract and lactic acid which helps to strengthen and boost shine.

I chose the custom tone conditioner for cool blondes. The clever convention allows you to choose how strong or weak you want it by changing the dial weekly to adjust colour deposit. The dual chamber releases conditioner from one side and violet pigment from the other, to condition, strengthen and help preserve tone. I find the product itself lovely and I really like that you can adjust it yourself. But the packaging lets the conditioner down, the bottle doesn’t dispense enough product, so you have to press down quite a few times to release enough product for my long hair. It would also be nice to know how much product I have left, as I’m sure one side will run out before the other. I would buy this again for the product, but I hope they improve the packaging. The packaging also means you get far less conditioner (196ml) than shampoo (300ml).

They also have some other products in the Blonde Idol range which I haven’t tried, like the BBB spray which is a lightweight, leave in or rinse out conditioning spray, which helps to balance, beautify and brighten blondes. They also have a hair mask in the range which is a nourishing rinse out treatment. I will definitely have to give these a go after really enjoying the shampoo and conditioner, but they seem to be hard to get hold of in the UK. I ordered these haircare products online at HQHair, you can buy the duo for £21.35 here.

Have you tried Redken haircare?

NEW HAIR RANGE - GARNIER ULTIMATE BLENDS THE SLEEK RESTORER

Garnier have introduced six signature blends to their Ultimate Blends range; The Silky Smoother, The Marvellous Transformer, The Shine Revitaliser, The Sleek Restorer, The Colour Illuminator and The Nourishing Repairer. Garnier have spent seven years creating this new range of haircare products with the help of 25,000 British women. The design of the bottles has a very strong 70’s influence, which I wan’t sure of at first, but now I really like the look of them in my bathroom. I always pick up new shampoos and conditioners from the high-street as there is always new offers to be had and they are so affordable for everyday use. 

The Sleek Restorer is formulated for dry, frizzy hair. The range contains pure coconut oil and cocoa butter to give you nourished and super sleek hair. From this range I decided to try the Shampoo, Conditioner and the One Minute Treatment. There is also a Sleek Perfector Oil in the same scent, which claims to leave your hair looking sleek for 72 hours and protects your hair from heat. The shampoo has a gorgeous subtle coconut scent, it lathers up well, my hair is left shinier and it helps reduce frizz and flyaways  It’s a great average, everyday shampoo that does the job and doesn’t weigh my hair down. I found it lovely for my thick hair, as it gave my hair lots of moisture and shine. The formulas contain no parabens and have natural ingredients, which is nice to see from a high street hair product. The conditioner is a little less thick than normal conditioners, but it does do a good job at making my hair feel sleek. I even notice this when my hair is still wet. The pair were on special offer in Boots, 2 for £3 but I wish I had picked up the bigger 400ml sizes.
I like to use the deep conditioner twice a week, it's a little thicker than the normal conditioner, it helps my dry ends and leaves my hair feeling nourished. I also picked up the Dry Shampoo from the Silky Smoother range. The Dry Shampoo is for mid to long hair and it’s a 7 in 1 product. It claims to instantly cleanse hair, absorbs grease at the roots, it has a light weight feel, leaves hair soft to the touch, hair is easy to detangle, it has a blissful fragrance and there is no visible residue. The dry shampoo can be used in other ways than just refreshing the hair, it can also be used to create volume and lift, see video below for styling tips. I love the sweet vanilla milk scent, not like your normal overpowering dry shampoo scent, it's a great product to use inbetween washes. I have read some mixed reviews online, saying it left hair feeling greasier, but I think it does a fair job at refreshing second day hair and it does give my hair some bounce.

One product which has caught my eye from the range is the One Minute Polisher Scrub, which looks like a great, new innovative product (see video below), I think I will have to give that one a try next. Ultimate Blends is definitely a range to try as there is something for every hair type at such an affordable price point. I'd be interested to try the Marvellous Transformer range next as I've heard only good things.

Have you tried the Ultimate Blends range?

