Review: V05 Beyond Blonde Shampoo

This isn't something I thought I'd ever think, never mind write or say out loud, but I feel like I owe this shampoo an apology. I have been dragging out this review for absolute ages, scrolling past the images and thinking, "What the hell are you going to say? It's just shampoo....". But then I started thinking about it. And thought about it some more. And the more I thought, the more I realised, that this is one of the best drugstore shampoos I have used in a long time. So, here we go, V05: I'm sorry for not appreciating you enough.

See, this is a shampoo that works quietly. On the outside it seems just like any cheap and cheerful shampoo: it's got that typical fruity drugstore scent (nothing wrong with that, but it's not exactly luxurious), extremely girly packaging and a very serious lather that means business (but also tons of SLS, so not one if you're avoiding that ingredient!). I wouldn't say it does any of that brightening or colour correcting stuff specifically for blonde hair, so again, if that's something you're after, you need to look elsewhere.

I use this every other wash and usually apply something like a hair mask or deep conditioner afterwards and while I've had various results with the latter, it's the shampoo that's always been consistent. It gets my hair really, really clean, so that it can perfectly absorb whatever's coming afterwards, but even if I just pop on any regular old conditioner, my hair is left feeling soft and smooth and in no way dry or frizzy.

I think haircare is probably the one area where investing in luxury products will get you luxury results (in my experience, at least), but if you don't have upwards of £50 to spend on shampoo and conditioner every month, you still don't have to let your hair suffer. For the price, this works an absolute treat and I couldn't ask for anything else. I bought this huge 500ml bottle about six months ago and I'm only just beginning to scrape the bottom, so it lasts for ages as well! (Though bear in mind that I've only been using it every other wash, as mentioned above)

Review: Pro:Voke Touch of Silver Twice A Week Brightening Shampoo

I can't remember what made me pick this shampoo up originally. It's far removed from the kind of products I usually buy: A brand I've never heard of and packaging that's anything but glamorous. That red "As seen on TV" label alone is enough to send me running for the hills. I think this was literally the only purple shampoo I could find in the shop at the time and I probably thought something like "Well, how bad can it be?"

I haven't looked back since and not purchased any other purple shampoo either. All those of you with bleached blonde hair will know how easily it can get a brassy, yellow undertone and how important it is to regularly use purple shampoo to keep your colour looking natural. I've tried quite a few so far, including the one by John Frieda (rubbish), Bleach London (decent) and Lee Stafford (also pretty decent), but this one beats them all hands down. And the best bit? Out of all of them this is also the cheapest and the easiest to get, as it's stocked in most big supermarkets!

As you can see from the picture above, this really has some deep, purple pigment in it, which means that you can really see the transformation in your hair straight away. Depending on the levels of brassiness in your hair you can leave it on a bit longer than the recommended five minutes, but personally I find it to be just enough time. I also tend to use it just once a week rather than twice, unless my hair is looking particularly worse for wear. This stuff is potent!

What really sets it apart from all the other brands, however, is that it doesn't only tint, it also makes my hair feel incredibly soft and smooth every time I use it. I'm not sure if it's the shampoo that's so conditioning, or if it somehow makes my conditioner work better, but either way, the results are really rather spectacular. I think I'm on my fourth bottle now and I can't see myself ever straying from this product again. This is an absolute must have for bleached blondes like me!

This little gem will set you back a mere £3.09 for a 150ml bottle.

Review: Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo

Remember when years ago Moroccanoil suddenly came onto the beauty scene and revolutionised hair care? Before that I would have never dreamed of using oil on my hair, but these days I cannot imagine living without it! Anyway, that's not what this review is about. It's about Moroccanoil's lesser known other products, in particular the hydrating shampoo.

There are some people who might argue that buying a high end shampoo is literally money down the drain, but I do beg to differ. A good shampoo can make a hell of a difference to the condition of your hair and also make any conditioners and/or treatments that you apply afterwards work a lot more effectively.
Unfortunately, it seems like I got my hopes up a little too high in this particular case.

It provided a rather mediocre lather at best and it also doesn't live up to its "hydrating" promises. As a matter of fact, I'd say that there are a lot of products that work way better at less than half the price. Sorry, Moroccanoil. Thanks for bringing us argan oil, but I think I'll pass on your shampoo.

Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo retails at £16.55 per bottle.

Monthly Favourites: February 2014

1) Fudge Urban Sea Salt Spray

It never occurred to me to get a salt spray for my hair. When I'm on a beach holiday the salt doesn't make my hair look good in any way - it tends to resemble a tangled up pile of seaweed! I was gifted this to try and I've been in love since the first application. To start off with it's got an amazing coconut scent that smells good enough to eat. It doesn't really do that much to your hair, but it adds just that little bit of texture, a touch of volume and encourages my hair to go into its natural wavy state without getting all tangled up. It's just a perfect little boost for second day hair.

