JOICO K-Pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor

I used to have this product many years ago when I had highlights and then dyed my hair red and back to my natural colour, but I have not repurchased it since because Redken's Anti-Snap was enough as a protein treatment. This is an amazing product I highly recommend to anyone who bleaches their hair or uses high lift colours. Since I bleached my hair again, it got even more coarse to the touch than it usually is and I misdiagnosed the problem that I need more moisture (due to it felling hard to the touch and not brittle). Because heaps of oil and moisturising treatments weren’t doing much, I did a strand test where you take a hair, wet it and stretch it gently. My hair overstretched and looked like a chewing gum, which meant I needed proteins. This is what I went to first because I trust Joico the most. Reconstuctor is an intense protein treatment that contains the highest content of Joico's special quadramine complex, which contains human hair keratin protein in a wide range of molecular sizes - that's what they say. As far as I know proteins adsorb to the hair in a matter of seconds and the general recommendation for this is to leave it on for 5 minutes, but they also say it can be left longer for even better results. The texture is very strange, mine was almost like it's separated and lumpy, but I shook the bottle to mix it and it became more creamy. It's not as easy to spread as Olaplex, so I have to use more product and I have concerns how long this bottle will last me. Since it's a protein treatment, it's advisable to use a moisturising conditioner after as proteins can make the hair feel hard to the touch and the conditioner makes the hair more pliable again. For my dry hair I have to use something after, otherwise it feels like I used nothing and Intense Hydrator that I had in my stash from before proved to be the perfect match and these two did an outstanding job. Together these are way, way better than Olaplex (it's a different type of product though, but equally meant for bleached, coloured and damaged hair), however, Reconstructor should only be use on hair that lacks protein (usually it’s coloured and very damaged), otherwise it can make your hair brittle and I think Olaplex is a safer bet if you’re not sure. Reconstructor has a great banana-like scent that luckily overpowers the strange scent of Hydrator.

Ingredients.

Notino, 18.40 €

OLAPLEX n.3

A repurchase. While I can't report the magical before-afters the internet is forcing on us all (it takes a lot more than unwashed and uncombed hair pic vs a fresh dye + blowout pics to convince me, as they are so easy to cheat), I read the science behind it and how it was supported by the more science-y hair bloggers, so I want to use this as a way to maintain the health of my hair. And indeed despite all the bleaching and colouring, my hair is not snapping off and I easily fixed the coarseness with protein treatments, so it's in good condition. It reconnects the broken sulphide bonds between keratin plates that are ruined by bleaching, colouring and heat tools. It's meant to be applied to freshly washed hair, left on the hair for a least 10 minutes, but I leave it much longer and then wash it off with a shampoo. Just like at protein treatment you need to use a conditioner after. Though there is only 100 ml in the bottle, one lasted me a very surprising 6 and a half uses (I had to open the new bottle for the last one). It's very easy to spread and though I never felt I was frugal with it, I got me through way more uses than expected. Like I said this isn't the same type of magic transformation product as Joico K-Pack or Schwarzkopf stuff I mention bellow, but it does make me feel safer when I doing my hair colour experiments.

Notino, 23.10 €

 SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL Blondme Tone Enhancing Bonding Mask

Cool

This exists in three versions: Keratin Restore for all blondes (and other colours of course), Warm blonde for enhancing warm shades and Cool for neutralising yellow tones in very pale blonde hair. I got the latter. I'm already a fan of Blondme colour line, especially the bleach, so this is first my try of their hair care and I'm very, very impressed. I've only used the Bonding Potion and the Bonding Mask together, so I'm not sure about these two separately, but together they are like magic for freshly bleached and abused hair. My hair actually felt better after a bleaching session plus toning after I used these two than before colouring. It was silky, soft and nourished. Mask has a pudding consistency, so it doesn't have that normal rich, heavy texture I like, so it was surprising to me it worked so well. All Schwarzkopf products I've tried so far also have a lovely scent and this was no exception. The purple tint isn't as intense as at Ice Cream shampoo I have (that one stains the hands), plus I just toned my hair when I used this, so can't report just how much it's capable off, but any toning that happened was only on very pale blonde hair.

Ingredients.

Notino 10.40 €

SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL Blondme Keratin Restore Intense Care Bonding Potion

This is meant to be used with the Bonding Mask, though I see no problems with using it with other moisturising masks too, it just might not have the same effect and I only plan to use these together. It's an intense protein treatment, so you have to use a moisturising treatment with it to make the hair soft as proteins can make the hair feel hard. They call it a bonding product, the same way Olaplex is described, but while the latter clearly names the ingredient that rebuilds the bonds (bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate), Schwarzkopf is more vague on their website and apart from proteins I can't see a bond rebuilding ingredients, but I'm hardly an expert (the bleach and the mask contains succinic acid that's supposed to protect the hair bonds, but they don't mention it rebuilds them). Hydrolysed proteins such as keratin in Potion adsorb to hair temporarily filling the gaps where the loss of natural protein keratin occurred, while Olaplex rebuilds the sulphide bonds between the keratin plates. You're meant to apply this first and then the mask on top. It's a gel-cream type of product with a medium consistency that is assisted by a high concentration of silicones to help it spread with ease and also instantly makes the hair less tangled and easy to comb through. I used about 6-7 pumps for my long hair and I expected to use more based on experience with other products, but it can be distributed very easily. Like I said above together with the mask they made my hair feeling and looking so great, actually the effect was completely comparable to the more expensive Joico K-Pack Reconstructor & Hydrator duo and better than Olaplex, so these are an equally excellent option, just pick the Keratin Restore version of the mask if you're not a blonde (though if your hair is dark, it won't matter anyway). 

