Many years ago, I had a *thing* about my natural dark brown hair colour, and thought my life would be be sorted if I could just attain a perfect shade of blonde! I think this was a hangover from my school days, where the most popular girls were the blondest! A bit sad I know, but we live and learn!

So, I home highlighted it- hated it - dyed it brown - highlighted it again - dyed it back - had salon highlights - hated them - had more put in by students (WHY?!!) etc etc .... essentially, my hair was a mess and eventually I had to make an emergency trip to a colourist as I had a strange orangey hair colour, and my hair was absolutely frazzled. Within an hour I was back to something resembling my previous dark shade, but much more lifeless and much less shiny. The colourist recommended Potion 9, a leave in conditioner, as a way of restoring my hair.

I bought it, even though it came with a hefty price tag of £19.00, because a.) I wanted nicer hair, and b.) I was awful at saying 'No'!

For once, my lack of assertiveness paid dividends. Potion 9 is a strange orange goo , but somehow it actually worked, and restored the texture of my straw-like brittle locks to something that actually felt like hair. Over time it also enhanced the shine and really helped with the condition.

It is pricey but a little goes a long way. A tube lasted me for months, and I had very long hair then. The tube itself is metal, which means you can squeeze every much needed blob out, though it can split and the potion gets a bit gungey if you don't keep the cap clean.

Over the years I have suffered many other colour disasters, (nope I didn't learn) and have returned time and again to Potion 9.

Luckily, marriage and children (and just growing up a bit!) has cured my blonde envy, but I can't be certain it won't return, and I hope Potion 9 is around to mend my hair when it does!

The shampoos and conditioners in the Sebastian range are nice too, but nothing has proved as effective as Potion 9. I recommend it highly.

I realise that this is more of an anecdotal review, than a science report but nonetheless, I hope it is of some use & if your hair is in need of rescue it is definitely worth a try.

HQHair.com stock most of the Sebastian range, as do quite a few salons.

Happy repairing!