Barry M Gelly Nail Paint - Blood Orange

The latest buzz trend in the manicure world is undoubtedly the rise of the gel manicure. Guaranteed for over 2 weeks, safe for your nails and with a high gloss finish, gel manicures offer a new (and arguably low maintenance) way of keeping your nails ultimately groomed. Hot on the heels of this trend came the high street version, gel nail varnishes.  I think they were meant provide an 'at home' option which is cheaper than buying the proper gel manicure kit (with UV lamp etc).  The high street nailvarnishes dry like any normal nail varnish but are said to offer a high gloss, gel finish.

One of the first companies to bring out a gel nail varnish was Barry M. Their 'Gelly Hi-Shine' nail paints cost just £4.99 for a standard 10ml size.  The color range (in my opinion) is a tad restricted at just nine colours, suggesting this is more of a 'testing of the waters', or (dare I say it..) a gimmick?

But what the hell, I'm a sucker for a gimmick..

I got the 'blood orange colour for my birthday and I'm quite pleasantly surprised!

I found the consistency of the varnish a tad on the gloopy side - I get the impression this might quickly go reeallllyyy gloopy and be unuseable, but we'll see.  The first thing that struck me though was how rich the colour was after just one coat.  You could easily get away with just one coat if you're in a mega rush. I'd say it's worth doing a second coat though, as it still gives a noticeably improved even-ness and depth of colour. I've put photos of the first and second coat below and you can see there isn't much between them, but the second coat makes the colour 'pop' a bit more.

First coat

Second coat

I did find the brush a bit thin...this is a common complaint I have about Barry M nail varnishes. Their brushes always seem thin and rigid making it tricky to get a nice even sweep of colour.  Having said that, this gel formula is quite thick so the brush is not as annoying as with their normal varnishes.

Colour-wise, I do enjoy this. It's quite a rich, classic red - although it's more of a pinky-red rather than an orangey-red like the name suggests. It is also slightly on the darker side - it definitely isn't an fluro bright red, it's more of a classic, rosebud red.

Colour without the flash (more accurate)

Colour aside, the winner with this is by far the finish.  I'd say it definitely lives up to its 'gel' heritage as it has a nice glossy finish. You don't need a top coat, which for lazy people like moi, earns it a bonus point.  Don't get me wrong, it isn't in-your-face, mirror-shine gloss, but it does have a much shinier finish than your bog standard nail varnish.

Overall, for the price and the finish, I like this range.  But unfortunately the red is the only colour I like. If Barry M persevere with this range and bring out more colours then I'd definitely purchase more, but none of the current range excite me much. I quite like 'grapefruit' but can't find it aaaaanywhere.

If one of the colours do catch your eye though, I'd say do it. It's a quick little nailvarnish which has a finish that suggests you spent a lot more time on your nails than you actually have...and that's always a winner.

---UPDATE-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barry M have now brought out some new shades in this range.  I say some..I mean 4..but that's four more than the 9 they originally had!

Hopefully though, this tentative release of 4 colours is the sign of things to come, and suggests the 'Gelly' range is doing well. The range could do with a deep, dark colour but I guess they'll probably wait until Autumn to bring out those kind of shades. 

The new shades are all tutti-frutti type colours, with a coral, an aqua, a very pale taupe and a barbie pink.  None of them appeal to me massively colour-wise, although if I was going on holiday I'd probably purchase the aqua as it seems a really vivid colour that would look gorgeous with a tan, and generally this would make a perfect, low-maintenance holiday nail varnish.

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Strengthening Intensive Mask - Review

Look what I found in Tesco! 

I'm quite a fan of the Herbal Essences range, mainly because it is affordable and it smells A-mazing.

Their new range is designed to strengthen dry and damaged hair, and my hair is definitely both of those.  It was on offer for £2, so I figured it was worth a shot.  And typically of Herbal Essences, it smelt SO good.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by this product. The cream is thick and gloopy - it applies easily to the hair and (crucially) stays on the hair. I've used conditioners in the past which seem to absorb to nothing when you leave them on the hair for 2-3 minutes. 
 

