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.

Millie Mackintosh Belgravia lashes

I've got really small eyes. I've mentioned (moaned) about it many a time, and for someone who loves make-up it is my biggest annoyance and restriction. 

At the weekend, my sisters and I all went up to the O2 arena to indulge our guilty pleasure....Girls Aloud (excuse for a cheeky picture I'd say)....

Going to see Girls Aloud calls for one thing....unashamed glamour.  And you can't do  glamour without false eyelashes.  And here my small eyes cause me a problem.  There isn't much of a distance between my lashline and my eyebrow, and my eyes are quite deep set which means you don't see much of my eyelid when my eye is open.  This means I cannot pull off lashes that are too long, as they just look ridiculous.  Thing is, you can easily trim eyelashes width-wise, but trimming the length is a whole new world of trickiness. 

Practically all fake eyelashes I've tried are too long.  There's a fine line between glam and drag queen, and most of my experiences fall into the latter, purely because the lash completely dominates my eye rather than enhances it.  I can't use any of those lashes which are mega thick at the lashline, as it just makes my eye look like a big black blob.

Basically I want to look like this.....

But end up looking like this.....

So ever in the search for the ideal lash for a tiny eye, I decided to try the new offering by Made in Chelsea's Millie Mackintosh.  I figured, based on her look, they might be quite natural and I liked the idea they're not synthetic.  I picked her Belgravia lashes which are meant to be her 'everyday' lash.  They're brown but this isn't a problem as I put mascara on them anyway.

When they arrived they looked a really good density -thick but natural - exactly what you want from a false eyelash in my opinion. But they looked BIG.  

They come with a glue, a guide to application and some mini tweezers - a cute extra that makes them feel quite luxury and sets them apart from the rest of the products on the market.

I had to cut 6 lash bundles off to fit my eye.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing as I often keep the cut offs to wear on the corner of my eyes for a flirty, feline eye.

 

The application was standard and the glue was good, nice and sticky, dried clear and stayed put for 10 hours through train journeys, cocktails, shopping and lots of screaming and dancing.  But the lashes themselves looked terrible on me. They were so long.  I looked like an absolute drag queen.  I ended up having to trim the length, which always ruins the look as you lose the 'feathery' edge for a blunt even one.  Not a good look.  I was gutted as the lashes had a really good density and were super light to wear.  I also agree with Millie's suggestion that (looked after properly) these could be re-worn several times.  If you can pull off more dramatic, longer fake lashes then I would definitely recommend these for wearability, staying power, and style.  I particularly liked the density, which was very reminiscent of naturally thick eyelashes, and you can tell they aren't synthetic as they are so light and delicate - much like real lashes. 

 But for small eyes like mine, even Millie's natural offering is just too much. Hmph. 

Catastrophe Cosmetic face mask - Lush

I've not dabbled much in the past with face masks, mainly due to having very sensitive skin.  But my younger sister has recently developed an obsession with Lush products and bought me their Catastrophe Cosmetic mask.  It is meant for skin going through a bit of a crisis (yeah, cheers Rach!) which at the moment mine isn't really doing.  But as with most Lush products it was fresh and so had to be used in 3 weeks, so use it I did....

The mask comes in the usual black pot typical of all Lush products.  Take 5 empties back and you'll get a free mask. It retails at £5.75 and I have easily got about 5 generous applications out of it.  Bear in mind though that you're under time constraint (it is so fresh you're even meant to keep it in the fridge).

The consistency is lumpy as it has got bits of real blueberry in it (allegedly) and the smell is lovely - blueberry with just a hint of Lush's usual aromatherapy type scent.  It isn't the easiest mask to apply - it is like spreading clay and the bits often drop off making it a bit messy.  You need quite a thick layer and it dries after about 7 minutes.

I left mine on for ten minutes then washed it off.  My skin did feel tight after and I did need to moisturise heavily but if it is meant to sort spots it has to have some form of drying property.  It didn't sting or itch, which for my skin is unusual and a big plus!

The results are hard to pin down.  As I said, my skin wasn't in crisis so it can't be criticised for not doing what it said on the tin (or..pot). My skin didn't look improved but it did feel calmer.  It is definitely a mask that feels like you are pampering your skin, but I didn't notice much visual difference. 

I did get a couple of spot flare ups and applied the mask just on these, and it did kill some of the redness.  But generally I wouldn't repurchase this unless perhaps my skin really started misbehaving and needed some SOS.  One bonus is definitely that I didn't react to it, so it is definitely one to keep in mind if my skin takes a turn for the worst.  But for general use, it is a 'nope' from me.

