Just a quick outfit post today, as my camera decided not to co-operate and half of these photos were out of focus. I'm desperately trying to find a nice spot in my new house to take photos and I feel like this is not the one? I should make the most of the summer and get photos outside while I still can.
I also recycled my facebook page that I used for my makeup work, and I turned it into a blog page, so I can have a handy-dandy little space on the big old internet to put all my updates in one place. Hooray! So if you feel like having a browse (it's a tad sparce at the moment) then that would make my day! https://www.facebook.com/bloglillarosa
I've wanted to make a post about my hair
extensions and how I style and care for them for a while now, but I've never
known where to start. This post will be a basic guide to what I have learned
over many years of being a hair extension patron; I will no doubt add more
posts in the future if anyone has any questions.
I've been wearing hair extensions continuously
for almost 4 years, which sounds like a lot of effort, right? I actually really enjoy wearing them and have tried many styles, from synthetic mix, to human hair and body wave hair weave. My hair is naturally
very thin and will not grow past a certain point, however, as I mentioned in my
recent video on hair care, it's finally growing and the condition is improving
rapidly. Yet I still wont ditch the extensions, and here's why:
before and after
WHY WEAR HAIR EXTENSIONS?
You may be considering extensions, and there are
many different uses for them, as I will list below:
- To increase hair length
- To increase the volume of your natural hair
- To add highlights or lowlights
- To experiment with different hair colours
- To protect your own hair from continuous
styling
before and after
WHAT TYPE?
CLIP IN
I personally swear by clip-in extensions. They're
the least damaging route to take, the cheapest and they allow for variation in
styles. Although I'm sure many of us would like to wake up with mermaid hair
everyday, let's face it, it's much more practical and comfortable to have hair
extensions that are taken out at the end of the day (never sleep with clip-in's
in). The clips are unnoticeable if you attatch the pieces correctly. I've worn
clip ins in various styles, synthetic, human and body wave, and they've always
lasted longer than any other method
MICRO LOOP
Micro loop
extensions are my next favourite alternative, however, without getting them
done at a salon they can prove to be a lot of hard work. Luckily, I had help
from my family to put them in but they took about 4 hours, even to do my thin
hair. They lasted for about 4-6 weeks on me, and it was lovely waking up with
long hair, however the upkeep would be easier if you had a hairdresser as a
friend or family member
GLUE IN
All I can say about gluing in wefts of hair is: PLEASE DON’T. It could rip your
hair out and leave you with bald patches. It is incredibly uncomfortable and I
would recommend clip-ins over this method.
HOW TO ARRANGE THEM
Highest wefts for thick (right) and thin (left) hair
When applying hair extensions, you will need to distribute the longer strips
towards the back of the hair and the smaller ones on the sides, just over the
ears. If you have thin hair, to conceal the extensions you should not go much
higher than the top of your ears as the clips may show, however, if you have
thick hair, you will need to place the wefts higher up, to dispense them more
evenly.
STYLING
You can style
human hair extensions just as you would your own hair, whether this is with or
without heat. Remember to protect it with heat defence spray and treat it well.
Extensions blend best when your hair is layered or feathered, and for optimum
results your hair should be chin length at the least for seamless blending.
CARE
Caring for
your extensions allows for a longer duration of life. Use conditioning masques
when washing them and allow to air dry and avoid using heated tools on the hair
as often as possible to keep them soft. Using products, such as hair spray,
sparingly will enable you to wash the hair less frequently, which will extend
the lifetime of the extensions.
WHERE TO BUY?
I used to buy my extensions on ebay, however, after continuous nightmares with sellers I've been looking elsewhere. You can find a range of styles on a website called www.besthairbuy.com, who have a youtube channel. This cuts down hassle with ebay!
So that was
my basic guide to Rapunzel-esque locks. If you have any questions for a later
post please leave them below and I will try and include them in the future.