 

When I rinsed the product out, I could immediately feel my hair was softer.  I always think this is a sign of a good conditioning product, if you can feel the difference when the hair is wet.  I'm probably totally wrong, and this means something bad like it has coated the hair, but I've always enjoyed that feeling of rinsing my hair and feeling it all soft.

Styling-wise, I'd say my hair was easier to comb when it was wet.  It wasn't a significant "wow the brush is gliding through my hair", it was more of a gentle improvement.  My hair felt a little less vulnerable to the brushing and I definitely had less tangles.

The results after I'd dried my hair were similar in that my hair felt soft and nourished, but not in a mind-blowing way.  There was a definite improvement in my hair though, and one of my favourite things about this mask was that it didn't weigh my hair down or make it greasy.  For this reason I would definitely purchase this product again.  I think it smells amazing - sort of honey-scented (obviously) but with fruity undertones that keep the fragrance fresh.  I also think it does a good job for the price tag, which I think is its key strength.  It wouldn't stop me buying more expensive versions when my hair needs a bit more pampering, but for weekly general use I think it is perfect.  It is also the best of the Herbal Essences masks I have tried. 

OPI I Brake for Manicures - Review

My Mum, sisters and I decided it was girly spa day time last Friday.  Our local spa had an amazing offer on, so we spent the day in fluffy robes and oversized slippers, hopping between the sauna and the jacuzzi....beats a day in the office for sure!

One problem with the spa is that they have a rather large, rather conspicuous OPI tester stand just loitering outside the restaurant.  What started as a casual stroll out of the restaurant after lunch, ended in an absolute OPI-fest.  My sisters, Mum & I are terrible when we're all together, we can talk each other into purchasing ANYTHING.  We left the restaurant area 6 nail varnishes and 1 Avo-juice hand lotion later - and believe me, this was restrained.

The nailvarnish I purchased was "I Brake For Manicures" and continues my love affair with dark OPI nail colours.  I've made no secret in the past of my obsession with "Lincoln Park after Dark", and I do firmly believe that you need to spend that bit more on dark nailvarnishes, as the finish is a lot more noticeable. Right, excuses made.

"I Brake For Manicures" caught my eye as it was dark, but had a really unusual slate-grey/plum tinge to it.  I can't say I have seen a colour like it before, although it is one of those colours where you find people calling it different things.  I would call it plum/grey, my sister couldn't see any plum in it at all, and the beauty lady we bought it from said "ah it is my favourite brown". BROWN!? Anyway...

 The application is typical standard OPI...good consistency, good pigmentation of colour and good staying power.  I did have to put three coats on to get a really thick, glossy coverage but I think this is partly due to my nails being extremely dry following the removal of a gelish manicure (lots of acetone, never ideal).

I have to admit, I'm a little in love with this colour.  I think it is a much edgier version of "Lincoln Park after Dark".  Lincoln is definitely a classy, well groomed type of dark nailvarnish, which looks wicked with a high gloss finish.  This is definitely a more grungy colour, but the plum tones add a pretty, luxe finish.  I'm not grungy by any means, but it lets me dip my toe into that kind of look (plus I did buy biker boots the other day...) 

I think you can tell it is OPI, because something OPI do really well with their dark colours, is add colour depth and dimension. There is a richness to the colour which keeps shades like this (which might normally look a bit dull) looking full and luxurious.

This is the colour in sunlight with no flash (for info)

I sense I am going to be wearing this A LOT...mainly as I think it offers a slightly softer alternative to Lincoln, which will carry me through Spring better. 

Oh OPI I do love you and your bloody brilliant dark nailvarnishes!!

Una Brennan Review - UPDATE

UPDATE on my Una Brennan Review

So, 19 days after posting my glowing review above, I felt the need to give a little update as I have now stopped using the creamy cleanser.

I said in my review above that the creamy cleanser did sting a little when I used it.  I started to notice that I was getting dry, itchy patches around my nose and some on my cheek in exactly the same places that I felt the stinging.  So I decided to drop using the creamy cleanser, especially seeing as it was the facial oil that most impressed me anyway.

