So when it comes to hair, I will put my hands up and admit I often reach for a high end product rather than a drugstore alternative - this is because I really do find that they make a difference, and with coloured hair you can't just slap on any old product and hope for the best, as your coloured hair might not be too happy about it after. However, having said this, I have come across a few little gems on my way that have been nice to my bank balance. Today's blog will be comparing some high end products with their drugstore alternatives, the good, the bad, and the "what was I thinking" ugly.
High End: ALTERNA CAVIAR MOISTURE SHAMPOO AND SEA SILK HAIR MASQUE
I have always been a fan of Alterna's Caviar Moisture shampoo and conditioner, they are sulphate free which means they are kind to coloured hair, really make my hair silky and shiny, and keep it in tip top condition, so I thought I'd try out the Sea Silk Hair Masque. I was in need of a masque as I'd been through a bad time illness wise and was finding my hair to be paying the price, it was becoming superly brittle and dull, and in need of a super duper moisture injection. I found it online at www.beautybay.com for a whopping £27.95, and although a hefty price, I thought it would be worth it as I was familiar with their other products.
Hmmm...well, the first time I wasn't sure it was worth the price at all. I was quite shocked that this product didn't give me the results that I expected, since I was so in love with the rest of it's range. It didn't seem to make much difference at all, my hair in fact seemed even dryer than it had been originally! I thought I'd give it another go, and strangely enough the second time the results seemed much better, perhaps this is because I left it on for longer (10 minutes). After the third use, I actually did find that it really started to help repair the "dull" look and was bringing my hair back to life.
It smells gorgeous, and does seem to work after a couple of uses, but I'm still not convinced it's worth the price! It also comes in quite a small pot, which for my long hair isn't too great as I need to use a lot of it to see any results. All in all, I'd say the Alterna Caviar Sea Silk Hair Masque isn't a complete waste of money, does improve hair by around 60%, but is probably not worth the price. If it was a tenner I wouldn't compalin, but I was expecting gold for that amount of cash and was given silver. *sulks*
Drugstore Alternative: L'OREAL ELVIVE DAMAGE CARE REPAIRING HAIR MASQUE
If you would like a cheaper alternative I hugely recommend the L'oreal Elvive Damage Care Repairing Masque. At an affordable £5.10 from Boots, (I believe they are also doing a 3 for 2 on haircare products and brushes right now also!) this really does do its job, I'd say almost to the same extent as the Sea Silk Caviar masque, the only negatives is that I don't think it can fully repair damaged ends, but is great for hydration.
Tip: I sometimes use virgin olive oil (yes the oil you put on your salads, us Greeks use this for everything! Make sure it's virgin olive oil and not compressed) from mid way to the ends of my hair mixed in with the L'oreal Elvive masque - any conditioner or masque you have will do the trick. Squeeze out any excess water from your hair after conditioning and rinsing out, then take some of the product into the palm of your hand as you would normally, and mix in one teaspoon of olive oil, and quickly apply to your hair (I don't recommend using it on the roots of your hair if you have European or Indian hair as it will become greasy-other hair types such as Afro can handle the oil on the roots). After massaging it in, wrap your hair into a towel or shower cap, and leave it on for up to an hour. I can actually get away with just 20minutes, it depends how damaged your hair is. Rinse out well for super luscious and moisturised locks!
High End: KERASTASE ELIXIR KULTIME
I had heard a lot about Kerastase's Elixit Kultime before I purchased it, and am really glad that I did as I find this serum really great. I purchased this from http://www.wantthelook.com/ it's currently on offer for £12.67 (15% off). I use it after I towel dry my hair, all you need is one pump for each side of your hair (possibly much less for shorter lengths) brush it through, then style as usual. I find that it seals the cuticle of the hair, making it much less prone to frizz until the next wash, and it gives the hair a glossy finish without being too heavy or greasy and makes it appear thicker. I find this product nice and light weight, and I will also use a tiny amount to tame fly aways after I've styled my hair. On the bottle it says you can also use it before you wash your hair - I am not sure what the point of that is to be honest, so I'd stick to using it after! All in all, a lovely product with great results.
Drug Store Alternative: TRESemme SALON SILK NO FRIZZ SERUM
So, I really should have known better when 1) my friend said "hey Christina, do you want a serum? I'm going to throw it out otherwise" and 2) I saw the words TRESemme, but I figured I'd give it a go. I was hoping the reason she didn't like it might have been because we have completely different hair types....yes? NO! I allas was wrong. I used this like I would the Kerastase Elixir (before I purchased it) and hated it. It's texture is gunky - yes gunky I cannot think of any other way to describe it, and really heavy on the hair. The friend who pawned it off onto me has Afro hair so I figured maybe it wasn't this bad on hers - but yes she confirmed it was. I found it weighed my hair down so much that it was even making it greasier quicker, dispite the fact I had put it nowhere near the roots. It didn't have any anti frizz properties either and without my trusted straightners I was a bit of a frizzy poof ball. Not impressed. The positives....erm...I am struggling...spend your £4.99 at Burger King you will be much happier.
Drugstore Alternative: AUSSIE DUAL PERSONALITY SMOOTH AND SHINE MILK
Although this is not a serum like the Kerastase Elixir, I really do love Aussie, and for a drug store brand I think their products are really great value for money. This hair milk is great for softening, smoothing and taming hair that is prone to frizz. I'm not sure how well it would work on tightly curled hair, but if you have wavy to straightish locks, then it really does do what it says on the tin. I use it in the same way that I'd use the Elixir before blow drying my hair. It doesn't quite have the staying power or glossyness that the Elixir has, but for £4.69 you can't really complain!
High End: GHD HEAT PROTECT SPRAY
I received this free with my GHD straightners purchase and really love the consistency. It's price can vary depending where you get it from, it usually retails around £15 in salons but I found it the cheapest at http://www.wantthelook.com/ for £8.46 (currently 15% off). As a heat protector I find it doesn't stiffen my hair down like some others do, and smells really lovely and fresh. I've found in the past that some heat protectors still wouldn't protect the ends of my hair from frazzling after daily straightening and curling, and I'd begrudge having to have more chopped off at the hairdressers, so I have been quite suprised that this product seems to have saved the split ends from coming so quickly. *Happy Face*
Drug Store Alternative: TONI & GUY IRON IT HEAT DEFENCE SPRAY
Before I had discovered the GHD heat protector I really liked this Toni & Guy version, and compared to other drug store products I found that it was at the top of its game. The smell isn't too chemical, and the bottle is massive so will last you absolutely ages. It does a good job at keeping your locks protected while styling, and you can usually find some sort of 3 for 2 deal involving this product in Boots (it is currently in the same deal as the L'oreal hair masque-bargain!). It's currently selling for £6.63. The negatives are that I didn't like the way the bottle nozzle was made as I found unless you hold it quite far away it can drench your hair a little too much, so they could work on their pump, also unless you want a slight hold to your hair, you might find it a little weighty as it does have a slight flexible hair spray type feel to it. It's advertised as a product for straight styles, although I have used it while curling and it didn't seem to straighten the curls. All in all, a good alternative.
I hope you have enjoyed the reviews - What do you think, high end hair products always win, or can drug store brands rival the pricey ones? Please leave your comments I'd love to hear what you have to say!
Love
~Miss Christina C~
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