Makeup Wars: Favorite Hair Products!

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It is time for another Makeup Wars! This time we are talking about our favorite Hair Products! 

Hair products are near and dear to my heart. I put a lot of time and effort into my hair. So, I want to use products that bring out the best in my hair. I will fully admit that I probably spend more than I need to on highlights and cuts. So, I want to take care of my investment, lol! I am not satisified with "ok" hair. I want shiny and pretty hair everyday. If my hair looks good, I feel better about myself overall! Before diving into my favorite hair products, lets talk a bit about my hair type.

My Hair:

I have heavily highlighted, long, and thick hair. My hair is coarse in texture. Rarely is a product "too rich" for me. In fact, I struggle to find products that are moisturizing and soothing enough for my hair. Because of my highlights, my hair is on the dry and damaged side. However, I have found that using really great products combats the damage and makes my hair look healthy.

My Favorite Products: 

These favorites have been collected over the years. Some are very old favorites and some of these are new favorites. Either way, these are all heavy hitters in my weekly hair routine. So, let's dive right in.

To find out all of the details about these products and why I love them, please click "read more" below! :)

Pureology Perfect 4 Platnium Line: A Blonde Girl's Best Friend!

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Oh the plight of dark blonde hair. As a child I was a very light blonde. As I grew older, my hair got darker and darker until it reached a dark blonde shade. My natural color is just a plain "dishwater" blonde...not light enough to be blonde-blonde and not dark enough to be brown. It is the non-color. For me, highlights are essential. I tend to vary my highlights over time. Sometimes I go very light and sometimes just a few highlights. Yes, I have even gone platinum before. However, one thing is consistant: I am a blonde at heart and typically: the-lighter-the-better! I currently opt for hightlights. While I have done all-over color in an ultra pale blonde before, the roots were just too frequent. So, currently, I try to go as light as I can using the highlighting process.

So, as a long-term blonde, I know first hand how dry and damaged blonde hair can be. I certainly do my best to take care of my ultra long blonde hair. I invest in highlights at a good salon and good products to keep my hair in top shape. Even with all of that, I do from time-to-time, end up with some damage and unruly hair.

As a beauty blogger with a particular interest in hair care, I have a collection of go-to shampoos, conditioners, and hair treatments that I reach for depending on what my hair needs at a particular time. Since my hair has been quite dry lately and in need of shine and nourishment, I am reaching for ultra luxurious and gentle shampoos and conditioners and deeply moisturizing and repairing treatments. Lately, I have been obsessed with Pureology's amazing Perfect 4 Platinum line! While my hair is not platinum, it is certainly very blonde and heavily bleached. So, this product line is a great fit!

To find out more details about each product in this line that I tried and how it worked for me, please click "read more" below.

Transform your Dry/Damaged Hair: The Purelogy® Strength Cure™ Line

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I really try to pride myself with taking good care of my hair. Through the use of good products, I am able to grow my hair very long while also getting highlights. Even with my best efforts, sometimes I end up with some damage after getting highlights. Recently, I went much brighter and heavier with my blonde highlights for the Spring/Summer season (annually, I tend to go much brighter in the Spring/Summer). The result? Beautiful highlights...and some damage. As much as I loved the color of my hair, the texture felt rough and dry. I want my hair to be silky and soft. Sigh!

So, the timing was perfect as I had just received Pureology's New Strength Cure line! It sounded like just what I needed for my highlight-damaged hair.

About the Strength Cure line (from Pureology):

Pureology knows that 74% of women who visit a salon cite damage as one of their key complaintsi. Colour treated hair not only endures mechanical damage, but also micro-scarred damage resulting from the penetration of colour pigments during processing. To combat damaged/microscarred colour-treated hair, Pureology is excited to introduce Strength Cure, the first comprehensive reparative haircare system that can be customized to ensure the perfect balance of internal strength and velvety softness. In fact, 97% saw improved hair strength after only one use! 

The Strength Cure system uses Asta-Repair™ to heal, strengthen, and protect from colour oxidation. Asta-Repair™ features, Astaxanthin, the ultimate nature-derived antioxidant, coupled with our unique AntiFade Complex***iii, which helps to ensure colour preservation, even in the weakest hair fibers. Astaxanthin is one of the most powerful carotenoids, with up to 500x the antioxidant action of Vitamin E, and 10x more powerful than beta carotene. Keravis, Ceramide and Arginine, also found in the Asta- Repair™ system, help replace the depleted cysteine content inside the cortex, while also helping to heal the micro-scarred cuticle to restore a velvet touch. The fully customizable system includes products that will help cover all needs from gently detangling to fortifying mid-lengths and mending split ends.