I've carried on using the facial oil as I still love it, and the dry patches have quickly cleared up.  I'm a bit concerned as the facial oil is only meant to be a pre-cleanser, but having said that, it gets rid of all my make-up on its own.  I have sometimes been sweeping some of my Simple gentle cleansing milk over my face after using the oil, but most nights I just use the oil and then my normal moisturiser. 

I haven't noticed this makes my skin unnecessarily oily, and I do still think the facial oil is working wonders on my skin tone, texture and especially my pores.

I'm now about to purchase my second batch of the oil... but unfortunately the creamy cleanser hasn't made it to a second purchase :(

Eyelure Ultra Naturals - Review

Regular followers of my blog will know I have notorious problems trying to find fake eyelashes that don't make me look like a drag queen! 

Basically my eyes are very small and quite deep set, which does not provide a good base for long, extravagant lashes (which I have found most fake eyelashes to be!)

My best friend got married recently and I was lucky enough to be her bridesmaid.  In an effort to look vaguely glamorous on the day, I decided to re-open my epic fake-eyelash search.

I came across Eyelure's Ultra Natural eyelashes in Superdrug, retailing at just over £5.  They stood out on the shelf as being smaller and much less 'bushy' than the others.  I was a bit worried they might not actually make any difference, but having promised the bride-to-be that I wouldn't turn up looking like Lady Gaga, I decided it was best to err on the side of caution.  My natural eyelashes have been quite full lately anyway, possibly due to using my Una Brennan Facial Oil.

I was actually really impressed with these.  Just a quick disclaimer though - if you are looking for dramatic eyelashes then these are definitely not for you.  They are definitely intended to enhance your natural lashes rather than give you a full-on fake eyelash look.

I only had to cut a bit off the end of the lashes in order to fit my eye (you can see the part I cut off in the photo below).  I always cut fake eyelashes slightly shorter than the lash line of my eye, as I think 'overhang' is a real tell-tale sign that you're wearing fakes.  For some people this isn't an issue, as they are wearing eyelashes as a statement accessory, but in this case I wasn't trying to look like I had fake eyelashes on.

The length of the lashes do not follow a traditional style, in that the longest lashes are in the middle and not on one side.  I'd therefore say these are more intended to open your eye up, rather than create a feline, almond shape.  But WARNING!  I didn't pay attention to the length and just cut the ends off willy-nilly.  Naughty.  Cutting them slightly changed the length variation so that now there was one end that was longer than the other.  Stupidly, I'd cut both lashes so that the longer end was on the right.  So basically both lashes now only fitted my right eye.  Fail.  However because the length variation isn't too pronounced, I did get away with it.  But if you are cutting them, make sure you do it so you have one lash where the length is to the right, and one where the length is to your left.  Absolute schoolgirl error on my part.

I found the application really easy, and the glue lasted all day (and by all day I mean a 14 hour wedding day with a lot of tears...what can I say, I'm a sucker for a wedding!)

I was pleased with the end result.  The extra lashes took the pressure off my own lashes, and definitely made them look fuller.  The length was not much longer than my own, and my natural eyelashes aren't that long.  Having said that, they looked completely natural, so they certainly do what they say on the tin (or plastic box).  You couldn't tell I had eyelashes on. 

I'm not sure they have solved my epic eyelash search though.  If I want natural enhancement, then these are definitely going to be my go-to lash, but they lack a bit of drama which I think you sometimes need from fake eyelashes, especially for a night out.  I took a photo, but unfortunately we were in a mega rush to get to the church and so it came out really blurry :(

I appreciate I haven't given you anything to compare it too, but I can say my eyelashes do not normally look this full., and you can get a feel for how natural they looked.  For info, I normally have really squitty, stubby, sparse eyelashes. 

So if you have small eyes and want some fail-safe lashes that natually enhance your eyes, I'd definitely recommend these.  If you're after drama, then I'd give these a skip.

