Batiste 2 in 1 Shampoo & Conditioner*

Whilst there's nothing I love more than the feeling of clean & styled hair, I'm the laziest person ever when it comes actually washing my locks. So - like many girls - I find myself reaching for dry shampoo on a regular basis in an attempt to keep up the appearance of clean hair for as long as possible.

When it comes to dry shampoo Batiste is my go-to brand - so when I spotted the new "Invisible dry shampoo & conditioner" in my local Superdrug, I knew this was a product I simply needed to try.

Similar to regular dry shampoo, the new 2 in 1 product aims to banish oily roots whilst also working to nourish ends to reduce dryness... Perfect for someone like me, who finds their hair tends to get dry rather than greasy (thanks bleach!).

I decided to put this product to the test one evening before heading out for drinks (being far too lazy to actually wash my hair..). I followed the instructions by simply spraying & massaging onto my roots before misting over mid-lengths & ends - then brushing/styling as usual.

The first thing I instantly noticed was that there was no "chalky" feel to my hair that comes with regular dry shampoo (something I personally hate). There was also no white/powdery residue left on my roots, leading me to believe that this product really does live up to it's "invisible" name. I also noticed that - whilst the excess oil on my hair was absorbed pretty quickly - it took a little longer for the "conditioning" effect to kick in. With the ends of my hair feeling noticeably softer around an hour after use (something to remember whilst getting ready).

When it comes to price the 2 in 1 is a little more expensive than your regular Batiste Dry Shampoo (retailing at £4.49 compared to £2.99) so I'd say that if you find your hair is more on the greasy side, it's probably worth sticking to the original. However if - like me - you tend to suffer with dry hair between washes (or happen to also hate the chalky feel) then I'd definitely recommend giving this a try for yourself!

For more information around the different Dry Shampoos currently available on the market, be sure to check out Reviews.com and their detailed research into the best products currently available.

What's your favourite Dry Shampoo?
I'd love to know in the comments 

xxx

Umberto Giannini Dazzle Shine

As my interest in beauty has grown over the years one of the key things I've learnt is the importance of hair care.. especially as someone with relativity long & bleached hair.  So when I was recently lucky enough to be gifted a trio of goodies from the Umberto Giannini  "Dazzle Shine" collection, I couldn't wait to put them to the test.

As you can see above, the trio comes with everything needed for a little hair-pamper time. This includes; the Shine Revive Shampoo - which promises to improve anti-static, cleanse & detangle - the Shine Repair Conditioner used to rebuild damaged hair & the Crystal Shine Spray used on dry, styled hair for a "salon professional" finish.

I've used each of these products a few times now & have to say I've been very impressed. My hair has been left feeling soft & nourished without feeling at all heavy or weighed down (an unfortunate side effect of some slightly heavier products). I now can't wait to get my hands on other products from the Umberto Giannini range & see if they live up to my expectations.

Have you tried any products from Umberto Giannini?
I'd love to know your favourites below. 

xxx

June's Birchbox | Paradise Found

If there's one thing that makes me happy, it's new beauty products. So finding the latest Birchbox waiting for me is always the best way to brighten a particularly busy at work. June's Birchbox - Paradise Found - is the perfect summer treat, even if we haven't seen much sun here in the U.K.

Contents:
Absolution Le Nettoyant Purete Cleanser - £26.00 [x]

Percy & Reed Hairspray - £12.00 [x]

James Read Overnight Tan - £25.00 [x]

Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliner - £12.00 [x]

Philip Kingsley Body Building Conditioner - £12.00 [x]

With a combination of hair & beauty product I instantly fell in love with the contents of this months Birchbox. I'm particularly excited to test the Eyeko liquid eyeliner & the Philip Kinglsey conditioner. As someone who hasn't quite mastered the cat-eye look & has bleached hair, these products could be the answer to my prayers. I also love the adorable packaging on the Percy & Reed hairspray which has already found a home in my handbag for day-to-day use. 

Have you tried any of the above products? 

If so, what are your thoughts? 

xxx

Tips For Healthy Hair...

For as long as I can remember my hair has always been a sort of comfort to me & to this day I often find myself either twisting sections of my hair when nervous or absent mindedly styling it whilst day-dreaming.

I'm pretty happy with my current hair style/length, however as you can see from the photos below.. September 2014 was not a good hair time for me. Two weeks prior to my graduation my hair was a good 3 inches longer than shown. I skipped off to a local hairdressers for a trim ready for the big day & left a few hours later with some sort of disaster cut & ready to burst into tears - which I did as soon as I got home. (I promise it looked a lot worse than in the photo below).

Skip forward to the present day & I am happy to say that it has pretty much grown back to it's full length again.. yay!

Left: September 2014 .. Right June 2015

So.. as the title of this post suggests, I thought I'd put together a few of my favourite haircare tips.

1) Heat - We all know that heat isn't good for our hair.. it can cause both damage and dryness. Personally I only tend to use heat on my hair if I want to make a little more effort with my look - think nights out or special meals. 

2) Heat protection - If you do chose to use heat styling tools, a good heat protection spray is essential to avoid as much damage as possible. 

3) Moisture - Condition, condition, condition! This is especially important if - like me - you colour your hair. I find that the ends of my hair can get pretty dry (thanks a lot bleach!) so as well as my usual conditioner I also use a deep conditioning mask roughly once a week. 

4) Water - Admittedly I don't know the ins & outs of nutrition and haircare/growth.. however drinking plenty of water seems like a logical step in hair care.. (how can you expect to have luscious, healthy locks without keeping your body hydrated?).

5) Regular hair cuts - As much as cutting your hair goes against every instinct when growing it out, the only real way to remove split ends is to cut them off. I personally try & visit the hair dressers every 8 weeks just to tidy up the ends to keep it healthy. 

These are the steps I tend to follow to encourage my hair to grow & to generally keep it healthy. I'll admit that - although unhealthy - there are a few bad habits that I do follow.. for example I do bleach my hair & sometimes I'll forget to book regular hair appointments *looks guiltily over at my calendar*.

However hopefully at some of these tips may help anyone looking to take better care of/grow out their hair. 

What are your favourite haircare tips?

xxx

*Disclaimer: I feel I should point out that I am in no way a hair expert - these are things that I've found work for me personally.. (Just in case any of those Moaning Myrtles take a read of my post).*