2) Marc Jacobs Honey Perfume

This perfume was a late Christmas gift and I've shamelessly been wearing it almost every day. It's a wonderfully uplifting and happy scent that's not too overpowering. I won't waffle on about it too much as I've done a full review on it just a few days ago. You can find it here.

3) Seventeen Phwoarr Paint

This is a typical case of "the blogger made me buy it". After seeing this on loads of my favourite beauty blogs I nipped into my local Boots and got myself a pot of Phwoarr Paint and I'm so glad I did! This is the concealer I've been waiting for all my life. It's thick enough to seamlessly cover even stubborn blemishes and my serious dark circles, but doesn't crease or cake at all. And it's from the highstreet and a complete bargain! What's not to love?

4) Pro:Voke Touch of Silver Shampoo

As my hair is bleached I have to treat it with purple shampoo and conditioner every other wash to prevent it from going brassy. I've been on the hunt for the perfect one for ages and certainly didn't think I'd finally find it in this £2 bottle from a brand I'd never heard of. But not only does it have the perfect strength to get rid of any yellow or orange undertones but without causing any dodgy purple patches where my hair is a bit lighter. Most of all, it leaves my hair really healthy, smooth and soft. This is definitely a repurchase!

Sample Summary #11

I've been rubbing, spreading and smothering my way through an array of samples again, so it's about time I gave you another run down of mini sample summaries to see what's gone straight on the wish list (or straight in the bin).

1) Kerastase | Elixir Ultime

Full size: £34.50

Rating: 4.5/5

The Kerastase Elixir Ultime is hailed as the mother of all hair oils, so I was expecting nothing short of miracles for my hair. After the first application, I have to admit that I do see where the hype is coming from. Despite being an oil, this doesn't really feel oily - it's more sticky in texture and my hair literally drank it up like there was no tomorrow. It did everything I look for in a good hair oil: It gave my hair a little extra kick of moisture, smoothed away flyaways, added a bit of shine, but without making the hair seem greasy and limp. It wasn't quite mindblowing enough for me to rush out and spend £30 on a full sized bottle, but if you're in the market for a hair oil and don't mind spending a bit extra, then you really can't go wrong with this.

2) Clarins | Hand and Nail Treatment Cream

Full size: £20

Rating: 4/5

I remember getting my Mum one of these as a present, as it was highly recommended to me by the shop assistant for somebody who uses their hands a lot. It's hailed to be a fast-acting hand cream that takes no time at all to sink into the skin, but at the same time repair some serious damage both from ageing and harsh environments. As far as sinking in goes, this is right up there with my favourites and one of the few hand creams I could apply during the day. As far as damage control goes, it did leave my hands nice and soft, but it didn't work quite as well as my beloved Yes! Nurse hand cream (which is also a lot cheaper). I don't think it's quite heavy duty enough for what my poor hands have to withstand in the winter.

3) Clinique | 7 Day Scrub

Full size: £18.50

Rating: 3/5

I'm a bit lost here with the 7 day claim on this scrub. What is it supposed to mean? Are you meant to use it every day for 7 days? Does it take 7 days to see results? Does an application last for 7 days? I don't know!! What I do know is that this performed like a pretty average facial exfoliator. The grains were a good size, the texture firm enough not to end up down the sink, but soft enough to not tug skin when you spread it. A decent product, but at that price point I would expect something to really wow me to justify spending that extra bit of money. As it stands, you can find pretty good drugstore alternatives at no more than half the price.

4) Weleda | Millet Nourishing Shampoo

Full size: £8.95

Rating: 1/5

Oh my.... is it possible for a shampoo to leave your hair even dirtier than it was before the wash? This is an all natural product free from SLS and other foaming agents, so I wasn't expecting a rich lather anyway, but this just left my hair heavy, tangled and slightly on the oily side. Such a shame, as it has a zesty scent that is simply to die for under the shower.

5) Shiseido | Ibuki Refining Moisturizer Enriched

Full size: £42

Rating: 4.5/5

Eugh, how I miss this little pot. This was pretty much the perfect moisturiser for me. It was rich, yet lightweight and an absolute pleasure to apply. Even from this little sample size I could tell the difference it was making to my skin, which seemed clearer and just a little bit more alive. Good enough, in fact, to run errands and go shopping completely make-up free. The only downside is the price. At £42 a pop, it really ain't cheap, but I'm still hovering over the buy button, as this might just be worth a little extra splurge.

6) Louis Widmer | Skin Appeal Peeling

Full size: £11.20

Rating: 4/5

I can't say I've ever heard of a brand called Louis Widmer, but judging from the writing on the sample it seems to be a Dutch brand. The Skin Appeal series in particular is targeted at young, breakout-prone skin and while that's not exactly me (my skin is more on the combination side and my teenage years are well and truly a thing of the past), I really enjoyed using this product. It's definitely one of the harsher products I've ever had the pleasure of using, so not one for those with sensitive skin. But on the plus side, it left my skin feeling really squeaky clean, as if it literally got into every single pore to get rid of all of the rubbish that has accumulated there over time.

