Dry Shampoo is something that I literally cannot imagine my life without. How did I ever live before it existed? I have no clue! I love it for so many reasons, those of which I will briefly share with you in this post. For so long I have used Batiste Dry Shampoo and I have occasionally strayed from it to try out other products, but I have always been disappointed and gone straight back to using my trusty Batiste.

UNTIL NOW!

I only usually pick up Batiste Dry Shampoo when it's on offer, because I go through it so fast that I hardly find it worth buying at full price. I tend to hoard it when it's on 3 for 2 or half price to keep my stock up. Last time I went into Boots, none of the Batiste varieties were on offer and then I saw Boots own version 2 for £3 which is amazing value. It took me a while to convince myself to try it (creature of habit) because usually when I stray too far from Batiste I wind up going straight back to it but I gave boots the benefit of the doubt. 

Boy am I glad I did! 

The two I chose were Original and Paradise Island. Let's talk about the scent first because we all know how important that is for me. I picked Paradise Island because it sounded summery and I wondered if it would have a coconut scent similar to the Batiste Tropical scent, and Original was a safe option in case I didn't like Paradise Island. What has surprised me the most is that I've loved the original scent sooooo much that I've barely used Paradise Island. The Original Dry Shampoo makes me think of Summer Holidays and the lovely coconut scents that come with them. It honestly smells out of this world and it really lingers so I can smell it all the time - this obviously makes me very happy. Paradise Island does still have a hint of coconut but it's more fruity than the Original.

Now the important part is over (hahaha) lets get down to the more serious part of the review.

I have actually found that the Boots Dry Shampoo distributes better than Batiste. I didn't know this could be possible if I'm honest. Do you ever have the experience when something satisfies your needs so much that you can't imagine anything to be better? Well this just is! I'm not in any way slating Batiste Dry Shampoo because it really is amazing stuff but the Boots version just takes it that bit further for me. Sometimes when I'm getting to the bottom of a bottle of Batiste I can find that it no longer sprays any powder on to my hair and therefore loses it's effectiveness which disappoints me. The boots version literally keeps on giving right until it's very last spray and I don't find I have to shake the can as vigorously as Batiste. It distributes perfectly and is really easy to rub in.

If you follow my blog and social media you'll know that recently I have gone silver blonde and I've been experimenting with pastel colours. Anyone who has done/is doing the same will know that washing your hair too often is killer. For the condition of your hair and for maintaining the colour. Now this might gross some people out, but since making the switch to Boots Dry Shampoo I have literally only been washing my hair once a week. This means I can maintain my pastel colours for longer and also keep my hair in tip top condition after having it bleached numerous times. Some of you might be thinking "how on earth can you go a week without washing your hair, it must feel horrible and greasy" but I promise you it doesn't at all. I can't stand my hair feeling greasy, but a few sprays of this to my hair gives it that just washed fresh feeling for another few days without having to reapply it. It really is a wonderful bargain product and I am now completely converted. No excessive build up, no grease in sight, no problems shaking it up, a lovely coconutty scent in your hair = sheer perfection. What is not to love? Seriously!

I still love Batiste Dry Shampoo and if it's on offer I will definitely pick it up, but when a 200ml bottle of Batiste is £3.99 for one and I can pick these up at 2 for £3 it goes without saying which one I am going to choose. If you're anything like me and can't live without Dry Shampoo then I absolutely urge you to try these because they're such good value for money and the quality is higher than its pricier competitors. Share the love for Boots and try their Dry Shampoo and please let me know what you think if you do.

I hope this post has been helpful. I dared to try a product out of my comfort zone and it paid off so I'm encouraging you to do the same. Try something new!

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During April I used up three particular products that I'm very sad to see the last of. There's a great satisfaction that comes with using the last of a product and removing a bottle from my ever filling drawers (only to be replaced by another most likely). However, there is less satisfaction with these three because I've really enjoyed using them all and may find myself repurchasing them again in the future.

Osmo Deep Moisture Shampoo

I was bought one of these monstrously large bottles of Osmo deep moisture shampoo a few years ago now and I got absolutely sucked into it. In fact, I got that sucked into it that I bought another one when I eventually ran out. Firstly let's mention the scent because we know how much my nose plays a part in practically everything! Would you think I was crazy if I said it smelled like fizzy pineapples? Because quite frankly thats what it reminds me of, sweet fizzy pineapples. Just amazing! On a more serious and practical note, this shampoo truly delivers. It leaves my hair feeling lovely and clean without stripping too much moisture and once dried there's not a speck of frizz in sight. I find this is a really good all rounder and the large bottles are such great value they will last you a long time.