Ingredients.

Notino, 10.40 €

KÉRASTASE Chronologiste Essential Balm Treatment

This is very expensive, but only at hair care I tend to splurge because I see a difference between the cheap and expensive stuff due to my hair having a thicker texture than most (it's been described as "prickly" by others or as if I'm always wearing hair spray). I've been buying their outstanding, but sadly discontinued Nutritive Masquitense Epais-thick for years, so I got this is a replacement due to the overwhelmingly great reviews. It doesn't state for what kind of hair it is, only that it revitalises and adds bounce plus shine, all I can say is that it looks thick and smells like some perfume that is very familiar to me, but I don't know which it is. I haven't had a chance to use this yet, even though it was one of the products I was most looking forward to trying, so when I do finally use it, I'll post an update on Instagram Stories and add it as an update in my monthly favourites.

Ingredients.

Notino, 32.20 €

SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL BC Bonacure Fibre Force Fortifying Primer

One review said this is Olaplex in a spray bottle, only better. While I'm not very trusting when it comes to hair reviews, since my hair is thicker and drier than most, I still wanted to see if it's decent. It’s got hydrolysed keratin high on the list and smells so nice, the nicest of all Schwarzkopf products I have. I've been using this for a month now and as expected for a protein product it makes my hair frizzy or at least it doesn't tame it well, but it's definitely contributed to the health of my hair. I won't use it all the time because there needs to be good balance between protein and moisturising care (overdoing either doesn't end well), but I think this will replace Redken's Anti-Snap in my routine. It's very light, non-sticky and doesn't interfere with my other hair care, so it's a nice option probably even for hair that gets oily fast. I need to use it longer, to see how it fares long term.

Ingredients.

Notino, 10.20 €

 L'OREAL Elseve Extraordinary Oil Intense Nourishing Shampoo

I always buy the clear version of Extraordinary oil which I adore, but I got this one to try to see if it’s even better, as this one claims to be for very dry hair and the clear one is just for dry. Unfortunately it did not convince me as much as the clear version. Despite the creamier texture it doesn't make my hair as smooth and it leaves my hair just a touch too squeaky clean for my taste (since my hair is dry I don't want to overly strip the hair), but it produces a very rich foam. The scent is exactly the same as all Extraordinary product, so an oriental clean scent with some cinnamon like tones. I'm sticking to the clear version, but this one might be worth a try for those who found that shampoo too heavy for them.

Ingredients.

Spar, 3.35 €

 PANTENE Pro-V Glatt & Seiding and Repair & Care Conditioner

I got these because I saw great reviews on Amazon and they are selling well there. I tried Repair first and was amazed at how good it is. It left my hair moisturised, actually soft and even a bit shinier (doesn't happen to me often, that's why I add shine with oils). It's definitely one of my favourite drugstore conditioners and cheapest, so I'd be buying this one a lot for sure and I want to explore more of their products. I used a lot at once because the texture is thick and one bottle of 200 ml won't last me long, but for the price I'm not complaining and I found that Interspar and DM sell a a 300 ml version. Scent is pleasant, it's one of those classic warm-clean hair care scents and though it's not very strong, it lasts a day on the hair. 

The Glatt aka Smooth version in the US version didn't impress me as much as Repair. It was ok, but it didn't leave my hair as smooth and soft, though it wasn't terrible and it's still a nice buy for a drugstore, but Repair is my new big love. I'll try other products from Repair line for sure.

Ingredients Repair.

Ingredients Glatt.

Müller, 2.99 €

 GARNIER Fructis Oil Repair 3 Wunder Butter

Fructis mask looked promising to me because it has coconut oil high on the list of ingredients, but then after I bought it I heard it's not so good, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It's quite thick, so you use a lot of it at once because it doesn't spread as nicely as more liquid formulas, but it's not problematic. It smells lovely, Fructis-like, so fruity sweet, I think it's mango. This was better than I expected. It felt nourishing enough for my hair and the effect lasted long enough, it just didn't do anything for the frizz and it didn't leave my hair as soft as Pantene, but it's one of the better ones, definitely better than Herbal Essences and I like it more than the Banana Hair Food. 

Ingredients.

Müller, 4.65 €

HERBAL ESSENCES Repair Moroccan Argan Oil

I got this one also based on Amazon best sellers. I used to love their Hello Hydration mask, but I haven’t seen it in ages, just the conditioner, however, these new bottles popped up in the drugstores, which are considerably more expensive than their "regular" lines such as Hello Hydration. This one was the first I tried in my attempt to restore my faith into drugstore hair care (with the notable exception of Aussie) and I'm not super impressed by it. It was merely ok, it could be more rich, though it should be enough for someone with moderately dry hair. My issue with it is that it didn't make my hair soft, so it felt a bit hard to the touch and since I used this after Schwazkopf Blondeme duo, the difference was that much more noticeable. I used a lot of it for one use and left it on for 30 minutes, but still it didn't wow me as much as I hoped. As is usual for HE, it's heavily scented and the whole time it was on my hair I just could not figure out what this scent is trying to be, as it's like you'd mix an oriental-smoky, fruity, candy sweet and floral fragrance in one bottle - it's going to be a love or hate relationship with this one for most I think. It also lingers on the hair for at least a day and my shower cap still smells of it. Since I tried Pantene, I rate it even lower and it's a lot more expensive.

