Volume for Fine Locks: PhytoVolume Actif

My fine flat locks need some oomph when it comes to the volumising department and a product that I have just finished every last drop of is Phyto's Phytovolume Actif spray.

It's quite telling when I use up a hair styling product as in the past I've found it a bit of a chore to properly style my hair and I'd often buy products for them to just sit unused. Unfortunately with my fairly recent foray into ombre-ing and also growing my hair long I've had to up the ante in caring for my tresses so I've been making more of an effort with styling too.

The Phytovolume is my go-to when I blow dry so after towel drying my hair, I just spritz near the roots and lift up sections and spray underneath, from root to mid lengths. It's a light liquid spray that doesn't weigh my hair down and if I overdo it slightly, once I blow dry I cannot detect any residue. It has a nice volume effect and helps to give a slight lift and thicken the hair so it feels like I have a bit more fullness. It is heat activated but I've also used this when naturally drying my hair and it still gives a bit of volume.

This contains wheat proteins and amino acids that help to thicken the diameter of each hair and is silicone, sulfate and paraben free.

Overall I've been really happy with this as it's a great volumising product without feeling like you have lots of product in your hair.

I bought this from feelunique.com

Philip Kingsley Jet Set Pack - Take Comfort for Flaky/Itchy Scalps

My scalp is a bit troublesome, I often get periods of flakiness and irritation and it seemed to be playing up a bit these past couple of months. I don't think it helped when I run out of some of my other scalp soothing shampoos like Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic and started using something that I think ended up making my scalp drier then usual.

Anyway, I was looking for something to address these issues and had been meaning to try this particular range by Philip Kingsley for a while so now seemed like a good time!

One thing I appreciate a lot are haircare brands that do smaller sizes in their products. As my scalp is so fussy I prefer buying the trial size to begin with as often in the past I have wasted money on full size products that do not agree with me so I very grateful to those who do trial sizes.

Philip Kingsley is great in that the majority of his products come in various sizes so I purchased this kit which has the Flaky/Itchy Shampoo (60ml), Moisture Balancing Conditioner (60ml) and the Flaky/Itchy Scalp Toner (75ml).

The Flaky/Itchy Shampoo is a normal clear, thickish gel consistency which lathers nicely and rinses cleanly out. It doesn't make my scalp feel tight or dry and has a soothing quality to it. Once rinsed out I do need to use a conditioner because it doesn't feel like it smooths or nourishes the lengths of my hair but that is where the Moisture Balancing Conditioner comes in to play. This stuff is amazing, it's a creamy conditioner that makes the hair feel sooo smooth and silky. My hair is slightly fine and wavy and this makes it less dry without weighing it down. Even after blow-drying my hair doesn't feel dried out.

The Flaky/Itchy Scalp Toner provides welcome relief to the scalp as it's a watery type liquid that you apply to the hair in sections and it instantly feels cooling and soothing on the scalp. It is applied after towel drying but can be used as and when needed too. The pointed nozzle bottle makes it easy to use and allows for precise application.

Since using these products, my scalp is definitely in much better shape and the irritation and flakiness has gone down considerably.

Ingredients:

I purchased this kit from Marks & Spencer

Phylia de M. Connect Review

Phylia de M. is quite a new haircare brand hailing from LA, having launched only this year and one I had been intrigued about after reading information from VictoriaHealth.com (who exclusively stock the range in the UK) as it combines 'ancient Aztec and Mayan herbal remedies with modern science'.

Phylia de M. promotes more healthier, thicker hair for a variety of hair and scalp conditions through a unique blend of ingredients which they grow in their own private organic gardens - I'll leave it them to explain this so here is the information on the ingredients taken from the leaflet that came with the product:

'Aloe Blend
A powerful anti-oxidant, aloe rehabilitates cell damage and assists in the production of keratin, the main component of hair, skin, and nails. Our potent, customized aloe blend revives and encourages regeneration.

Tannic Acid Blend
When a plant is damaged, it secretes tannic acid to repair and renew. We apply the same method to hair follicles with our pure blend of select tannic acids.

Fulvic Acid (Fulphyl de M.) 
(our custom organic humic-free pure fulvic acid)
Fulvic acid provides nutrients to scalp and nerves while removing excess toxins. It transports vital keratin to cells and reminds them to work to their full potential. Our custom-created fulvic acid is completely pure and humic free.'

In the past I've used supplementation that contains Fulvic Acid and it's not an ingredient I've seen used in haircare before so this did pique my interest in the line.