Osmo Wonder 10 leave in treatment

I honestly don't use that many Osmo products so it's a strange coincidence that I have used two up around the same time. I find the wonder 10 leave in treatment very similar to It's a 10 miracle leave in product particularly with the 10 claims it makes. At around £12 it's a similar price to It's a 10 but I find it much easier to get my hands on in the UK. I can't confidently say that it meets all ten of it's claims but what I can say is that it leaves my hair much more manageable and protected from heat. I find my hair is a lot shinier, softer and generally easier to manage when I've used this. It's a great detangler so it makes getting a comb through your wet hair a breeze. It must have worked wonders for my hair because since running out and using a drugstore alternative I've felt quite disappointed. This is one I am definitely going to consider repurchasing as well as more Osmo products because I have been very pleased with those I've tried so far.

Caudalie Grape Water

This is a product that was sat in my basket on my beauty drawers for a long time unnoticed, because in all honesty I wasn't entirely sure what to do with it. I'm personally not a fan of spritzing my face so that threw that idea out of the window. In the last few months I started using this in a morning just to freshen up my face and remove any product left on my face from the previous night as a pose to fully cleansing my face again (some people might find this gross, but personally I don't feel the need to fully cleanse my face again in a morning). I simply sprayed a bit onto a cotton pad and swiped it around my face to freshen up. It left my skin feeling cleaner, fresher and ready to apply my day moisturiser and makeup. I can't say it performed miracles but I think it definitely had a calming effect on my skin and now I feel quite lost without it.

Let me know what products you're sad about using up recently or if you've tried any of these products and like them as much as I do. We'll see how I get on without them, but watch this space as you may see more of these. 

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Solid Shampoos and Conditioners are something that I've only briefly dabbled with in the past and I don't remember my experience with them being all together too pleasing. That being said, I'm always willing to give things a second chance. Since me and my partner are going travelling for a few months towards the end of the year, I've been looking at money saving, space saving, hand luggage friendly alternatives to my regular shampoo and conditioner. That is where the lush solid shampoo and conditioners come in.

I received these for my birthday in their lovely shiny new tins and I was eager to try them straight away. Does anyone else have that problem? The one where you can't resist to try a new product and then you wind up with about 10 different products open.... Yep, I'm guilty as charged for that one! 

The products I received were Honey I washed my Hair solid shampoo bar and Jungle solid Hair Conditioner. I am a little disappointed actually, that these products contain Sodium Lauryl Sulphate because it's something that I usually try to avoid, and with Lush being 'fresh cosmetics' I would expect a healthier alternative from them but hey ho. They do contain a lot more natural ingredients and essential oils than the majority of other shampoos I use so I suppose I can relax a little with the sulphates but I do prefer my products to be without them.

Honey I washed my Hair

I have to bee honest (see what I did there), the sweet citrusy, toffee scent of Honey I washed my Hair is absolutely delicious and it has succeeded in making my bathroom smell heavenly. Just thought I'd get the most important aspects out there first haha! Anyway, lets talk about the effectiveness. Firstly the lathering power is second to none. It literally only takes a few strokes down either side of your hair with the shampoo bar and you'll have enough product to lather all of your hair. The perk here is that this product is clearly going to last a long long time since so little product is needed per wash. Again, it's slightly disappointing to know that the lather is coming from sulphates which can strip moisture from your hair but we'll let it slide. After shampooing and rinsing, my hair felt really really clean. Sometimes if a shampoo isn't too effective then I'll shampoo twice to make sure my hair is clean, but once was plenty on this occasion. Unfortunately what comes with sulphates and super cleansing power is that squeaky clean feeling that I'm not so fond of because I'm afraid that it's stripping natural oils from my hair. Having said that, it didn't leave my hair in a tangled mess which is usually the result of too much stripping so I wasn't completely put off.

Overall I was quite pleased with Honey I washed my Hair, mainly because it left my hair smelling amazing but also because it felt like any product build up was removed with so little effort.

Jungle Solid Conditioner

Jungle solid conditioner is jam packed with plenty of fruits and essential oils which really filled me with confidence and fruity joy that I was using natural moisturisers as a pose to chemicals and synthetics. Again, the sulphates disappoint me somewhat but the addition of banana, avocado, kumquat, passion fruit, figs and plenty of natural oils sort of swayed me. Initially the solid conditioner seemed a very strange concept to me, but I quickly realised how much easier and faster it made my hair washing time. All you need to do is rub the bar in your hands a few times to collect some product, before running your fingers through the ends of your hair. Avoid your roots at all costs! I've read so many reviews that slate these product for leaving hair sticky, greasy or generally feeling unclean and I can imagine that in most cases, too much product has been used. Less really is more with this conditioner and although the lack of slippy slidey hair is a little confusing, believe me when I say that you'll get the best results by applying sparingly. I admit that upon application I wasn't convinced this was moisturising my hair much at all. However, after letting myself get wrapped up in the lovely scent for a while whilst going about my other shower duties I found that my comb was very easily gliding through my hair whilst rinsing off the conditioner. Success!

