Paul Mitchell Color Care Colour Protect Shampoo & Conditioner

Since taking the plunge and undergoing the harsh transition from red to blonde, ensuring my hair is in good condition and well looked after is of the upmost importance. Therefore, when the lovely people at Paul Mitchell offered to send me a sample of their legendary Colour Care Colour Protect shampoo and conditioner, I couldn't turn it down.

This season, the hair care specialists have opted for an art-deco twenties theme, aiming to keep hair as vibrant as the era of glamorous flappers and as eye-catching as the sharp gentlemen in long coats and fedoras.

Made with a gorgeously gentle formula containing chamomile, rosemary and aloe vera, this daily shampoo conditioner promises a thorough clean and replenishment without stripping or fading the hair colour. This pair also protects hair from sun damage with UV absorbers, which provide a guard for the colour to remain vibrant for longer.
The shampoo and conditioner itself are very thick in consistency and create a reasonable amount of lather with just a touch of water. I can't place the scent exactly, but it reminds me of a hair salon (Sorry if that sounds strange but I hope you understand!)? I've been using this colour for a few weeks now, and friends and family have noticed that my hair seems to have gotten lighter, and my blonde still remains as vibrant as when I first got it coloured.
It leaves my hair feeling slightly heavier, but not to a degree that prevents me from applying any other products, and delivers excellent results in leaving my hair clean, glossy and tangle-free.
I'm extremely pleased with this product as my hair is in excellent condition considering it was coloured almost 6 weeks ago, and the conditioner especially has helped keep my dry ends in check.

Named one of Essential's Best Beauty Buys in 2010 and 2011, its clear that this is a crowd favourite. You can purchase a 300ml bottle of shampoo (size pictured) for £9.95 and the accompanying conditioner for £12.25, but you can choose to buy in bulk in 1 litre bottles for £22.95 and £27.95.
This could be a product that potentially slips under the radar due to the fact that I love my hair smelling amazing after an hour, but the protection against fading cannot be critisised. I definitely recommend this for anyone with newly or frequently coloured hair that needs protecting - my hair looks better than ever!

You can purchase Paul Mitchell Colour Care Colour Protect Shampoo & Conditioner online here or in selected salons.

Ojon Damage Reverse Shampoo & Conditioner

Ojon is a brand I haven't heard too much of, other than seeing their hair oil crop up on different bloggers' sites. If you have your hair frequently coloured like I do, hair restoration treatments are a must-have, making trying the Damage Reverse Restorative Shampoo and Conditioner* a top priority.

Although this particular size product comes in a pack so they cannot be sold separately, it did provide  me with a great trial amount. Packed with coconut and wheat protein that aims to smooth rough cuticles and begin repairing your hair whilst in the shower. 

I found my hair felt silky and a great deal stronger after application. The scent isn't as strong as other treatments I've tried, but it felt as though it was more important to treat my hair as opposed to masking it with a strong scent. Because I have dip-dyed hair, the ends had to be bleached making them dry and quite brittle. I focused on my ends especially whilst conditioning, and they felt a lot softer and my hair was easily manageable.

However, it's just so expensive! 250ml bottles of the shampoo are priced at £20, with the conditioner selling for £21.50. Regardless of the ingredients, I think this is an extortionate price for the results. Yes, it did help my hair, but I feel that with weekly deep-conditioning treatments I could achieve the same results without paying over £40.

I am overall impressed with the product, but will not be purchasing the full sized product due to the over-pricing. It's good, but not revolutionary as it claims to be - I think i'll be sticking to my high-street shampoo and conditioner sets!

You can purchase Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Shampoo & Conditioner from your local Boots, John Lewis or online from their official website here.

Lush's 'Big' Shampoo

Since i've decided to grow out my fringe and attempt a middle parting, i've been obsessed with adding volume. Keeping your hair sleek and straight is great with a fringe, but it's difficult to pull of that look without your hair looking like a pair of curtains. I'd had recommendations of Lush's 'Big' Shampoo from various other bloggers who had used it, due to its inclusion of actual sea salt.

Yes, I know what you're thinking: "Sea salt shampoo?! How is that even possible?" To be honest, I thought the same thing. Sea salt spray is designed to help you achieve a tousled look, giving you beachy waves. However, this shampoo promised to give you both amazing volume and super-soft locks that are easy to get a brush through.

