When I was 13, I took my first plunge into the world of colouring. I did what all the cool kids couldn't and added bright red highlights to my naturally light brown hair, just in time for my grade 7 farewell. At the end of the December holidays, I begged my mom to dye my hair black and after much convincing, she obliged and did it for me. Right through my high school years, I stayed with black - I could be all melodramatic and say that the colour pretty much summed up my feelings towards those very long 5 years. Then I met the person who challenges me and moulds me into this happier version - and with a new person by my side, a new attitude and a whole future to look forward to - I took yet another plunge. I stripped my hair, on my 19th birthday, and went bold! I chose red.

I absolutely love red! But - I hate the maintenance. With black, it is simple - your hair looks healthy and it stays black. But red... red fades, I have to strip my hair to achieve my desired colour and if I am not careful, my hair looks dry, damaged and oh-so-not-pretty!

Retail Box were recently looking for a blogger with red hair - and obviously I volunteered. Not knowing what to expect in the post, I was excited to see what I'd be getting to spoil my red locks, which was in dire straits for some TLC. (Last thing on a new-to-motherhood to-do list) BAM! Fancy salon shampoo at my perusal and fancy is just the start!

As mentioned before, I don't often experiment with shampoos and conditioners so needless to say, I am grateful to have received these goodies to give a try.

I decided to take my time before reviewing this product, as I wanted to see if it helped at all. I had recently recoloured my hair - the first time since my wedding and finding out that I was expecting (last July). Basically, I wanted to see if the colour would be stripped from my hair and fade within the first few washes or if the shampoo would help combat the inevitable fade and extend that luxurious shine.

You know in books and movies - the really girly kind - the guy describes the scent of her bubblegum shampoo or something to that cheesy effect? Well, I found my cheesy scent and it is anything but cheesy! The intoxicating sweet smell that comes from the shocking-red shampoo is just the beginning of an infinite list of reasons to buy these products. I think that saying it smells like strawberries would be a cliche and perhaps my thinking is encouraged by the very bright and unsuspecting RED formula that comes from the bottle.

Am I the only one who doesn't expect bright colours from shampoos? I mean, I could probably write a whole paragraph of how this little concept of colour, brought me joy. Not even my childhood shampoos had bold, wonderful colours like this one!

The formula creates a wonderful lather that coats the hair from root to tip. One thing that I did noticed is, how little shampoo you actually require. This coming from the girl who picks her hair products on the basic rule: which brand has the biggest bottle. So I was a little shocked when I saw the prices for these small bottles, in comparison to the ones that I buy. But I soon realized that you wouldn't require those huge bottles and that the price is well worth it.

I love that the products do not seem to create a build up and that my hair seems to take a lot longer to feel dirty. Usually, with my inexpensive alternative - on day 1 after a wash, I start feeling oily and by day 2, my scalp is itchy and screaming for a wash. With these products, I would hate to have to wait for some indication from my hair because by day 4 or 5 after a wash, it was still looking as good as day 1, with very little oil.

The conditioner does a great job of nourishing and repairing my hair, and believe me - I needed it. My hair was looking dull and dry, but since putting the conditioner to use, it has found new life!

As for colour. If I am very honest, I didn't notice fading. When I washed my hair, the water turned red, as it does after recently colouring your hair but the colour itself, is still as vibrant as the first day.

I am completely head over heels for this stunner of a product, and crazy about the condition in which it leaves my hair!