Bottle Blondes: Tips and tricks for achieving and maintaining colour and condition.

I am a notorious serial hair dyer. After nagging my mum for months and months, I started dying my hair when I was around 12 and have been every colour imaginable. Red, purple, pink, black, brown, green, blue... you name it, I've had it. So when I decided to go blonde I was prepared for the long process of going from my natural medium/dark brown, maintaining the blonde and repairing the damage. I've successfully kept my blonde for over a year now (minus a month when I had a lilac semi) and have impressed everyone I know for keeping a hair colour for so long! Naturally, throughout this time I've learned what works and what doesn't.

• First thing's first, don't attempt to go blonde if your hair is damaged. It will break and look horrible. Not chic at all.
• Go to a hairdresser. If you can't afford it (I know how expensive it can be!) go blonde gradually instead of sticking a box bleach on, having an itchy scalp for 40 minutes then orange hair. Get your hair to the desired blonde by lifting it 2-3 shades every time you dye it, leave it a few weeks between dying to minimise damage. The process is longer, granted, but your hair will thank you for it.
• 'Ash' blonde dyes are best as they contain lilac undertones which will help counteract any brassiness.
• Invest in quality conditioners and shampoos. I love Aussie products, their 3 Minute Miracle Constructor is a God-send. I use this once a week and leave it on for a bit to maximise it's hair healing potential.
• Purple/lilac shampoos are now your holy grail. The best I've tried are the Pro:voke Touch of Silver line. I use their Daily Maintenance and Twice a Week Brightening shampoo. 
• Once a week I use Superdrug's Colour Effects wash in, wash out conditioning colour in 8.1 cool blonde. The violet pigment is a lot darker than what you get with standard purple shampoo/conditioners meaning that it counteracts orange tones and brassiness quickly and effectively. As this is not a shampoo or conditioner I don't recommend using it more than once a week. I usually do it before I leave the Aussie conditioner on for a while. (Usually on a Sunday when the only thing on my agenda is eating a roast dinner!)

As I've blonde for such a long time, my hair is no longer damaged as the only parts that now get dyed are my roots. But obviously when you first take the plunge, it does need a little bit of extra care.

• Get your split ends off. Just do it, no questions.
• Redken Extreme CAT will be your best friend for a while. It contains protein and ceramide which will genuinely help with repairing, just don't overdo it.
• Ease up on the heated tools. I always let my hair air dry, and only use straighteners once a week, using heat protector!

Finally, do not go blonde if you're not committed. It's an investment, a process and a lifestyle.

Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion: Review

So after having such a great experience with the Clarins cleanser, I decided to invest in the body lotion. Much more pricey than what I usually spend on moisturiser (I'm usually a palmers cocoa butter kinda gal) at £30, I was again anxious. Clarins says: "Soothing comfort every body loves! Clarins’ moisture-replenishing lotion—with Peach Milk, Shea, Candlenut Oil and Orange Blossom—visibly minimises the signs of ageing caused by sun, cold, heating and air-conditioning. Helps smooth dry, rough patches and improve skin tone. Gently removes dull, flaky cells for a youthful, all over glow. Quickly absorbed. No need to wait before dressing." I have pretty dry skin, and I also fake tan so I always need a good moisturiser before applying that, and at £30, my expectations were high. The lotion itself is rich, and a little goes a long way, perfect as I moisturise twice daily, and have a fair amount left after around 6 weeks of use. It sinks in pretty quickly and doesn't feel sticky like some moisturisers do, and keeps my skin hydrated. This lotion does what it says on the tin, what impressed me most was the firming factor. I've never really bought into the idea of firming lotions, but I definitely notice my thighs aren't so jiggly when using this. All round it's a great product, I'm slowly becoming a loyal Clarins fan!

Clarins One-Step Facial Cleanser: Review

A skincare fanatic with a meticulous routine, it takes a lot for skincare product to impress me. I am always cautious about my buys as not to be disappointed since I spend a fair amount of my little money on keeping my skin ship-shape and (not) shiny. Clarins is a brand that comes with a good reputation, but history has taught me that the brand is not a guarantee on the quality of a product, so as usual I was skeptical. Clarins says: "A cleanser and toner in one time-saving step! Clarins’ dual-action, anti-pollution formula—with gentle Orange and Moringa Seed extracts - removes every last trace of make-up, impurities and skin-dulling dry cells, while reviving skin’s natural radiance. So pure and refreshing, there’s no need to rinse." Usually I steer very clear of products promising a two-in-one, but I continued with the purchase regardless, even though I was a tad nervous. After one use, I was kicking myself for not getting it sooner! I'm not one to jump to conclusions based on one or few uses of a product but this seriously impressed me! Every scrap of make up was removed, my pores looked better than usual and my skin actually didn't look dull for a change. Since then I have used this product religiously and I've never been let down, it's around 2 months down the line and I still have a good third of the bottle left, another plus! 

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Colour Renew: Review

So, as you can probably tell by the bottle, I've been using this product for a while to try and solve my blonde woes. I like to give a product a good chance before reviewing it, so now the bottle is empty, I can give an informed opinion. John Frieda says: "Specially-formulated for colour-treated blondes, this tone correcting shampoo neutralises brassiness. The formula contains an optical brightener and lavender to extend the salon-fresh look of your blonde by neutralising brassiness. Contains UV filters to help protect your hair from sun damage. This product is ammonia and peroxide free."
As a bottle blonde, brassiness is an ongoing battle in between salon visits and I've been searching for the best toning shampoo, unfortunately, the search goes on. The bottle advises to apply as normal and leave on for a few minutes before rinsing. I followed these instructions and followed up with the toning conditioner from the same range but saw little to no improvement using it as a every other day shampoo. However, when I have a bit of time to kill in my house, I'll leave it on for a lot longer (up to a few hours) and this is when I see the product working. I feel that this product and range is perhaps more suited to medium blondes, as the brassiness is a lot less brash and perhaps easier to counteract. I will give the product a thumbs up for no ammonia or peroxide, still, I'm not taken by it at all and will continue on my quest to find the best! Suggestions welcome!