These past 2 years I have noticed that my hair is generally thinner than it once was and while I am trying to address this through nutrition and supplementation, I wanted something topical to use so the product I was most eager to try is the Connect. A review I had read described this as 'fertiliser' for hair, so I had high hopes for this!

Connect is a treatment product for follicles, scalp and hair that comes in a spray form that you apply to scalp and hair in sections after washing and towel drying. It can also be used in dry hair, before styling, on brows and also on nails. It feels light like water so when sprayed it doesn't weigh hair down or make it feel greasy, so I can be liberal with it without issue.

I have been using this a little over 2 months now, about 2 times a week after washing my hair and for me I have noticed a bit of an improvement in that my hair (especially near the roots in the centre) seems a little less thinner. During the first month of use of didn't really notice much, it's only recently that I've seen some positives.
Another thing I've noticed is that if I leave my hair to dry naturally, it helps to promote the natural waves in my hair which is an unexpected plus.

Ingredients:

A gripe I do have is the amount of product you get - when I first opened my package from Victoria Health, I held up the 120ml bottle and thought 'this looks small', which may have been ok if it wasn't £45! I have, as initially thought, got through the product rather quickly even though I have only being spraying in my roots rather than all over. I haven't tried the other uses yet as I didn't want to run out so quickly as I think I would have probably gotten through it in around a month or less had I used it frequently. Ideally it would have been nice to have at least a 200ml bottle for that price considering the versatility of use.

If you would like a super-size version, Victoria Health just announced today there is a 570ml refill bottle available for £180.  A saving if you were to buy the standard bottles individually, but still a considerable sum.

The range also has a shampoo (£28 for 265ml) and conditioner (£30 for 265ml) which I will probably try once I get through some existing products. There is a kit with all three products for £103 (which works out the same as if you were to buy each product individually, so not sure what the incentive is there?).

I really do like this product, and even though the size/price bugs me, I will most likely repurchase as it is straightforward to use and does seem to actually do something.

Phylia de M. is available from Victoria Health in the UK (not affiliate link)
and also http://phyliahair.com (which also has stockist list)

La Roche-Posay Kerium Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

Continuing on from my previous post on products that are keeping my scalp happy, the next thing I'm liking is La Roche-Posay's Kerium Anti-Dandruff Shampoo.

If I need something to quickly address my flaky scalp, I reach for this as it's proving to be very effective at clearing away the flakies without feeling like it's stripping my fine hair.

I bought the cream shampoo formula for a dry scalp, and as the name would suggest it is a creamy texture that has a rich lather (this is a SLS shampoo).

It's easy to work into the hair and rinses out well without any residue feel, and as my hair is dry the creamy formula does provide a little nourishment although I still use a conditioner afterwards.

I feel comfortable using it frequently although now I only use it when I need it and alternate with an SLS free shampoo.

Ingredients:

I bought this from a pharmacy in London as my local Boots didn't have any of the haircare even though they stock La Roche-Posay.

Scalp Soothing Products: Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic Shampoo & Muji Hair Massage Brush

Welcome to my first post for the new year! I hope everyone's 2012 is off to a good start. 

I have been very laid-back on the blogging front these past couple of months but I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things as there are quite a few products I wanted to share, so let's go!

As I've mentioned before I often go through phases of scalp issues like flakiness, irritation and sensitivity where at times I cannot keep my hands off my hair - it bugs me so much!

Towards the end of last year I had much more success with haircare so here are some things I'm loving.

Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic Shampoo

A fitting name for this, it is like therapy for my hair. I think I'm finally coming across effective natural ranges and this definitely is one of them.

Intelligent Nutrients is a range that is without the common chemical nasties and uses food grade ingredients, their vision being 'everything we put into our bodies must be nutritious and safe' (Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Intelligent Nutrients).

I am always hesitate about buying full sizes in haircare, as I have wasted many products in the past as they just don't work for me. Often it's not possible to test or sample haircare in the same way as skincare so I was really pleased to see travel sizes and bought the shampoo to try out.

The texture is almost conditioner-like as it has a light, creamy consistency that is easy to work into the hair. The lather is creamy and rinses out well, leaving the hair feeling smooth and nourished but not weighed down in any way which is good for my fine hair.  I don't find this as effective for flakiness (there is something else I'm using for that which I will review), maybe with longer use I might see a difference, but it does really help soothe irritation.

