I’d been using Matrix’s “Brass Off” shampoo for a while after being recommended by a friend and I was really impressed with the results.
When I had the opportunity to try my favourite hair care line Nexxus’ blonde offering, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to compare the performance between the two products.
I lightened my hair a few months ago, in a balayage style, mainly because I needed less upkeep of my lightened hair.
However, my hair has a natural tendency for red underneath and so it went golden really quickly.
Nexxus has been my favourite haircare line for a long time, and I’m still gutted that they have discontinued their hair masks which were an absolute saviour for my bleached locks. However, they seem to be making updates to the range, including the addition of their blonde shampoo offering, and so I was curious to try it out. I called in a press sample, and trialled it for a few weeks to review it.
Overall, I found that the quality of my hair was tip top (but this could be because I was also using Nexxus hair masks which just make my hair butter soft). The blonde pieces in my hair cleaned up quickly looking light and bright and shimmering in the autumn sun. The brunette parts of my hair took longer to blonde up, so I would possibly recommend this for someone with less red undertones in their brunette hair.
Matrix I find has less care for the hair, but it really gets to work on lightening the hair as a whole and knocking back that red tone to an ashy colour. You can apply it all over the hair and use it as a deep toning mask which can boost your hair into the blonde zone even more quickly. In the shower sometimes I try and leave it on for a few minutes so it can ‘get to work’ and then wash it out.
After a few uses you can really see a difference with Matrix, I find the overall result more obvious as often I catch myself in the mirror and think to myself that my hair looks like it was coloured or toned recently by a hairdresser, when in fact it’s the Matrix shampoo doing its work.
I would definitely pair it with a deep conditioning mask or conditioner though to maintain the health of your hair.
Nexxus is a great all-rounder, and slightly more gentle on the hair. Maybe if you had all over bleached hair this would be a kinder solution whereas some more intense blonde shampoos can tinge your hair to a grey if you’re bleached all over.
So, what’s my ultimate conclusion? I would recommend Nexxus for kind-to-your-hair care and for those with less brunette in their hair than myself. I would definitely recommend Matrix to anyone who needs an all over boost for their blonde, and a bit more ‘oomph’ to get to the colour and tone that they want.
Buy Nexxus Blonde Assure Purple Shampoo for £11.99, here.
Buy Matrix blonde shampoo in bulk (1 litre) size for around £14, here, and traditional 300ml size for around £10, here.