Winter Locks | Hairtrade Extensions Review

Hey Lovelies,

I have many previous hair posts already but this is the first time I've talked about extensions. I had my hair cut on 2nd January 2014 (not since, whoops) and since July 2013 have been growing out my bleach blonde hair to make it healthier. You may now be wondering, how have you managed to get extensions to match your ombréd thick hair? Well, the key to this is blending them in with your natural hair. I have these lovely Hairtade L&K 18" Clip in hair extensions £62.99* through etail pr to demonstrate how to get longer and thicker hair in the winter!

Testing out whether they are blending okay!

My straightened hair with a few annoying layers.

A good way to blend in hair extensions is to do a fishtail plait, as plaiting your hair naturally shows how your hair gets thinner at the ends. You can't tell where my hair stops and the extensions start. I pulled out the hair to make it even thicker and more natural looking. To secure, tie with a clear elastic bobble. This is perfect for Christmas shopping as your hair isn't in your face, but looks classy and wintery too.

Curling your hair is another way to create more texture and definition to your hair, whilst blending in your extensions. Since my hair is fairly short, I decided to only curl the ends where the blonde starts. This look just gives you the idea that I have a lot of layers. I clipped in all the hair first, then curled it, and finally spraying with a bit of hairspray. You can always separate the curls too to make your hair look thicker.

Another good idea is clipping in extensions and putting them in a doughnut ring to make a huge bun! That would also be great for shopping to keep your hair out of your eyes whilst trying to find that perfect gift for the awkward family member in your life.

What's your opinion on extensions?

 

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The One Blush Sticks | Makeup Revolution

 Hey Lovelies,

This post is slightly different to usual (not in the sense that it's a favourite brand of mine). These are the new The One Blush Sticks* by Makeup Revolution, and I have the luxury in trying them all out!

Matte: Rush, Pink, Dream, Malibu

 Rush, Pink, Dream, Malibu

Left arm: Malibu, Dream, Pink, Rush Right arm (matte): Malibu, Dream, Pink, Rush At £5 each, and being compared to Nars dupes all over Twitter, you seriously get good value for money. I personally cannot afford Nars, and don't own even one of their products. These however, are lovely. You can see from the swatches that the matte products are more visible but can easily be blended in. I love they have included 'Malibu' for contouring/adding a bit of bronze to your face, especially in Winter! I have pale skin and this will definitely be using this to contour, but be warned, you have to make the effort to blend this in, as from the swatches you can tell it's pretty pigmented. As for 'Dream', the shimmery version is perfect for highlighting! It's so beautiful on your cheeks to add a bit of brightness to your face, and using a small brush, applying it underneath your eyebrows to define them. Both 'Pink' and 'Rush' seem like summery colours to me, but I love the rosy cheek look as Winter draws in. I'm a girl that can never be without her blusher, and these solid creme blushers do the trick. Again, you do need a blending brush or using your fingers to blend them in. Imagine using them straight off the product onto your skin? However, the coral tones of 'Rush' are absolutely gorgeous. I prefer the non-matte blush sticks, purely from preference being a lover of shimmer against my matte foundation/powder look. I will be whipping out the matte colours when the weather warms up again though, as the brightness of them really stands out. For £5 per stick, it seems like a no-brainer when it comes to picking up a handy, easy product that can fit in your handbag, and even used as a highlighter/lipstick in times of need. Disclaimer, again, but I genuinely love Makeup Revolution products and plan on, after Christmas doing a big haul! Their lip hugs look amazing!

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Faith In Nature Chocolate Hair Care Review

Hi Lovelies,

I've talked about hair care a bit in the past, but not touched on the process of washing my hair. I've stuck with the same shampoo and conditioner for years and was stubborn not to try another.

That was until I received the Faith In Nature Chocolate Shampoo and Conditioner and decided to give these a go. They are for all types of hair, which would suit my dry, thick, frizzy hair just fine. They contain some natural ingredients like Vanilla planifolia fruit extract mixed with organic cocoa, and I was testing whether the natural side of hair care would improve the quality of my own.