This leaves me with the question... does a slippy slidey conditioner mean it's effective? Or does it simply demonstrate the ability of silicones in the product? I'm not an expert, so I can't particularly answer my own question with a scientific answer. What I do know is that despite the lack of smooth, slippery properties, the Jungle solid conditioner really did give my hair enough moisture to match other conditioners I have used.

Will I be converted to solid shampoo and conditioners for my travels?

Yes, I absolutely will. Knowing that while I travel I'll be in humid conditions and soaking my hair with salt water - hopefully on a regular basis (sorry hair) I think these products will be perfect for keeping my hair in tip top condition. I'm confident that Honey I washed my Hair will be more than effective at removing any salt, product buildup, grease and general grime from my hair whilst Jungle solid conditioner will add the much needed moisture that I will be losing from hours in the sun and sea. Not only will using the solid shampoo and conditioner allow me to travel with them in hand luggage, they will save me so much space without any worries of spilled product amongst my other belongings. I think these are a fantastic idea for anyone wanting to travel with hand luggage only, or even if you have limited space in your case/bag.

As a matter of fact, I was that pleased with the cleanliness and volume I achieved from using these products that I have continued to use them since. Not only are they attractive for travellers they are also attractive for regular use at home (with the added perk of making your bathroom smell wonderful).

Have you tried any of the Solid Shampoos and Conditioners from Lush? If so, which are your favourites? There may also be other brands that I'm unaware of making solid shampoos and conditioners and if any of those are sulphate free then I need to know!

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Going from Brunette to Blonde isn't easy and I've been mentioning for a while now that I wanted to go much lighter with my hair so that I can get more creative with hair colours. Although I already had quite a bit of blonde in it, it wasn't light enough to use pastel colours or get that real silvery tone which I love at the moment.

For such a long time I've coloured my own hair, and even gone as far as a DIY blonde job which in all honesty wasn't too much of a disaster. As I've grown older and wiser, I respect my hair and it's condition a lot more, and would never attempt to go as light as I have done previously at home. Some things just need to be left to the professionals. I won't lie, I'm terrified of other people going to town on my hair. I'm a do it yourself girl so it's hard for me to put my hair into another persons hands but I have been so lucky to find a hairdresser that puts up with my wild, lengthy requests and I trust her completely. If you are from Doncaster or surrounding areas then I can 100% recommened Cuts and Co, all the girls are always happy to help and I feel in very safe hands with my hairdresser Ruby.

You can see from my before and after shots below just how much lighter I have gone and this was all in one session.

I went into Cuts and Co at 9am and I didn't come out until about 4 o clock! I literally had an entire day of hair pampering. I knew it would be a lengthy process - luckily I had my mum on hand to bring me in some dinner because I was absolutely starving. So here's a break down of how my day looked;

1. I had my first round of bleach using Magibond which was left on for approximately 35 minutes. The bleach was hand painted on to give a lived in look to my roots. This left my hair with a fetching banana tone which is obviously quite normal for a first attempt.

2. I had all of the product washed off and my hair combed through.

3. Second round of bleach, focusing on darker areas, and covering the remaining hair last to lift as much of the brassy tones out as possible.

4. All of the product was once again washed out of my hair. 

5. An ash blonde toner was applied to the entire of my hair, to lift out yellow tones.

6. Hair was washed for a third time. (squeaky clean hair)

7. Finally a lavender toner was added to the entire of my hair to leave a lovely pinky purple tone.

9. I then had my hair trimmed, as it would have been a shame to cut out too much of that lovely colour and my hairdresser convinced me to keep it a bit longer.

10. Last but not least my hair was dried and styled to perfection, just how I like it.

Going from Brunette to Blonde could not have been achieved in one sitting, with such minimal damage without Magibond. For those that haven't yet heard of it, Magibond is a wonder product that is added to bleach and colour to help repair the bonds in your hair. This results in less damage during the bleaching session and also over time. It contains an ingredient called n-acetyl-l-cysteine that creates bonds within your hairs structure, keeping it strong and resistant to damage from bleach. I was dubious about how well it would work, but hearing other peoples success stories using products such as Olaplex that are very similar, I couldn't resist. I can honestly say that my hair is in absolutely great condition and I'm not losing as much of it when washing as I was previously. If you're looking at going considerably lighter but are terrified of causing too much damage to your hair then I urge you to find a salon that uses Magibond. It has worked wonders on my hair and has made it possible to achieve a look that I otherwise would have avoided.

