Hair Care Routine - February

Every month, I go through bottles of hair care and styling products. I thought it would be a good idea to share what I have been using each month and how well it worked.
I love to try a new shampoo and conditioner each month, I always look forward to trying something different, I have found some great products by doing this; also having a change in scent also appeals to me personally as I tend to get used to the smell of the products after a while. This month I went back to one of my old favourites that I haven't used for a couple of year's.

The Body Shop - Banana Shampoo & Conditioner. (£4.50 each)
These smell delicious, they leave your hair smelling great all day long and a little into the next day. They contain real banana puree, so it's a lovely true, fresh banana smell and not an artificial overly sweet scent.
The banana puree goes to work on your hair making it soft, nourished and best of all glossy. It gently cleanses so it doesn't strip necessary oils out of the scalp, meaning no  dandruff.
It has a lovely thick creamy consistency, that is easy to work through the hair.
It's great for tangles; if like me, as soon as your hair sees water it becomes a tangled birds nest, this is a dream. Combs glide through hair, no snags! Meaning less damage to your hair.

Organix - Brazilian Keratin Therapy, Anti-Breakage Serum (£6.99)
Schwarzkopf, Got2b - Guardian Angel, Heat Protector (£3.99)
The wind had been whipping my poor hair in every direction this winter; combing out the knots it created had been damaging my hair, combined with central heating and over using heated appliances, my hair was brittle, weak, frazzled and lacking in the lustre department. Then I met Organix! I towel dry my hair and pop a little of this through; the results - brilliant!
The keratin strengthens the hair, coconut oil softens and de- frizzes, avocado oil and cocoa butter smooth and add shine. All in one little bottle, at a very fair price.
A hero product that I wish I had found much sooner.
After I run this through I mist over my hair with Guardian Angel for heat protection and comb it all through, before blow drying or styling. I like this heat protection spray, it's lasting so long; it's also not sticky, I find too many leave my fingers tacky, this can't be good for the hair. It also smells amazing!

Schwarzkopf, Got2b - Sexy Collagen Lift Effect Hairspray (£3.99)
After I have finished styling; straightened, curled or as I like to call it 'created hair art', I give it some added volume as well as hold.
This hairspray smells delicious, it fruity and fresh; it's holding power is very impressive - curls hold up all day long, straight styles don't go frizzy when there is moisture in the air and best of all it gives you big, sexy hair to flaunt.
I do have to use a good cleansing shampoo by the end of the week. Like all volumizising products it leaves tiny fibre like flakes on the hair which feel quite odd. So to prevent build-up (like any hairspray) a good clarifying cleanser used at the end of each week is great to get back to Au natural hair and get rid of all product build up.
I go through quite a few cans, I would say one a month. Being fairly priced I tend not to over worry about the cost, my purse never feels much lighter.
I love the design of the packaging, it's what grabbed my attention towards it - although it does remind me of a certain salon brands packaging. (Can you guess which one I'm thinking of?)

Lush - No Drought, Dry Shampoo (£6.75)
Percy & Reed - Dry Conditioner (£12.00)
Finally, for those days in between washes, I grab 'No Drought' dry shampoo, give it a sprinkle in, rub and comb it through. Easy peasy!
I've tried most dry shampoos excluded three brands (far too expensive). I can't say I'm a huge fan of any; the only one that I liked in spray form was the 'Philip Kingsley - One More Day Dry Shampoo' but still I found white residue - even after vigorous combing and rubbing.
I dislike them because they run out far too quickly, they leave white powder residue on the hair and they smell awful to me personally.
No Drought, smells like limes and grapefruit, really fresh and zingy. The powder disappears almost instantly with no residue, it absorbs oil with its clever oil-absorbing micropowders, leaving hair matte, clean looking and fabulously coiffed without any dustiness.
The bottle you see in the picture I have been using for 4 months and not lightly, as you can see it lasts a long time. I would happily say I have a year's supply of dry shampoo still left in it.
Before I discovered this, I was buying cans of dry shampoo every 2-3 weeks, you can see how costs can mount up. I have no worries about these costs any longer thanks to this little wonder. I cannot express how much I love this product.

For day's when my hair is feeling dry, coarse and a little dull. I spray in a little of Percy & Reed dry conditioner. It's conditioning formula reduces the damage caused when brushing; as well as adding gorgeous, glossy shine. My hair feels super soft after spraying this in and giving it a brush through. It helps to moisturise and detangle hair, which makes it easier to comb when I've come in from being wind swept, as mentioned above my hair easily knots up (as it's super fine).  This leaves it looking healthy, smooth and shiny. Brilliant product and a definite must have for my hair.

Winter Skin - Rescue Products

This winter my skin decided that it was going to allow the weather to win. From chapped hands, heels and lips; to dry, itchy, flaky legs. My skin had gone mad... So I bought a whole bunch of winter treats to remedy the madness and tested them all. After a little trial and error, I finally found the products that helped repair, smooth and soothe my skin the best. Hopefully, these could be useful and beneficial to you too!

