Posts tagged shampoo
Review: John Frieda Highlight Activating Moisturising Shampoo and Conditioner
0The other day a friend commented on my hair – she asked if I’d had it dyed, saying it looked lighter and brighter. I thanked her and explained that no, I haven’t had my hair done for a very long time, but I had started using a new shampoo and conditioner that is designed to make my highlights stand out.
I’d been using John Frieda Highlight Activating Moisturising Shampoo and Highlight Activating Moisturising Conditioner (for Lighter Shades) for about a week when I had that lovely complement. The shampoo contains Jojoba oil, sunflower and white tea complex which help to bring out highlights for “maximum blonde impact”, and the moisturising formula adds shine without actually adding colour. The conditioner incorporates the sane blonde-enhancing ingredients while gently removing those residues that build up and dull the hair.
Looking at the photo what do you think I’m going to say about the packaging? If you’ve been reading Splodz Blogz for a long time you might remember I have featured John Frieda Go Blonder Shampoo and Conditioner, and I mentioned this then. It’s the labelling. The difference between the shampoo and conditioner packaging is so small that if you’ve got water in your face it’s very difficult to see which one is which. John Frieda have used different colours and I think I’ve just about remembered that blue is shampoo and green is conditioner (or is it the other way around), but ideally it should be much more obvious.
I do like this pair of products, they are nice to use and obviously work as I mentioned above. I have found, though, that the moisturising effect of these means by the evening my hair is looking flat and a little greasy. I have very fine hair and have to wash it daily, but if I’m out in the evening I am finding it necessary to refresh using dry shampoo (my favourite ever hair product!). I don’t mind that too much because I think my hair looks better in the daytime than it does with my normal choice or shampoo and conditioner, and I know my hair is very prone to looking lifeless, but it is a bit annoying that it doesn’t last 12 hours.
Disclaimer: I was sent some Shampoo and Conditioner to review. I have not been told what to say and have been no less honest as a result of receiving the product for free.
Dove Colour Radiance (Bzz Review)
0I am a BzzAgent and this is a Bzz Review…
As someone who colours her hair, I invited to take part in a new Bzz campaign for Dove Colour Radiance Shampoo and Conditioner. I was sent a bottle of each to try at home along with some samples and vouchers to share with friends.
I like Dove as a company, as a brand. They seem to have it right when making products for women, with a vision to help our self-esteem as well as look after our skin. These two products I was sent to test are designed to use on coloured hair to keep it vibrant.
Both shampoo and conditioner have been formulated to nourish and protect. They have UV filters in them which helps prevent your hair colour from fading.
I coloured my hair at home using an all-over foam colour (actually it’s the first time I’ve done it myself, I normally go to a salon to get it done) and have used this shampoo and conditioner daily since. That’s about 2/3 weeks ago now, and I’m pretty pleased with the results. The shampoo cleans my hair well and the conditioner is easy to massage in and rinses away clean. The fact this treatment is “express” is perfect – I can use it daily in the shower without missing out on the benefits – I don’t have time for long-winded conditioning treatments.
I think my hands are a tad dehydrated oh dear. Anyway, you can see a slight pink tinge on the left of the conditioner on my fingers – it comes out of the bottle like that, with a kind of stripe like you get with toothpastes. The further into the tube I’ve got the brighter pink it is – I think that means I didn’t get as much of the nourishment in the first few uses.
Here you can see my blonde hair – freshly coloured on the morning of the photo on the left, and three weeks later having used these Dove products daily on the right. I do think it’s got a bit darker, but it’s still looking ok.
I would say, though, that while I like Dove and these two products I’ve been trying out, I don’t know that they are any better than the Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner I normally buy. My hair feels clean and bright, the products are easy to use and you only need a small amount each wash, but probably no more so than with other products. I would consider buying these Dove products again, but they go in the mix with others that also tick the boxes.
Edited to Add:
Now I’m pretty much at the end of my bottle of this Dove shampoo, I wanted to add a little niggle I have about the bottle…
The shape of the bottle, specifically the top, means it cannot be stood upside down. As the shampoo is quite a thick liquid this means you really have to shake the bottle to get the last few washes out. I wish bottle designers would consider usability – if this had a flat top I could stand it upside down in my shower and easily get all of the shampoo out of the bottle. I would imagine it won’t be long before I give up and end up chucking the bottle out with some shampoo left in it, what a waste.
Disclaimer: I am a BzzAgent and was asked to take part in the Dove Colour Radiance campaign, which meant I was sent some shampoo and conditioner to try at home in return for telling other people what I think about them. I have not been told what to write and I have been no less honest as a result.
Batiste Paisley and Graffiti
0Regular readers of Splodz Blogz will know that I am a fan of Batiste, and I don’t mind telling you again. The (lovely) dry shampoo company has recently released two new scents, and I was very pleased to receive a tin of each in the post to try out when I got back from my recent holiday.
