A summer of Turkish beaches and hanging out in the local park as soon as the sun puts its hat on has resulted in golden flecks in my normally dull blonde hair. Being a hair dye virgin I don't want to pop that cherry until the grey hairs start sprouting, so I've decided to boost the blonde with the help of colour enhancing shampoos.

Granted, most of these products are formulated for hair that is already colour treated, but they also help accentuate natural highlights. So with autumn approaching at least my hair can remind me of sunnier times with the help of the best colour enhancing shampoos around.
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Beautiful Blonde Ice Cool Platinum Shampoo, Trevor Sorbie, £5.10, www.trevorsorbie.com
 
This value for money shampoo enhances coloured and highlighted blonde hair but also gives a zing to natural blondes with the addition of semi-permanent dyes. It has a violet base designed to combat tacky yellow looking tones, only good if you're aspiring to be an extra in TOWIE. A healthy dollop of product should be massaged into all the hair, not just the scalp, for a minimum of 2 minutes for maximum effect. After a few washes my blonde was subtley blonder and shinier. But beware, this product can stain so be sure to rinse your hair properly and don't use your favourite white towels.
 
Pure Silver Shampoo, Philip Kingsley, £14.30, www.philipkingsley.co.uk

Being a huge fan of tricologist Philip Kingsley (his ethos towards healthy hair is extremely straight forward and effective), I was keen to try this bright purple shampoo designed to add shine to brassy blonde and grey hair. It's formulated with violet tones and optical brighteners that bring out a glossy luster. It also contains wheat protein to strengthen and soften hair, especially good for grey which can feel wirey after loosing its pigment, or hair that's seen too much sun like mine. The subtle scent of lavender lingers on the hair and helps to calm sensitive scalps. Kingsley advocates washing hair every day, especially if you're blonde or grey as these tones show more dirt and make it look duller. This advice and the great shampoo certainly meant my locks were glossy and gleaming.

Chroma Sensitive Caressing Cleansing Balm, Kerastase, £18.90,
www.kerastase.co.uk

This is a cleansing balm rather than a full blown shampoo, but it does the same job yet doesn't produce as many bubbles, which takes some getting used to. To counteract for the lack of foam-age I felt the need to overcompensate and kept adding more and more balm to my hair, but really there's no need for this, 3-5 squirts will suffice. This product helps protect coloured hair, so doesn't enhance natural blondes, however after just one wash I had a few positive comments the following day about the glossy blondeness of my hair and so I had to include it in the must buy list. Along with protecting colour, adding shine and creating smooth tresses this shampoo is rich in antioxidant vitamin E and doesn't contain nasties like sulphates, parabens and silicone. When I do finally succumb to the hair colouring bottle this will be my shampoo, sorry cleansing balm, of choice.

Colour Support Extra Mild Shampoo For Golden Blondes, Bumble and Bumble, £18.50, www.bumbleandbumble.com

This range of shampoos comes in multiple shades including cool blonde, true red and brunette. The golden blonde was up for trial and looked like a dispenser full of runny honey with a fresh lemon scent. The press release claimed it would help preserve the warm glow of golden toned summery hair, just what I was seeking. And it didn't disappoint, my mother actually asked if I'd dyed my hair. The shampoo doesn't contain any moisturisers and feels parched and a tad wirey after washing, so it's strongly recommended that you use the matching conditioner to bring out the glossiness, a downside to using the product in my opinion.