Root-fixation + dry shampoo

I went to the hairdressers today to FINALLY get my roots done.  I haven’t had my highlights touched up since the middle of August and lately I’ve been subject to severe root-fixation!  Root-fixation is a stage I normally go through a few weeks before my highlights are due.  It consists of me struggling to do anything with my hair as all I can see are big brown roots.  Up-do’s look rubbish, having my hair down looks rubbish.  I’m reassuringly told by my friends that this fixation is “all in my head” (excuse the pun) but still my hair appointment can’t come a day too quickly once root-fixation kicks in.  During this time, dry shampoo is my friend and my saviour.  Everyone knows dry shampoo leaves a white residue, and for most people this is an annoyance.  For me, it is my most powerful weapon against root-fixation.  I find the white residue kicks out some of the stark contrast between the blonde hair and the brown roots – I swear by it.  I think it helps that I have white blonde highlights, but generally I know a lot of people who have blonde highlights complain that roots make their hair look greasier quicker.  The dry shampoo combats this as well, as it lifts your roots, making them look more freshly washed.

Batiste range

 

The dry shampoo I use is my old faithful Batiste.  I tend to use the “Blush” one as I prefer the smell.  Batiste now offers larger cans of their dry shampoo which are £4.99 for 400ml.  I’ve dabbled with other dry shampoos in the past.  I quite liked the Toni & Guy and Lee Stafford ones.  Both have a nice signature scent which makes your hair feel very fresh.  They don’t pack the same punch when it comes to white residue, so if you struggle with the residue Batiste leave then maybe try one of these.  My main problem with these two though was the price.  Both were around £7-8 for a standard size can, and I go through the stuff so quickly it was turning into a massive chunk of my cosmetic expense. 

For a cheaper alternative to Batiste, which does not pile on the residue, you can’t go wrong with Tesco’s own brand dry shampoo.  You’ll need to give the scents a try (I think I got the purple one) as some are a bit funky.  But for £1.50, they do the job well enough if you are after something to freshen your hair.  If, like me, you are a residue girl then I wouldn’t recommend anything other than Batiste.

My younger sister is a fan of Superdrug’s own brand but not necessarily for freshening greasy hair.  She finds their power lies in their ability to volumise and hold.  Apparently the texture it leaves in your hair isn’t ideal, but it makes your hair go quite rigid and voluminous, which is undoubtedly useful in certain hairstyles which would normally require excessive backcombing.  She uses the brown version though, so I cannot vouch for the other colours/types.  It sounds like they have a similar effect to the new “backcomb in a bottle” products that are creeping onto high street shelves.  I know Umberto Giannini definitely do one, and I was actually quite a fan.  I don’t have much call for backcombing because I rarely wear my hair up and it is naturally very thick.  But I did think the product produced an interesting, and workable texture in my hair.  Anyway, tangent...

So here is my freshly highlighted hair.  I have half a head of woven bleach highlights with the top section done with back to back highlights to get it as light as possible. Oh bleached roots it is so good to have you back...

Update on Hydraluron review

I posted a review back in September of a new (and rather expensive) product I had purchased called Hydraluron by Indeed Labs.

At the time of my original review I said the 'proof of the pudding' would come down to whether I was willing to spend the money to re-purchase the item when it ran out.

For the initial review see here,

UPDATE:

So, my Hydraluron has finally run out, which means it has lasted for 17 weeks of applying twice a day.  This works out at about 10p per application ... not too bad?

So it is crunch time ... am I going to buy again?  I was originally in two minds about whether I would re-purchase this, but now I have shifted to a definite yes.  There are two main things that contributed to this shift. 

Firstly, I was away at the weekend and forgot to take the product with me.  I didn't notice any drastic difference in my skin, but it did feel less 'well-behaved'.  One of the most noticeable differences was that my foundation literally melted into my skin within a few hours.  So on a review basis, I can definitely say that Hydraluron makes my make-up last considerably longer.  I guess this is because it creates some form of barrier which prevents my skin absorbing the foundation.  For information, I was using primer at the weekend as well, and my foundation still disappeared.  So the Hydraluron is doing something more than a primer.

Secondly, my skin is having a bit of a nightmare generally.  I think it is due to the change in the weather as I tend to get this every year.  My eczema is playing up, my skin is dry, I'm itchy and I've got lots of angry red patches on my arms and legs.  Noticeably though, I haven't had any problems with my face.  I'm putting this down to my new power partnership of Hydraluron and Body Shop Hemp Face Protector.  My skin is notoriously difficult in this weather, so the fact my face is coping well this year means Hydraluron must be packing some kind of punch in the hydration department.  Now all I need is a similar product for my body.....

Essie 'Luxedo'

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!  Now Christmas Day is over (boo) the only way a girl can console herself is by trying out any new goodies she got in her christmas stocking...

I was lucky enough to get a new nail varnish from my sister for Christmas, which is a shade I have been dying to try...'Luxedo' by Essie.

You'll know from my previous blogs I have recently turned into a bit of an Essie convert, and am slowly building up my collection.  So far I own 'Mink Muffs', 'Skirting the Issue' and 'Lilacism'.

I'm a fan of Essie nail varnishes because at £7.99 they aren't horrifically expensive, they are easy to apply and quick drying, the don't go gloopy quickly and they sell them in my local Boots store which means I can peruse the colours much easier than OPI (which I have to do online).

The only shade of colour that (so far) had kept me true to OPI is their 'Lincoln Park After Dark'. 

As you've probaby guessed, these aren't my nails!  But this photo gives a really accurate representation of the colour.

