The Blonde Virtue : Hair Care Routine

Ola ladies,

How is your Friday going?? It's the weekend yaaaaay! Well for me it doesn't make a difference as I get to laze around all day now I'm on my maternity leave! But for everyone else have fun my friends!

So onto my hair care routine. I've had blonde hair for my whole life, I've never changed it really, well I went through a few dodgy phases where I had pink, blue and purple highlights in big huge chunks going through my hair! Not the nice mermaid type you see these days I mean big rotten streaks through the top of my hair when I was like 13! I was also a top notch bebo stunnah, with a mullet and short spiky brown and blonde fringe to match!.... Such a ride!

However my hair colour has always been blonde. I've had every single shade of blonde in my hair and I go through phases where I like honey blonde one minute and the next I want to be platinum. I've also had my fair share of using box dyes. I went cray with them when I was a broke ass bitch in college and dyed my hair every other week using box dyes and it completely ruined my hair :(

I was using a fab colour in my hair that I loved and it actually has been the only one I've ever truly loved the colour off but after finding out I was pregnant I decided to go and treat myself and get ma hair did! When I went into the salon the hairdresser just looked and touched my hair and her face basically said it all! She wouldn't even touch it with a colour and I had to chop it all off! It was all ratty dead ends anyway, but I loved those ratty dead ends and it was so hard to say goodbye! But it was the BEST thing I did!..

I was so embarrassed when she told me how bad of condition my hair was in and I literally had heart failure and couldn't get out of the place quick enough! But before I did she cut my hair in a clean long bob (lob!!) and conditioned my hair and recommended some products I should use for the next couple of months to try and repair my hair, and, I bought every single one of them with out hesitation. So here's what I've been using since last November.

Kérastase Reconstructing Shampoo, Conditioner & Hair Mask & Hair Oil

This range I used before, it was given to me when I was in college but I was too poor to ever buy it again so I only started back using it after my hairdresser gave me a stern talking to! This is what has saved my hair 100 per cent! This green range is for weakened to very damaged hair. It rebuilds and strengthens the hair fibre no matter how badly damaged your hair is. It reconstructs the hair, helps prevent breakage and split ends which I had plenty off. I hadn't had my hair cut in a good two years before last November but all of my hair was completely broken off. It also smooths, protects and strengthens the hair fibres making it more durable against heating appliances like the good aul GHDs which I used to love (but not no more my friends I've laid off the poker straight look for now!) This range is quite expensive and you can only buy it in hair salons but my god it's worth every penny. It leaves your hair feeling so good and like you've just had a good wash from a salon. It doesn't really smell like anything, apart from clean, if that makes sense?. I use the shampoo and conditioner every time I wash my hair (try to lay off washing your hair every day as it stops the natural oils in your hair from forming and if anyone gives you shit about greasy hair dry shampoo the life out of it!) and the hair mask once or twice a week depending on how much of a princess I'm feeling. I also use the hair oil but not religiously as I don't really like the feel of product in my hair but I do try and use it a few times a week. This has really really helped my hair so much and I would recommend it to anyone. They have a whole range of products to suit every hair type and even though it's pricey it's still worth the splurge or even to buy it and use it just a couple of times a week and use your regular shampoo and conditioner in between to help make it last.

Redken Extreme Cat Reconstructing Protein Spray

This protein spray has given me great results and really has replenished my hair. It replenishes the moisture levels in your hair leaving it silky, soft, shiny and healthy. It's specially formulated with proteins and loads of good chemicals that I won't even bother to try and spell but are brilliant for your hair, to provide a line of defence for brittle weak hair which in turn stops your hair from breaking and it really does stop dead ends! I use this in the shower, after I wash my hair with my shampoo I spray this all over my hair, brush it through, leave it for about five minutes wash it,and then apply my conditioner. Now I don't use it every day just once a week and the same bottle I bought back in November last year has done me. It costs about €23.00 and from using this I have found my hair thicker and the regrowth of my hair is stronger than ever!

Revlon Equave Hydro Nutritive Detangling Conditioning Spray

You might have seen me upload a picture of this during the week on my Instagram and Facebook pages. This is hands down my most favourite product of all time. I want to drink it every time I spray it on my hair it just smells so so good! like proper amazing smelling I want to eat/drink you but I can't or Ill poison myself smell! My hair is so fine and will break at the slightest bit of harshness, and after the shower no matter what conditioner I would use my hair would still be knotty when brushing it, but not with this baby! I douse my hair in this straight after the shower. I actually think I spray way too much on but it's because I love the smell it leaves on my hair and you know when you find a bottle that sprays really well? Like a good mist? and not a wee sprits? Well this is it! I actually sound a bit weird here but I like when it gives a good spray okay! It's a leave in conditioner which doesn't leave your hair feeling greasy at all and it instantly detanlges your hair leaving it soft and smooth. I use this every time I wash my hair and can't be without it! Prices vary with this depending on what size you buy but it's genuinely around the €15 - €20 mark.

Charles Worthington Style Setter Salt Spray

This is what I've been using to get a soft messy look instead of using hair straighteners because I know how much they damage and break my hair so I try to stay away from them as much as possible. I actually hate drying my hair as well so unless I'm going anywhere I'll just let my hair dry naturally or I'll spray this onto my hair when it's damp and blow dry it really roughly. My hair is naturally straight with a bit of a kink in it so when I use this after I dry my hair I tie it in a low bun for a few minutes and it help's give it a more wavy look. This doesn't benefit your hair in any way bare adding a beachy look and volume but it just helps me stay away from my GHDs and it's a quick alternative as I don't like doing my hair at all because I'm really shite at it! You can get this anywhere and I think it's about €6 / €7.

Hask Macadamia Oil Hot Oil Treatment

So when I was in the hairdressers that dreadful time last year, and my stylist was telling what I should use she recommended these hot oil treatments from pennys! Couldn't believe it when she said there the best ones to use as I thought you needed to spend a fortune on hot oil treatments! So I obviously went and bought a tonne of them and when ever I'm in I always stock up on them. I was using them twice a week up until about May (that's how bad my hair was) but now I don't need to use them as much as I did because my hair is in really good condition, but I still use them maybe every second week. I normally just pop it on and get into the bath and leave it in for about an hour or so. It's got omega 7, Vitamin E and anti oxidents in it so it can only do good! But I find you do need to give your hair a good wash after it being in or some of the product will sit in your hair leaving it a bit greasy. There a bargain at €2.50 a pop!

So that's the lot! I actually don't use a heat defence spray in my hair as I really don't use much heat on my hair and I've yet to find one which doesn't leave my hair feeling heavy or weighed down by product so if anyone has one they use and love please let me know! :)

After using all these products for the past seven months the difference in my hair was unbelievable! I also never dyed my hair at all in that space of time either so that obviously helped a tonne. It was the hardest thing ever not getting a box dye and putting it in, I was tempted soooooo many times but I didn't cave and I am so happy I didn't. Now some people find them great and they work well for their hair, on my hair I thought that for a while, but it wasn't the case and when a hairdresser refuses to dye your hair you know it's bad!

I last got my hair done in May and when I went back after those few months of using these products she was delighted with the results and tbh I felt like a hero! My hair is stronger and healthier than ever and that also could be down to my wee baba as well because they do say your hair becomes a mass of loveliness when your pregnant but I think these products have saved my life. I now have a blonde balayage and it's so much easier to keep and doesn't require much maintenance at all. I hate wearing my hair down and mostly wear it up but I don't use bobbins I'll use wee clips or a sexy scrunchy instead so my hair won't break.

I hope this helps anyone with damaged hair and let me know if you find any of the products beneficial.