AUGUST HAIRCARE BEAUTY PRODUCT EMPTIES

I have a fair few haircare empties which I have been collecting since my last haircare empties back in March. Most of them are my favourite products which I have repurchased over and over.
Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray, 150ml £6.99 - This is a great styling product for divining layers and giving texture to the hair. Bloggers have said it's a great dupe for the Oribe Dry Texturising Spray (which I haven't used) but this is an affordable alternative, that smells great and really works if you like big hair. Would I repurchase? Yes, I need it back in my stash.
L'Oreal Ever Riche Nourishing Intense Mask, 200ml £6.99 - I used up the Shampoo and Conditioner to this range in my last hair empties, see review here. This mask is for dry and very dry hair, it contains no sulphates and the scent is lovely - Camelina and Apricot Seed. I liked to use this on the mid lengths and ends of my hair and leave it on for 10 minutes, the product is super thick - it left my hair smelling great and so soft. Would I repurchase? Yes, I'm a big fan of the range.
It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin, 120ml £19.99 - Another product that featured in my last empties, but this version is the Keratin one. I equally enjoyed this, great to use with my tangle teezer, it helped straighten hair, replace lost protein, protect against heat, detangles and add shine. It also smells lovely too. Only problem is, it's hard to get hold of in the UK. Would I repurchase? Yes, I would also love to try the hair mask in the range.
L'Oreal Professionnel Silver Shampoo, 250ml £7.58 - This is a product I always pick up from the Hairdressers and don't like being without it. I use it once a week, to help get any brassy tones out of my hair and leaves me with clean blonde shades. I get my hair highlighted, so this violet formula also helps keep my colour for longer. Would I repurchase? Yes, I always do.
V05 Refresh Me Quick Dry Shampoo, 200ml £3.59 - This has got to be my all time favourite dry shampoo. It smells lush, is really affordable and leaves me with no white marks. Great for second day hair, my hair is left feeling fresh without the oily roots. Would I repurchase? Yes, always.
Pro:Voke Touch Of Silver Twice A Week Brightening Shampoo, 200ml £3.09 - Another violet shampoo for blonde hair, a cheaper version of the L'Oreal one. For me, it does the same job but the scent isn't as nice. If you're looking for a more affordable purchase, this one is for you. Would I repurchase? I wouldn't run out and buy it no, but if I was in the supermarket I'd pick it up.
Philip Kingsley One More Day Dry Shampoo, 50ml £4.76* - I have a few of these 50ml versions I received from various places, I won one in a feelunique competition a while back and got one free with an M&S order. I really enjoyed using this, it refreshes, soothes and gives my hair another day of live. It's suitable for coloured hair, adds texture, it's a little pricey for a dry shampoo, but the scent is nice. Would I repurchase? Yes, maybe more likely if it was on offer.

Aussie Miracle Shine Shampoo and Conditioner, 300ml & 400ml £5.99 each - I have always been a big fan of the Aussie Miracle Moist range, it's probably my most repurchased drugstore shampoo and conditioner. The scent is lovely and sweet and the bottles now come in even bigger sizes, so you get more product for your money. The Miracle Shine version leaves my hair shiny and glossy and you can really tell when I've used this perfect duo. Would I repurchase? Yes.
Aussie Beach Mate Shampoo, 300ml £4.69 - This was a random purchase that I picked up in the reduced section in Boots, I had spotted it before so I thought why not give it a go. It's a limited edition design and it's suppose to be a post beach cleanse and revive shampoo but I just used it most days. It's great for summer as it helps to restore the moisture back into the hair, with the same great scent as the other formulas. Would I repurchase? I would probably go back to my normal Aussie range.
Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Shine Deep Treatment, 250ml £4.99 - Another product I go back to again and again. The deep conditioner is great to use a couple of times a week and really helps to boost tired and dull hair. Would I repurchase? Yes, I can always rely on Aussie.

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Shampoo & Conditioner, 250ml £5.59 each* - As you can probably tell I like any products that are going to help my colour last longer or leave me with a brighter shade of blonde. This shampoo and conditioner leaves my hair soft, moisturised and brighter than before use, see my full review here. Would I repurchase? Yes, I would really recommend it to people with highlighted hair.
Philip Kingsley Body Building Shampoo and Moisture Balancing Conditioner, 60ml £16.00 for the set - I purchased these as part of a trial set, having only tried the elasticizer and dry shampoo from the range, I was eager to try the shampoo and conditioner. I really saw a difference when using the shampoo, if you have fine hair this is great at creating volume. The conditioner is great for textured, wavy hair and was really hydrating on my ends. Would I repurchase? Yes, I'd like to try the other ranges from Philip Kingsley.
John Frieda Luxurious Volume Shampoo & Conditioner, 50ml £5.89 each full-size* - I managed to bag these samples in a Facebook competition. Having enjoyed John Frieda shampoo and conditioner in the past I was excited to try this one. I took these mini's away with me and I loved using them. They are great for fine hair, gives you natural looking volume and doesn't strip your hair. Would I repurchase? Yes, I would definitely pick up the full-sizes.
John Frieda Sheer Blonde Everlasting Blonde Shampoo & Conditioner, 50ml £5.99 each full size - I got these samples in a Glossybox, I really liked the scent of these and another good product at preserving my blonde. The safflower oil and bergamot extract keeps my hair from fading and helps my newly coloured hair stay round for longer. Would I repurchase? Yes, I'm a big fan of John Frieda's Blonde range.
Toni & Guy Cleanse Shampoo & Conditioner For Normal Hair, 250ml £6.49 each - Having tried more of Toni & Guy's styling products than Shampoo and Conditioner before I was looking forward to trying these for normal hair. I love the sleek packaging, the product smells lovely and lathers up well. It's a great everyday shampoo for cleansing and nourishing, as well as leaving my hair soft and shiny. Would I repurchase? Yes, I would try others from the brand

Have you tried any of these products?

*PR Samples Or Competition Wins