On a slightly seperate note...the bride had individual eyelash extensions done at a salon, and her eyelashes looked unreal.  They looked so full and long and because they'd been applied lash by lash, they followed the line of her eye perfectly.  You'd never have guessed she had extensions on.  She paid about £75 for them, but if you have a big event to go to, I'd say give it a thought.  They honestly looked so effective and so gorgeous and her eyes look amazing in all the photos I have seen of the wedding.  Wedding guests were commenting on them all day!  Note these are different to the 'bundled' extensions you can buy in high street shops like Boots, which I understand some salons offer.  I'll pop a photo up of her lashes when I've uploaded all my pics of the wedding.

Tresemme Platinum Strength Conditioner

Anyone who bleaches the bejesus out of their hair knows that a major concern is to put moisture back into your hair at any opportunity possible.

I’m not the biggest fan of moisturising shampoos as I find there is a trade off between moisture and that fresh, clean feeling of newly washed hair.  The only moisturising shampoo I have ever found to deliver a genuinely clean feeling is Wella Colour Brilliance Shampoo, which I absolutely swear by.  I love the stuff.

Wella Colour Brilliance shampoo - my 'recommended' moisturising shampoo!

 So, given that moisturising shampoos often fail me, I need a conditioner that really packs a punch in the moisture department.

Again, I think some conditioners designed to heavily moisturise your hair end up just coating the hair and leaving it dull and heavy.  I want my hair moisturised, but light – not an easy combination to find in hair products.

Recently I tried out Tresemme’s new Platinum Strength conditioner.  I bought it because it was on offer, it smelt nice, and my Herbal Essences Colour Vitality conditioner just wasn’t quite hitting the mark.

Tresemme Platinum Strength Conditioner

The entire Platinum Strength range is designed for hair that has been abused by bleach or heat-styling products, and is supposed to strengthen and fortify the hair follicle (apparently).  It says it is able to reverse over 2 years damage in just 5 washes (quite a claim!!)  But my hair is definitely bleached, over-styled and damaged so as far as their target audience is concerned, I'm it.

The instructions recommend you leave this on for 3-5 minutes, which I did the first time I used it and I loved the way it left my hair.  Having said that, I’ve been in a rush a couple of times and only left it on for a minute maximum, and it still seems to deliver results.  I think this shows its quality..as most conditioners will deliver good results if left on the hair long enough.

The conditioner itself is thick and white and has a really pleasant, fresh smell (similar to most of their other products, it is a fresh, salon-style ‘just washed’ scent).  It isn’t heavily perfumed like Aussie or Tigi Bedhead products, but if you like the fresh kind of scent you get from other Tresemme products, or shampoos like Pantene, then you’ll be fine with this. 

You can feel the softness in your hair as soon as you rinse this off, and I found my hair considerably easier to brush after using it.  It definitely tangled less.  One thing I will say – it makes the bottom of your shower really slippery when you wash it out so watch out for that! 

But a slippery shower is definitely worth it for the results.   It left my hair soft and manageable, but not weighed down or greasy/heavy.  I wouldn’t say it is the softest my hair has ever been, for example it doesn’t quite match the results of Charles Worthington’s Mineral Hair Rescue mask, but then it isn’t a mask...it’s a conditioner.  And it left my hair feeling clean which is a big plus point for me.

I'm nearly through a bottle of this, and I am definitely going to repurchase.  I agree with their claims that it strengthens the hair strands, as my hair feels a lot less delicate after using it.  It also feels fuller and softer.  Having said that, I don't necessarily feel it has "reversed two years of damage", but then I don't really see how a conditioner can address my split ends!  My hair definitely looks in better condition, but I wouldn't say it took 5 washes, I think the results were pretty immediate after the first couple of uses.

 At less than a fiver, I’d say this is an absolute steal if you need to pamper your hair with some heavy duty moisturisation.

Super Facialist by Una Brennan - Rose Hydrate facial oil and creamy cleanser

I have been dying to post a review on this product since I first bought it...but as my little sister reminded me, with any skincare product it is always advisable to give it a couple of weeks before you can truly judge the effects.

