I have never been fussy when it comes to my hair and generally buy whichever products are on offer in the supermarket! My hair is quite long, a good 5 inches below my shoulders, very straight with a few layers in it. I'm naturally a dark dull blonde but after years of expensive highlights I dyed it brown in 2009 and have never gone back! I always considered buying hair products to protect my hair colour but never knew which to buy and I also didn't want to pay lots of money for shampoo and conditioner! I stumbled across L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect when a friend came to stay last year and accidentally left her shampoo and conditioner behind. There was no point in sending them through the post so I used the rest of both bottles and have used the product regularly since!

L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect conditioner comes in a big red bottle with the signature L'Oreal logo across the front. It might not be the most attractive packaging I've seen on hair products but it certainly stands out and is the first thing I notice on the hair care aisle! The packaging has changed in the last few months and now has a more solid base to stand on which is better as it isn't as likely to topple over.

According to the bottle, the condition has two secrets to colour protection:

CONCENTRATED NOURISHMENT
When I squeeze the bottle the conditioner comes out easily and I find that this is the case right up until the end of the bottle. It's an opaque liquid which feels very thick and creamy on my hand and on my hair as I apply it. I tend to use about a tablespoon of the conditioner which I run through the length of my hair. I don't apply it too close to the roots as my hair can get greasy easily but I apply it from just above my ears right down to the tips. It is easy to smooth through my hair and immediately makes it feel more manageable, especially the very ends which is where all the knots are! With my hair being long I normally use a wide toothed shower comb to run the conditioner through evenly which makes it easier to brush once I've rinsed it and dried it with a towel. In comparison with other conditioners it rinses quite easily and while it feels much silkier it doesn't leave a layer of what feels like plastic over my hair which some conditioners do. When my hair is dry it is more manageable, easier to brush and looks much sleeker than when I haven't used it. I find that it still looks neat throughout the day and that unless I've been outside in windy conditions it will not get tangled and will remain soft and smooth.

LASTING COLOUR PROTECTION
So it's a good conditioner, but there are many products on the market which are just as good at making hair feel soft. What makes this one special? That would be its claim that it has proved results of over 80% colour radiance protection and 7 weeks of 'just coloured' intensity. I have my hair coloured at the hairdresser's every six months but in between visits dye my hair myself twice on average. Colouring it at home often means that the colour doesn't last as well and for me, this conditioner has not helped. I have noticed no difference in the rate at which my colour fades or becomes duller since using this and it doesn't seem to vary depending on which conditioner I use. If you read the small print on the bottle the +80% colour radiance protection was in a test of Elvive Colour Protect shampoo and masque (not this conditioner!) against a classic shampoo. To me that's not even a statistic worth noting. Saying that, I do feel more comfortable using this conditioner knowing that it is for coloured hair even though I don't notice a considerable difference.

According to L'Oreal the conditioner works best when used with L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect Shampoo. It makes sense but I've used it with all of the shampoos in my bathroom and again I haven't noticed a difference.

The shampoo and conditioner are both available in 250ml and 400ml sizes and can be purchased from all major supermarkets and chemists. I often buy them from my local Boots where it the regular size costs £2.69 and the larger 400ml version is £3.79. Boots, Superdrug and supermarkets regularly have L'Oreal Elvive products on offer at 2 for 1, 3 for 2 or 50% off so it is worth looking out for these deals and stocking up.

Overall, this is a good conditioner and has become a regular in my bathroom. However, this is probably down to my laziness and lack of knowledge about conditioners rather than how great it is. I am happy to buy whatever is on offer in the supermarkets and chemists as long as my hair feels silky and soft after using a conditioner and this one definitely does the job. It is also supposed to protect coloured hair and stop it fading. For me it has made no significant difference although I do feel more comfortable knowing the product is for coloured hair and that it won't damage my hair further! I would rate L'Oreal Elvive Colour Protect 3 stars out of five and will continue to buy it when it is on offer!