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Batiste Dry Shampoo Big and Bouncy XXL Volume
by Kirsty_89
DESCRIPTION
This is a dry shampoo from the popular brand Batiste. The version I am discussing is the floral and flirty blush spray and it claims to instantly refresh the hair whatever your hair type. The dry shampoos from batiste also claim to banish oily roots and give lifeless hair a makeover. This product I would say is ... ideal for holidays, camping, festivals or for people who don't have as much time on their hands. In fact it could even be a good product if you are somebody who wants to get out of the cycle of over washing their hair, I did try that but I still have to wash it everyday! Haha.
PACKAGING
The batiste dry shampoo comes in what I would describe as a hairspray can. It is quite thin in diameter and is probably roughly 7 inches tall. The lid to the dry shampoo is a frosted white colour and the can itself is mainly pink and covered in pink flowers. On the front it states the name of the product and the quantity - 200ml. On the back of the packaging the product lists its claims as mentioned in my description. There is also safety advice and the manufacturer's details. What I like most though is that on the back there is a step by step diagram of how to use the product, brilliant for someone new to dry shampoo!
PRICE
You can currently buy this product from Superdrug for £1.48 which I feel is a very reasonable price. You can also purchase the dry shampoo in different scents and designs which can cost more but in general you shouldn't pay more than £2 in Superdrug for 200ml of product. It may also be worth checking online to see if you can get a better price!
PERFORMANCE
I was a bit sceptical of dry shampoo when I first heard of it but after several recommendations from friends I figured I'd give it a go. I first used this version of the batiste shampoo on my holiday two years ago. As somebody who can't get out of the cycle of washing my hair daily I often get frustrated with the feel and look of my hair, especially after sitting in the heat or coming out of the sea/pool and so I used this shampoo before a night out on the evening when abroad. You simply shake the can before use and then spray small amounts into the roots of your hair, then work in with your fingers. This product for me was a god send on holiday as it really refreshed my hair and left it smelling gorgeous instead of like chlorine! It definitely made my hair bouncier too which I also like and made me feel a lot better in myself with a fresh head of clean hair.
I stopped using this product for a while because I couldn't really find a use for it, I did try to alternate between washing my hair in the shower then using the dry shampoo the next day, then back to shower etc but it didn't quite perform well enough for me to stop washing my hair daily. This is probably because my hair is used to this cycle though, most people would be fine using this dry shampoo on a day they wouldn't be washing their hair. The main thing I have been using this product for recently is before an early University start and I feel now I've found another use for it, the product has really come into its own again.
When I have an early University start, due to commuting I will often shower in the evening to give me a longer lie in! When I wake up in the morning I always give my hair a quick blast of the dry shampoo just to give it some life and a nice scent before I head off on public transport. I've been very pleased with the products performance on a daily basis for this reason.
OVERALL
Overall I really like this product it's just a shame I can't use it more regularly than I do as I've finished Uni for summer now and so no early starts! This product would be absolutely perfect for anybody who has a hectic lifestyle and just hasn't got time to wash their hair everyday or perhaps one morning you are running late for work, just give this a quick blast, it takes two seconds and you'll be well on your way to beautiful hair.
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John Frieda Frizz Ease 3 Day Straight Spray
by Sassy29
**** What is it? ****
This is a semi-permanent styling spray by John Freida, which claims to keep you hair straight for 3-days. It is made especially for curly hair and should be used on wet/damp hair, before blow drying and straightening. The spray comes in a silver bottle, with a push down button/applicator. To use, you simply ... remove the lid and push down on the applicator, which then release a mist of liquid. The product suggests to use between 7-15 sprays depending on you hair length and thickness.
John Freida's spiel for this product:
'Designed to work with your hair straighteners, this weightless spray with heat protection blocks out frizz as you straighten. A revolutionary blend of polymers with keratin protein wraps each strand, sealing in straight style for up to 3 days.
- Keeps hair glossy, smooth and swinging with body
- Safe for colour-treated and chemically-treated hair
- Or until your next shampoo if less than 3 days'.
**** Price and Availability ****
You can purchase this spray, which comes in a 100ml bottle, from Boots for £6.99 and it is currently on an offer, 3 for £12.00 on selected John Freida products. I have also seen this for sale in most supermarkets and chemists.
**** My Thoughts ****
My hair is just below shoulder length, thick and curly. If I was to leave my hair after washing, i.e. not blow dry and straighten it, it would resemble an unkept, wild bush. And trying to tame the wild beast, which is my hair, is an extremely time consuming and tedious job. My normal hair-wash routine usually takes me about an hour and a half. This consist of washing my hair, trying to get a tangle teezer (the best thing since sliced bread!) through it , blowing drying and then straightening. The main problem with my hair is after spending so much time and effort trying to get my hair into some sort of order, as soon as it is any contact with any moisture, it drinks it up and balloons into a frizz ball.