I purchased this at the beginning of March and have been using it every night since, so I’ve decided I am now totally within the acceptable time scale to review it!

I came across this range on a blog (I can’t remember which one, sorry!)  I had seen it in Boots before, but had been quite uninterested and dismissive about it.  I’m not sure why.  I think it may be because it hasn’t been readily advertised or mentioned much in the general beauty press (or at least the beauty press that reaches me).  It just makes me realise how much this kind of advertising does sneak into your unconscious when you’re shopping...

Anyway.

The range I used was the ‘Rose Hydrate’ range, which is meant for dry and sensitive skin (tick).  The range works on the basis of ‘double cleansing’ (which basically means cleansing twice). Again, I was new to this concept, but once I started googling it I realised it was quite a well known, and raved about, concept.  Double cleansing to me just sounds like ‘double stripping’ of the skin.  I’ve always had a bit of a dodgy relationship with cleansers as I’ve often found they do more harm than good when it comes to my skin.  I regularly revert back to just cleaning my foundation off with my Simple Eye Make-up Remover (oh the shame of it).

The ‘double cleansing’ routine however starts with facial oil.  To most people, the mention of oil would send them running for the hills armed with a stringent toner, but for me it was a comfort.  Oil doesn’t strip, surely?  I’ve dabbled with Mac’s facial oil cleanser before, but our relationship was short lived and ended in some rather fetching sore red lumps on my face.  For some reason though, I felt I was ready to let facial oil back into my life, and after reading a particularly glowing review on a blog, I found myself purchasing the Una Brennan ‘double cleansing’ range.

Facial oil

The facial oil was the most expensive at £14.99, with the creamy cleanser priced at £7.99.  Quite expensive in my opinion for an ‘everyday’ product, but not so expensive I wouldn’t give it a chance in case it was amazing.

And amazing it is.  Okay, maybe amazing is a strong word, but I do love this range. 

You apply the facial oil first, rubbing it between your palms to heat it up. You don’t need much – I only use two squirts for my whole face.  You then massage the oil all over your face (eyes, lips, the whole shebang) leave it a few seconds, then wipe it off with a warm, damp flannel.  The oil is a pleasure to use.  It is light, soft and not at all heavy or unpleasantly greasy.  The next step is the creamy cleanser. 

Creamy cleanser

Again, massage it over your skin and then wipe clean with a warm, damp flannel (I’m not sure if the flannel has to be warm, but in this weather it feels amazing, so I say go warm). My flannel always wipes clean, regardless of how much foundation I am wearing, and this is a really good feature of this product as I normally go through a lot of cotton wool and facial cleanser to get my skin clean!

The first thing I noticed was that my face felt CLEAN.  The cleanest it has probably felt in a long time.  But it was a soft clean.  My skin didn’t feel stripped or sore, and the oil felt so luxurious on application that I really did feel I had given my skin a pamper treat.  I’ll be honest, the creamy cleanser did sting a bit around my nose, but it hasn’t resulted in any skin issues.  The smell is also quite potent – a very strong floral ‘rose’ smell which is a bit reminiscent of old English cottage-type products.  The potent smell put me off at first as I associate strong smells with sore skin..but this wasn’t the case.  The smell has actually grown on me.  I wouldn’t say I love it, but it is better than a lot of sensitive skincare scents.

After a month of using it, I’m about halfway through the oil.  I was a bit surprised at the speed it was ‘going down’ but I’m keeping an eye on it for ‘value for money’ purposes.  My skin feels very clean, it is definitely clearer and I would even say my pores have reduced slightly (regular followers of my blog will know my pores are stubborn and large and totally unresponsive normally to pore-reducing treatments).

I do love how my skin feels, both whilst using the product and after.  It is a pleasure to cleanse as it feels I’m actually looking after my skin.  I would go as far as to say it is the best my skin has looked in a long time.  I do still need a thick moisturiser as my skin does start tightening a few minutes after using double cleansing.  I pile on my Body Shop Hemp Face Protector, and my skin does feel a tad tight when I wake up in the mornings, but my water intake has been poor lately so my skin is probably very dehydrated.