Ingredients.

Müller,  7.99 € (400 ml)

 BALEA 5% UREA Dusche + Shampoo

I got this because I hoped the Urea content will help with my dry scalp. I've tried so many anti-dandruff shampoos, so I wanted to go to another direction with this. It's merely ok. It does nothing for my scalp and it doesn't remove build up well, but it's not drying like most such cheap shampoos are. Formula is thin and I need to use a lot for it to foam, even then it's nothing comparable to the rich foam that L'Oreal shampoos produced. I had hoped for a more creamy, rich and nourishing formula, but it's far from being a bad shampoo, it's perfectly nice for something so inexpensive and I've almost used up the bottle. 

DM, 2.25 € 

AUSSIE 3 Minute Miracle Colour Deep Treatment

I wanted to buy the original Reconstructor that I used to buy, but they didn't have it in the shop, so I got Colour instead. I always assumed they are all very similar, though the original Reconstructor is by far the most popular and it's the only I tried before this one. In terms of effect original Reconstructor and Colour are very similar and the main difference is the scent - Colour has a milky candy fragrance instead of the original bubble gum. It's one of rare drugstore conditioners that is moisturising enough for my hair, as well as it manages to make my hair feel softer than others. At drugstore conditioners the moisturising effect doesn't last as long on me as at salon treatment and I need to use more leave-ins, but regardless Aussie treatments are still well worth buying. It's nice to be reunited with this, for the price it's really good. 

Leclerc, 6.99 €

 L'OREAL Elseve Total Repair 5 Extreme

One more drugstore hair mask, I really went to town this month with hair care, but I go so quickly though this stuff I like to stock up well. I've gone through several pots of the "regular" Total Repair 5, which I consider one of the best drugstore treatments (together with Aussie and recently Pantene), but I've never tried this Extreme version. I wanted the yellow ceramide one, which I couldn't find anywhere, but this one also contains ceramides, though very, very low on the list (2-oleamido, 1-3 octadecanediol). Ceramides are often described as cement that keeps the hair together, the glue that binds keratin plates. It has the same scent as Total Repair, which reminds me of the sweet scent of roasted chestnuts. Just like Kerastase mask it didn't get its turn yet, but once it does, I'll post an update on Stories and add it to the updates part of my monthly favourites.

DM, 5.99 €

 HASK Argan Oil Repairing Deep Conditioner

I already posted about this one in the Empties, where I expressed my disappointment about it, though granted I did use this one before the protein treatment, so that could have been the problem.  Ingredients are ok, I'm bothered by the fragrance on 4th place, but it has lanolin on 5th place which should help seal the moisture in. Oils are after 5th place, but there's several of them, not just argan. The mask is nicely thick, just the way I like it and it's possible it would feel heavy on thin hair, but I can't say for sure. There is 50 ml in the packet which was just enough for one use for my long thick hair, but for some this could last up to 3 uses and certainly 2 for most. It's got an orange scent with some oriental feel, so it's not a zesty fresh type of scent. At first the effects of this were ok, it wasn't amazingly nourishing for my hair, but pretty good for those 2 € I spent for this. However, by day two my hair was so dry and far from being soft. I decided to use just a conditioner because I didn't want to wash it again, so I used Aussie's conditioner while in the shower. I'm sure that for most this will be a good deep treatment to use when the hair needs a pick me up and they come in a small packet which might be convenient for those who rarely use deep treatments and don't want a full bottle lying around for ages, but for my hair it wasn't enough. 

Ingredients.

Müller, 2.75 €

HASK Argan Oil Repairing Hair Oil

I grabbed one of these oils too, though I've always walked passed them because they look like little samples with only 18 ml. Ingredients look good with the classic two silicones at the start and argan oil on third place (don't know the percentage, but it's thinner than Moroccanoil with the same first three ingredients) and as an extra keratin amino acids on 4th place. The latter is a humectant (it draws water) and not a protein treatment. HASK has four versions of these, two, macadamia and monoi coconut are similar to this one with a different oil, while Keratin Protein contains two proteins, so I actually see it as a different product than the other three. It's got a medium consistency, though it's still pretty liquid for a silicone oil and it does its job of giving shine, taming the hair and detangling. Due to such small size, I won't use this regularly because I'd use it up in a matter of weeks (I've already used up a almost half), but this a nice size to keep in the purse. I think this formula will work for thin hair too as it's really not heavy and definitely not greasy.

Ingredients.

