Review || Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair with Liquid Keratin

Having coloured hair can really damage the condition of your hair. My hair is blonde and although I try to avoid using bleach, it still can become dry and brittle. Leave-in conditioners are a great way to help combat these hair emergencies and leave your hair looking and feeling great. Recently my hair has been in relatively good condition but with the colder and windier weather becoming the norm, and with the rise of central heating, my hair has been feeling noticeably dryer.

Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair with Liquid Keratin is a 200ml spray bottle filled with hair goodness to help target and repair damaged areas on the surface and deep inside the hair leaving it feeling smooth, silky and a with boost of shine. Personally, I think the packaging for this product is quite funky (yes, funky) as it's got pearlessent labelling. This spray contains Keratin, (which we must all know by now is the hairs structural protein) and contains liquid elements of silk for a smooth and shiny finish. Before using this product you have to shake it in order for solution mix together because it separates when left upright.

To use this product I apply a few sprays onto my wet hair after brushing it through and then blowdry. If my hair is particularly dry, I might spray it a few times after blow drying, and I must say, I do find there is a noticeable difference in the condition of my hair after using it. My hair feels a lot softer and smoother and is less likely to get knotty throughout the day, which means it's much easier to brush. I like this product, but I don't LOVE this product. It's good but it's not "OMG THIS IS AMAZING!", but my hair was never super dry to begin with. I would be quite interested to know how this product works on really brittle and dry hair as it's advertised.


My Hair after using Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair with Liquid Keratin. Hair blow dried only.



Have you got really dry, brittle hair? Would you use this product? What's your favourite leave-in conditioner?

Summer Hair Products: Holiday Edition

With 4 days left until I set off on my first holiday in two years, I've started to think about what toiletries I need to take with me. I've had most of these products for a while as I'm very enthusiastic about my holiday and I just thought I would show what hair products I'm taking with me.

First up I have Head & Shoulders Classic Clean Anti-Dandruff Shampoo. I use this shampoo on a semi-regular basis. My scalp is quite sensitive so I do suffer with some dandruff but I mainly use this shampoo because it is such a good cleansing shampoo. It leaves my hair so clean and free from any other hair products like dry shampoo or hairspray. It also makes my coloured hair super shiny. I've decided to take this shampoo with me in case I burn my scalp and to cleanse my hair of chlorine and sea salt.

Next, I have the John Frieda Sheer Blonder Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo. I have been using this shampoo on and off but haven't noticed much of a difference in my hair. It is a great shampoo and leaves my hair shiny and feeling lovely but other than that, there has been no difference to blondeness of my hair. So why am I taking it with me on holiday? You might be asking. Well as the sun is a natural hair lightener, I thought it would make sense to take this shampoo to help lighten my hair.

For a conditioner I have the Aussie Beach Mate Conditioner. I still haven't tried this product before but it's meant to be great at saving your locks from the ravages of sandy, salty beaches with the help of Australian macadamia nut oil. I can't wait to use this conditioner as I love the Aussie conditioners.

For a hair serum I have the Charles Worthington Salon At Home Sleek and Smooth Serum. I wrote a review for this product recently and you can read it here.

Lastly, I have the Charles Worthington Salon At Home Salt Spray. As you may know, beach waves are so in fashion this summer and salt sprays are a really easy way to get the look without using heat. I'm taking this styling product on holiday so I can get a lovely hair look without damaging my hair by exposing it to more heat after being out in the sun all day.

July Favourites

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Review: Charles Worthington Salon At Home Straight & Smooth Serum

Recently, I've found myself caring a lot more about the state of my hair. I usually don't buy or use a lot of products for my hair other than shampoo and conditioner but I've decided I want to take better care of my hair and take more time styling it.

First things first, the condition of my hair isn't too bad. My hair is quite long and colour treated. I do suffer with occasional outbreaks of split ends (who doesn't, eh?) but I don't think it massively effects the condition or look of my hair, and of course I will chop them off if they do start to effect it. My hair is naturally straight and cut with layers, which can cause my hair to look a bit frizzy after a quick blow dry. I usually run my GHD's through the ends to flatten the frizz. I do find that my hair can be quite knotty but my Tangle Teezer (Review Here) is pretty good at taming the knots but they frequently reform throughout the day. Shamefully, I don't use any heat protection or deep treatments and didn't use any serums until now (I know, what kind of beauty blogger am I?).

First impressions of the Charles Worthington Salon At Home Straight & Smooth Serum is that the tube is pretty small with only 50ml of product inside. The packaging is quite sleek and professional looking, which makes sense as this serum is part of the Charles Worthington Salon At Home range. The paraben free serum is clear and a thick liquid that comes out of a pump at the top of the tube. It's described as a "multi-action serum that tames and protects unruly hair for long lasting control, a glossy finish and a sleek shine. It works to tame flyaways and calm frizz, leaving hair silky and lustrous". I have found that one pump of this serum is enough to apply to the ends of my hair. The texture of this product is thick and sticky at first but after running it through my hands, it turns into more of a silky oil. I quite like the texture and it applies nicely to my hair.