Firstly, the smell. Personally, I am terribly fussy with chocolate scented products, but I wouldn't say these products overwhelmed you with the smell of chocolate. Once lathering up the shampoo, the smell develops, smelling sweeter than just in the bottle. The addition of vanilla to the formula makes it smell better than I had anticipated.
The shampoo worked just fine, it didn't affect my scalp (which some shampoos, I have found, make it drier) and it cleaned my hair perfectly well. I much preferred the conditioner, it made my hair silky smooth and soft. I tend to be more favourable of conditioners as opposed to shampoos as I can have such a problem with them, and this proved the case here. Although there was nothing wrong with the shampoo, I just preferred the conditioner as it made my hair less dry.
It definitely opens your eyes about which products you use contain nasty chemicals! These are both suitable for Vegans too if there are any of you reading! 

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Gemporia Rose Gold Ring Review

 Hey Lovelies,

This post is a part of a two part review of this lovely Mawi Kunzite Rose Gold Ring* (£44) which Gemporia kindly sent me to review and style! This post is a review about the quality, style and fit, and the next post, up next weekend, will be what outfits I style this with.

I know a lot of people love rose gold, and it's my favourite colour of jewellery. I can find plain gold has a tendency to look a bit cheap if the product isn't made well, and silver can be a little hit and miss. However, rose gold looks more delicate and expensive, no matter how much you pay for it. 

  

The stone in this is1.03ct from Afghanistan, and is a gorgeous lilac shade. I picked this style as I think both colours compliment each other well. This ring can be worn well on it's own, but I wear it on my right hand due to it looking a tad like an engagement ring...

 Here I've paired it with an Otis Jaxon Knot ring and a plain rose gold midi ring. I don't own a lot of rose gold jewellery, but it isn't like other metals that I believe should be stacked up a lot on your hands, as I said, they seem delicate.

 I also love pairing them with a few gold band rings from H&M. It adds a simple pop of a colour to the rest of the gold bands, makes the look more expensive looking. I love mixing it with both normal rings and midi rings.

Finally, the addition of a complimentary nail polish (this is Princess by Barry M), a rose gold watch (Fossil) and a pink and rose gold bag (New Look) really makes this ring look super expensive and classy. For £44, you get fabulous quality for such a low price. I had to switch the size of my ring due to finger swelling (from an unknown illness still) and the delivery was really quick. The ring comes in a little white pouch to keep it safe.
You cannot fault Gemporia's customer service, they're lovely to talk to and can quickly answer any queries! I cannot fault the company, nor the ring. I'm genuinely impressed with the quality, cut of the gem and the fit of the ring.
Stay tuned for part 2 where I style this ring with some Autumnal outfits.

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Nail HQ Review

Hey Lovelies,

Sorry I've had a few days break! I needed some 'me' time, but I'm back and I have another nail product review! This is the Nail HQ Hardener, and the Strengthener.* 

When I was first asked to review these, I was skeptical of whether they'd actually do much to my nails. Would they stop the tips bending? When I looked at them, I thought surely both did the same job? To be honest, testing them separately hasn't made me think they were particularly amazing, but paired together I noticed a significant difference in the quality of my nails.

Firstly, my nails are growing quicker. My nails grow pretty quickly anyway, but I've noticed that if I cut them short, within two weeks they're at a lovely length. I can tell they're growing "quicker" as they aren't breaking as easily, nor bending, so the quality of the nail helps them grow sturdier.

My nail varnish also lasts longer, because my nails are slightly thicker so the polish sticks better and it less likely to chip. As these Nail HQ varnishes are clear too, they also work great as top and base coats, ensuring your newly painted nails look fresh all week. That is until you wrap Christmas presents and the sellotape peels it off...

I was impressed with the strength of my nails after using these, but they weren't as 'hard' as I expected once using the hardener. Together they seem to reinforce the strength of my nails, they aren't as bendy but they still aren't as hard as I had expected. I would personally just buy the strengthener as I felt it worked better on my nails, but that's just my opinion. 

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