Chewing gum. That's how the lovely hair stylist described my hair. Like stringy, sticky chewing gum. OH THE SHAME.
I'm not great when it comes to visiting a salon anyway. The whole experience is slightly like torture to me. Small talk, decision making, bright lights, tiny glasses of water and cups of tea that you don't quite manage to drink. Just the thought of booking in for a chop makes me anxious. I put it off and off and off, meaning that when I eventually do go I repeat the same line over and over again 'I know it's in a state and I should have come in months ago… I'm very sorry'. I mean, I actually sit and APOLOGISE to the hairdresser. I'm a pretty confident individual when it comes to most areas in life, I'll take charge I'll ask for what I want and usually I'll get it. However when it comes to the hairdressers I feel completely out of my depth. I've got a similar issue when it comes to the Doctor's Surgery. I'm not sure if it's due to the universal rule that seems to mean that only Satan's mistresses can work at the reception (in my experience anyway), but I tend to feel like I don't have the right to be sick, like I'm just a big nuisance. Anyone else get that?
ANYWAY… Setting aside my 'issues' let's get back to the business of my 'hubba bubba' barnet.
If you've been with me for a while you'll know I'm no stranger to dyes and bleach. My poor hair has been somewhat mistreated over the years and so really its not surprising that what with the various chemicals it's been made to endure and the lack of a regular trim, my ends came to resemble a masticated stick of Wrigley's. Urgh.
I knew I needed to take action. Serious action. First things first, I had a couple of inches *EEK* lopped off the bottom. Not an easy decision for any girl to make I'm sure you'll agree? But needs must my little chums! The next step was trawling the interweb for info on the best leave-in conditioners out there targeted at fine dry hair and the one that came out on top comparing ratings/price was Redken's All Soft Supple Touch Softening Cream Spray.
At nearly £17 this stuff is pretty pricey, however in the past I've tried various less expensive 'high street' brands but not found anything that I really felt made a difference to the lusciousness of my locks. Guess what… you get what you pay for.
This stuff is the absolute bomb. Hand on heart, cross fingers, hope to die, on my Father's non-existent eyebrows (seriously the dude has a hairless forehead region), I do not know what I'd do without it now. It's the sort of product that you repurchase before you've finished your current bottle, just to ensure that you don't have to go a day without it.
I spritz this into towel dried hair (before a heat protectant midst, should I be doing some hot styling), comb through and the result is incredible. Soft, shiny, manageable hair that doesn't feel or look weighted down (I'm forever endeavouring to create volume and body). It's bloody marvellous.
As and added bonus my day two hair is far more workable now, it looks less greasy at the roots and the ends less resemble a tumbleweed.
If you're looking for a leave-in conditioner and you can afford to splash the cash then I'd highly recommend this stuff. Two thumbs-up Redken!
Whilst hitting 'add to basket' on the All Soft Supple Touch I figured I'd take a look into what Redken had to offer by way of hair masks. I mean what good is a first class foundation without a top notch moisturiser?
After a quick pursue of what was on offer I went for the Extreme Strength Builder. Again not cheap at around £20. But not ghastly expensive. Worth it? Well the jury is out. Frankly my dears I'm just not sure. Yes… I feel like my hair does seem to feel / look in better condition when I use this (which I do about once a week), its certainly easier to get a comb through when wet. When it comes to generally improving the state of my hair however I'm on the fence. It's good. But it's not great. That's my experience anyway. It has fantastic reviews online, women are gushing over this thing. Maybe it's just not for me? I'm a big believer that what works for one person might not necessarily work for another. My continuing battle with my skin and countless purchases of other's 'Holy Grail' status acne battling products that ended up half-used in the bin taught me that little lesson. If you got the dolla to splurge then yeah, give it a go, maybe it'll be your wonder product, maybe my hair is just beyond help. Ha!
So there you have it my loves. A big yes and a sort of maybe wavering on the positive. If you've skipped to the end of this post (I don't blame you, I do waffle on at times), then here's your run down…
ALL SOFT = BIG FAT YES WITH BELLS ON.
EXTREME STRENGTH BUILDER = MEH.
Got that? xxx
I feel your pain :/ I'm always slightly embarrassed when it comes to small talk. and not even only at the hairdresser. I guess it's because I'm overall pretty insecure about myself.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, now back to your actual review: wow, the Redken All Soft Supple Touch Softening Cream Spray (what a LONG name though; maybe the longer the name, the better the product huh?) sounds great! I'm definitely going to give this a go, thankyou tons!!!
PS: may I ask how often you wash your hair? since I'm washing my hair only every third day, the quality of my hair has improved so much!
Xx Tara
Hey Tara!