Müller, 2.75 €

  

 BALEA Langhaar Mädchen Hair Oil Intense Repair

I got this for one reason only: it's 150 ml for 4.99 € making it the cheapest such serum per ml in our drugstores. I use these oil serums as heat protectants (anything with dimethiconol works) and since I have to use a lot of it, I get the cheap stuff for the job. Before I had the discontinued Balea Wunder Serum which on it's own wasn't anything special, too light for taming my hair, but as a heat protectant it was lovely because it didn't leave my hair wet and I could get to work immediately (I use a combination of serum oil and Moroccanoil Defender spray. It might seem an overkill, but I want my hair protected). This has a very similar light-medium texture as the Wunder Serum and it's not super effective on taming the frizz like heavier oils do on me such as Orofluido, Moroccanoil or Precious Argan, but like I said I use it for other things. It's got an obnoxious vanilla-coconut scent that everyone apart from me will surely love (I like more perfumey vanillas and this is more car freshener vanilla, so super basic). For the price and the purpose I use this is good, it's would also be nice for girls with less thick hair than me, but it's not as light as Luxurious Coconut (I have a mini guide here). It contains sunflower oil on 4th place, that's why it's so much lighter than other oil serums, on 5th place is coconut oil which is good to see and buriti oil on 6th place, which I can't find whether it penetrates the hair shaft like coconut oil or it just deposits on the hair, but it doesn't matter, not at this product anyway. 

Ingredients.

DM, 4.99 €

 SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL Blondme Blond Toning

Steel Blue

I've already used a half of this mixed with Sand and it wasn't great mix for toning orange-yellow hair, so I got an extra tube of just steel blue to do it again. For a demi-permanent colour this is pretty drying, more so than the bleach, which was surprising. On the second toning I used 3/4 of Steel Blue and 1/4 of Sand that I had left. I expected it to turn grey-blue when it was processing, just like those toners for very pale blondes turn purple, but it surprisingly turned pink-violet. It toned golden yellow hair best, which is a level 9-8, while it turned my lightest pale yellow strands (level 10) blue silver grey, which I did not like at all and shade Ice would have been better for those. The orange strands level 7-8, which I expected it will tone based on reviews and colour theory were left the same as without a toner, so my hair was looking very uneven with ultra cool and warm bits. I hoped this toner will help with the orange-reddish bits, but it only works properly on golden medium blonde hair.  

Notino, 9.90 €

L'OREAL Excellence Creme

8.1 Natural Ash Blonde and 7.1 Ash Blonde

I got these to tone my hair, since Schwarzkopfs Steel Blue didn't do the job properly. I decided to mix these two because I've used 8.1 alone before and it didn't tone the reddish-orange bits, it only toned the lighter hair. Because I've been balayageing my hair slowly, I had all kinds of shades on my hair due to my hair being so dark and thick, one session could only get me a couple of shades lighter at a time. Ashy tones are great for toning orange hair and I've seen a Youtube video showing how 7.1 works, so I'm hoping it does a better job than Schwarzkopf's Steel Blue. Well, I sort of screwed up, though that depends on what can constitute as a screw up, since my hair is now in the coolest shade it's been, but sadly I started up a blonde and ended up a light brunette. Though I predicted 7.1 will be darker, I thought mixing it with 8.1 will keep it reasonably light. While my hair is now without red bits and there's only a slight goldish hue present, it had undone my balayage and lovely highlights, which I'm disappointed about because now I'll have to do it all over again (I've tried washing off the colour by chelating and using anti-dandruff shampoo, but this formula is proving difficult to wash out for now). To be fair now I'm thinking it was probably the only way, otherwise I'd be stuck with red-orange bits forever clashing with the lighter toned parts, but I really got used to being blonde and I loved it so much. We'll see what I'll do next. Maybe it will wash off in time, but the final colour I got was exactly the shade on the box of 7.1 and actually my original "goal colour", it's just when I got to blonde I got a bit greedy and wanted to be lighter. Also 7.1 lightened my uncoloured hair and it did a surprisingly good job of getting them to a light-medium cool brown, so if you have natural dark brown hair and want to go a few shades lighter, I highly recommend 7.1, you'll get a less warm result than with 8.1 or 9.1. 

By the way, this is my favourite box dye because it makes my hair feel so nice and the conditioner is one of the best I've tried (plus it's 60 ml bottle, not a tiny satchel). 

Interspar, 5.49 €

Have a great day!

Herbal Essence Bee Strong Conditioner

This is surprisingly good for a drugstore conditioner and it's so affordable at only 2.45€ per bottle. I love the effect of it, the scent is nice and it moisturises my dry, coarse hair very well. My only real gripe is the packaging because when it's about to run out, you need Hercules' strength to get the rest of the product out (hence why mine in cut in the middle). I know there is a pot version available, which I'd prefer, but it's not sold in my country.

Repurchase: Yes.

John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Moisturising Conditioner

An absolutely lovely conditioner that I have been repurchasing for years and have rarely been without a tube of this in my bathroom. In fact, I currently have a 500 ml bottle of this with a pump.

Repurchase: Yes.

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Express Treatment Conditioner

(a.k.a. Dove Oil Care Nährplege 1 Minute Kur-Spülung)

I used up another one of these - I must have gone through at least a dozen tubes so far. This is one of my favourite drugstore treatments for dry hair. It's very thick, which I love, works great on my dry hair and it smells gorgeous. I recently bought the blue Intensive Repair version to try and it's nice as well, but I still prefer this one.

Repurchase: Yes.