I definitely think the wonder product in this duo is the facial oil. The consistency is just the right balance between soft and moisturising, but still clean and light.  I’ve also noticed my eyelashes are a bit thicker and longer.  I’ve heard before about using Vaseline on your eyelashes to help them grow and I do wonder if the facial oil is doing a similar thing.  I may consider dropping the creamy cleanser and using a cheaper one from Simple.

My only issue with this product is the price, but that’s because I am always on the hunt for cheap alternatives!  Other than that, I would strongly recommend this duo of products to anyone with sensitive, dry skin who still wants to be able to clean their make-up off properly.  The range is on 3 for 2 at Boots at the moment, and I am definitely stocking up.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------UPDATE

 

So, 19 days after posting my glowing review above, I felt the need to give a little update as I have now stopped using the creamy cleanser.

 

I said in my review above that the creamy cleanser did sting a little when I used it.  I started to notice that I was getting dry, itchy patches around my nose and some on my cheek in exactly the same places that I felt the stinging.  So I decided to drop using the creamy cleanser, especially seeing as it was the facial oil that most impressed me anyway.

 

I've carried on using the facial oil as I still love it, and the dry patches have quickly cleared up.  I'm a bit concerned as the facial oil is only meant to be a pre-cleanser, but having said that, it gets rid of all my make-up on its own.  I have sometimes been sweeping some of my Simple gentle cleansing milk over my face after using the oil, but most nights I just use the oil and then my normal moisturiser. 

 

I haven't noticed this makes my skin unnecessarily oily, and I do still think the facial oil is working wonders on my skin tone, texture and especially my pores.

 

I'm now about to purchase my second batch of the oil... but unfortunately the creamy cleanser hasn't made it to a second purchase :(

Mission: Purple Shampoo - Complete

Followers of my blog will know from a previous post that I have been engaged in an epic search for the ‘best’ purple shampoo for my blonde highlights.

Yesterday I took the plunge and had my roots bleached completely, rather than having woven highlights, so it is now more important than ever for me to find my ultimate weapon against brassy yellow tones.

Coincidentally, I am currently using a product which I believe may signal the end of my search...

First a quick round up of the purple shampoos I have already tried:

L’Oreal Professionnel Serie Expert Silver shampoo and L’Oreal Professionel Serie Expert Shine Blonde Shampoo

Both of these shampoos are meant to remove brassy tones.  The L’Oreal Professionel Serie Expert Silver shampoo (grey bottle) definitely packs the bigger punch out of these two.  You can tell this from the colour of the actual shampoo itself.  The Silver shampoo is a deep dark Cadbury purple, whereas the Shine Blonde (pink bottle) is more of a lilac colour.

These were hairdresser-recommended, and before I found my current favourite, the L’Oreal Silver shampoo was the one I regularly used.  It definitely does kick out a lot of the brassiness but I did have to leave it on for a couple of minutes to get an effect.  The Shine Blonde shampoo made no difference to my hair, but this was no surprise given the gentle pigmentation.  I imagine it would be good as a general shampoo for blonde hair, but not if you are trying to keep your blonde really white.

I wasn’t a massive fan of the smell or finish of either shampoo.  The Silver one is definitely drying and I had to use a moisturising shampoo for the second wash otherwise my hair was dry and tangly with that horrible squeaky finish which makes it a nightmare to brush.  My hair was always really matted after using this.  But for colour, the Silver shampoo is good for brassy tones.

Provoke/Schwarzkopf Touch of Silver Sensations shampoo

I used the weekly treatment version of this, but they also do a daily maintenance shampoo and (unusually) a conditioner version.  I’ve heard a lot of blonde people rave about this range, and I mainly think this is due to the price.  It comes in under a fiver and is probably the only purple shampoo that does.  I also thought the effects were good.  The shampoo itself is a really dark purple, but also quite thin in consistency.  It doesn’t feel like a luxury shampoo, it feels more like a toner type treatment.  It definitely kicks out the brassy tones, but I found the effects to be somewhat uneven.  If you want a cheap shampoo that whitens your blonde then I probably would recommend this for results, but it is definitely a basic shampoo which only works to de-brass your hair.  I found it a bit harsh and again my hair felt dry and tangled after use. 