7) Eucerin | Dermo Densifyer Day

Full size: £24.42

Rating: 3/5

Another name that leaves me a bit baffled. I've heard of many different skin concerns, but does anyone really want their skin to be... denser...? Opening this sample I didn't think I'd get on with it at all, as it's just the type of heavy, thick cream that usually leaves me looking like I've been in an oil wrestling match, but I thought I'd give it a go anyway. Turns out it wasn't quite as bad. As it's so thick a little goes a long way on my skin type and you can definitely feel that there's something on your skin, but it's been working pretty well in the cold winter months at creating a barrier on my skin that has kept the occasional redness or dry patches completely at bay. As far as samples go it's huge and even though I've been using it for 3 months I've only just started getting to the bottom of it. I feel that while it's good on my skin, it would perform absolutely exceptional on dry to very dry skin types.

8) Rodial | 5 Minute Facial

Full size: £35

Rating: 5/5

This stuff is flippin amazing! I'd never tried anything from Rodial before and I'd highly questioned their approach to beauty with names such as "Size Zero" cream and rather dodgy looking meal replacement sticks. But, I've got to give it to them, as far as face masks go, this might just be the best that I've ever tried. It applies as a smooth cream, then dries and hardens, just like a mud mask would. You're then meant to rub off the hardened product, but I found that only about half of it came off by rubbing and I had to rinse the remainder off with water. (It also made a right mess of my bathroom sink, let me tell you that!) What I was left with was skin that was (sorry, there is no other word for it) radiant and just... just, wow. Absolutely worth the £35 - although I found it £10 cheaper on Allbeauty (see link above) and will be purchasing a full sized tube soon!

Love Me Beauty Box October 13

This month's post on my Love Me Beauty Box (formerly known as Beauteco) is a tad late due to the fact that we've not had any internet at home for a while - the cause was two naughty puppies destroying the router, thanks for that, dogs! But on the plus side that means that I've had a chance to try every single one of the products I've received and can give you a little mini review along with a description of each item.

1) Lord and Berry | Smudge Proof Eyeliner

Full size: £7.50

To be honest with you I wasn't overly excited to get another two Lord & Berry products in this month's box, seeing as there had already been two lip products from them two months back which I've probably used twice and then given up on. To be fair that wasn't Lord & Berry's fault; it was just because the colours didn't suit me one bit.

The eye liner that came in this month's box was in the colour "Smoke", which unlike the lip products was a brilliant choice in my opinion. I've got more than enough black eye liners to last me a lifetime, but this is a very pretty off-grey with slight green undertones, which makes a nice alternative to a traditional smokey eye. When I opened my pencil, however, I found this:

For some reason the nib had sunk into the pencil!? But never mind, it was nothing a few quick twists in the sharpener couldn't fix. Unfortunately, however, the dodginess didn't end there. As much as I adore the colour, I found the pencil to be way too hard, which means that it pulls a lot on my eye lids, making smooth and even application almost impossible. And you can forget about using it on the waterline, unless you really insist on poking your eye out with a sharp object.

2) Lord & Berry | Scuba Mascara

Full size: £12

On to the second Lord & Berry product: The waterproof Scuba mascara. Upon first inspection I was sure that I'd quite like this product. The brush is densely packed with bristles and it seemed to be nice and pigmented in the tube. 

Unfortunately that doesn't translate at all to the lashes. For a start, the texture is way too dry - I'm not sure if my tube was simply gone off or if that's just how it comes every time, but it just wouldn't do anything to my lashes. Today I gave it some elbow grease and after five coats (yes, FIVE), I finally managed to get some pigment on my lashes - which resulted in flaking about three hours later and a lot of tears trying to get it off in the evening.

Now, I've got to add to this, that I received an email this morning from Love Me Beauty and Lord & Berry apologising about the poor quality of these two products. It seems that I wasn't the only one left thoroughly unimpressed and apparently this is not representative of Lord & Berry as a brand, so they're adding a lipstick to next month's box as compensation. While that's a nice gesture, this mascara is nevertheless going straight in the bin and I won't be happy if I see any more of their stuff in my beauty box.

3) Balm Balm | Indulge Bath & Shower

Full size: £6 for 5ml

This month's box featured three different scent options of this bath and shower oil and with the one I chose (Menu 3), came the "indulgent" variety. I would definitely say this is a strong, slightly spicy and very rich scent and throughout using it I couldn't really make up my mind about whether or not I like it. The little bottle lasted for three applications, which makes the £6 price tag a tad steep in my opinion. Maybe I've just been using too much, though, who knows? As I tend not to take baths anymore, I used this in the shower, but on its own it just didn't seem to clean my skin at all, so I ended up mixing it with my regular shower gel.