Tigi Bed Head Masterpiece Massive Shine Hairspray

This was my only hairspray for years. I used to love it, but since I discovered Lee Stafford's Hold Tight, I find it a bit sticky from the start and doesn't hold as well as I would like. It can also feel a bit crispy, especially when you really go to town with it, while at Lee Stafford that doesn't happen to me. That being said, this is still a great hairspray and my second favourite. It smells like pineapples (like the (old) Dumb Blonde line), so obviously I like it. 

Repurchase: Probably not, only if Lee Stafford's Hold Tight gets discontinued.

L'Oreal Elvital Volume-Collagen Push-Up Spray

I actually bought this only for the packaging. I needed a better, preferably a spray bottle for Alpecin Medicinal Forte that needs to be applied on the scalp. The nozzle looks right, however, the I find it so hard to squeeze.
So on to the actual product. It's a volume spray that is supposed to be applied close to the the roots. It's a liquid that pretty much feels like water and can be used on damp or dry hair. Due to it's lightness, it doesn't weigh down the hair at all. I notice no additional volume, which is not surprising considering that it has no hold at all. It has a high alcohol content, which is never a good thing in my book, and it also contains sollutable collagen - in all honestly, I have no idea how collagen would be creating volume. It has a chemical scent that is nothing special nor does it last. There are far better volumising products.

Repurchase: No.

The Body Shop Coconut Oil Hair Shine

I wanted to like this, but I just can't. Though the ingredients are nice and there are no silicones, it feels too waxy. As a dry ends treatment on dry hair, it feels too heavy, waxy and it doesn't even give much of a shine. As a pre-wash treatment, it doesn't do much of anything either, particularly compared to proper coconut oil. This has a very hard consistency, especially if it's left in bellow 22°C degrees, so it's hard to scoop it out. You need to warm it up a lot between the hands and then it turns into a waxy oil. I place it on a radiator before use and it feels much more creamy, almost buttery and therefore easier to work with. It smells strongly like hazelnuts to me. The tin is nice and great for travel, I just wish there were a better product inside.

Repurchase: No.

Orofluido Shine Spray

It does what it's supposed to and nothing more. This is a typical shine spray with a high alcohol content as so many of them, though it didn't dry out my hair. As it's expected, it gives lot of shine, but doesn't weight down the hair. Orofluido packed it with their delightful fragrance, so I loved using it as a hair fragrance. It's nice, but I prefer Orofluido Sahara because it also provides care on top of shine (but it is much heavier than this). 

Repurchase: No, but it's nice for those whose hair gets weighted down by products and just want shine.

Rosal Milk and Honey Lip Balm

This is a very waxy feeling lip balm, but still moisturising, though you can feel how it mostly just coats the lips. This waxiness makes it less appropriate for wearing it under a lipstick. The scent is more of a honey and milk meet plastic and beeswax, but not in a bad way. 

Repurchase: No.

Labello Soft Rose Lip Balm

A very average lip balm, but one that a lot of people have/had and some really like it. It really doesn't stand out in any respect, neither the scent, colour or effect.

Repurchase: No.

Balea Sweet Wonderland Lip Balm

I used this only once and I'm tossing it. The scent is a weird, chocolate-chemical one, nothing like the yummy smelling shower gel from this LE. The texture and the moisturising power are below average.

Repurchase: No.

Yves Rocher Noix de Coco Malaysian Coconut Lip Balm

Apart from the scent, which is one of the best coconut scents I tried, it's just not worth it. It's not really moisturising and the packaging is very impractical. The opening is way to small, so the only way to get the product out is with a lip brush and I just can't be bothered. 

Repurchase: No.

Essence Matte Top Coat

I actually ended up using this a lot also as a base. It may sound odd to use it in such a way, but I like it because it dries in less than 10 seconds. The bottle didn't last me that long and what was left got completely unusable.

Repurchase: Not sure if they sell it any more, but I liked it.

Essence Profi-Nail File 4 in 1

I bought several of these so far. There are four different textures: one to trim, one to clean, one to smooth and one to polish the nails. I like it, it does what it's supposed to, does that well, and it's affordable. I still have one that I use all the time.

Repurchase: Not sure if they sell it any more, but I'm sure Essence has a similar one and I will purchase that one.

Have a great day!

I'm more of a salon brands buff myself, but that doesn't mean I don't use drugstore conditioners. I've tried so many and not a lot actually impress me, but these are the five I think are some of the best drugstores have to offer. These are for those with dry(ish) hair or ends, who don't want to track down salon treatments, but just grab one in a shop and go, of course not spending much. However, if your hair is really dry like mine, I would highly recommend using a leave-in conditioner since these are not as moisturising as salon brands, especially when it comes to how long the hair stays hydrated. From my personal experience, I highly recommend Healthy Sexy Hair Tri Wheat Leave-in conditioner. It has fantastic long term results and it makes a massive difference by itself (apparently Lauren Conrad loves this. I didn't even know that before as I'm not a fan of any celebrities, really). 

