A Sweet End To My Hair Product Spending Soap Opera

As a 26 year old single woman I like to think I live a pretty wholesome, clean living existence. Certainly when I compare myself to the likes of (the extremely talented) Miss Winehouse I am almost nun like, although admittedly I have tried to mimic her vocal stylings in karaoke after a few glasses of red wine.

I do however have 3 addictions, 3 vices if you like. These are (in no particular order): -

1) Chocolate. All types and forms
2) Eastenders (I know...)
3) Spending obscene amounts of money on hair products

The first item on the list often collides with the second in a Sunday afternoon omnibus extravaganza, however, as I regularly go to the gym the only thing I really need to worry about from these two are perhaps a couple of spots and a wasted couple of hours of my life each week.

My third vice however is (or was) much more of a problem and I have the bank statements to prove it.

As we all know, there is a tremendous pressure of girls my age these days to look good. Every day I read magazines full of gorgeous super models, telling me how I can achieve the latest celebrity look with a few easy to follow tips and some professional products.

And here lies the problem, we all want to look like our idols, but if we are not careful we can waste hundreds of pounds and more chasing that super model hair style. The good news is, I have learned from experience that with investment in the right products looking great doesn't have to cost the earth. So what do you really need?

OK, there is no getting away from the fact if you want to create professional styles, you are going to need a good quality, professional straightener. This is where you will have to invest a bit of money and I would recommend taking the plunge and splashing out on a T3 Tourmaline straightening iron. They are not cheap, and will set you back over £100, but there is simple reason why this will be money saved in the long run... you will save yourself a fortune of "hair care repair" products!

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Heat styling is the biggest cause of damage to hair and quite simply T3 are the best irons on the market for minimising that damage. In fact when combined with T3 Boost (worth spending £19.95 on) using T3 irons will actually help to condition and treat your hair as you style.

So, that's the big purchase out of the way and as you have chosen a high quality iron it will last you for years. What else do you need?

Thermal protection sprays? no
Illuminating reconstructors? huh?

There are 4 more products that you need for perfect hair. A good quality shampoo and conditioner, a deep conditioner and your preferred styling product.

It's worth investing in a mid range shampoo and conditioner (expect to pay about £10). Don't use a super market brand to save a few pennies as it won't be worth it in the long run.

I would recommend any product from Fudge, Joico or Osmo Essence, but do some research and find out which is best for your hair type (i.e. oily, dry, normal). A decent sized bottle (300ml) should last you about 6 weeks, so you are looking at a cost of around £15 a month for your shampoo and conditioner.

Once a month you should use a deep, leave in conditioner on your hair and there are a number of products available that will do the trick. You shouldn't expect to pay more than about £15 for this and again I would recommend one of the Joico range. As you are only using once a month, this product should last you at least 6 months so you are only looking at an average cost of about £3 a month.

There are an incredible amount of styling products available, but my advice is not to go overboard. Choose a light styling product which will keep your look in place without looking "cardboard", you want your hair to move. I admit I'm a Fudge girl and I like to use just a little wet wax spray to keep my hair in check, but only really at weekends. My styling product tends to last me for about 2 months, so at an average spend of £10 it works out at a monthly cost of say £5.

So, with an initial investment of £100+ on my T3 straightener my monthly spend is now down to under £25, which even my bank manager won't be too unhappy about.

Now I can waste the rest of my money on skin care products...

Sal is a regular contributor to Girlz Night Magazine (girlznight.co.uk) and has a passion for professional hair products that her credit card tells her she can't afford, such as T3 Straighteners and hair dryers.

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