 

The extremely rich shampoo is packed to the brim with real sea salt, however it is carefully balanced with seaweed, coconut, and fresh lemon and lime to ensure shine and softness, which enables you to have the volume of sea salt shampoo without the rough texture you would expect. It is most definitely the most fragrant shampoo I own, with extracts of vanilla, mandarin, neroli and orange flower. With all of the brilliant reviews this product had been given, it was safe to say I could not wait to get in the shower and give it a go!

Here are some photos to show you how it went:

This is how my hair usually looks. Although i'm going to do an in-depth post on what products I use to give my hair more volume, i've used a standard volumising shampoo, followed by a volumising mousse and finished off with a bit of sea salt spray at the roots. This is what I do to my hair on a regular basis in my constant battle with my limp locks to add more volume!

 

There isn't a lot of difference from my hair here to the previous picture, but here I have used the 'Big' shampoo and no other products. The fact that the same amount the volume (If anything, a little bit more!) with a single product as opposed to three is incredible. I had to refrain from using volumising mousse and seasalt spray to achieve even greater results, but I wanted to show the difference a single product can make. 

This is most definitely an all-time favourite product of mine. You are instructed to shampoo twice, and the lather is so moisturising it feels like it can almost double up as a shower gel.  It is so fragrant it makes shower a really relaxing experience, and massaging it in feels almost like a spa treatment! Once you've finished shampooing, it does get a bit worrying as you find yourself picking out the odd bit of sea salt that hasn't dissolved, and your hair hair is so squeaky clean it sounds like your cleaning a window - your hair literally squeaks. However, once i'd blow-dried my hair, I was shocked at how much lift it had. It was incredibly soft, smelt amazing (Thanks to two shampoo's!) and had just achieved a great amount of volume. Obviously with more products such as a mousse or thickening hairspray it would have achiever greater height, but sometimes the more product you use adds more weight to the hair so ideally less is more.

The only slightly negative comment I have on this product is that you must prepare for an insane amount of lather! However, as Lush products are much more environmentally friendly than other manufacturers it doesn't bother me as much. As well as this, the lather is very rich and moisturising, as opposed to just bubbles!

Salt is a natural preservative, so this shampoo requires no synthetic preservatives, which is just one of the many reasons why I love this product. In my personal opinion this product feels like it could be a bit taxing on the hair if used every day, so I usually use this once or twice a week for a sort of treatment. I could be wrong, but it just feels very thick, and could weigh my hair down if used more regularly. Overall a really impressive product at a reasonable £11.25 for a massive 330g (The lather is so thick only a small amount is needed each time!). A must have for anyone with limp or fine hair - pop it on your Christmas list!

You can purchase 'Big' Shampoo from your local Lush store or online here for £11.25.

Paul Mitchell 'Pink Is My Colour' Collection

Paul Mitchell are a professional haircare company with a fleet of professional yet affordable products for practically any hair type. Whether you want to put the bounce back into your curls or tame unruly frizz, Paul Mitchell will have something for you. However, this haircare giant goes far beyond simply producing new products...

 

Pink Is My Colour is a collaboration with the American Cancer Society, featuring limited edition items, including brushes that bare inspirational words that embody the courage of cancer survivors. The collection* also included products from the Strength collection, which aims to strenghten the hair by up to 50%. I love the idea of raising awareness of such an important issue through haircare products; it allows a wider range of people to be reached. So here's some quick reviews on the contents of the collection:

Super Strong Daily Shampoo & Conditioner- £11.50 & £14.25

 I'm always on the lookout for new treatments, and the strengthening shampoo and conditioner is an excellent new addition to my hair treatment collection. The fragrance isn't exactly individual, it smells like a quality product (That sounds wierd but that's the only way I can describe it!) but isn't as distinguished as others. I found after application my hair felt thicker and glossier, and I believe with continued use it would continue to improve my colour-damaged hair.

Super Strong Liquid Treatment - £16.50
This hair treatment helps banish split ends and uses silicones to protect the surface of the hair, reducing the risk of splitting in the future. It's lightweight but has really big results! You only need a few light sprays and your hair already feels stronger and thicker. It's basically a leave-in conditioner, so I like to use it before I comb through my hair - it stops the creation of split ends (Although this will also help to fix them straight after!).

 Super Skinny Serum - £16.75
This serum is a treatment that smooths and conditions wet hair, reducing drying time and styling. It's obviously not as effective as my treasured Moroccan Oil, but this lightweight serum seals ends and leaves your hair smooth and frizz-free. It's great as an after-shower hair treatment, it does the job but it isn't life-changing - it's not the best, but definitely not the worst i've found.

