please help me. I keep buying shit hair products on impulse.

[Jewelsandgems]

Does anyone else do this? Last week I bought some Andrew Barton products (root lift stuff and heat protection spray) and both are crap.

The week before that it was Loreal Elvive special new highlights shampoo/condition and - although smells nicer than my usual one of Colour Protect (red bottle) it is not as good

You know when you just fancy a change?

So, please help me put together a decent range. I need:

Heat protection spray that works
Volumising product that does not make hair sticky and dull (andrew barton does this)so whilst trying to get comb through for drying you end up pulling lots of hair out and getting really angry with it.

Shampoo
Conditioner

I have fine shoulder length hair, with very pale blonde highlights.

Please help me, who knows what crap I'll be buying next week (my dressing table is overflowing)

I know what you mean, I just can't resist the 'special offers' and have a pretty vast selection of products which I reckon will take a good few years to work my way through, especially since I recently had a much shorter cut so use much less product each time now.
I asked my hairdresser and he said don't bother with all the expensive stuff just use some leave in conditioner. I've got curly hair which doesn't get much 'heat' so sorry, am afraid that's not much help to you. Maybe you could ask a hairdresser or perhaps one will be along shortly with more helpful advice

Oh, I do this all the time. Best thing is leave-in conditioner - currently one of those Aussie ones. And I've been pinching my daughter's L'Oreal heat protector - pink bottle - which is nice and creamy, not all drying like the silicone stuff.

i recently gave in to hairdresser sales technique and got the very expensive kerastase shampoo and conditioner. i was horrified when i came to pay (think it came to about £30 for both) but now my hair is loooooooooooooooooverly. i am a repeat offender for buying hair products and have too much house devoted to them. i will definitely get this expensive stuff again.

I am a sucker for expensive hair products. Typically I buy 1 ltr bottles of either Aveda or Redken shampoo & conditioner (Aveda is the more expensive of the two, so it really depends on how flush I am feeling). I always use Redken Colour Extend Total Recharge & leave it in after shampooing/conditioning my hair in the morning. A very good hairdresser once told me this was the best thing to use as a heat protector (she gave me a bottle of it, so wasn't even trying to flog it to me!). Aveda do a really nice volumiser called Aveda Purescription Volumising Tonic.

This will cost you a small fortune, but leave you with super glossy hair & you shouldn't be tempted to buy anything else.

I have used Redken before (body full) and it was just ok. Aveda I do love, but have not bought for ages (maybe I should)

Another admission that I forgot to mention, bought Charles Worthington Dream Hair straigtening balm and that is crap too. Although, their Dry Shampoo is very very good.

Paul Mitchell Sleek and Shiny shampoo rocks.

Another vote here for Paul (not Phil!) Mitchell - especially Super Sculpt & the Colour Protect shampoo & conditioner.

Aveda Smooth Infusion Shampoo (£35 1L bottle)
Aveda Damage Remedy Restructuring Conditioner (51 1L bottle)

Marvellous stuff.

Aveda Shampure Shampoo and Conditioner -- hideously expensive, but got a small bottle of each for Christmas and it just ran out

Agree with ilovemydog - Aveda Shampure is the best of the range, especially as you say your hair is quite fine (some of the Aveda range can be fairly heavy).

I won't use www.lookfantastic.com anymore (long story), but they are a good place to get discounted stuff - usually about 15% off rrp. See if you can get a free postage code & it'll be an even better saving. They stock most ranges listed here, including Aveda.

Rindercella - Thanks for linking that website. It looks brilliant value. I've just ordered some Aveda Shampure shampoo and conditioner.

It is brilliant! They deliver more or less the next day. One time they forgot to post one of the products to me & as soon as I got in contact with them they sent out the correct order.

Here's the story why I no longer use them...

I flounced a while ago as they have a link on the order complete page saying click here to get £10 off your next order. Foolishly I did. 3 months later I realised I'd had a direct debit from a rather dubious company for £10/month. Lookfantastic refused to take any responsibility for it so I flounced. It was my fault, as I should have read the T&Cs correctly. Websites such as Interflora also have this link & it is bloody annoying. I can't remember the company's name now, but they are really quite dodgy. They did cancel my 'agreement' with them though & refunded the 30 quid they had already taken from my account.

Kerestase is great.

Ok, Aveda looking good and I like the fact no harsh chemicals.

But, should I buy products for fine hair? Damaged hair? Or for specifically my colour hair (like Blue Malva?)

I have used kerastase before Ikea, but it made my hair fall out! Or at least there was alot more on the comb than previously, and after I stopped using it I noticed a change straight away (I know it is a very well respected hair brand though, so I have always assumed it is my wierd hair rather than the whole of the kerastase product set)

Try small bottles of Aveda Shampure shampoo & conditioner first of all. You may even be able to get some testers if you have an Aveda salon/concession near you. I reckon this would suit your hair type (mine is similar).

rindercella I have just been on that website and now I am torn between:
shampure range
brilliance range
damage remedy
rosamary and mint

I would go for either the shampure or brilliance if I were you. I reckon Damage Remedy would probably be too heavy for your hair type, apart from maybe a once a week leave in for an hour job. Haven't tried Rosemary & Mind, but I bet it smells lush!

Go for the smaller size to start & if that range doesn't suit you, you haven't lost too much.

I do strongly recommend the Aveda Purescription Volumising Tonic to style your hair too.

That website should come with a financial health warning - it is very easy to suddenly have £200 worth of beauty products in your basket!