And oh my, this is scented heavily. I did not only emerge out of the shower smelling of this oil, without any lotion or even perfume standing the slightest chance in overpowering the scent - it actually left the whole flat smelling like "Indulge" all day long! Maybe I really have been using too much of this.... Nevertheless, now that it's gone I wouldn't say it's anything I'd consider repurchasing.

4) Weleda | Millet Nourishing Shampoo

Full size: £8.95 for 190ml / Sample value: £0.85

I haven't had a chance to sample too many Weleda products yet, so I was quite happy to see this brand featured in this month's box. This shampoo smells absolutely divine - it's got a fresh and citrussy scent but without that hint of detergent that you can get in a lot of citrus scented beauty products. 

Unfortunately, this was another dud for me. There was practically no lather when I used this on my hair and while I accept that this is common amongst "natural" shampoos that aren't full of SLS, it's still something that bothered me quite a bit. Even worse was the fact that it just didn't get my hair clean at all. I actually had an urge to apply dry shampoo straight after blow drying my hair, that's how heavy and greasy it felt.

5) Amie Skincare | Bright Eyes

Full size: £4.95 for 125ml

This is the only product that offered any real choice this month, as you could choose between this, a moisturiser or two packs of face mask. I decided to go with the make-up remover, as I was running low and didn't really fancy any of the other products. It might not be an overly exciting product, but it's been doing a good job at removing my make-up without irritating my eyes or leaving a sticky film on them. As it's oil free however, it will barely scratch the surface of waterproof make-up (such as the scuba mascara that came in the same box), so you'd need a separate product for that. Even though Amie has been featured in a previous box I don't mind seeing them again as I really love the face scrub that I received in an earlier box.

6) Mitchell and Peach | Body Cream

Full size: £36 for 180ml / Sample value: £10

I got an extra product in this month's box which isn't mentioned anywhere on the menu, so I'm assuming that this is part of Love Me Beauty's special offer that gets you a bonus product for every three months you've been subscribed. A great idea in my opinion! Who doesn't love a little extra surprise thrown in? The cream smells has a lovely and quite sophisticated floral, slightly woody scent. Unlike most body lotions that I always complain about it's not too thin and moisturises my skin very well. A huge thumbs down however for whoever designed the packaging of this sample - it doesn't squeeze and the cream is too thick to just run out of the top, so I can see at least half of this lovely sample going to waste just because there's no way for me to get it out. What a shame!

Total value: £31.30 (£41.30 with bonus sample)

Sadly, I have to say that this month's box was my least favourite out of all of the ones I've received. This is partly down to three products being repeat brands and partly down to four the items turning out to be complete duds for me. Getting four full sized products is still really amazing for any beauty box company and I've really enjoyed my little bonus sample this month. Maybe it's just that I've gotten so used to Love Me Beauty / Beauteco supplying me with products that I absolutely adore month after month - after all most of my last monthly favourites posts lately have featured at least one item from each box! You can't always be on to a winner, so I'm still happy with Love Me Beauty as a concept and I'm looking forward to hopefully discovering some new gems in next month's box. But please, pretty pretty please, no more Lord & Berry products!

Sample Summary #10

I've had the pleasure to sample lots of pretty awesome products lately, which unfortunately also means that my beauty wish list has expanded by about thirty feet. Oh well. You ready for it?

1) L'Oreal EverRiche Shampoo

Full size: £5.99

I had a feeling that my hair might like this shampoo and I wasn't wrong at all. My hair was always pretty dry, but ever since it's been bleached it needs a lot of intensive care and moisture. A lot of shampoos won't make a difference in the state of my hair - it's something I remedy with conditioners, oils and intensive masques - but this one genuinely made my hair a lot smoother and more manageable without weighing it down at all. And it's only about £6 per bottle, while there's usually some sort of 3 for 2 deal on at Boots or Superdrug, so it's definitely going to be something I plan on purchasing soon!

2) Lancome Teint Miracle Foundation

Full size: £27.50

The shade of my sample above is 03 and I knew before even squeezing anything out of the tube, that it wouldn't match my colouring one bit - and I was right. It looked disasterously orange on me, so I waited till I had a day off to try this one on. And it's such a shame that the colour is so far off, as the texture of this foundation is absolutely lovely. It's very runny out of the tube, but dries to a perfect matte finish on the skin, lasts all day and feels lightweight throughout. Unfortunately I gave this one more go trying to match it to my skin with some lighter powder, but eventually had to give up and just bin the sample.

3) Kerastase Elixir Ultime Masque

Full size: £23.95

I was going to treat myself to a pot of this a while ago, but eventually decided to go for a more budget friendly alternative and spend my money on... erhm... can't remember. Seems like that might have been a bad decision, because this stuff is AMAZING. Seriously. Best hair masque I've ever used in my life. My hair was soft, swishy, smooth but still voluminous - I'm running out of adjectives to describe this stuff, but it's just awesome and I've decided I need it in my life.

