MY FAVOURITE HAIRCARE PRODUCTS

Here are 8 hair products that I am really enjoying using right now. After recently having my hair lightened I have noticed that it is feeling a lot drier and knottier than usual, so I thought I would try out some new products, as well as some of my firm favourites, to try and help to restore my hair and prevent any further damage and see how they compare.

So here it goes!

1. The Redken Extreme Anti-Snap, Anti-Breakage Leave- In Treatment (RRP £18 / 240ml) – A friend recommended this Redken product to me after noticing that it really helped to repair her split ends after too much bleaching. I had noticed that some of my hair was breaking off more frequently so I bought the shampoo and this anti-snap treatment to try and see if it would help. I have been using this leave-in treatment for around 2 months and would say this really is a life saver if you have gone heavy on the peroxide! I have definitely noticed a huge difference; my hair feels soft and healthy, and I can tell that my hair is breaking a lot less and feels a lot stronger.

2. Schwarzkopf Detangling Spray (RRP £2 / 150ml) –  I know it’s for kids but this is my secret miracle worker! No matter what products I use, high-end or high street, because my hair is so long (nearly at my bum! and really thick (my Mum calls it Horse hair!) it always gets tangled up and very knotty, especially if I have had it tied up all day in a ponytail. After getting out of the shower and towel drying my hair, I spray this onto the lower part of my hair where is gets most tangled and brush through with my tangle teezer (will talk more about that later on!). It is amazing the time I save on brushing my hair because of this little gem!

3. GARNIER – Ultimate Blends Shampoo & Conditioner (RRP £3 each / 400ml) – Due to my hair being so long, I go through a LOT of shampoo and so I always like to have a regular high-street shampoo to use most of the time, a purple shampoo for once or twice a week to prevent my hair going brassy, and then a more high-end brand to use less frequently (A Poppy Recommends Tip: – I always try to buy higher-end haircare from brands like LookFantastic or Sally’s as they sell salon size shampoos / conditioners  (over 1000ml +) which work out a lot cheaper and last a hell of a lot longer (yep, that’s a free tip!).

I picked these up from my local Boots store and have really enjoyed using them; the Garnier shampoos, especially ‘The Strength Restorer’ and ‘The Blonde Illuminator’, are fab for a daily shampoo. I took them on holiday recently, to Spain, and they kept my hair shiny and soft even after being out in the heat and in the pool all day. They are great value (most places usually have a 2-4-1 offer) and make my hair feel incredibly clean and less prone to tangle. These particular ones smell amazing and leave my hair soft for 2-3 days after washing. (Yes, i know – the photos show half-used bottles – i found it hard to time it right where i had full bottles to take photos of as i use it so much!)

4.eSalon Keep In Touch Flexible Hold Hairspray (RRP £16)

My hair is so thick that most hairsprays don’t keep their hold for very long, or if they do they make my hair hard and tacky. I got this hairspray in a recent beauty box and have been really enjoying using it. It’s lightweight but still manages to keep my hair in place (nearly all the flyaways) without their being overly sticky or too crunchy for the hair. It definitely still leaves the hair nice to touch afterwards!

5. Schwarzkopf got2b Mind Blowing Fast Dry Hairspray (RRP £4/ 300ml)

I picked this product up in January from Boots when they where reducing loads of the Christmas gift sets. It has become a staple ever since – anything to do with saving time in the morning is a winner with me! This really is a great option for someone with long hair and I just spray it on my hair when wet just before I am going to blow dry and it is designed to speed up the drying process (something to do with dispelling the water from the surface of hair, don’t ask me how but it does!) Considering it can take me 45mins+ for a full blow-dry I will take all the help I can get…especially if it means I can get a few more minutes in bed each day (because,…well… I MY LOVE BED!)

6. SWELL – Ultimate Protection & Renew Serum (RRP £20 /50ml) (Suitable for Vegans and Vegetarians) I LOVE this serum; most serums leave my hair feeling greasy and sticky by the end of the day but this just makes my hair look shiny and revitalised. A little really does go a long way, I just apply a couple of pumps to the mid-lengths / ends of my hair and rub through. The Swell Protection Serum, which you can purchase online in M&S, makes my hair feel like I’ve been for a professional blow dry and lasts all day long! Also all SWELL products are made up of a minimum of  97% natural formulas with no silicones or build up. Not bad eh?

7. John Frieda – FRIZZ EASE 10 Day Tamer (RRP £13 / 150ml)

Every now and then my hair needs something a bit special so once or twice a month I like to use the John Frieda 10-Day Frizz Tamer to try and make it more manageable and smooth. This is a pre-treatment so I split my hair into segments and rub it onto the dry hair. Each bottle does about 2 applications so you need to go quite heavy handed with it and saturate the hair for best results. Once you have applied the treatment from root to tip all over, I usually leave it on for around 10 – 15 minutes before washing my hair as usual. This isn’t the best hair treatment I have ever tried but It does do a reasonable job and leaves my hair feeling soft and shiny for when it needs a quick boost!

8. Last but not least! The Tangle Teezer – the best hairbrush in the world! (RRP £13)

This is the biggest hair game changer for me in the last 10 years’; I used to struggle with hairbrushes that would just pull on my hair making my eyes water, or barrel brushes that would just tangle my hair a million ways. My hairdresser was the first to introduce me to the classic pink tangle teezer and since then I have never looked back. My Mum, Sisters and even my boyfriend have all got involved in the trend (yes, my boyfriend: he even complained about being mentioned in this post, but under duress did admit that it is the best hairbrush he has even used!). This brushes through any knots without pain and also means my hair doesn’t break so much as I don’t have to pull so hard and even takes half the time. This is without a doubt my all time favourite hair brush, I even have a compact gold one for my bag and a pink one for home.