Review: Aveda Pure Abundance Shampoo

I'm an absolute sucker for any hair products claiming to make my hair look more voluminous. I tend to be fairly low maintenance with my hair; shampoo, either a hair oil or leave in conditioner spray, dry shampoo and hairspray are the only products I really reach for. I find that mousses and cream products weigh my hair down too much so even if they claim to add volume, I end up with greasy flat hair. On that basis, volumising shampoos tend to be what I opt for most. I've tried a few across a range of high street brands which I've enjoyed but whilst perusing the Aveda counter in Debenhams I was drawn in by the Pure Abundance line and decided to give the shampoo a go.

The packaging is plain and functional although I did have to store it upside down to get the remaining product out when it was running low. The product itself is a honey coloured gel with a normal 'shampoo' texture - it's not too runny or exceptionally thick. The scent is quite herbal and overpowering; I didn't pick up the jasmine in the scent (I love jasmine!)

Aveda state that the shampoo:

Lifts fine hair up and fills it out. Hair looks fuller, feels thicker, stays more abundant. 

•	plant-based formula boosted by certified organic acacia gum
•	Aroma with jasmine, certified organic peppermint, palmarosa and ylang ylang

I used the shampoo as normal and spritzed a little leave in conditioner on the ends of my hair. When it was 80% dry, I blow dried it. I did find that my hair felt lighter and had a nice amount of volume once I'd dried it and my hair did feel cleaner for a little longer when I used this shampoo. However, I have quite a sensitive scalp and this shampoo would sometimes be a little irritating so I couldn't use it on a daily basis. 

The bottom line is that I liked the product, I just didn't love it. It did give my hair a bit of extra volume without that product build up feeling so if you've not got a sensitive scalp and you fancy trying a higher end volumisng shampoo, I'd say that this is worth a try. I won't be repurchasing it as I've found the volumising shampoos from Herbal Essences and Aussie are fairly similar in terms of performance, are a fraction of the price and they smell nicer.

A 250ml bottle of Pure Abundance shampoo retails for £17.00 from Aveda stockists and online.

Have you tried any good volumising shampoos recently?

Stace xx

Weekend Haul: Philosophy & Boots

Hello!

I've finally done a little bit of beauty shopping! This haul is probably going to seem tiny compared to the monthly hauls I used to post but I'm sort of pleased about that. I generally try to be cleverer about the purchases I'm making now so will usually only buy one or two products over a period of a few weeks. This week I allowed myself to go a tiny bit crazy at the Philosophy counter and in Boots. I say 'crazy' because I don't actually need any of these things but that's not to say I won't enjoy trying them out; there could be some new favourites in here!

Philosophy as a brand is still fairly new to me. I've tried a lot of samples (and received even more after making this purchase - check out the cute little 'mini miracles' bag they came in!) and generally liked everything so I've been keen to pick up more of their line for a while. The 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath is one of the brand's staple offerings; I went for the delicious citrus scented Señorita Margarita. At £14 it's pretty pricey for a basic shower gel but I've been trying this out and a little definitely goes a long way. I tried it in my hair too and liked it as a shampoo but my hair is ridiculously low maintenance so I wouldn't recommend this as a shampoo for all hair types. 

The second product I picked up is their primer: The Present. I've heard mixed reviews on this one and haven't tried it out myself yet but plan to this week so expect to see a review soon if I have especially strong feelings either way. This was £22 but you do get 60ml of product which is around twice the size of most standard primers from other brands. 

Then I had one of those trips 'I-want-everything' trips to Boots but I somehow managed to compose myself and not spend too much. Looking at it now it does seem like a random selection of products! 

I made a couple of repurchases from Rimmel; the Wake Me Up concealer has been a favourite of mine for a long time and another lipstick from Kate Moss's Lasting Finish range. I got the shade 05 which is a warm, slightly bright pink because I've misplaced my beloved shade 19 and I'm hoping to find it again soon! I got a free Scandal Eyes mascara in black which I'm not sure I'll be a fan of as the brush looks absolutely huge.

The next three products which swiftly made it into my basket are all things I was really excited to see because until now I've not spotted them in British drugstores. The Maybelline Mega Plush mascara came out in the States forever ago and I've been dying to try it. This is another product which appears to split the opinion of beauty addicts so I'm interested to see which camp I end up in. I imagine there'll be a review of this up fairly soon. Next up is a Sally Hansen Salon Manicure polish in the infamous shade: Commander in Chic. It's one of those griege-nudes that's been doing the rounds for the past two or three years but I'm still looking forward to trying it out. I also came across a Sinful Colors display with a wide array of shades which are a snip at £1.99. I've been hankering after green nail polishes recently so this one in Exotic Green is a good way to try it out on the cheap.

Finally, I need new skincare. My current skincare system is driving me crazy; largely because it's not really a system. I'm starting my mini-revolution with this Vichy Normaderm moisturiser because it claims to target the issues I've been having with my skin. I also need a new cleanser, toner, serum, exfoliator and mask...suggestions on a postcard (or in the comments, probably quicker), please!

Have you been buying anything lately? If you've posted a haul, leave me a link!

Stace xx