John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Moisturising Conditioner 

This is a very old favourite of mine and actually out of these five, it's the one I've been buying the longest. I've repurchased it numerous times and there have been rare occasions that I didn't have a tube of this in my bathroom. It feels quite light and is runnier than the others, yet it is moisturising enough for my dry hair. It leaves the hair feeling very silky when I rinse it off, but there are two other things that it excels at: shine and scent. It gives by far the best shine out of these five, but I should mention this is JF's line created for brown hair. The scent is divine, like a mix of coconut and caramel, but not sweet rather a bit more sophisticated. This is the only conditioner/mask after which my hair smells nice for days as normally my hair never retains the scent of the conditioner or shampoo I use for more than a few hours.

Price: 8.49 € for 250 ml in Müller and DM (also available on Feel Unique for 6.36 €/5.09 £). Picture of the ingredients here.
Best features: shine and lasting scent.

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor Deep Conditioner 

This has fantastic results for a drugstore treatment. It leaves my hair feeling really soft and nourished - a similar result as if using a high-end mask. The effect of the conditioner lasts a few days and my ends look surprisingly well for quite a while, which doesn't normally happen when I use drugstore stuff. It has quite a unique texture, something like a medium thickness gel-cream hybrid and feels slippiest out of the five. It smells quite strongly of Hubba-Bubba fruit fantasy bubble gum tape. The packaging is awesome, no screw off or flip lids, just squeeze and the product comes out. Of course, I leave it on longer than 3 minutes, like any other conditioner/mask before rinsing it off, but that's just me.

Price: 70 kn in Croatia's DM (about 9 €) for 250 ml. Widely available in the USA and UK for much cheaper. It's also available in some DM's in Germany and Slovakia, but I don't know about other countries.
Best features: longest lasting results and best effect. 

Dove Oil Care Nährplege 1 Minute Kur-Spülung a.k.a. Nourishing Oil Care Express Treatment Conditioner

It's all about drugstore hair products today. Got2b had most of their product either 30% off in my local supermarket or 50% off in DM (via the points system valid for November and December) and I decided to try some of their stuff. I was planning to get some other styling products, but I'm really glad I bought these. I think I'll try their Glued hairspray next and perhaps even some other bits. By the way, I had their Guardian Angel heat protectant a few years back and I hated it. 

It'll be a colourful post - I love colourful posts!

got2b Volumania Volumizing Spray Mousse

Probably my favourite product in the bunch. A mousse in a spray form - genius! It's so easy to apply evenly and I can really control the amount I want. It's not sticky, doesn't weigh my hair down and holds style so well. Both the mousse and styling powder smell like a raspberry drink (Dana's Malinovec), so pretty much delicious. I apply it all over the hair, concentrating on the roots. The spray makes it easy to apply it evenly to the roots and the length of the hair, however, you can spray it in your palm if that is what you prefer. I then do my regular thing: blow-dry with a round brush and put my hair in a high bun. I had tons of volume in the morning, like always, but this time my hair didn't drop in the next hour. I then curled it with a 2,5 cm (1 inch) barrel curler. It holds volume for a day, but the hair needs to be "refluffed" in the morning, which is pretty much standard with any mousse I tried so far. I was even more impressed how well my curls lasted as they still looked great on the third day. Having volume brings the necessary evil, the ever annoying frizz, and yes, also with this mousse, but it looks much, much better than Balea's Power Volume mousse. This is the best styling mousse I've tried to date, but I only had drugstore ones so far. I highly recommend it.

Regular price is about 6 €. It's widely available in drugstores and some supermarkets.

got2b Volumania Volume Refreshing Styling Powder

I'm not completely convinced about this product. I bought another one of got2b's volumising powders called Powder'ful about a year ago and while it definitely gives volume, it makes your hair feel sticky and a bit dirty, but what bothered me most was the fact the volume lasted about 15 minutes. So I wasn't impressed.
I sort of expected Volumania Styling Powder to be a similar product, but improved and in a spray form. It actually feels closer to a dry shampoo, but without the freshness. It almost feels like I'm not using anything at all and at first I wasn't sure if it even works in any other way than making my hair smell deliciously raspberrish. So I tried to "fluff up" my hair with and without the Styling Powder on each side of my head and it actually does make a difference, which is odd since it feels like nothing on the hair, nor does it give any type of hold or texture. It's not a necessary product, I actually think it can easily be replaced by a dry shampoo, but I do like using it to refresh the volume every day.
Regular price is about 6 € (5.80 € in DM). It's widely available in drugstores and some supermarkets.

got2b Öl-La-La Styling Öl-Spray 
also called Oil-licious Triple Oil Dry Oil Mist

Healthy hair and shine in a can. That's how I would describe this product. But mind you, I mean it just cheats the appearance of having healthy hair, it doesn't actually nourish it much. It's an innovative concept - argan oil in a spray can, even though it's the last ingredient on the INCI list and there are two silicones high on the list. Orofluido has something similar called Sahara, but this is much lighter. It gives an amazing amount of shine, just like using any of the silicone-oil hybrids (Orofluido, Morrocanoil,...) and helps fight the frizz, but without the fear of ruining the hairstyle or curls because of touching (my curls always drop if I touch them). I'm impressed got2b! Another very likeable product.
The scent is a bit out of place, especially after trying the Volumania products. It's far from fruity and it's more like a generic soap or lipstick scent. I actually quite like it. I can spray a ton of it on my hair and it doesn't weigh it down one bit, build up or make it oily, however, my hair is dry and thick. It think it would work for fine hair, but maybe used in moderation. But this is the best way for any of such girls to use an oil product.