I have used a lot of John Freida Frizz Ease products, as they are designed for curly hair, and usually do a pretty good job of making my hair more manageable. So when I came across John Freida 3-days straight, I could not wait to try it out.
It is very simple to use, I usually spray between 10-15 squirts of this spray on wet hair, which gives an even coverage. The first thing you notice with this spray is a lovely, fresh scent, which lingers in the hair for a couple of hours after use. Once I have blow dried and straightened my hair (I use Cloud 9 straighteners), it looks noticeably straighter and smoother (compared to not using the product). So far so good...
Now the real test for me was whether it was actually going to keep my hair straight, and prevent it going frizzy/curly once in contact with moisture. Unfortunately I was very disappointed, considering how straight it made my hair immediately look after straightening. After about ten minutes of stepping outside my hair started to get thicker and frizzier. I would have expected this if it had been raining heavily, however this particularly day was just misty. So my hair reverted back to its usual, unruly self and I was in the same position as if I had not used this spray. Overall it was pretty useless.
After studying the bottle closely I found, in very small print, that this spray 'lasts for up to 3 days*'. In my opinion this is a very easy get out clause from the makers of this spray. The title of this product is called ' 3-days straight', not 'up to 3 days straight' and I for one, actually felt quite duped by this product. If I had paid closer attention on the small writing, before purchasing, I probably would not have bothered buying it. I think that manufacturers need to be more transparent on what the buyer can actually expect from their product.
On the back of this bottle it recommends to use straighteners to do 'touch ups' after the first day, if needed. Now in my opinion, if it is recommending touch up's then it is not doing it's job, by keeping my hair straight, in the first place. This, once again, contradicts the ' 3-day straight' title/gimmick.
*** Would I recommend? ***
No, I would not recommend this product as it does not do, what it claims to do. It is a gimmick to sell a product which is useless. Like I have mentioned above, I really like the John Freida range of anti-frizz products, but this one is a real let down. I am still going to use this product ,as a heat protection spray, until it runs out but I will certainly not be re-purchasing.
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Alberto Balsam Sun Kissed Raspberry Conditioner
by littleme96
Having long hair means that conditioning it is vital to keep it in tip-top condition, especially as I don't visit the hairdressers very often. For this reason I use conditioner ever time I shampoo my hair, but I can't say that I am particularly brand-loyal (although I do really like the Aussie range of conditioners). Like many people ... at the moment, our budget is stretched and so I have been trying cheaper alternatives to my normal toiletry products, in the hope that I'll prefer the budget option. This product - Alberto Balsam Sun Kissed Rasberry Herbal Conditioner certainly fitted the cheap requirement at a bargainous £1 for 400ml, but was it any good?
First impressions are that the bottle is attractive enough, but that the packaging doesn't give a luxurious impression It is a standard shape with no nooks and crannies for the conditioner to get stuck in and a flip top lid keeps the conditioner securely in the bottle with no leaks. The label is informative telling me that this product is a "moisture splash for normal/dry hair" variety and there is an appealing shot of some raspberries in case I wasn't sure what fragrance the conditioner was meant to be. The bottle itself is opaque and so I can see the bubblegum colour of the product within it - useful for knowing how much you have left in the bottle.
I wasn't a massive fan of the scent to be honest. It is very artificial and reminded me of the old Body Shop soaps in the shape of a strawberry - sickly sweet and cheap. The colour of the conditioner is also a bit too girly for me and makes me think that maybe this should be marketed to pre-teens and teenagers!
The conditioner was easy to dispense - perhaps a bit too easy as I ended up with far more product that I wanted due to the thin consistency of the conditioner. Not a problem you might think because it is so cheap, but equally not great due to not getting as many applications as you would if the product was a bit thicker. Most conditioners that I have used in the past have been quite thick and so have made applying the product to my hair easy, this .didn't fare quite so well. It was so thin that some of it slipped straight off my hair and blobbed into the water, again not good from a wastage point of view. The product that stayed on my hair did spread easily and so it was easy to coat the length of my hair and it also washed out easily, so a couple of plus points for it there.
I can't say this this product is a wonder product. My hair felt nice enough after using it and was tangle-free immediately afterwards. Once dry my hair smelt good, it was soft and it didn't have any negative effects, but I can't say that it felt particularly moisturised either. However unlike some products I have used in the past, styling was not a problem afterwards nor was static, so at least my hair was manageable after use.
In conclusion, this product is adequate and good value for money. I am not sure I like it enough to purchase it again because I prefer a more natural scent and a thicker product, but the price is very appealing and the conditioner does a fairly good job.
Currently available from Sainsburys for £1.00.
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