Since using this serum, I have definitely noticed a difference in my hair. It seems to be getting less knotty and holds a nice shine. I agree that it has improved the frizziness of my hair but I still find myself running my GHD's through the ends of my hair, more out of habit I think, but it does keep my hair straighter for longer. I have found that this serum appears to have improved the condition of my hair. It just seems to look healthier. I'm really glad I picked up this serum from Boots for £5.99, which I don't this is a bad price considering the size and how much I like this product. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone with a similar hair type to me.

Have you used any products from the Charles Worthington Salon At Home range? What do you think of them?

Beauty Haul: Victoria Secret, Boots and Selfridges

It's been a while since I've had a proper beauty haul so I think it was about time I updated my collection with some new pieces. I went for a trip up to London and visited some of my favourite stores to pick up some new make up, hair and beauty products.

First, I popped into Victoria Secret, more for a peruse than for anything specific and found these gorgeous body mists from their Pink collection. I bought the Pretty & Pure scent which is jasmine and pink lemonade and is a really fresh scent and great for the summer. I also bought the Sweet & Flirty scent which is sugar berry and pink grapefruit and is a fresh and fruity scent. I can't choose which is my favourite because they both smell amazing. Their scents aren't too strong which is perfect for warmer weather and they are actually quite refreshing when you spritz them onto your skin.

Next, I popped into my favourite shop ... Boots. Here I bought quite a lot of hair care products starting which the John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo. I wanted to try this out to see if it would really brighten my hair, as I am blonde already but I would love it if it could help my blonde hair be more blonde. I also picked up the Charles Worthington Style Setter Salt Spray which is part of their Salon At Home range. I decided to get this as I thought it would be great to have with me on my holiday for a more natural styling. I also got the Soap & Glory Shower Puff which I love as it is double the size of my regular shower puff. I can't wait to use this because I think it'll be really foamy and soapy. Also from the Charles Worthing Salon At Home range, I got the Sleek and Smooth Serum as my previous smoothing serum ran out and I thought I would try this one out. I also bought the L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray as I had used up my old can. The last hair care product I got is the Aussie Beach Mate Conditioner which is meant to be a great holiday conditioner as it helps cleanse and protect your hair from the dullness that it can pick up from the sand, sea salt and chlorine. I bought this specifically for my holiday and can't wait to use it.

Also in Boots, I bought a small handful of make up goodies. Starting with the Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow in the colours Permanent Taupe, which is a matt taupe colour and Pink Gold which is a pale pink colour with gold shimmer. I also got one of the most raved about make up products the Apocalips Lip Lacquer in the colour Steller which is a hot pink colour. I also got another of the Revlon Lip Butters in Tutti Frutti. I originally wanted the shade juicy papaya but they were all sold out so I got the closest looking shade. I picked up another tube of my most favourite concealer which is the Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer in the shade Fair. You can see a short post where I reviewed this product here. I also picked up the Barry M Limited Edition Nail Paint in a bright yellow colour. I'm a massive fan of the Barry M nail paints so I definitely had to pick up this limited edition colour. Next, is the Bourjois Colour Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick in the colour Peach On The Beach, which as it says in the title is a gorgeous peach colour. I can't wait to try it out because I have heard so many great reviews on these lipsticks!

Next, I popped into Selfridges and picked up my most favourite moisturiser/primer (it isn't advertised as a primer but it might as well be!) the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel which is actually part of one of their 3-step systems. Because of that, I got the Liquid Facial Soap and Clarifying Lotion sample sizes free with my purchase. I don't actually like these two products. I find their toners too high in alcohol and I'm not a fan of their facial soap, so I'm not sure what I'll do with these.

Also in Selfridges, I magically found myself in front of the Nars counter and picked up their blush in the shade Deep Throat, which is a pinky shade with slight shimmer and their lip gloss in Chihuahua which is a gorgeous nudey pink shade. I also picked up two Mac lipsticks. The first is the Amplified Creme Lipstick in Girl About Town which is a deep pink colour with slight hint of purple. The second is a Matt Lipstick in Lady Danger which is a orangey red colour.

And that comes to the end of my beauty haul. I hope you enjoyed seeing everything I bought. There will be A LOT of reviews coming your way soon on most of the products in this haul so keep your eyes peeled.