Regular price is 6.99 €. I found it only in Müller.

Lee Stafford Hold Tight Hairspray

I really like this hairspray. It has a nice flexible hold without being sticky, doesn't feel crispy or stiff at all and I don't even feel it on the hair. I find it similar to Tigi Mastermind (only that it's cheaper and easier to get) and L'Oreal's Elnett extra strong, but without the Elnett scent that so many people dislike (I actually find it very similar to Chanel n.5). In fact, I tried L'Oreal's and Lee Staffords side by side and I notice no difference whatsoever. Hold Tight Hold Firm has a musky and sweet scent, which is apparently a signature scent of the Lee Stafford products and it reminds me a bit of Thierry Mugler Angel if I remember that fragrance correctly.

50 ml can costs 2.45 € in Müller. I don't know the price for the 250 ml can, but it's about 7-9€.

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Conditioner
also called Honey I'm Strong conditioner

I can't find the Hello Hydration hair mask anywhere (why?!), so I grabbed this instead. For the price it is actually quite good. It's thicker than the Hello Hydration mask and moisturises well even my dried up hair. Of course, I use it in a conjunction with a leave-in conditioner (Sexy Healthy Hair Tri-Wheat Leave In), which makes a massive difference by itself. It doesn't smell as amazing as the Hello Hydration line, but it's similarly fruity-floral with a hint of honey. It will be a part of my Top 5 drugstore conditioners post that I have ready.

Price 2.45 € in Müller.

I've used everything in this post on this pic. A rubbish pic of third day hair is in this post here. 

Have a great day!

I have a great weakness for tropical scents. My heart trembles when I see a new product with words like passion fruit or mango on them. Anything that smells like a fruity cocktail is right up my alley. Strangely enough no one around me loves tropical scents as much as I do (or at all) and I've received a lot of eye-rolling when I dragged something new home from the drugstore. I have a lot of tropical scented products and I put them all in this post to share with fellow exotic scents enthusiasts. I'll focus on the scents rather than reviewing products because I've already done that for most products.

Tigi Bed Head Masterpiece - I've been using this hairspray for many years and if you're familiar with Tigi products, they rarely disappoint with their scents. This one smells like pineapple and the (old) Dumb Blonde line had a similar scent.

Batiste Tropical dry shampoo - It smells like sweet coconut, but it's quite a faint scent. Review here.

Balea Hawaii deospray (2012/13 LE)  - A candy papaya and frangipani scent. Balea recently released two new tropical inspired deodorants, Brazil Mango and Cocos & Nectarine (more here), obviously, I'd love to have both.

Victoria's Secret Love Spell body spray - A tropical fruit mix. The scent is described as cherry blossom and peach, but to me it smells very tropical, sweet but still fresh. I already compared it to the discontinued blue Bibita (a fizzy drink), but US based reviewers compare it to Hawaiian Punch. Review here.

Garnier Fructis Fruity Passion shampoo - this has my favourite passion fruit scent in any product. It's the perfect mix of sweetness and fruityness. More here.

Balea Brazil Mango shower gel (2013 LE) - smells like tropical candy. I'll be very specific - the white Haribo gummy bear in the gold packaging (I always eat those first, I believe it's pineapple flavour). Balea has a great tropical inspired LE that is available right now in DM's. I wrote a bit about it here.

Balea Hawaii Pineapple shower gel (2013 LE) - smells exactly like Pina Colada, so a mix of pineapple and coconut.

Victoria's Secret Love Spell body butter - The same tropical scent as in body spray. Review here.

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration hair mask - A heavenly tropical paradise scent. It's a fruity, coconuty candy scent that lasts for a really long time on the hair. Review here.

Benefit Coralista - The prettiest blush ever and one of the rare ones that actually lasts on the skin. It has a tropical scent that I can't define, but I really like it. It not as intense as it was from the beginning though. More pictures here.

Yves Rocher Noix de coco - A straight up coconut scent. It's very affordable, not too sweet or artficial smelling and has great staying power. More here

Yves Rocher mango passion fruit edt (2012/13 LE) - It was last year's LE, but I read somewhere it will also be available this year. It's a simple refreshing mango scent. More here.

I can't do a proper post on tropical scents without including yearly Escada's LEs. They are the definition of tropical, cocktail, summery scents! There have been so many over the years and in the spirit of a true fan girl, I can boast with a nice, albeit small collection of them. Most are mini 4 ml travel bottles that I got on eBay and I own a 30 ml size of Taj Sunset and 50 ml bottle of Marine Groove. Their only weakness is the weak staying power. The notes (in italic) are copied from Fragrantica, check the reviews there if you want to learn more.

Do you have any favourite tropical scented products? Have a great day!

My hair is not the easiest to deal with. I have naturally very dry, curly, frizzy, coarse hair that needs a lot of heavy-duty conditioners and oils. Also I have very thick and long hair with lots of volume. It's in my genes, in fact everyone in my family has hair like that. When I was in my early teens my hair dried up like a sponge and got really hard to work with. So I do use a lot of products on my hair and most drugstore products just don't work well for me, I learned that the hard way. I used to be just-Fructis/Dove/L'Oreal/Gliss-girl, but my hair and scalp was in horrible condition. I tried a lot of different products in the past decade and in the last two years I finally found what works best for me. For my hair more is better. Most of the products mentioned I've repurchased numerous times and are some of my favourites so far. This will be in two parts. I'll talk about serums, styling products and tools in the second part.