It suddenly got chilly enough for me to justify wearing a beanie in the evenings. I keep seeing people wearing them in 32 degree heat, at first I thought it was insane, but now I realise that such a commitment to headwear is kind of admirable? Nevertheless, I was wearing this £2 beanie from Primark the other day and luckily managed to get my Nan to get a few snaps for me. This outfit is probably a bit much paired with my hair colour but "yolo" as they say (if you ever hear me saying that unironically, I would like you to give me a good ol' slap)
How is everyone? I've been enjoying the sunshine on the Isle of Wight so I will be catching up with blogging asap
xo
- Lee Stafford Hair growth shampoo, conditioner and treatment
- Pureology Serious colour care hair masque
- Silica Complex (Holland and Baratt)
- Batiste dry shampoo
- Moroccan Oil
- Lee Stafford Argan Oil Miracle Heat Defence Spray
My hair has always been a nightmare. Genetically challenged in the barnet department, I've always had thin hair that rarely grew past my shoulders. Add to that 10 years of box hair dye damage and you're looking at a problem only hair extensions can hide. Until recently...
I've been trying a range of different methods to make my hair healthier and longer, and golly gosh, they've been working! (Even my mum can't stop telling me how thick and full my hair has become, thanks mummy!) I made a video on the things I've been doing to maintain a healthy head of hair, so don't forget to check it out below, but here's a short summary:
EXTENSIONS:
I've worn extensions for about 5 years now, regardless of the state of my hair as I enjoy styling them and dying my hair multiple times (don't do it, please, learn from my mistakes). However, they come in handy when you don't want to use heat on your hair. Giving my extensions a natural wave allows them to blend with my hair, yet I still look somewhat put-together, voila, no heat!
HAIR GROWTH TREATMENT:
I started using the Lee Stafford hair growth treatment a few months back and along with my other methods, my hair has grown by about 2 inches. I have also been using the shampoo and conditioner recently, which can't be hindering my progress. It is hard to tell whether the treatment is encouraging growth or just protecting the hair more than others on the market, but I'm definitely enjoying it. (Let me know if you'd like me to make a full post on it and do a bit of research too?)
SILICA TABLETS:
These tablets promote healthy skin, hair and nails. I'm less skeptical about this method as it works from the inside-out to provide your body with essential vitamins
DIETEver since being diagnosed as a coeliac, I've tried very hard to change my diet. Avoiding wheat enables my intestines to heal, thus allowing them to take in the vitamins and minerals my body had previously been deprived of. My teenage acne has dwindled alongside the increased hair growth/thickness. So I urge you, if you have a dietary condition, please try not to stray from it too often.
HEAT DEFENCE
I've been vigilant with using my heat defence spray and turning all my appliances down to the lowest setting when I decide to use heated tools
DRY SHAMPOO
I avoid washing my hair too often to enable the blue to last longer. Invest in a shower cap for days where you chose not to wash your hair. Your scalp will become used to the difference after a short while and will produce less oils in accordance to your new routine.
CONDITIONING
I am a conditioner addict and will happily admit that I use far too much, which I do not recommend. However, I do recommend using hair masks and oils to protect your locks
ETC
Only using a comb on wet hair
Trimming hair as often as possible to rid split ends
BATH MATS: MATALAN POSTER: FORBIDDEN PLANET THE REST: THRIFTED
This post is a first for my blog, a homeware post is something I never would have thought of blogging about when I first started, but as I have grown old and weary, my interests have blossomed. I created a video showing some of the items I have picked up for my new house recently, and thought a blog post would accompany it nicely. I have just moved in with my best friend, after a year of living on my own. I was tempted to go down the all-white furniture route, as I've been a bit of a pinterest inspiration addict recently, however, the walls in my old place were all "brilliant white" and I thought it would be nice to inject some colour
Most of these pieces completely contrast each other, however, some will go into my office. I haven't mentally mapped out where everything will go yet, I'm having too much fun experimenting with combinations of furniture, decorations and bedsheets at the moment! I will hopefully post a room tour blog and video in the future, so stay tuned!
Hermione
PS: What do you think of the new blog layout and post structure? I'm playing around with ways to make my blog look more sleek, so do let me know!