Tangle Teezer Review

No matter how much conditioner and hair treatments I use when washing my hair, I'm always having to fight with nasty knots afterwards! Originally I put it down to the condition of my hair but after using a really intensive hair mask and still battling with the brush, I knew that it was down to something else. Prior to this I had read a few reviews about how great the Tangle Teezer is. In case you don't know, the Tangle Teezer is a hand held hair brush that "Glides through wet, vulnerable and colour treated hair with no pulling, tugging or yanking." and come in all different styles and colours.

I was a little sceptical about how well the brush would work on my knotty hair but it glided through like a treat. This little beauty did exactly what it said on the tin, it didn't pull, tug or yank at my hair. All it did was leave my hair knot free, looking and feeling great. It reduced my hair regime time by 10 minutes which is really handy on them cold, rainy mornings when all I want is an extra 10 minutes in bed.

I would recommend this cute little thing to anyone that is trying to win the war against knots. It is truly the perfect hair tool! You can pick the Tangle Teezer up from Boots for £10.99, which may sound a little steep for a hair brush but it is absolutely worth it.



Review: LUSH American Cream Conditioner

For Christmas I managed to bag myself a 500g bottle of the LUSH American Cream conditioner. I tried out this hair product early last year and loved it but found that the more realistic sizes were well out of my price range for a hair conditioner. American Cream is described as being a vanilla strawberry milkshake as its thick and creamy and it smells so delicious! The vanilla smell of the conditioner really lingers in my hair for a while which I much prefer compared to coconut scented conditioners. It's also described as a double strength conditioner which I don't quite believe as I have to used quite a lot to get to my desired hair softness, and even then it still isn't getting rid of my tangles. I do love that it's really thick and when I first apply it to my hair it feel luxurious. Thankfully, even though it's a thick conditioner it doesn't leave my hair feeling flat or weighed down so I keep my volume. For me, there seems to be an even number of pros and cons for this product, but overall I do love this conditioner but as it's quite pricey I probably won't find myself buying it again.

 

A Bit Of What's To Come...

L'Oreal Infallible Lasting Perfecting Foundation

If you follow me on Twitter you would have seen how excited I was about Superdrug's 3 for 2 deal on makeup and lashes. I decided to buy a new foundation as my last one was getting a little too dark and orangey for my pale, pale complexion! Expect a review soon to see what I think.

 



MUA Undressed Eyeshadow Palette

Finally I've managed to get my hands on MUA's Undressed Palette! I've been wanting to get this eyeshadow palette for months but found that it was out of stock everywhere I went (I don't like buying makeup online). I haven't used it yet but I'm really excited to try out all the shades.

 



Naturelle Aura Cherry Almond Revitalising Conditioner

It wouldn't surprise me is you've never heard of this brand because I certainly haven't. I was given this conditioner by a friend who loves the smell, and I have to say, she was right because it smells de-lish! It's also all natural ingredients and not tested on animals (my friend is really big on this). I really look forward to trying this out as I'm currently using the Aussie Conditioner.

 



V05 Smoothly Does It Frizz Free Cream with Heat Defence

Again, if you follow me on Twitter you would have seen my excitement about getting this as a freebie in the current Cosmopolitan magazine. I've used it a couple of times and really look forward to writing a review!

 



Aussie Miracle Moist Conditioner

I've heard so many good things about the Aussie haircare range from friends and fellow bloggers. I decided to get the travel size bottle so I could try it out, so I didn't have to worry about buying the full size and then hating it. Thankfully I love this product and will most definitely be buy the full size after using the Naturelle Aura Conditioner.

 



Simple Kind To Skin Vital Vitamin Night Cream

Now, I've done enough posts on here raving out the Simple skincare range so this won't come as a surprise to many of you when you see that I've bought their night cream. This is my first ever night cream and I am looking so forward to reviewing this product for all of you.

 



Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express

Mascaras are one of them things that I buy even when my latest tube is used up. I have around a million and one different mascaras and will be comparing them all in a review post some time this

month.

 

 



Toni&Guy Smoothing Detangler 30 Second Review

My hair always gets knotty in the colder months so I purchased this Toni&Guy Detangling serum. Its described as helping tame frizz and flyaways for smoother, more managable hair. This product isnt a cream, or a water or anything that I could describe sensibly. It's like a liquid gel. weird.
Anyway, I apply a small amount to my wet hair and comb it through my hair with my fingers. It definitely makes it easier for me to comb through my hair and my hair does look lovely once it's dry. Im going to use this product a little more to decide whether its going to be something that im going to repurchase it.

Do you use any detangling sprays? What ones?

Product I Regret Buying #2 ...

After bleaching my hair about a million times all my natural shine had disappeared. My hair looked so dull and all I wanted was a bit of shine. A friend of mine has the same problem so she bought Phil Smith Mirror Shine Spray. She said she liked it but found that the spray gave her headaches after using it so she gave it to me to test out. Thankfully after using it I didn't suffer with any headaches but it left my hair looking really greasy! There was no shine, just a wet clumpy look which I really didn't want. I haven't tried many shine sprays so I'm not sure what they're meant to look like but I really didn't like this one. I've also never tried anything by Phil Smith so I wouldn't write the entire brand off.

