VO5 Shampoo and Conditioner

Hi everyone, my last post for November concerns something I have been meaning to tell you all about for a while now, and that is the VO5 Shampoo and Conditioner range. 

I don't think these products have had enough recognition yet and I can honestly say I think they are the best conditioners I have ever used. This rather bold statement is due to a number of things; the price, the quality and the actual variety in the range. Firstly, they are £1.79 for 500 ml, the size shown, compared to say a Keraste which are usually at least £12.00 for 200 ml. They leave my hair feeling silky, soft and manageable, and that's something for bleached and heat damaged hair. Lastly, is the variety, there are so many combinations, my personal favourite is above, the conditioner is rich and the shampoo does the job without leaving my hair a bit greasy (something I found with the "Give Me Moisture" shampoo).

They aren't going to be for everyone, probably not those with fine hair which hasn't been coloured because the range os so rich. However, I would particularly recommend these if you like the Aussie range as this is better and cheaper!

Let me know what you guys think of this range.

x

Schwarzkopf got2b Powderful

I have recently road tested the new hair volumizing styling powder from Schwarzkopf and I thought I would add my opinion to the already mixed reviews. Before I let you know what I think, I should warn you that my hair although long doesn't take too much to get volume, I bleach it so it is fairly dry and it's thick, so with a bit of backcombing I can get some volume. However, I was recently looking for that extra boost because my hair is looking a bit limp whilst I'm waiting for a cut.

So, first things first there are two ways to apply the product, either directly onto the roots, or onto your hands and then massaged in. I have tried both methods and personally prefer to put it onto my hands first, its allows you to control the amount of powder you are using. If applied directly onto the roots, it will make your hair rough and knotty, as many previous reviews have described.

The formulation isn't like anything I have tried before, it's a powder but upon contact with the skin, it seems to react with moisture and turn almost tacky (I have tried to show you this in the photos below). This doesn't feel particularly nice, but I don't think you are going to get the same results without it.

Put onto my hand

After about 3 seconds, no rubbing in.

Once in the hair, it does give instant volume, and for me, it certainly lasted until my next wash. This i believe is both good and bad, its good because you aren't constantly re-doing your backcombing, its bad because the tacky formulation means I want to wash my hair before I re-style. I don't wash my hair everyday, so this is a major downside. You cannot just brush this stuff out, for example, like dry shampoo.

Overall, I really like this product if I am going for a night out, it does give great volume and it is different to anything I have tried before, but it isn't something I will be using everyday. I can bear the tacky feeling in exchange for the volume pay off, but only for one night out not all day, and I expect if you slept with it in, you are going to need a Tangleteezer to sort your hair in the morning.

Has anyone else tried this product?

x

Want to be Rapunzel?

Something many of us dream of is long, luscious locks blowing in the wind. However, due to all of the chemicals, heat and brushing we put our manes through, for many, that is all it is, a dream. But, fear not, all is not lost, you can get long hair. Now the most obvious thing to do is stop attacking your hair with colour and your GHD's and go au naturel, but for those of us who aren't satisfied with what God gave us, here are some of my top tips.

1. Do not wash your hair everyday - this does not make you dirty. You hair cleans itself, and washing your hair every other day or every two days if you can manage it will reduce the amount of heat and styling you are doing to your hair. A little bit of dry shampoo can help you on the in between days, I recommend Batiste. For those of you that do wash your hair everyday, it will take a while for your hair to get used to less washing but persevere.

2. Shampoo - when popping in your shampoo, massage your head, this stimulates the follicles and cleans the scalp which is where alot of the greasy oil is waiting to wreak havoc.

3. Conditioner -After rinsing out your shampoo, rinse out as much excess water as you can before applying your conditioner. This enables the conditioner to do its magic, if your hair is already loaded with water it can't get in to do this.

4. Hair type - know your hair type and the shampoo and conditioner which suits you, there is no point using a thick product if you have fine hair as its going to weigh it down, get greasy and cause you to wash it more.

5. Find alternative hairstyles to using heat - plait your hair whilst it's damp to give you waves, pop it into a bun, leave your hair to air dry if it's sunny, although that's not easy in the UK, and may only be reserved for the summer months.

6. Brush your hair with a wide toothed comb when it's wet, or really tangly - Our hair is made up of protein which will stretch and break off when the cells are filled with water, just like your nails do. Brushes put too much stress on the hair so should be avoided.

7. Use a leave-conditioner/hair mask weekly - not just for a few minutes like it says on the packaging, I'm talking hours or overnight if you can. Try to find a mask with Argan oil in it but if you don't have this just use olive oil, it has the same properties and is a much cheaper alternative if it's already in your kitchen. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle in is an alternative for those on the go.

8. Supplements - Sea Kelp has helped me in the past. The only problem with this stuff is it makes ALL the hair on your body grow faster, I would recommend it for those whose hair just won't grow past a certain length. This isn't a long term solution though as your hair becomes dependent on the supplement, so if you stop taking it your hair growth slows noticeably. You can pick up 500 tablets at Holland and Barrett for £5.39 here.

9. Turn down the heat - if you are using styling products that have a heat controller on them, turn it down. I turned down the heat on my hair dryer and not only did I notice a change in the condition if my hair but it was a much nicer finish. Yes, it does take a bit longer, but it's the price to pay for long hair.

10. Cuts - you still need to get your hair cut. It will grow faster during spring and summer time so every 10 weeks is ideal then, I personally leave it a bit longer in the winter. If you have fairly long hair it probably doesn't have a style that is going to grow out that quickly, so personally I don't think the 8-week rules applies. You may also get a hairdresser that goes a bit scissor-happy and chops off anything that has grown (I think this brings great fear in all of us).

Let me know if this has anything knew, or if I'm already preaching to the converted! xXx

Blog to go

So, this is my first blog to go, and will include pictures and my views in things I do out and about. So, this week was my first week back at Uni, it was great, learning lots of new stuff already (I'm such a geek), but it also meant my local Student Lock-in Event

These Lock-ins are basically events at your local shopping areas, high streets or centres where students are offered freebies and discounts. Here are a few things I got my hands on...

This Boots goodie bag was given free when you spent £5 or more, I bought the fabled Tangle Teezer in pink!

I also got these great boots for £22.00 with my 20% off at New Look, they were exactly what I've been looking for and such a bargain! They are available here.

My friend and I also enjoyed some free Nando's!

Have you guys been to any of these events? What did you think?