I love this shade, I have been through over 5 bottles.  It is notoriously hard to get hold of because I would imagine it is up there with some of OPI's best sellers. It is a deep purple colour which almost looks black when applied but has just enough purple pigment to make it look slightly softer than black, and (in my opinon) more luxe.  Black can sometimes look a bit cold and harsh, especially against winter skin.  The only colour I have found to match it is Rimmel's Black Cherry, although this goes gloopy so quickly.

My mission has therefore been to find an Essie that matches the OPI 'Lincoln Park', and I would say 'Luxedo' is sufficiently close.

The first thing that struck me about this shade was how dark the first coat went on.  You will know from my previous reviews of Essie that I find their darker colours do take a few coats to really get going colour-depth-wise, but this was quite dark for a first coat. At this point you can get an idea of the purple undertones and this purple is definitely a colder purple than the 'Lincoln Park' shade.

First coat (please excuse my nails!)

I found this shade only needed 2 coats of colour to get really deep and dark.  This is a bonus as it takes less time drying-wise and you can really load on the clear top coat to make the nails super glossy (which is a must with darker shades).

After second coat

After clear top coat

You can see from the last photo that a hint of the purple still comes through when the nail catches light (in this case the flash, but you get the same effect with sunlight, artificial light etc).  I like that you still get this hint of colour, as again, it keeps this a softer alternative to black.

That said however, I do feel this fails to fully match the 'Lincoln Park' shade.  Don't get me wrong, I love this colour and think it will become a staple of my nailvarnish collection, especially because of how quickly the colour builds which is a bonus when short for time.  I think the problem with this is that it lacks something of the luxuriousness I feel with the OPI shade.  The 'Lincoln Park' shade seems to be a slightly warmer purple which gives it a richer, more full-bodied effect.  The Essie shade does look quite black when not getting picked up by a flash or by light, whereas the OPI one tends to maintain the colour pigment a bit better despite how dark it gets.

There's a possibility my reluctance to announce Luxedo as a bona fide alternative is down to me being such a die-hard fan of Lincoln.  I've used it for years and it is always hard to tear yourself away from your holy grail product.  I can see myself wearing Luxedo for everday use and Lincoln for special events.  All that said, if you want a cheaper alternative to OPI's Lincoln Park after Dark, you could do a lot worse than Luxedo...

Samantha Chapman Expert Face Brush - A review

On a recent shopping trip to Norwich, I came across a new make-up brush range in Boots by Samantha Chapman.

Of the collection on display, the brush that caught my eye was the Expert Face Brush.  It didn’t really look like any brush I had seen before; it looked like a large version of the Mac 227 ‘large fluff brush’ for eyes, but this brush was for your face.  That was my curiosity officially aroused.

I did the usual, and stood with it in my hand for about 5 minutes trying to decide if I needed yet another make up brush.  At £9.99 it wasn’t expensive enough to immediately discount, but wasn’t cheap enough to warrant an “oh go on then”.  My will power won and I put it back.

However my curiosity continued to niggle and I found myself checking out reviews on the beauty blogs.  I couldn’t find a single bad review.  I then went on the Samantha Chapman website where she gives video tutorials of how to use the brushes.  I got 11 seconds into the tutorial for the Expert Face Brush and then found myself clicking “add to basket” on Amazon.  Expert Face Brush...purchased.

So what’s the verdict?  I love this brush.  I normally apply my liquid foundation with either my fingers or the Mac 190 foundation brush.  I have dabbled in the past with the Mac 130 stippling brush, but never quite worked out how to use it properly.

This brush is like nothing I have seen on the market before.  It has shorter bristles which are densely packed and graduated to make a smooth ‘bulb-like’ shape.  The bristles are soft, very soft. They are synthetic but you wouldn’t guess.  And the bristles are so dense and tight that it feels like a very expensive brush.

Application is so easy.  Watch Samantha’s video and you’ll see she literally just brushes her foundation on with little care.  This is all down to the brush.  The head is small enough to give good control, but big enough to allow quick coverage of the whole face.  It requires barely any blending as it leaves none of the pesky brush strokes that you get with a standard foundation brush.  I also like the way it almost buffs the foundation into the skin.  I find some foundation brushes just push the foundation around your face, but this seems to buff and apply at the same time.

It feels very luxurious on the skin, which is potentially one of my favourite things about it.  Even my Mac foundation brush can get scratchy at times and gets very loaded down with the product.  The Expert Face Brush stays light and soft whilst still giving great coverage. 

The effect this brush creates is also impressive.  I don’t think I have ever used another brush that could rival it in its evenness.  I definitely see what other bloggers mean when they say it gives a very flawless finish.  I also found it didn’t accentuate my pores quite as much – I’m not sure why but it didn’t seem to make the foundation cling quite as much.

For £9.99 this brush is a steal, and has become the staple of my make-up collection after just a week of using it.  I need to clean it soon, so I am hoping it cleans up nicely.  If it does, I am definitely consigning my old foundation brushes to the bin.  I doubt it will be long before the big make-up brush names will be bringing out a copy.  Samantha Chapman, I salute you.