I use a lot of oils on my hair. A few times a month use oil as a pre-wash treatment. I use anything I have at hand, regular olive oil will do, I even use whatever body oil is lying around (such as Weleda lavender one), but the best oils for dry hair are macadamia and coconut oil. I get them at the supermarket. I apply it all over the hair, including the scalp, focusing on the ends and leave it on for at least an hour (the more the better). So far I've never been left with greasy, limp hair no matter how much I used, but keep in mind that my hair is very dry and it just soaks up everything. If your hair is not as dry, use just a few drops mainly on the ends. Alverde mandel and argan oil as a pre-wash treatment is light enough for someone with hair like that. I then proceed with shampoo and conditioner.

Another oil I use is Phyto Phytopolléine universal elixir. I've already raved about it in one of my monthly favourites post, so I'll just copy my review. It is my mini super expensive miracle worker. I've been suffering from dandruff for more than 10 years, used almost every shampoo on the planet and nothing really worked (dry hair and scalp, fantastic combination). This completely purifies my scalp, no other product I've tried was that effective. It's a heavily scented oil (it smells of rosemary and lavender, beware that the entire room you're in will smell like it) that you massage on your scalp before washing your hair. The instructions say to keep it on for 20 minutes, but I leave it on for a lot longer. It costs an arm an a leg - over 20€ for a small 25ml bottle, but one did last me about 8 treatments. I've repurchased it already and I got mine from eBay, because it's a lot cheaper than in our pharmacies.

The shampoo I've been using for a year now is La Roche Posay Kerium for dry hair. It's one of the rare dandruff shampoos that does not dry out my hair. I can even comb through it with ease. It's very creamy and thick and has a pleasant medicinal scent. I've used a least a half of dozen bottles so far. I buy it in pharmacies for around 11€.

Alpecin Medicinal Forte is a clear liquid that smells very strongly of herbal schnapps, but it works. It's great for relieving an itchy scalp. I used to use it every day, but now I use it only when my scalp is acting up. I bought my seventh bottle in a row last week. They need to change the bottle though. The application system is really bad because there is no nozzle, just a hole. I buy it in Müller for 5-6€.

Currently I have four different conditioner/masks/treatments in rotation because I use gallons of this stuff and I don't want to buy new ones every 3-4 weeks. Most drugstore conditioners are not moisturising enough for my hair, so I do prefer saloon brands. The main difference between them is that if I use a drugstore conditioner, my hair gets really dry the second day, even though the conditioner might seem really moisturising. I then have to resort to Alverde Mandel and Argan oil to get some moisture back into my hair. I also always leave the conditioner on my hair for a lot longer than it says on the packaging. I honestly can't imagine the product working it's magic in just a few minutes and I notice a massive difference if I leave it on for longer. I leave it on for at least 10 minutes, often for more than an hour (I always wash my hair in the evening).

Joico Moisture Recovery Treatment Balm for thick and coarse hair is some heavy-duty stuff. It's probably the most moisturising treatment I ever had. If my hair is feeling particularly dry, then I resort to it. Even I have to use a moderate amount and I'm always very generous when applying conditioner. It smells really nice, fresh but a bit sweet and it's super thick. This is my first tube. Another fantastic product from Joico is their K-Pack Intense Hydrator Treatment for dry, damaged hair, which I had before this one. The only gripe I have is the scent which is a bit odd. These two are the best treatments I ever had and trust me I tried a lot of them. I buy Joico from feelunique.com, it's also a sold in selected saloons.

Tigi S Factor ''Serious'' Conditioner is another seriously moisturising stuff. I've already reviewed it here and I remain impressed. I bought my 750ml pot last September and I still have some left. It's so thick you don't need much. Earlier this year I tried the vinegar treatment which is so highly recommended on MUA. It completely wrecked my hair. Nothing has ever dried up my hair like it. This mask worked like magic and completely transformed it into normality. It does contain a lot of silicone, hence the very silky feeling afterwards, but it's still one of my favourite treatments. Read my original review if you want to know more.

Dove Nourishing Oil Care also known under lots of other names, but the important thing is that it's a tube with gold writing. It's one of the two drugstore treatments I use and I've repurchased it a half of dozen times. This is the most moisturising drugstore product I've tried to date. It's very thick and smells very nice (''Dove like''). I buy it in Müller for 4-5€. I did a short review here.

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration mask was an unexpected and pleasant surprise from the drugstore range. I honestly didn't expect much because it feels quite light, but it is moisturising enough even for my hair. However, the best feature is the heavenly scent. It's smells like tropical paradise, something like sweet tropical fruit with coconut. I adore it! I'm currently using my second pot. This is light enough for someone whose hair is not as dry as mine. I also really like the shampoo from this line.

Some other conditioners I liked are Redken All Soft, John Frieda Brilliant Brunette and Fructis masks. I repurchased the latter two numerous times.

This completes the first part of my hair care. I'll talk about other hair care products I use in the next post (it'll be up soon). Thanks for reading my long rambling! There is more to come.