Alberto "does" average...... (Alberto Balsam Sun Kissed Raspberry Herbal Shampoo)

Member Name: hypno06

Product:	Alberto Balsam Sun Kissed Raspberry Herbal Shampoo
Date:	22/03/09 (119 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Looks nice, smells ok, often on offer.

Disadvantages: Can leave my hair feeling grainy.

When buying a shampoo nowadays there is so much to choose from - whether paying 59p for a large bottle of supermarket own brand that does the job without looking fabulous in the bathroom, or paying for your product to be endorsed by a super top stylist, who claims that they use the exact same thing in their salon.....with prices to match. And of course there is every price bracket in between.

Now and again, I love to treat myself to one of the slightly more expensive products, but for the most time, I look to the lower end of the price ranges. We are lucky in our house that most of us don't have problems with our hair - neither over greasy, nor too dry, although my husband just wishes he had a bit more of the stuff.....buying shampoo needn't really concern him!

Although the shops' own brand stuff is great value for money, it doesn't look that nice on the bathroom shelf. In addition, the bottles are normally bulky and therefore take up lots of space on the shower rack. I therefore try and look for something that will look nice, and "fit" as well as something that does the job I need it to do at a price that is right.

Alberto Balsam is a hair care name that has been around as long as any of us can remember. My sister, as a small child, used to call it Albert shampoo, and I still can't completely stop saying that myself at times, much to the shame of my children when cruising up and down that particular aisle in the supermarket.

Because they have been producing hair care products for such a long time, you would expect this brand to have got it right. They have moved with the times, providing new products with younger and fresher packaging and fragrances, such as the Sun Kissed Raspberry shampoo I am going to review, yet still have their "core" products that have been looking after the barnets of Britain for many decades.

As you would expect from a raspberry shampoo, this one is pink. It says that it provides "moisture splash, for normal/dry hair". I don't have over dry hair, but I do use a hairdryer every couple of days so I thought this might provide me with that "moisture splash" I need to keep my hair from having a problem. The bottle also claims that they use most of the same ingredients that you find in more expensive brands. This is probably the same with most products - food, cosmetic and otherwise - cheaper brands using the same methods, technology and ingredients that the more expensive brands use, but without the hefty price tag, but it is nice to be reassured that this is not just going to be "cheap and cheerful" shampoo.

The shampoo is a good consistency, not thick and gloopy, (which sometimes doesn't lather up in a hard water area such as ours) but not overly thin and runny - it is dispensed through a spout so there is little danger of wastage from pouring out too much.

We live in a very hard water area, but this shampoo lathers up well for a relatively small dollop....in soft water areas, you would probably need very little shampoo to get the lather you need. This means that a bottle lasts a reasonable amount of time - it actually shows a shelf life of 18 months, so you should have no trouble with wastage.

The smell is fresh and summery without being floral. It is not as "fruity" as some fruit-fragranced shampoos that I have tried, and it is not an overpowering scent, which is great, because it means that the bathroom does not smell too girly when it is used by the male members of the household. I don't know that the scent is obviously raspberry......but it is certainly a "pink" scent.....although, as I say, not overpoweringly so.

I do find that I have to wash this shampoo out really really well, because on occasion I have felt that my hair feels "grainy" rather than "squeaky clean". Whilst I know that overwashing of hair can strip it of its natural oils, I would rather it felt clean than gritty.

Once dried, my hair is ok, not fabulous, and not horrid.......although sometimes I have found it to be flyaway for the first few hours after washing which is most annoying, especially when at work. The scent doesn't last on the hair as far as I can tell, although it is difficult to sniff your own hair when it is not long.........

So, all in all, this is a pretty average shampoo at a pretty average price - normally you would expect to pay 99p for a bottle of this, which is fine and does what it needs to do....but quite often it is on BOGOF at the supermarket, which means you can buy the shampoo and conditioner for less than a pound.......bringing it into the lower range price category.

I wouldn't look at paying full price for this - and I certainly wouldn't pay more than 99p for it. But as a cheapie, it is a reasonable alternative to the supermarket own brand, and looks just that little bit nicer in the bathroom or shower too.

Summary: An average shampoo at an average price