Due to the way that my hair was lightened previous to this colour, it has made it slightly more difficult to get an even shade of blonde on my mid to ends. I am going back to the salon next week to have it freshened up and hopefully remove any stubborn brassy sections. Thankfully my hairdresser is very understanding of what I want to achieve, because quite frankly I am a pain in the ass when it comes to getting what I want with my hair. I have an idea of how I want it to look and luckily she has the patience to take me there.

Hopefully this time next Thursday I'll be prepped and ready to apply some lovely pastel shades and get more creative with my colour so watch this space. Follow my Instagram to keep up to date with my hair journey.

If you're thinking of going from Brunette to Blonde then just remember it can be a lengthy process, don't expect miracles in one bleaching sessions because it's not likely to happen that easily. Have patience and don't cause too much stress to your hair. A good hairdresser will give you the best advice.

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The product I am reviewing today is the Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes Shampoo. I've had some fashion of Blonde in my hair for quite a long time now so understandably I've tried the majority of violet toning shampoos on the market. I have my favourites (Fudge Clean Blonde Shampoo) along with some that do the job of toning but without the other lovely benefits of a good shampoo and this unfortunately is the latter.

If you're blonde you'll understand that it isn't the easiest of colours to keep looking fresh, bright and non brassy. If you think being blonde is an easy, lazy hair colour to go for then you are wrong. Unless you use the correct products and look after your blonde then you are going to become very dull and extremely brassy very quickly and that is not an attractive blonde to be. The good news is, with just a few simple switches in hair care products you can keep your blonde looking almost as good as the first day it was coloured. The most important one in my opinion is a violet toning shampoo. There are plenty out there and you don't need to pay a great deal of money to get a good one, but of course everyones hair needs are different and that is why I am sharing this one with you.

Unfortunately for me the Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes Shampoo just didn't tick all the boxes. It's one that I used a while back but couldn't really remember how impressed I was with it so I purchased it again recently to try and review. So lets start with the positives.

Pros

One thing I do like about this shampoo is that the violet pigment isn't too strong, meaning that it would be ok to use regularly without fear of your hair turning purple. I washed my hair and left this on for around 5/10 minutes whilst I got on with doing other things. I was quite wary about doing this as I wasn't sure how strong the colour would be, but I guess I wouldn't know if I didn't try and I wouldn't be here telling you that you're safe to leave it on for a little while.

Secondly I have to mention the scent of this shampoo. As with all Lee Stafford Products this smells amazing and it does lightly linger in your hair afterwards.

I wouldn't say this shampoo is particularly moisturising but it certainly didn't strip my hair of any moisture it already had. I hate when I use a shampoo that leaves my hair with that squeaky clean feeling that causes tangles and a matted mess and this one certainly did not do that at all. It left my hair quite manageable just after shampooing which I was slightly impressed with.

Now unfortunately for me, the pros end there. That's not to say this product wouldn't be suitable for you so please read on.

Cons

As with all shampoos I start off with a small amount on my hand (about the size of a 50p) and only use more if I need to. I rub my hands together first to start lathering the product before I apply it to my hair. When I put my 50p sized blob of Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes Shampoo onto my hand I thought it resembled blackcurrant jelly. Seriously it was wibble wobbling all over the place with its jelly like consistency and I was a bit dubious as to how well it would lather. I was quite disappointed as I must have had to use about the equivalent of four or five 50p pieces to get enough lather to feel that I was shampooing my hair effectively. This doesn't make the product cost effective at all, and I would rather spend a bit more money on a product that will last longer because I don't need to use as much. It isn't overly expensive at £6.99 for a 250ml bottle but when I can spend £9.95 on a 300ml shampoo that lasts me months and meets my needs better, I wouldn't bother.

I don't use a violet toning shampoo every time I wash my hair. I would say I use it 1 in every 3 washes just to keep on top of any brassiness. Usually when I have used a violet toning shampoo I can really tell the difference once I have washed and dried it. It leaves me with really white toned blonde sections in my hair and I can 100% tell the difference to before. With this shampoo, I couldn't really see much difference. No, there wasn't particularly any brassiness, but there wasn't any bright white blonde either. I guess this would be perfect for you if you weren't looking for such a dramatic effect but wanted to keep your blonde a little brighter, but for me it didn't impress me enough compared to other products I've used.

Once I'd dried my hair I wasn't blown away with how my hair looked. It was quite dull in comparison to what I'm used to and although it had quite a lot of texture it didn't feel as clean as usual.