Clarins - Hand and Nail Treatment Cream.
I am a self confessed hand cream junkie. I have a hand cream in every draw and every hand bag and this is only a fragment of my hand cream addiction. I have eczema that is mainly on my hands, I try anything and everything to keep them moisturised, so that it has no excuse to flare up.
Clarins products have never let me down, I saw the hand cream and bought it. As with the rest of the Clarins range it was brilliant and did exactly what it said on the tube. It nourished, soothed and replenished. Everything that I needed, the winter weather didn't stand a chance against this miracle worker! On a side note this is also great for targeting any age spots and strengthens nails all at the same time. I also adore the scent of this cream, it's a beautiful subtle floral aroma.

Dr. Lipp - SOS Balm.
I have a draw full of balms, every brand you can imagine, some taste great, some tint the lips whilst nourishing, some just sit on the lips and don't work. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one with a draw like this. Mine has all been forgotten about because of Dr. Lipp, it was originally a nipple balm but mothers soon found an alternate use for the balm and it has become a staple for dry, chapped, cracked lips as well a many other uses. It works wonders. I won't lie, by January my lips were a disgrace; lip colours were out of the question, nothing seemed to be working and I was making my lips sore by sugar scrubbing them constantly. Then Dr. Lipp saved me! After just 1 day and three applications in that day my lips looked amazing and I was breaking out the brightest lipstick I had. I can't explain how it works, as it only consists of one ingredient, but it works and works stunningly well. I had to buy another tube, my boyfriend has started sharing mine and I am afraid to be without it now.

Soap & Glory - Heel Genius.
I don't usually buy anything for my feet, I tend to abandon them for some reason. Perhaps it's I don't see them too much, or it's just that I am lazy when it comes to caring for the skin there.
However, this winter my feet did need a little attention. They looked like something from a horror movie, I didn't even want to look at them myself; it was time to give them some TLC.
This cream was recommended to me by another beauty blogger, I popped this on after a bath just before bed and added a pair of socks to keep everything on and help the cream absorb. Each morning I grew to admire this product more, my feet felt smoother and rough, dry patches were disappearing day after day. Now my feet are baby soft all over and I actually like my feet. I will definitely continue using this cream, my feet seem to approve and I like the soft, new supple skin I have.

Organix - Brazilian Keratin Therapy, Anti-breakage Serum.
I have long, fine hair that loves to knot up in the wind. Combing the knots out I seem to comb out half my hair, I was shedding hair like a cat. I was sad when my hair felt, dry, brittle and thin. After several oils and treatments I found this serum, it promotes strength, moisture and softness, and it was the only one that seemed to work for my hair. It felt stronger and thicker after the first use, but it felt even more amazing after a couple of weeks of using this product. My hair also doesn't break off as easily when brushing it. Amazing serum, massive thumbs up for giving me beautiful hair.

The Body Shop - Cocoa Butter, Body Butter.
Pretty self explanatory, raved about by beauty bloggers and loved by many. The Body Shop do amazing body butters, I think this is the most famed product from the company. It's because the butters are beautifully scented, thick and creamy in texture, last for ages and do an amazing job of nourishing, replenishing and softening skin. My skin was dry, flaking, itching and felt like sand paper. This product banished these and gave me luxuriously soft, supple, glowing skin. Simply the best body butter on the market in my opinion, a true skin saviour.

Philosophy - 'When Hope Is Not Enough', Hydrating Antioxidant Serum.
My face really got the worst of the weather this year; the harsh cold and big blasts of icy wind on my skin made it dry, itchy, flaky, chapped and sore. I didn't want to exfoliate too much and make it worse and I didn't know what to use that could combat all the different areas at once. At first I was using around seven different products targeted for different problem areas. After a while I knew this was extreme and tried several products on their own. These seemed to make no difference.
Then I bought this and instantly knew I had found the miracle in a bottle I had been looking for. It is brilliant - it nourished, replenished, soothed, healed and didn't break me out. (I have oily, blemish prone skin) The scent has a lot to be desired but I wasn't after a face perfume, it wasn't oily at all, the serum soaked straight into the skin with no residue. My skin now looks the best it has ever been, my acne has started to clear up too. I personally think that this is a miracle worker. It has become a repurchase, must have!

Alterna - Bamboo Smooth: Kendi Dry Oil Mist

£20.50/ 125ml          www.alternahaircare.com
Made in the USA.
Suitable for vegans.
Tailored for fine/ medium hair.
An oil designed to be lightweight, protects, gives shine, repairs and softens hair.

Alterna is a lightweight, nutrient rich, instantly absorbing dry oil mist. Shields hair from heat styling tools and colour fade. It also eliminates frizz and enhances shine.
It can be used as a treatment to strengthen, soften and repair the hair or as a style primer to achieve a silky, sleek finish.
It is enriched with nourishing fairtrade and organic ingredients such as Bamboo, Avocado, Jojoba; to smooth and leave hair in a healthy condition.

I am addicted to the fragrance of this oil, it leaves hair smelling great all day long; I got lots of compliments with this is my tresses.
It did not weigh my hair down, nor did it make it feel slimy or greasy. The oil doe's every single thing it claimed to; smoothed, de-frizzed, enhanced shine, protected and gave me healthy looking hair.
It was mess free to use as it is a spray, (so no more greasy hands to deal with) sprayed evenly across the hair; so less is needed, it will last you longer using this method.

Great value for money, it lasts a very long time - even used daily.
Great for all hair types, smells fantastic and ticks all the boxes for a brilliant hair oil.
I will be repurchasing again in the future.