To find out more details about each of these products and how they transformed my hair, please click "read more" below! :)

January 2013 Favorites: Top 10 Beauty Products!

I just love making favorites lists! Especially when I have such a fabulous assortment of products to tell you about!!! I have been testing out products like a mad-woman lately. I have found some truly great things that I am totally loving! Some of these products have been previously reviewed. Some of them have not (and I will give a brief review here). Some items are new...and some are just new to me. Either way, I love them and I am excited to share!!!

To find out the full list and to hear more details, please keep reading!

Help for my Highlighted/Damaged Hair! Pureology's NEW Perfect 4 Platinum Line

 image credit: Pureology via beautypress.com

The Pureology Perfect 4 Platinum line is one of the very best lines that I have ever tried on my highlighted (and damaged) hair!!! It is specifically designed for color-treated hair that has 4 or more levels of "lift". While I am not sure if my hair specifically has 4 levels of lift, it is *heavily* highlighted, long, dry, and damaged. Most shampoos and conditioners are simply not moisturizing nor protective enough for my hair. Often, my hair becomes a tangled mess after washing if I do not use the correct products.

About Pureology:
Pureology is a brand concerned with integrity and the environment. They practice sustainability, support water conservation, and promote social responsibility with Global Green. They are a sister company of my favorite brand Redken and their products are amazing!

Over the years and even in recent months, I have found some really great products to help with my specific hair needs: my beloved Redken All Soft line (a favorite of mine for years), the Pureology Precious Oil line, and DermOrganic (another new fav) just to name a few. Well, this Pureology Perfect 4 Platnium line might just blow them all away! The results in my hair are hands-down amazing. I am so thrilled!!!

To find out more about this amazing line, keep reading!

Dry Damaged Color-Treated Hair? Try Pureology's NEW Precious Oil Line!

My color-treated hair needs so much help! My product testing of this new Precious Oil line by Pureology was perfect timing!

My Recent Hair Disaster: 
A couple weeks ago I switched colorists. My previous girl was amazing and I had been with her for years; but, she is expensive. In an effort to save a bit of money (as a Stay-at-Home Mom with a single income family...we need to make some cut backs), I tried a new girl that worked in the "training" side of the salon. What a mistake! Sure, I saved about 50% of the usual cost but my hair got ruined! The new girl had the same formula that my previous colorist used. However, she must have left me in the foils for too long under the heat. The result? My hair is extremely dry, coarse, and has absolutely no shine. It tangles instantly when it is wet and it is just about impossible to comb out. The texture feels like straw. What a mess!!! The salon gave me a complementary protein treatment; but, I wonder...should I have even paid for this service? I did; but I wonder...should I have? There really is no way to "fix" this damage. It needs to be grown out. The damage goes root to tip. So, a simple trim will not help. The salon protein treatment did not do much to help the situation. My home treatment with Aphogee helped a bit; but, sadly, this damage really does need to be grown out. Needless to say, I am going back to my old colorist next time and will likely never stray again! She may be expensive but now I see that she is totally worth it!

So, with all of that said, I am now testing out hair products with very damaged hair. I need products that are very nourishing, strengthening, and moisturizing. This is a tall order! Well, this new Precious Oil line by Pureology rose to the challenge and performed beautifully in my dry/damaged color treated hair!

The Precious Oil line promises 10x softer hair after just one use. The line contains a blend of Precious Oils ("Caring oil" and "Shamp'Oil") which are free of parabens, sulfates, and silicones. These oils penetrate deeply into the hair to replenish it and smooth it down. Other oils included are Sunflower Seed Oil (for softness), Coconut Oil (for elasticity), Olive Oil (for shine), and Jojoba Seed Oil (for moisture). This sounds like quite a lot of oil, right? Well, the blend works. These products are incredibly moisturizing. Yet, despite the high amount of oils, these products magically do not feel oily nor leave your hair looking oily!

A bit about Pureology: An Eco-Conscious Brand
Have you heard of Pureology? Pureology is a "sister brand" to my all-time favorite brand Redken. So, I am excited to explore this line! Pureology's eco-concious focus reminds me a lot of another favorite of mine, Aveda. Pureology's business practices support a sustainable vision and the Green Seal standard. They strive for minimal environmental impact, keep products free from silicone and parabens, products are biodegradable, packaging is from recycled materials, and use100% vegan ingredients (no ingredients of animal origin).

To find out more about the Precious Oil line by Pureology, keep reading!