What I love the most about this is the incredibly refreshing scent from the peppermint, spearmint, rosemary and menthol - the blend of ingredients is so therapeutic and feels cooling and very soothing on my scalp in a way that I have not come across before. It's because of this I actually look forward to using the shampoo which differs from my previous experiences of natural shampoos because it is enjoyable to use.

Intelligent Nutrients also have skincare and bodycare which I am looking forward to exploring as well - I have my eye on their Jasmine aromas which smell divine!

I bought this from Whole Foods but the range is available online from Lovelula & Naturisimo.

Ingredients:

The next thing which has been a revelation is the Muji Hair Massage Brush

I have heard of shampoo massage brushes but haven't really come across one before until I recently popped into Muji one day.

I've been using this every time I shampoo my hair since I bought it - I first work the shampoo into my hair and then use the brush to massage the scalp in circular motions. I massage a small section, then lift the brush and move to the next part rather then dragging it through the hair.  

The bristles are quite firm but as they are quite thick and have rounded ends, when used lightly it is excellent for massaging the scalp.

Contrary to what I initially thought, this doesn't make my hair shed any more then usual, I think it's actually less.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this might help long term with my hair, but at the moment I am enjoying the relief for my scalp.

Evolve Multi Protein Shampoo & Conditioner Review

A couple of months back my scalp was not feeling too good - it was dry, flaky (kinda gross I know) and I really wanted to find a natural range to help with my scalp woes.

Just to note my hair is just below my shoulders at the moment, has a natural wave and is quite fine and dry. I have never chemically coloured it (I have only ever used Lush Cacas) and I do blow dry it 1-2 times a week, sometimes using straighteners.

I was at the Vitality Show earlier this year and it was nice to be able to speak to some of the people working on the brands face to face and be able to get advice and information about the products and my concerns which is not always available easily with some niche brands (well not in the same way as if I was to waltz into Debenhams and go and speak to someone on say Clinique).

Anyway, I spoke to a lovely lady on the Evolve stand and told her I find it hard getting an effective natural shampoo. She had said they have reformulated their haircare and suggested I try the Multi Protein shampoo and conditioner as it has ingredients beneficial for itchy/flaky scalps.

I didn't get anything then but I kept a mental note and after a bit of a shampoo clearout at home I did go and buy the suggested range from Wholefoods.

The Multi Protein Shampoo is a gel liquid formula that is a little runny so it flows out of the bottle better. I mix this with a little water after applying onto wet hair and this helps it lather and spread out more easily. It rinses out ok but if I use too much I have found it sometimes feels like it hasn't rinsed out properly and then my hair ends up looking greasy (I only found this initially as I was getting used to using this).

That being said the shampoo is excellent on my scalp, it has really improved the flakiness, it doesn't feel itchy or dry, and I think it also stops my hair nearer my roots from getting greasy quickly. My hair feels nourished (and maybe a bit stronger?) and I think I shed a little less hair then before.

For my lengths this isn't quite right, but now I only use the shampoo on my scalp and then use a different lighter shampoo on my lengths which works better for me.

I am definitely going to continue using the shampoo (I have used it for about 2 months now and have about 1/4 of the bottle left), and plan to repurchase it as it has really helped control my scalp problems, I really hope I don't become resistant to the effectiveness of this!

The conditioner feels like a normal conditioner - creamy and moisturising. Again, for my fine hair I didn't need much and this rinses out fine. If I use this after the shampoo, I find it a bit too much for my fine hair and it feels weighed down a bit where as if I use a lighter shampoo before this conditioner then it works better and it does make my hair feel soft, moisturised and a little shiny. It doesn't give me quite the definition I would like to help promote my natural waves so I am not sure if I would repurchase this.

As with all Evolve products, they are natural and certified organic by Ecocert. Both products contain wheat and almond proteins to help strengthen the hair. They also have a sweet almond milky scent that I find a bit unusual to find in a shampoo as it's more the type of scent that you would find in a body lotion but I do love it and because it is unexpected, I sort of forget that these smell like this and it's always a bit of a surprise every time I use them!

Evolve Multi Protein Shampoo ingredients

Evolve Multi Protein Conditioner ingredients

These are 200ml and £9.99 each. I bought mine from Wholefoods but there are quite a few online retailers that stock the range.

Babyliss Pro230 Elegance Straighteners Review

I have used ghds in the past and there is no denying that they are one of best brands out there for straighteners, but I was determined to find something as good for less the next time around and the ideal opportunity came at Boots with their recent offers on electrical beauty gadgets.
At full price these are around £100 but they seem to be on offer at several retailers for about £40-£50.