4) Dermalogica Ultracalming Relief Masque

Full size: £39.10

Next stop on the rave train! Dermalogica have never let me down in all fairness and I've loved every single product I've ever tried. This sachet couldn't have come at a better time - I've been battling a nasty cold for what seems like forever now and the area around my nose and my mouth is red raw from excessive tissue use. This applied smoothly, didn't sting even on the sore areas and soothed and calmed my skin instantly. Admittedly, the price tag on this is very steep, so if I ever did purchase the full size, it would be more of a special occasion treat rather than an everyday skincare staple.

5) Kerastase Homme Capital Force Shampoo

Full size: £12.24

Not much I can say on this one, really. I'm not a man, so I gave this sample to my boyfriend and his comments were as enlightening as "Well, it washed my hair". Thanks. This is aimed at densifying hair with everyday use, so there isn't really much to observe after just one use. Other than that it got my boyfriend's hair clean.

6) Melvita Rose Body Milk

Full size: £16

After so much excitement to finally sample something from Melvita, this body milk was a bit of a let down. The smell was very pleasant - rosy, but not too strong or obvious. The texture, however, was a bit too runny and thin for me, providing my skin with almost no moisture. Then again, it's no secret that I'm no fan of runny body lotions or milks, so maybe if you prefer something lighter on the skin than a heavy duty body butter, then this is for you.

7) S5 Purity Serum

Full size: £44

I was a tad worried originally that this might be a little too harsh for my skin, as I don't really suffer from any breakouts, just a bit of oiliness around my T-Zone. Turns out that my fears were unfounded and this has seriously transformed my skin. I'm trialling quite a lot of new skincare at the moment, so it's a bit tricky to be able to put my finger at which product is doing exactly what, but I'm pretty sure this has helped immensely in getting my skin to the state it's at right now. Ever since I started using this serum I've not had a single blackhead and the oiliness on my T-Zone has gone down significantly - all without irritating the more delicate skin on my cheeks. 

Neal & Wolf Ritual and Harmony Review

It's been a while since Neal & Wolf sent me a few of their haircare products to try out and review. I'm not entirely sure what took me so long to finally write up this review, as the two products I'd like to talk about today are genuinely brilliant and were an absolute joy to use!

Let's start with the Ritual Daily Cleansing Shampoo. I'll be honest with you right away and admit that I did not use this every day - but that's because I never wash my hair daily for two reasons:
1) It's not that great for my hair type to wash every day.
2) I'm way too lazy for that.

The shampoo has a very pleasant, slightly sweet salon scent (I get a good whiff of almond in there), though the smell does not linger on the hair once it's been washed out. It lathers really well and while there's normally not much I'd say about a shampoo, I do have to admit that this is somehow better than my usual cheap drugstore varieties. While it gets my hair perfectly clean, it doesn't make it feel stripped or straw-like like it often does with other shampoos. My bleached and treated hair wouldn't forgive me, but I reckon that with a normal hair type you could get away with skipping conditioner every once in a while and still end up with soft hair.

As for the Harmony Intensive Care Treatment I've already mentioned it a few times, but I simply cannot sing its praises high enough! I use this deep conditioner once a week, apply it to hair in the shower and let it do its work while I shave, exfoliate, etc...
It leaves me with silky and soft hair that is not greasy or heavy in any way. It does not sit like a film on hair to make it smooth like silicone-heavy hair masks often can. Hair feels really, deeply nourished and I get a lot less frizz, even in this horrible humid weather.

As for the packaging, both products look very elegant and luxurious on my bathroom shelves with their sleek packaging and I'm quite happy to have them both on display.

Personally, I always struggle to justify spending money on high-end hair care, but these two products have really been a bit of an eye-opener for me. I didn't see the benefits straight away - it probably took about 3 to 5 washes until I realised that my hair condition had just improved a lot. I'm already on my second tube of Harmony and I cannot think of any hair types that I would not recommend these to. They restore and they nourish, but without being too heavy even for fine hair - something I'd been looking for and could not find in many other products for a very long time.

The Ritual Daily Cleansing Shampoo retails at £10.95 while the Harmony Intensive Care Treatment goes for £12.95 (but you can also buy a gift set containing both products for £19.95)

Review: Alberto Balsam Sunkissed Raspberry Shampoo and Conditioner

When I was at uni, loads of girls raved about Alberto Balsam - for cash strapped students it seemed to be the go-to shampoo and conditioner brand that promised good results at ridiculously low prices. Ironically, it was only recently that I decided to give them a go (hey, living in London is bloody expensive!) to see if they really were worth the student hype.
I picked up a bottle of the Sunkissed Raspberry shampoo and conditioner at £1 each from Poundworld, as that range promised to moisturise dry hair.

