Fresh smelling apples. (Alberto Balsam Juicy Green Apple Shampoo)

Member Name: topherbenn

Product:	Alberto Balsam Juicy Green Apple Shampoo
Date:	27/04/09 (118 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic scent, great looking bottle, amazing cheap price and on offer too!

Disadvantages: Doesn't quite wash your hair thoroughly, easily wastable, doesn't necessatily leave your hair soft.

I first heard of 'Alberto Balsam' a few years back when I was looking for an alternative hair styling product because I just didn't feel what I was using then did a good enough job. My experience of 'Alberto Balsam' was pretty good, and I used their hair styling products for a number of months. When I saw this shampoo on offer I thought maybe I'd get lucky again, sadly I'm not yet sure if it's made the cut, though that's not to say this isn't still a good shampoo.

This bottle really stands out in the shelves. You'll notice the bright green colour of the bottle which is a reflection of the colour of liquid found in this bottle. It's a good wholesome green, not pukey, definitely not something that might be conceived as a radioactive substance, just that great green colour you'll hope to see exhuberating from your next bunch of 'Granny Smiths'.

Before now I have almost always gone for original shampoo's; those that don't have a scent because I've just not felt the need for them, but upon trying this I've realised what I've been missing out on all these years. I don't think anyone can bad mouth the apple scent that bursts out from this shampoo. It's like the best smelling apples I've ever smelt, so full of fresh energy which is a great thing for the morning. Not only does it smell great when using it in the shower but it lasts for a good few hours afterward; not overpowering so everyone's head will turn as you pass and wonder where on earth that apple smell is coming from, but enough so that every now and then you get a little whiff of the wonderful scent.

Next onto how this shampoo functions as a product. It looked great and smelt great, but what good is this if it doesn't fulfill it's function?

I'm not one to waste anything, some might call me a little 'green' warrior, but if it's one thing I don't like, it's waste. Therefore I go quite sparingly on shampoo, applying just enough to ensure my hair gets a good wash that will keep my hair clean for the following day or two. I was therefore quite surprised when I prized open the cap, tipped the bottle upside down and genitally squeezed to find a large dollop of green shampoo in the palm of my hand. I really didn't squeeze all that hard, which shows that the design on the bottle is to ensure you use as much as realistically possible in every wash; something that I didn't want. Maybe it's also got something to do with the texture and make up of the product...

You'll notice from the first instant that you poor some shampoo in the palm of your hand that it's quite jelly like, but at the same time, rather runny. I think this may have had some reason to do with the amount that I got in the palm of my hand. You can see how runny it is when you tip the bottle upside down (with the cap closed) and see the liquid sloshing around inside the plastic walls. My experience of shampoo's is from those that are really quite firm, to those that are very runny indeed, and this came in about the middle, maybe a slight bit more towards the runny side, which sort of helped to boost it's image in my eyes. Having seen how quickly it had come out, I wasn't so impressed, because this was a clear indicator of how quickly I would use the bottle of shampoo up.

One tip I will say, which varies from shampoo to shampoo, is that you must rub the shampoo in the palms of your hands to ensure that it doesn't just clump together in one place on the top of your head. I have said how this is a rather runny substance, but once it gets in your hair it's a very different story. Firstly it sort of sticks itself to the strands of your hair, and if you haven't already spread it round, it becomes a little more difficult. Whereas other shampoo's are easily movable through your hair, you'll find this a little different. Work at it however like I did and you'll eventually get all your hair washed. It just takes a little bit more time. You may want to reach for the bottle again, which is exactly what they are hoping for, but I really didn't want to knowing how much was already in my hair.

The shampoo is pretty easy to rinse out after you are finished washing your hair. This was a great positive, I really hate it when it takes more time to get the shampoo out your hair than it does to put it in. Be sure to rinse your head thoroughly and it'll all come out.

I always do the test of whether the shampoo has cleaned my hair a few minutes later. When I'm still in the shower I feel I should be able to easily run my fingers through my hair with ease, after all the shampoo should have got rid of any dirt and greasy. This didn't do to badly, then again it didn't really do tremendously either. My hair still felt slightly greasy, which is why I had to reach for the bottle and have another wash. My hair isn't that long, so I feel one wash should do the trick, so this definitely didn't impress me. Why would I want a shampoo that didn't do the job first time?

I leave my hair to dry naturally, and once dry with other shampoo products my hair is bouncy, fluffy and very soft. This didn't leave my hair feeling as good as this; surprisingly it still felt slightly greasy, which really started to frustrate me, and it didn't dry all that well, leaving my hair quite clumped together, rather than fluffy and bouncy.

Overall this shampoo didn't do that bad of a job, but would I buy it again? Unfortunately no I wouldn't. I've still got a few bottles left, having bought this shampoo on offer, so maybe my mind will change. When there are alternatives on the market that give me a great clean the first time, and leave my hair feeling great, I don't see why I should settle for anything less. Yes this is a cheaper product, saving a good pound or more on each bottle, so therefore maybe I can afford the two washes, but it just seems like more hassle and effort that I don't want to contend with. It does have it's advantages, that being the scent and look of the bottle, which is maybe something I'll now be looking for as a quality in my shampoo. Maybe they've spent too much time making this product aesthetically pleasing, and working on the scent, because these are certainly where the product excels, but I'd much rather they got the function of the product right before making it look beautiful. However it also has it's disadvantages, and these stem from the way the product comes out of the bottle, I've tried to get even less out, though my attempts haven't proved successful yet. Also the way it goes through the hair and way it actually washes the strands. I was sort of left with the feeling that my hair wasn't quite clean which is never a good sign.

All in all if you're wanting ways to cut back and maybe don't see your hair as something you can afford to splash out on then this is the product for you. It'll do it's job, maybe not the first time, but you'll get there in the end. If you are someone like me, who needs to have clean hair when it's just been washed, then try something else, because this isn't going to make you feel good afterward.

Currently, and supposedly until the end of the year, this shampoo is on offer at 'ASDA' on a 3 for £2.00 purchase, or 4 for £3.00 purchase at 'Tesco'. Alternatively you can buy the single bottles for 93p at both 'ASDA' and 'Tesco' and 95p at 'Sainsburys'. Now maybe it's just me, but it seems like they are trying to give this shampoo away... maybe food for thought as to why it might not be the best on the market.

Summary: 'Alberto Balsam' is a great brand, though this shampoo doesn't quite get up there with the best.