DeleteI swear hairdressers just make me retreat into myself. My other half doesn't get it at all.. I've described the whole process to him... the coming in, handing over coats, being offered a drink and magazines and then the random questions about holidays and work and interruptions from hairdryers going off all over the place. His response was 'sounds alright to me, a chat and a cuppa tea'. The boy has no idea!
The Redken mouthful spray is wicked. Absolutely give it a go!
I wash my hair every other day. Sometimes it ends up as every day. It's very fine and gets greasy quickly and dries quickly. Sometimes it's actually easier to wash it and go than trying to style day old hair! ha! But I am trying to wash it less!
xxx
Just stumbled across your blog whilst looking for hair care inspiration and the spray sounds amazing must add it to my ever increasing Feel Unique order. Seriously loving your blog btw, so much so I've spent the last half hour going through your old posts with a cuppa and am ever so slightly jealous of your multi coloured hair! Unfortunately being a long haired brunette(ish) my dream of lilac hair (*insert heart eye emoji*) ain't ever going to happen :(
ReplyDeleteI've gone to the same hairdresser for the last 5 years and even still feel as if she is judging me... Don't get me started on the awkwardness when you run out of magazines to read... Although it may be time to be brave and make a trip to another salon.. Am in a state of loving/hating/just not sure what to do - with my hair at the moment, had a questionable 'balayage' (more so bad dip dye) experience recently where I wanted lighter brunette ends, which ended up with bleach being used to try and lift the red left over in my hair.. Keeping an eye on it daily, ready to hit the dye faster then you can say ginger...
Lastly just wanted to say reading through your old posts I can feel your pain re skin woes, hope you're happier with your skin these days.. My never clear anyway skin broke out like a mofo a couple of years ago. At the time I was a huge MAC devotee - Studio Fix was my HG, got my make up done for a night out and woke up the next morning with the biggest, reddest, most painful spots ever... Well there was an abrupt end to my love affair with MAC Studio Fix. A few weeks went by, more spots came and absolutely nothing was working. Decided to try antibiotics and they didn't do anything, so with the Xmas party season looming, I tried the pill and all the angry spots disappeared in no time! Thankfully now I just have to rely on a little Effaclar Duo and Liquid Gold from time to time!
Sorry lovely, I didn't realise this would turn into an epic ramble/essay!
Dee x
Dee! You lovely lovely lady.
DeleteFirstly... no apologising for the length of your comment. It's bloody wonderful that you took the time to write it and is highly valued and appreciated!
My hair is no long as beautifully coloured. Boo. *cries* it's a hell of a lot of work to keep things vibrant and wicked. I was dying the bugger nearly every week and just don't have the time to put into it anymore. I'm really missing it now the sun is out though.... I't may be back in a not so distant future. If only for a short time. Oh and the bleaching needed before the colour fucks your hair after a while no matter how careful you are. Stick with your brunette barnet and stay silky soft. My hairs guna fall out by the time I'm 50 and you'll be swinging your mane around long after I've become a regular at 'wig-o-rama'.
Skin is still being a total dickhole to be honest with you. I've just switched from taking a progesterone only pill (I was on a combine before and clear skinned but they changed the laws and due to my mother having a blood clot history I had to switch) to the mirena coil (which I think I'm guna do a blog post on), so hoping that helps. Nars Sheer Glow makes me break out. An absolute bummer as I absolutely adore it as a foundation. poop.
Glad the pill was the answer for you and that you get on with the effaclar duo and alpha H. These both seem to disagree with me. Though I'm wondering if I just gave up too soon and didn't let my skin settle. I don't know how I feel about 'purging' time frames and such really. hummm.
Right now I have rambled! Dammit! Shutting up now!
Have a wonderful weekend! xxx
I think I may be as addicted to dye as you are to bleach! I'm seriously missing my fiery red colour, it used to fade like a biotch though :( but yet I'm still left with the red tones in my hair now!! I just really love changing up the colour, I've been everything from a dark brown to a full head of blonde highlights... You should really try the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, I made the really expensive mistake of getting a sample in a magazine and falling in love with it *sigh*. I usually pop it on my hair over night complete with shower cap, so so sexy and boy friendly.. not..
DeleteThat sucks, dianette seemed to kick in right away for me, a friend went down the roccutane route which sounded a little scary and high maintenance but her skin looks amazing now.. Although I've learned no one ever thinks your skin is as bad as you do, I'd been close to tears on a few nights and my friends later were like really - I didn't think your skin looked that bad...
That's a shame that efflacar duo doesn't work for you (they reformulated it earlier this year if you did decide to give it another go - I think Escentual.com has 1/3 off French Skincare his month, such an enabler sorry!!). Have you tried la Roche Posay Serozinc? I know it's one of those hyped products, I was determined not to give in to but I fell hard! I had one of those annoying under the skin spots a few days ago and I used it day and night and it never came to the surface (sorry tmi): spot 0 - Dee 1 mwhahaha. The other thing I love is the Pai Rosehip oil, it's fab for scarring and improving texture, I spray a little thermal water first so it sinks in a bit faster, orange pillowcases are never good...