Both products come packaged in a squeezy tube and while they certainly don't look luxurious or expensive, it could be much worse at £1 per bottle. The smell is fairly artificial, but as it's pretty mild I find it rather inoffensive.
The shampoo is a tad sticky upon application (imagine squeezing out semi-set jelly), but gives an excellent lather and gets my hair nice and clean. The conditioner on the other hand is a tad slippy, so you have to use quite a lot, as it tends to just slip down the hair shaft.

I used this duo before bleaching my hair, so my tresses were in fairly good shape, apart from their natural dryness and a fair bit of frizz. Both the shampoo and the conditioner did alright. They sort of did the job of getting my hair clean and soft, but that's about it. No silky tresses, no bouncy locks. Just... clean hair. I know for a fact that if I used this due on my now pretty frazzled hair I would end up looking like a hay bale.

In the end, I suppose it comes down to personal priorities. If you're quite happy with the natural condition of your hair then these will do just fine, but personally, I'd rather invest in more expensive hair products that I know will look after my hair rather than just clean it. In a crunch, I'd say go for the cheap shampoo, but splurge a little on a conditioner from a more expensive brand for better results.

John Frieda Colour Renew Shampoo & Conditioner Review

So, a few months back, towards the end of last year I decided I needed a bit of a radical change and bleached my naturally medium-dark brown hair to become a blonde for the first time in my life. It took a total of three (!!!) bleaches until I finally achieved the result I was aiming for.
Chuffed that I'd managed to put my hair through such an ordeal without it falling out or snapping off (my hair is tough as nails, apparently), imagine how p'ed off I was when after every single wash it started turning distinctively more yellow. As it turns out, hard water can really enhance any brassiness on bleached hair and living in Southwest London the water here is so hard you could easily knock someone out with a splash of tap water. A few people recommended using a purple shampoo, so off I went to my local Boots and stocked up on the John Frieda Colour Renew Tone Correcting shampoo - and the conditioner as well, just for good measure.

To make a long story short, both of these completely failed me. The shampoo does have a distinctive  bright purple colour, whereas the conditioner is more of a lavender shade. It's recommended to use it once or twice a week to eliminate any brassiness.
After the first use, I noticed no difference whatsoever. I thought that maybe I hadn't left them on for long enough, so next time I left both the shampoo and the conditioner to work a little bit longer. Sure enough, some of the yellowness was eliminated, but instead, my hair had gone orange.

Naturally, it didn't occur to me to blame the products, but I thought it was just the water, or that the dye job had been botched somehow. So, in an attempt to get rid of the orange hue, I kept on using it more and more until one day it occurred to me to just try a regular shampoo. Lo and behold, the orangeness diminished.
As for hair conditioning properties, both the shampoo and the conditioner performed alright, though were nowhere near as nourishing as I'd expect for a product aimed at bleached (and therefore damaged) hair.
All in all a big fat thumbs down from me. If you want to eliminate yellow tones in your hair just to make it orange instead, go for it, but otherwise I wouldn't recommend these to anybody.
I've since tried a different purple and shampoo combo by Lee Stafford and they both perform brilliantly, so expect a review soon.

These retail at £5.89 each per 250ml tube. I noticed that both the shampoo and the conditioner have since been repackaged, though I don't know if they've been reformulated as well.

Do you have bleached hair, and if so, how do you care for it?

Garnier Fructis Pure Volume shampoo and conditioner

Oh, the woes of buying shampoo and conditioner. I've had some good ones, some average ones and some bad ones, but somehow all the good ones seem to be extremely expensive, so I end up sticking to cheap and (hopefully) average. The thing with this combo in particular is that I had a sample of the two to play around with before purchasing the full size and I quite liked it. For the small price tag, it would have been rude to not buy the full size!

Garnier Pure Volume shampoo and conditioner (or Heisses Volumen as it is known in Germany where I bought these two bottles) claims to contain heat activated particles that lift and strengthen your hair whenever you use heated appliances on it. It's currently available in Germany, Australia and a handful of other countries, but I couldn't find it in any UK shops yet.

This offering from Fructis does not differ an awful lot from its other ranges. Both have a fruity but fairly artificial scent. The shampoo lathers and rinses well whereas the conditioner provides a good amount of slip, but does tend to drip if you want to leave it to sink in a little longer. If you're trying to avoid sulphates, parabens and silicones then stay away because these two are bursting with those ingredients.

As for the volumising claims my little sachet sample really seemed to work. I used the shampoo followed by the conditioner, towel dried my hair, then used a hair dryer, went to bed and straightened it in the morning. And my hair really did seem to have more lift and volume than usual, with the effect lasting pretty much all day.
However, that seemed to have been a lucky one-off. As I repeated the same procedure with the full sized products they did nothing special whatsoever. I tried using them in the morning instead, drying on different temperatures, but nothing. That initial hit of volume seemed to have gone forever and once again I was left with "average". Not to mention that the 48 hour claim was completely unsubstantiated.