Lee Stafford Beach Blondes Shampoo

This is the only high street offering I have ever tried, after I noted a blogger used it who has really white hair.  I was quite impressed with the results, as it did remove the brassy tones, all be it not quite so effectively as the two above.  The purple colour reduces significantly when you lather the shampoo up, and I did leave it on for ages (about 5-6 minutes).  I was a big fan of the smell of this one (not so chemical as the others) and it didn’t leave my hair quite as dry.  Initially I would say it is quite a good high street version, but then when you notice the price is around £7, it loses a bit of its appeal.  At £7 it is marginally cheaper than the L’Oreal one, but if you are concerned about price, I’d say go for the Schwarzkopf version.  It gives a stronger result and the Lee Stafford version doesn’t offer any additional benefits other than the scent.

KMS Colour Vitality shampoo

My Mum bought me this for Christmas and I hate it.  The colour of the shampoo is a pale purple, but with blue undertones.  It definitely doesn’t look the same kind of ‘hue’ as all the other purple shampoos I have used.  In terms of reducing brassiness, I noticed no difference at all.  I also didn’t rate the shampoo generally.  It left my hair dry, difficult to manage, and with a strange rough texture.  This one is definitely at the bottom of the list for me.

La Riche Directors White Semi-Permanent Hair Colour (used as toner)

After reading a few blogs, I also dabbled with a semi-permanent toner.  The hairdressers always tone my hair, so I figured why not try it myself.  This one was only £3.49 from Amazon (bargain!) but they did keep sending me the wrong one.  They sent me the blue hair dye a couple of times so make sure you check the label before you use it!! 

This does give really good results but the only experience I had of it was when it dyed my highlights lilac!!  It didn’t help that I was off to a BBQ with my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend at the time.  The lilac was subtle, but it looked like I’d had a purple rinse.  It faded after a couple of washes, but it put me off using toner again.  Having said that, it left my hair softer than the purple shampoos did - maybe because I used my own normal moisturising shampoo afterwards.  I have seen people advise that they mix a toner like this into their normal shampoo to keep brassiness at bay.  I’ve never tried it personally but logically I can see how it would work.  This product is definitely a cheap and easy way of getting rid of your yellow tones, but be careful how long you leave it on.  I think I left mine about 15 minutes...

So...up until recently that has been my purple shampoo history.  I have googled this tirelessly and the reviews of different shampoos seem mixed.  You clearly have to find the product that suits your particular hair and requirements.  Anyway...!  I have found mine! (Drum roll please...)

Fudge Clean Blonde Violet Toning shampoo

I LOVE this shampoo.  The first thing that struck me was the density of the purple pigmentation of the actual shampoo.  It is so strong, and even when you lather it up, the lather is a deep purple.  I also love the consistency and feel of it.  It lathers into such a soft, rich foam and feels quite luxurious.  The smell is also divine in my opinion.  It has a sweet, almost nutty scent which is SO unusual for purple shampoos.  I thought it was a given that you had to sacrifice scent for results. 

With regard to effectiveness, this was brilliant at keeping brass at bay.  I used it the whole time in between highlights appointments and even my hairdresser commented on how white my highlights had stayed.  The deal-clincher for me though is the fact it doesn’t strip my hair.  My hair feels soft and manageable after using it, and I don’t have any qualms about using it on its own, without using a moisturising shampoo after. 

For me, this shampoo is the best all-rounder.  It ticks the box on effectiveness (probably the most effective I have tried), it ticks the box on scent, it ticks the box on softness and manageability of my hair.  I did pay about £11 for this, but it has lasted well, and for the results it gives I would say this is worth every penny.  Hoorah for Fudge!!

For reference, this is the colour of my hair....so it isn't WHITE white, but it is definitely a more platinum type of blonde.