Apart from the fact they were on offer, the reason I bought these particular ones was because they were out of the box on display instore so I could get a good look as I wanted a shape that you could do waves with easily as well. They also come with a 5yr guarantee which is another factor that sort of pipped it for me.

They are a nice deep purple colour with a wavy, pearly satin cloth type pattern.
On the left there are the LED lights, then a sliding switch for 3 heat settings (180, 200, 230 degrees), and an on button and an off button. These heat up really quick - about 20 seconds.

It comes with a heat proof mat with a velcro strappy thing on the end. The cord is a nice long length and swivels at the the top so it is easy to maneouvre and doesn't get tangled.

It also comes with a clutch (which I find a bit cheap and hideous looking). It's okay for storing the straighteners, but they just manage to fit inside, ideally it should be a bit bigger and it would be better if they somehow combined the heatproof mat and bag so that they are not separate as the lining of the bag I don't think is heat proof.

As to the straighteners themselves - they are really rather good. I have quite fine hair so don't need them to be as hot and find that these get my hair very straight quickly even if I can't be bothered to properly section my hair. The plates also have a nice glide and don't drag in the hair, and the curved edges allow me to create waves as well. One thing to note is that the outside top part of the straightener where the plates are does get very hot which I don't find to be a problem as I hold them nearer the bottom but is something to be cautious of.

My sister has thick, long (sorta like Pocahantas) hair and she has been using these on the highest heat setting and found that she can get poker-straight hair with these as well which importantly lasts throughout the day and also the following day. As we have both used ghds in the past we can tell a very slight difference - more to do with the ghd plates and how they efficiently straighten the hair in one swipe but it is such a small difference and for me these Babyliss ones do just as good a job.

Overall I am very pleased with these and they make a much more affordable alternative (if bought on offer) to ghds.


Disclaimer: Purchased by me

Current Haircare Routine/Ramble - Head & Shoulders and Joico

Haircare is one area of beauty that while I like, I find it difficult to get right. I think it's easier with makeup as you can test things out before buying but most haircare products are a leap of faith.

I tend to favour more natural ranges but I have found it difficult to do this with haircare so I often switch between SLS/chemical and natural ranges.


My hair is:

Just below my shoulders in length and naturally wavy (if I treat it right I can get a good loose wave/curl without the aid of any tools.

Slightly fine

Lacks volume so can often look flat

Drier on lengths and can get greasy quickly

Prone to flakiness and my scalp on occasion can become slightly itchy.

Recently I have found some products that seem to work well for me so I'd thought I'd run through these:

First up is Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Shampoo.

Head & Shoulders is one of the few SLS shampoos that I use and have repurchased many times. It just works, helping to relieve flakiness and mild scalp issues. As well as helping with those problems it also makes the hair feel so clean and smooth. If I leave this out everyone in the house uses it.

The Dry Scalp Care shampoo is a new formula in the Head & Shoulders line-up and so far it is my favourite one. It makes the scalp feel soothed and hydrated and the hair much softer and smoother. Since using this the hair nearer the roots doesn't get greasy as quickly.

Ingredients:

Next is Joico Moisture Recovery Treatment Lotion for fine/normal dry hair.
I have never used any Joico haircare before, but have heard good things about the range and I saw that these were on sale on Beauty Expert so I bought a couple of products. The description and instructions are not very in-depth, but I use this like a conditioner, just applying to damp hair and leaving for 5 mins then rinsing out. It is a pale yellow light cream consistency which is not rich so doesn't leave my hair feeling weighed down, just very soft and smooth.

Ingredients:

Joico K-Pak Reconstruct Liquid Reconstructor for fine/damaged hair

I wouldn't say my hair is damaged (apart from Lush's Cacas I have never coloured my hair) but I do blow-dry and straighten on occasion so it can get slightly more drier.
This is a liquid spray which you use on clean, towel-dried hair and is supposed to help rebuild and improve the structure of the hair.
When I spray this I can feel the liquid on my hair as it sprays in a more focused squirt rather then a fine mist. I can be rather liberal with this and even though it definitely feels like I've applied too much, once my hair is dry there is no residue/greasiness or anything left and my hair just feels really soft, smooth and light like I haven't applied any product at all. Also to note this is scented with a pineapple/coconut sort of scent.
I still need to use some sort of finishing product to get a bit more definition and shine to the hair, but overall I am really liking this and it has definitely made me want to explore Joico more.

Ingredients:

Disclaimer: All products purchased by me