I don't want to give this too bad of a review, because it's not a bad product. It's just as average as most of your other drugstore brands like Pantene or Herbal Essences. However, I feel a bit let down by the fact that the sample performed so well while the full sizes just did not do what they claimed.

I paid 2,25€ each for the shampoo and the conditioner.

Sample Summary #2

I've been inundated with sachets and perfume samples lately, so I've had to split the sachet reviews into two in order to prevent boring you to death. I also won't be doing any perfume reviews as
1) Perfume is something so incredibly personal you couldn't possibly choose one just from reading a review and
2) I'm really useless at describing scents.
So instead, off we go with the sachets!

Ich wurde in letzter Zeit mit Probesachets und Parfumproben überladen, also habe ich die Sachet-Reviews in zwei Teile geteilt, um euch nicht zu Tode zu langweilen. Die Parfums werde ich nicht benoten, da
1) Parfum etwas furchtbar persönliches ist und man könnte nie einen Duft anhand einer Review wählen und
2) Ich bin eine Katastrophe was das Beschreiben von Gerüchen angeht.
Stattdessen legen wir also mit den Tütchen los! 


1) Garnier Body Intensive 7 Days Refreshing Gel Cream With Grape (£4.99 / €4.49 for 400ml)

I didn't think I'd ever say this, as I rarely ever steer away from my beloved Body Shop Body Butters, but I actually quite liked this! The gel-cream really felt quite lightweight on my skin, sank in quickly, but left a nice hit of moisture. There's no way I could use this just once every 7 days, as my skin would resemble that of a dinosaur, but I think it might be a nice alternative to a thicker cream should there be another heat wave. It's great for summer, but I don't think it would be moisturising enough for the colder months. The grape scent is also extremely pleasant - very refreshing, but not overly sweet.

Als eingeschweißter Body Butter Fan hätte ich nie gedacht, dass ich so etwas mal sagen würde, aber diese Creme hat mir ganz gut gefallen! Die Geltextur fühlt sich auf der Haut sehr leicht an, zieht schnell ein, doch hinterlässt einen angenehmen Feuchtigkeitsschub. Ich könnte sie nie im Leben nur einmal die Woche benutzen, da meine Haut dann der eines Dinosauriers gleichen würde, aber sie wäre eine tolle Alternative zu einer reichhaltigeren Creme, wenn uns wieder eine Hitzewelle trifft. Super für den Sommer, doch in den kälteren Monaten wäre die Creme wahrscheinlich nicht feuchtigkeitsspendend genug. Der Traubenduft ist auch äußerst angenehm - sehr erfrischend, aber nicht zu süß.

2) Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream in Light (£9.99 / €8.99 for 50ml)

This was one of the first "Western" BB Creams on the market and I've heard lots of good things about it - and now I know why! Even though the sample was in the shade "light" it would have been a tad too dark for me in winter, but now it matches my skin tone (about NC20 - yeah, that's tanned for me) perfectly! It blended like a dream and though the coverage wasn't particularly heavy it did a fantastic job of evening out my skin tone.

Dies war eine der ersten "westlichen" BB Creams auf dem Markt und ich hatte schon viel Gutes über sie gehört - und jetzt weiß ich auch warum! Obwohl die Probe in der Farbe "light" war, wäre sie im Winter etwas zu dunkel für mich gewesen, doch jetzt passt sie perfekt zu meinem Hautton (etwa NC20 - ja, für meine Verhältnisse ist das gebräunt)! Sie ließ sich wie ein Traum verblenden und obschon die Deckkraft nicht besonders stark war, glättete sie meinen Teint hervorragend.

Garnier BB cream in light, hand swatch

It lasted through a whole work day without causing any odd patches or oxidation. I can't say much about any skin benefits, as the sachet only provided enough for one application, but I think this one's a keeper and I will purchase the full size soon!

Sie hielt den ganzen Arbeitstag durch ohne komische Flecken zu hinterlassen oder zu oxidieren. Zum Thema hautpflegende Eigenschaften kann ich nicht viel sagen, da in dem Tütchen nur genug war für eine Anwendung, aber ich denke eine Anschaffung der vollen Größe steht mir bald bevor!


3) L'Oréal Elvive Nutri Gloss Crystal Sparkling Shampoo (£2.69 / €3.99 for 250ml)

First off: Yeah, this sparkles. And I did panic a little bit upon squeezing this out of the sachet and realising that it's full of little glitter particles, but I needn't have worried, as they didn't transfer onto my hair. The second thing I noticed was the smell: Incredibly sweet and girly, like stumbling into a pink fluffy candy shop full of glitter sweets - it was a bit off-putting for me actually, but I'm sure there are people out there who will like it. It lathered up very nicely and my hair was most definitely clean after using this, though I saw no improvement in texture or hair quality. Overall a nice, solid product, but I probably won't repurchase as the scent was just too sickly for me.