After coming to the realisation that I'm hitting the wrong side of 25 this year (weirdly/pathetically it was one of those out of the blue realisations), as you can see I've developed a bit of an (obsession) interest in skincare.. Oddly I seem to be spending more money on skincare then nail varnish these days.. I swear it feels like my instagram is full of my 'totally necessary' skincare purchases, well no that's a lie it's mainly desserts...
Anyway my train journey has whizzed by with my further ramblings! Thanks for the beauty chats lovely, hope you had fab weekend!
Dee x
Hey Dee! Sorry it took a while to get back to you. Shit be cray.
DeleteI've got my eye on the Elasticizer! Have had for a while. Damned thing is so fucking expensive though. Grrrr. I don't need to worry about the boy friendly bit... mines away a lot so no scary shower cap bedtimes for him! haha!
I'm be referred to a consultant AGAIN at the moment. I'm just getting really down about it at the moment. It sort of got better for a while but has quickly reverted and is worse than it has been in ages. blurgh. I know no one ever see's youreself as you do but yeah... skin's a big ol' depressive subject for me. Let's not go into it. haha.
Haven't tried the Serozinc. I'll look into it for sure! I have tried rosehip oil though... cue the breakouts! haha. Must be the sensativity thing or the richness of the oil? who knows!
I'm over that 25 mark my love. Don't worry... your boobs won't hit the floor over night! haha!
Jx
No worries Janna!
DeleteKeep an eye on feelunique or look fantastic etc. for discounts on the elasticizer I'm always getting emails with 20% off every so often (damn they know how to tempt me grr!!). Ebay is definitely your friend for Serozinc unless you have someone kind enough to pick you up some! My friends have been quite bemused by the lists I've sent them off with, unsurprisingly said friends were also greatly amused by my mission to track down Bioderma last summer..
We really have very different skin types! My skin puts up with a lot from me, although it retaliates sometimes, it really threw a hissy fit with the Clarins exfoliating toner though..
Anyway don't stress lovely you'll soon find your magical combination, don't let it get you down (easier said then done I know!)
Dee x
PS I am a (legit) brunette again (yay!!) I was determined to last the summer but my grandmother pointed out my hair was looking a bit cheap... and well that's never a good look.. Although I probably should get a hat now for the festivals coming up..
I totally get what you mean!
ReplyDeleteGoing to the hairdresser's is one of the nerv-wracking things ever. And you always think it's going to look really nice in the end but when they're finished you're like wtf?? They always say 'But it looks great!' and stuff like that.
I got my hair dyed about three years ago and she did it really irregular and when it was fading I had orangy-reddy layers at the roots and greeny in the lenghts - horrible...it took several appointments at another hairdresser to make it look acceptable, but my hair has never been healthy since then. The lenghts are as elastic as chewing gum which is quite scary :/
I've tried the Kerastase Nutri Thermique Mask and it did a great job, need to try the Redken one though...I'm always kinda scared to buy the hyped-up more expensive products because they somehow never work on me :(
Look at Amazon if you want to order something-most things are a couple of Pounds cheaper on there! :)
Well, that was longer then I expected, sorry :D
P.S.: Speaking of getting a glass of water - I just had two sips of it before they took it away from me???
All the best,
Elli
Never apologise pal! It's lovely that you took the time to write back. Always highly appreciated :)
DeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one out here with a distinct lack of love for the hair dressers. Maybe we could all band together and open a wicked one with super nice people, bottles of water / fizzy pop and a tea / coffee point where you just help yourself when you get in? Oh and where you can opt for 'the silent' treatment. When your hairdressers... without judging you... will just do what they are asked but leave you in peace to read a book / watch movie on your ipad. haha!
A good leave in conditioner (like the miracle perfect 10 if you can get it!) will help a lot, and chopping those ends off *eep!* if you can bear it? x
Thank you :)
DeleteWe should definetely do that! And Sweets or Snacks, too! We'd rule the hair world :D
And I'd think about other mirrors as well, just ones in which you can see the hair (if that even makes sense - I mean, who wants to look at themself in the mirror for a couple of hours??)
I'll take a look at that - thanks! On one Hand I'd be like 'Sure, a couple of inches isn't that bad, it'll grow back' but then 'Noooooo!!' :D
Strangely this chewy-structure is mainly in the front layers...
Greetings X
Great review, I've heard brilliant things about Redken, might have to invest in some as I have super dry hair!
ReplyDelete