Here’s an old-school-blogging blog post if I ever saw one! Remember when we used to just actually review products we’d been using? One of my New Year’s resolutions was to get back into blogging - but I don’t half miss the way blogging used to be. So I decided to write a ‘Hair Care Favourites’ blog post and share the products I fell in love with over the course of last year. I’ve had many ups and downs with this hair of mine [many of which have been chronicled over on my YouTube channel] and I finally feel like I’m in a good place with its look, feel, length, thickness etc etc etc. I’d consider myself to be a little bit of an expert considering all the trials and tribulations me and my tresses have been through together. So these are all the best bits to grace my scalp over the hellscape that was 2021, and they will definitely be coming into 2022 with me.
Garnier Ultimate Blends Nourishing Hair Food Banana & Shea 3-in-1 Hair Mask
I was late to the party when it comes to these Garnier 3-in-1 Hair Masks. I remember when they were released and we had all the adverts on TV, but for some reason I never got around to buying one. I think that part of me thought that because they were a drugstore product with a relatively low price-point that they’d be rubbish. But O’ me of little faith! I received a pot as a gift for my birthday and absolutely fell in love with it, and now I won’t be without a pot. What I really love are a) the range of scents are lovely and really do stick to your hair after using b) these are cheap, cheerful and ACTUALLY work to make your hair super soft and nourished c) the formula is vegan and is made with 98% natural ingredients d) it’s a Garnier product meaning you can find it absolutely everywhere; Boots, Superdrug, Amazon, B&M Bargains.
I alternate between all three conditioners on this post, so this gets slathered onto my hair whilst I’m in the shower just once every three hair-washes. I wouldn’t want to use it every time, as I’m sure it’d make my hair *too* nourished and it’d end up greasy. Plus, even though it’s an incredibly generously sized tub, I do like to try to make my products last. On top of that, each scent is actually formulated for a certain type of hair, so if you take a look at the benefits of each one, you are sure to find one that you like. The next one I’d like to try is the Coconut scent which is intended for frizzy hair. Now, my hair isn’t overly frizzy but I want nothing more than to swish about with smooth coconut-smelling hair to be honest. Is that such a crime??
Pro:Voke Touch Of Silver Brightening Shampoo + Pro:Voke Touch Of Silver Brightening Purple Mask
These two products are the OGs. These have been an unshakeable pair ever since I started having my hair bleached back in 2009. I actually remember when these products were mainly catering to the needs of women of a certain age with beautiful naturally grey and white hair, and were formulated to help keep them silvery instead of brassy. I’ve tried most of the Pro:Voke range at this stage, and these two are definitely the best of the bunch. Considering I don’t use them for every hair wash, that is. Pro:Voke offer less intense, every day shampoos and conditioners that would be fine for every-wash use, but take heed, if you used the Brightening range each time, you’d end up with bright purple hair within a week.
I use the shampoo once every two or three washes just because it’s super pigmented and deposits quite a ferocious violet pigment onto my bleached hair. I also prefer to use a higher-end shampoo the majority of the time; the Pro:Voke stuff is great for toning but it’s not the most nourishing, smoothing or hydrating product you can buy. I do love the fact that you can buy this XXL pack for just £3.99 in B&M and it’ll last absolutely months. For a stronger toning effect, you can lather the shampoo up and leave it for a few minutes before rinsing. You’ll absolutely never need to worry about a yellowish tinge. The same goes for the Pro:Voke Brightening Mask, although this one gets used significantly less than the shampoo. It’s super super strongly pigmented and, especially if your hair is quite porous like mine, it can make for some interestingly vibrant results if used too much, or left on for too long. I probably whack this on once a month, leave it on for 3-5 minutes and then rinse for a super-charged toning session between hairdresser visits. The results are a subtle lilac-ash fresh blonde which I really love.
milk_shake integrity nourishing shampoo + milk_shake integrity nourishing conditioner
I won an Amazon voucher at work towards the end of last year and wanted to treat myself to some salon-quality haircare products. I’d had milk_shake used on me at the hairdressers before and I thought they smelt fantastic and made my hair feel incredibly soft and sleek. Now, these weren’t the cheapest things I’ve ever purchased at around £12 a bottle [but using a voucher definitely took the edge off] and they’re only 300ml sized, but I have thoroughly enjoyed using them so far. I’d say I’m about halfway through the bottles and I’ve been very conscious not to squirt tonnes of it out when I’m using it in an attempt to make them last. However I am sure that these will be going on the repurchase list when I’m finished with them. As with every shampoo and conditioner combo in the history of my life, the shampoo is dwindling whilst I have loads of conditioner left, so maybe I can get into a bit of a groove where I only need to replace one bottle at a time.
These both smell great, but without being overpowering. I know that for some people, a really strongly scented product can cause headaches or just be off-putting in general. But these are very subtly scented, and I couldn’t even tell you what exactly they smell of. But I want to say nuts. The shampoo doesn’t lather up like a cheapy cheap shampoo would, but that’s always the sign of a decent shampoo. The conditioner is smooth and luxurious feeling. My last visit to the hairdressers saw me get quite a significant chop, and I’ve been using a higher quality set of products in an effort to keep my ends from splitting and looking super healthy, and I really think that an investment into a better quality everyday shampoo and conditioner has helped massively.
OLAPLEX No6 Bond Smoother + OLAPLEX No7 Bonding Oil
Considering I was firmly in the camp of “yeah yeah whatever” when it came to Olaplex at first, it’s amazing how much I am now in the camp of “OMFG you need to use Olaplex or you will DIE”. I’m a true convert. You will see me with a sandwich board in Bristol city centre at the weekend proclaiming that the end is nigh and only Olaplex can save us. I just wish these little [and I do mean tiny] bottles of elixir weren’t so gosh darn tootin’ expenny. These two teeny weeny loves of my life are £26 each. Granted, you can usually find a cheeky discount code or utilise the devil that is Klarna, but STILL. Then again, I am a firm believer in ‘you get what you pay for’, and I really honestly believe that these have been the main products that helped my hair recover from being melted and burned off into a mullet by a hairdresser back in 2020.
These were actually a birthday present from my sister and I could not love them more. I use them every single time I wash my hair for a sleek, smoothed down finish. Once I’m out of the shower, I gently towel-dry my hair and then use a pea-sized amount of the Bond Smoother and a few shakes of the Bonding Oil, then rub between my palms to create this absolute holy hair juice. Then I smooth it as evenly as possible over my lengths and ends before allowing my hair to air-dry. Honestly, the difference between my crispy-ass hair before using this and after is incredibly noticeable. Having fallen in love with these two products over the last year, I’m always interested in the rest of the Olaplex range, but the price point kind of makes me want to die. I guess we’ll all have to watch this space and see whether I can muster the stupidity to bankrupt myself on some other bits. My bet is that I will.
So those were all my haircare favourites from the tail-end of last year, and the ones which are coming with me into 2022. Whilst I always love to try new products, there are always some that stand the test of time and have the honour of a permanent spot in my bathroom cabinet. With all that said, I am excited to see what new goos I can locate to smother my head in this coming year!
Lots of love,
Jasmine x
Olaplex and Garnier hair food are my go to's too! x
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