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.

Monthly Favourites: May 2014

1) Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara

Wow, two months in a row my favourites include a Bourjois mascara! I've only just published a review on this one (you can find it here), but if you don't want to go through a lengthy post, then let me just tell you that this is my new favourite drugstore mascara. I think I even prefer it to my trusted Max Factor False Lash Effect! It gives defined, long, fluttery lashes that still look incredibly natural. It's not quite as good as my ultimate holy grail mascara, Benefit's "They're Real!", but at a fraction of a price, this comes a very close second.

2) Pro:Voke Twice A Week Brightening Shampoo & Intensive Treatment Conditioner

I've already featured this shampoo in my favourites once, but it was recently that I purchased the matching conditioner and both together definitely deserve another mention. I've tried a lot of purple shampoos and conditioners to keep my blonde hair from going brassy and no matter the price tag, none of them even come close to these. Not only are they powerful enough to really knock every last bit of yellow out of your hair, they also leave my hair feeling insanely soft and nourished - and they're less than a fiver each!

3) Rimmel Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Paint in Rich Russet

This is a classic case of "the blogger made me buy it". After seeing so many of my favourite bloggers rave about this eye shadow and this colour in particular, I just couldn't help myself but make a sneaky purchase. While it's not the most amazing eye shadow ever, the neutral colour and its versatility are what makes this a stand-out product for me. It's so easy to blend it into a neutral daytime look or layer it up for a bronzed smokey eye, which makes it the perfect day-to-night product. The fact that it comes in a handy tube and can easily be blended with your fingers makes it perfect for on the go. The formula will also stay on my lids pretty much all day once it's dried down. It's crazy to think how far high street cream shadow formulas have come in the last few years!

4) Super Facialist by Una Brennan Brighten & Refine Facial Scrub

Now, this is a scrub for scrub lovers. When I exfoliate my face, I want to feel like I'm actually doing something and this fits the bill perfectly. The grains are tiny and spread very well, but boy are they effective! Do not use this on dry skin unless you like the feeling of sandpaper on your face. In the shower, however, used on wet skin it's the perfect once or twice weekly deep clean that my face needs.

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!

Review: Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes Shampoo and Conditioner

Last December I changed my hair colour from natural dark brown to a light blonde and I haven't looked back since. I love the way it lifts my skin tone and lets me get away with wearing much brighter colours. Hell, it sounds like a cliche, but people even treat you differently depending on your hair colour.

But, to be completely honest here, it is a right pain up the backside to maintain bleached hair. It gets dry, frazzled and occasionally turns into a shade of Simpson yellow. It's certainly not a hair colour to go for if you prefer something low-maintenance!

One thing that's literally been a lifesaver when it comes to my bleached hair turning nasty, has been purple shampoo. And as far as purple shampoos are concerned, this one from Lee Stafford is among the strongest you can find. Even when my hair basically turned orange (hard water can make this a lot worse), this baby turned it into a beautiful shade of gold.

In fact, as it's so strong I would only recommend this to medium to dark blondes. When I had some highlights put into my hair it actually turned a light shade of purple, even though I rinsed it out immediately after applying it. Even then you only really need to use it once a week, or perhaps even every other week.

As for the conditioner, I only bought it to go with the shampoo, but to be honest, you may as well leave it on the shelf. It doesn't add any colour-correcting properties and the shampoo is strong enough anyway, so you don't really need to add any more purple for the conditioner. Considering it's a conditioner aimed at bleached (read dry and frazzled) hair, it could do with being a lot richer and more nourishing than it is.

For any bleaching accidents or hair that just doesn't want to stay that lovely shade of blonde, the shampoo gets both of my thumbs up, however.