Have you tried any Shine Sprays? What do you think?

September Favourites

Welcome to my September Favourites!

CK One Shock For Her - This travel safe perfume has made it into my September favourites this month because it smells delicious and it fits perfectly into my bag and I don't have to worry about carrying a heavy glass bottle. If you ask me, it's a great invention!
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel - I got this moisturiser as part of a set along with a cleanser and toner. I don't use the cleanser or toner much but I love this moisturiser as its not too thick and is quite refreshing. It's also really good for oily t-zones.
Barry M Base Coat, Top Coat and Nail Hardener - I get through base and top coats like nobodies business and even though its really annoying, it means that I get to try lots of different ones. As you may know, I am truly in love with Barry M so I thought I'd give this polish a go. Its great because its quick drying and really helps harden my nails!
Natural Collection Lipstick in Pink Mallow - I loved this lipstick last month. Its a really natural pink and really moisturising!
Umberto Giannini Intense Beauty Conditioner - Last month I managed to run out of all my conditioners all at once and was left with this Umberto Giannini Conditioner that I got in a pack for my birthday. I was surprisingly happy with the results and even though it's a very small bottle it lasted me until I got my new conditioner.
River Island Rose Gold Heart Ring - I have been wearing this ring a lot last month and I am loving it. Its quite small and simple but that's what I love about it.
Bourjois Paris Eyeshadow in 08 - Another favourite is this beautiful eyeshadow which I use as a highlighter. Its a beautiful colour and I am loving it.
New Look Studded Dolly Shoes - I have been wearing these shoes a lot this month. I haven't had them for very long but I tried to make the most of them whilst the weather was relatively warm.

I hope you've enjoyed my first Month Favourites. I would love to see yours so leave a link to you post so I can check it out!

Jenna x

Review: James Brown London Conditioner

Recently, I ran out all my hair conditioners all at once and wasn't sure if I should repurchase my favourites or try something new. I tweeted asking my followers for a great hair conditioner that's not too pricey. A fellow blogger (www.e-ddoesit.com) and tweeter (@emmaddoesit) recommended a conditioner by James Brown London. She claimed that is was a great conditioner and wasn't too heavy on her hair.

The next day I visited my local boots and snapped up the James Brown London Richly Moisturising Conditioner for Dry Hair for around £6. I felt a little reluctant at first that it wouldn't be a good as my Lush American Cream but I was pleasantly surprised at how similar it was. The consistency of the conditioner is thick but not too thick that its sticky, as I have found with other conditioners. I don't need a lot of product because it spreads nicely through the ends of my hair. It rinses out easily and leaves my hair feeling smooth and detangled whilst in the shower. Once out of the shower, I have to admit that my hair still felt a little knotted but I'm unsure if that's because of the product, my towel turban or my formally bleached ends. After blow drying my hair, I found the product has increased shine and decreased any fluffiness or sticky-out ends. Also, not only is the product great, it comes in a large 250ml tube so you can squeeze out every inch of conditioner.

All in all, I'm really pleased that Emma recommended this product because I love trying new things, especially when they are worth the money.

What's your favourite conditioner?

Jenna x

Lush New Shampoo Bar Review

The relationship I have with my hair is a strained one. Most of the time it doesn't do what I want it to do and my scalp screamed back with pain back when I used to bleach it. So I hate it, and it hates me. Until ...!

Around about July time I was walking through town with a friend and we walked passed Lush and of course the amazing aroma's emitting from the store enticed me in. After looking around the shop and all the amazing colours, shapes and smells, I came across the New Shampoo Bar and remembered a friend recommending it to me a few weeks earlier. I excitedly purchased the shampoo and pretty much rushed home to my shower to try it out.

New Shampoo Bar helps promote hair growth, making your hair grow faster and thicker, and creates a lovely, healthy looking shine. Before using this product my hair with dull from bleaching and had a really unhealthy look and I was a bit apprehensive about the bar. Would it create a good enough lather? Would it really be the secret to rapid and healthy hair growth?...

...Yes, is the answer to both of these questions. It lathered up beautifully and left my hair feeling squeaky clean and after just over a month of using this shampoo bar I noticed my hair didn't just look healthy, it WAS healthy and I noticed a big increase of the length and thickness of my hair.

The above picture shows what my bar looks like now. When purchasing it, it was much thicker. I am really pleased with the amount of usage I've got out of the bar. I really love this shampoo and its done absolute wonders for my hair! I would recommend this product ten times over and I am most definitely repurchasing!

Have you used Lush's New Shampoo Bar? Tell me what you think.

Jenna x