Batiste Paisley and Graffiti are available in competing shops – the former in Superdrug and the latter in Boots. They are rival scents if you like, and have kind of been designed for two different types of women.
The names and designs on the tins give it away really. The Paisley one is sweet and sugary (a bit like sherbet), whereas the graffiti one is fresher. Paisley has floral notes, whereas Graffiti is kind of more metallic.
Of course both have exactly the same effect on your hair. Dry shampoo is ideal for refreshing your hair between washes – whether it’s fixing your hair after work ready for an evening out, or when you’re out and about unable to find water warm enough to risk a shower. I always have some in my bathroom cupboard, in my work drawer, in my rucksack.
In the battle of the exclusive scents I have to say I prefer Paisley – it’s sweeter and more floral. Actually this goes against what I would choose if I hadn’t got both side by side to compare – I would have thought my style would be more Graffiti. I guess we’re always learning things about ourselves… even with tins of dry shampoo.
Which one do you like best? What do you think of “exclusive” scents?
Disclaimer: I was sent a couple of tins of Batiste so I could write about them here on Splodz Blogz. I have not been told what to write and have been no less honest as a result of receiving these for free.
Refresh Your Hair Without Water – Batiste
1Regular readers of Splodz Blogz will know I like and use Batiste Dry Shampoo – I’ve reviewed several of the fragrances.
They have recently sent me a can of their Fresh version, which has been designed as a unisex fragrance.
Dry shampoo is designed to refresh and revitalise greasy, dull, lifeless hair. It helps make your hair feel clean, full of body and fragrant. And of course it does all that without water – which in today’s drought (I shan’t comment on the amount of rain we’ve had here since the hosepipe ban kicked in) could be one way to help us reduce our water usage. Apparently we each use up to 150 litres of water every day – and Batiste say we could reduce that by using Batiste Dry Shampoo instead of washing our hair every time it needs refreshing. We should definitely not be washing our hair more than once a day.
This particular version “Fresh” has a clean, cool and crisp fragrance. Using it is very simple – shake, spray, massage and brush.
Would you consider using dry shampoo instead of washing your hair as regularly as you do now?
Disclaimer: I was sent this product for free to review on Splodz Blogz, but I have not been told what to write and am always honest.
Batiste – Totally Tropical Taste
0Festival season has started for sure – it’s Download and Isle of Wight Festival this weekend in case you hadn’t noticed (and I’m not at either – really should go to a festival again sometime). Music, camping, eating junk… you know the sort of thing. And what do festivals mean? Cold showers. Or no showers!
Thankfully with Batiste you can at least be confident your hair will look great for the whole weekend even if you decide to leave the cold showers for the really smelly in favour of some good deodorant. There are many different scents to choose from, but this Tropical version, with a summery coconut scent is perfect for this time of year (rain or shine!). Possibly my new favourite, although I am still a fan of the original one.
I know I took the photos for this post in my garden rather than on a jolly somewhere, but it’s a great alternative to the original scent and I would really recommend adding it to your kit if you’re planning a weekend in a muddy field.
Batiste Dry Shampoo is one of those products that I have at home and at work, in my gym bag and in my overnight bag. It’s now available in massive 400ml cans for keeping at home, useful 200ml cans for the office, and compact 50ml cans for your wash kit. It is true to say these new sizes mean Batiste is even more useful than it has been before.
You can read my original review of Batiste Dry Shampoo HERE and my review of Coloured Batiste HERE.
Faith in Nature Pomegranate
0I was recently invited to take part in a trial of a new range by Faith in Nature - Pomegranate Shampoo, Conditioner and Shower Gel/Foam Bath. I was sent some trial bottles of the products and in return have filled in a questionnaire for the company to help them in their development. I thought I’d put my thoughts here on Splodz Blogz too.
I’ve got no fancy packaging to show you of course, because this was a pre-launch trial. But I quite like the science-lab-look!
I’ll start with the shampoo and conditioner. I wash my hair daily, following with conditioner two or three times a week. I found these products cleaned my hair really well, at least as good as my normal choice. Faith in Nature recommended that I tried the conditioner as a five minute treatment, which I wasn’t really a fan of, but when used as a normal massage in-rinse out conditioner it was very good.
The shower gel worked great on my body puff in the shower – lathered up nicely without using too much of the product. As a foam bath it was ok – but not loads of bubbles – this is a product I would keep for the shower over the bath.
The best bit about all three products was the scent – I really love the smell of pomegranate and it works well in shower products – it’s strong, fruity and is great for waking you up in the morning. And that of course comes with the Faith in Nature promise of naturally sourced ingredients, no artificial colourings etc, which is becoming more and more important to me.
You can see the current range of products offered by Faith in Nature on their website. I hope the new Pomegranate range will be added soon!