And to top of the kit, it includes a large paddle brush (£10.50), and a smaller brush (£9.50) that's an appropriate size for your handbag. Although i'm not a big fan of the graffiti print (I love the idea of inspirational words, but i've found it's a little too childish for me in design) i've found the brushes, especially the paddle brush are of really great quality.

Overall i'm impressed with the quality of the products - delivering exactly what it says on the tin, my hair is quite fine and none of the products made my hair feel too heavy or greasy. Like I said, I think its amazing that people are raising awareness of cancer and celebrating the strength of both the sufferers and survivors.

You can buy the products in the Paul Mitchell Pink Is My Colour and Super Strong range from professional salons nationwide - to find your nearest salon click here.

Review: L'Oreal Paris Hair Expertise Everpure Shampoo

Have you ever wondered why your freshly dyed hair colour can’t stop running when you’re in the shower or bath? That's because you’re using the wrong products.

My hair is regularly dyed red, and as you are probably aware, it’s one of those shades that fade really quickly, so I need to go to lengths to ensure that my hair stays as vibrant as possible for as long as it can. Therefore, I must ensure that I only use products that are designed specifically for coloured hair (Or red hair, if possible).  One of the key ingredients in regular shampoos is sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS for short), which is notoriously known for stripping colour from the hair – hence the water turning a lovely shade of brown, red – or whatever colour your hair should be! It's used in over 90% of shampoo products, and is used to ensure the product lathers quickly and produces lots of bubbles. As well as stripping the hair of essential oils, it can also result in skin irritation, hair follicle damage and dandruff - it is essentially a chemical. And a nasty one at that.

Bearing all this in mind, L'Oreal Paris have recently released a line of sulphate-free cleansing haircare products, designed to protect coloured hair, and provide moisture to dry hair damaged through regular hair colouring. I, obviously, could not wait to get my hands on a bottle. This range has been created using a new care system for colour damaged hair, developed after decades of carefully conducted research – and this is the outcome!

There are nine different products in the Loreal Paris Hair Expertise Everpure range (Wow, that’s a mouthful!), but these are the three basics, available in both shampoo and conditioner:

-       Care & Moisture

-       Care & Smoothing

-       Care & Volume

There is also a selection of heat protection sprays and hair masks to indulge in!

I decided to opt for the care & moisture shampoo (I wanted to test it out before purchasing the conditioner aswell), as I’m a sucker for anything that gives me glossy, super-soft locks.

Each product has essential rosemary and juniper botanical oils in it, which have been added to ‘energise the senses’, as well as giving it a unique and vibrant fragrance.

I love the sleek, metallic bottle as I think it compliments the purety of the formula and the fact that it includes a revolutionary new colour care system, and it most definitely stands out on the shelf amoungst other Loreal products.

It comes in a general 250ml sized bottle, and comes clearly labelled highlighting the ingredients that ensure that the shampoo protects colour weakened hair.

 Just to clarify, I am aware that this product is swatched quite heavily, I got a bit distracted! I was really excited to try this product, and it did not disappoint! The only way I can describe the scent, is that it smells like a hair salon. That may sound odd, but the products that hairdressers use on you in professional salons have a certain professional/industrial scent to them, and this is no exception.  It is also designed to generate a high-foaming lather, meaning that you only need a small amount during application – so 250ml really goes a long way!

As soon as I applied it in the shower, I noticed one thing … the dye wasn’t running! Usually my shower looks like the shower scene from Psycho, but the water ran clear and my hair stayed just as vibrant!

Afterwards my hair felt soft, looked glossy and generally well looked after. My hair is really thin, so i'm really selectve with the products I use as i'm afraid they'll be too heavy and cause my hair to look greasy, but this was just enough to keep it gorgeously smooth and regain that 'fresh-out-of-the-salon' feel.

I cannot recommend this product enough for anyone who has coloured hair. For someone that has to colour their hair once a month due to it fading and becoming dull, this actually elongates the colour and re-dying wasn’t needed for another two weeks afterwards – I’m not so great at maths, but it’s pretty obvious that it saves you money! The shampoo retails for £5.99, which is excellent value for what it provides. 

It's not just about dying your hair a pretty colour and waiting for your roots to need re-doing, it's about the appropriate aftercare - and this new range is perfect.

You can purchase any of the products in the L'Oreal Paris Hair Expertise Everpure range at your local chemist, Boots, Superdrug or supermarket.

**On a more personal note, Sophie-Says has been shortlisted for the 'Newcomer Blog Award' sponsered by Next - part of this years Cosmopolitan Awards. There will be updates as soon as the voting goes live, but thank you so much!**