Zuallererst: Ja, dieses Shampoo glitzert. Und ich habe schon etwas Panik bekommen, als ich es aus dem Sachet quetschte und merkte, dass es voller Schimmerpartikel ist, aber ich hätte mich nicht sorgen müssen, denn im Haar waren sie hinterher nicht sichtbar. Das nächste, was mir auffiel, war der Geruch: Unglaublich süß und mädchenhaft, als wäre ich in einen pinken, flauschigen Süßwarenladen gefallen, voller Glitzerbonbons. Für mich war es etwas abschreckend, doch ich denke, dass es genug Leute gibt, denen so etwas gefällt. Es schäumte sehr gut und mein Haar war nach der Anwendung definitv sauber, doch ich sah keine Verbesserung in der Haartextur oder -qualität. Alles in allem ein nettes Produkt, doch ich werde es mir aufgrund des Geruchs eher nicht nachkaufen.


4) L'Oréal Nude Magique BB Cream in Light (£9.99 / €9.99 for 30ml)

  
Granted, I'd been warned about this one as I've read several reviews on it, so I knew what to expect. First of all you should know this: It's not a BB Cream. It's actually a repackaged and rebranded product from L'Oréal's Studio Secrets line, just because they wanted a piece of the BB craze.
It's a greyish cream with little grains inside that's supposed to adapt to your skin colour upon application - which it doesn't. It simply becomes darker and more orange the more you rub it into your skin.

Zugegeben, ich war zum Thema dieser Creme vorgewarnt, da ich schon mehrere Reviews im Vorfeld gelesen hatte. Als erstes, solltet ihr Folgendes wissen: Sie ist keine BB Cream. Stattdessen handelt es sich um ein umverpacktes Produkt aus der L'Oréal Studio Secrets Reihe, da die Firma unbedingt ein Stück vom BB Kuchen wollte.
Die Creme ist gräulich mit lauter kleinen Perlen und soll sich angeblich beim Auftragen an den Hautton anpassen - das tut sie aber nicht. Sie wird einfach nur immer dunkler und oranger je mehr man sie in die Haut einmassiert. 

L'Oréal Nude Magique BB Cream in light - unblended on left, blended on right

So, me being all clever from reading other people's reviews, decided not to rub it in, but to pat it onto my face to avoid the orange-ness. And it worked! I eyed it up in the mirror all day long, but it didn't get any darker throughout the day either. The covarage was kind of mediocre, but I was scared of slapping any more of this on in order to preserve the colour. I think you can make this work for you, but I'd still give it a miss, as there are other products that are much easier to work with.

Da ich aber von den Reviews anderer Leute ganz schlau war, beschloss ich, sie nicht einzureiben, sondern eher in die Haut einzuklopfen, um ein oranges Desaster zu vermeiden. Und es funktionierte! Den ganzen Tag über habe ich meine Haut misstrauisch im Spiegel beobachtet, doch sie wurde im laufe des Tages nicht dunkler. Die Deckkraft war eher mittelmäßig, doch ich hatte Angst, mehr aufzutragen, damit die von mir hergestellte Farbe nicht kaputtgeht. Ich denke, dass man mit diesem Produkt arbeiten kann, aber ich würde es trotzdem im Regal liegen lassen, da es viele andere Produkte gibt, die in der Anwendung einfacher sind.

5) Florena Straffende Tagespflege - Firming Day Cream (€9.49 for 50ml)

I'd never heard of this brand before I got the sample, but as it turns out, it's a German natural skincare brand and this particular product seems to be on offer at every drugstore going at the moment. It's difficult to form an opinion on skincare from just a little sachet, but I did notice that this cream is a bit too much on the heavy side for my liking. On their website the brand does say that they recommend it for women aged 40-50, so when I got a second sample of this I just passed it on to my mum for further inspection.

Ich hatte noch nie von dieser Firma gehört, ehe ich nicht das Pröbchen bekam, doch es stellt sich heraus, dass es eine deutsche Naturkosmetikfirma ist - ist mir irgendwie bislang nie aufgefallen. Momentan ist diese Creme wirklich in jedem Drogeriemarkt im Angebot. Es ist schon etwas schwierig, sich ein Bild von einer Hautpflege zu machen, wenn man nur so ein kleines Tütchen zur Verfügung hat, doch es stellte sich heraus, dass sie für mich einfach viel zu reichhaltig ist. Auf der Webseite erklärt die Firma, dass die Creme für Frauen im Alter von 40-50 geeignet ist, also habe ich ein zweites Pröbchen hiervon einfach meiner Mutter zum Ausprobieren gegeben.