DIY OMBRE BALAYAGE

Aloha.

Just a sneaky update this morning;

I gots myself some new hair. Okay, well it's the same hair, however it's taken a bit of a beating with a good few bleach sessions the last couple of weeks. 

I've been lusting after the ever-popular ombre balayage look and you all know how indecisive I can be.. Three months ago I had plum hair, two days later it was dark brown, then ombre, then dark again.

ugh, will I ever be happy?

After spending hours on end trolling through social media sites to find the 'perfect' look, I decided that I'd give balayage a go myself.

Disclaimer; I have ombre'd my hair myself before, but never have I tried balayage, so I figured "how hard could it be?!"

So, what's balayage I hear you ask? It's basically hair painting. Yep, that's right. You literally paint different strands of hair to create a natural, sunkissed look. It's a lot less subtle than highlights, but just adds some dimension to a normal head of colour.

Here is the finished look:

I don't think that I did too bad (trying not to blow my own trumpet!)

xxxx

FIVE THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND: SWITCH UP YOUR HAIR

1. BALAYAGE OR OMBRE;

One of the quickest and easiest way to freshen up your look over Christmas. 

Ombre is the gradual lightness from roots to ends whereas balayage tends to begin with an ombre effect, but then has highlights running through the lengths, creating a somewhat natural, sunkissed look.

Yep, you can get this professionally done at your local salon, but if you're on a budget (I mean, it is Christmas after all) then grab a box dye and give it a whirl yourself. 

I promise it's pretty fool-proof!

My favourites are:

 L'oreal Wild Ombre Kit £7.49

BLEACH DIY Dip Dye Kit £7

BLEACH Balayage Beach Lights £7

2. CUT IT SHORT;

Now this is one that I would probably recommend you visiting a salon for unless you are super-brave (which, admittedly I once did).. Go SHORT!

I absolutely love seeing an angular bob; they're sassy, chic and so stylish, although they are pretty high maintenance so this is probably not for you girls who like to roll out of bed and be ready in 5 minutes! Another downside- it's winter, so invest in a chunky knit scarf to keep that bare neck toasty.

If you don't see what I mean, pleaaase go onto Pinterest and type in 'medium bob'. 

You'll soon be itching to grab those scissors! 

3. GO A LITTLE CRAZY WITH PASTEL;

Strangely, I think that this is the only trend that I've not tried, but one that I so wish that I could pull off. You've got the entire colour spectrum out there, so go wild!

Take a look at the BLEACH London range here. 

4. GIVE IT SOME TLC;

Chuck on a store-bought mask or make your own and shiny, healthy hair will be yours...

My fave store-bought masks;

Ojon Damage Reverse Mask £34.50

John Frieda Full Repair Damage Mask £6.25

 

A couple of home-remedies;

Avocado flesh & a tablespoon of honey; leave for 20 minutes and rinse off.

Three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil & two eggs; leave to 20 minutes and rinse off.

5. GIVE A FRINGE A GO;

Cut one in yourself or, again, nip to your local salon for a couple of quid and ask for a fringe putting in. Now, this depends on how brave you are feeling- are you going for a cute side bangs or a bold full front fringe. Either way, it'll spruce up your 'do with minimal effort!

So, what are you thinking of doing?

BANISH AUTUMN: HAPPY HAIR

This blustering weather can also take it's toll on your hair, making it dry, frizzy and making any split ends look 10 times worse than what they are.

Here are my top 3 products to help combat horrid hair:

£10.99 - available here

This stuff is Gods gift to all girls who look at their hair and realise how dry their ends are. You put a small amount of this balm onto the ends of your hair which turns the balm into a sort of oil, moisturising your locks and turning them silky soft.

£5.99 now £2.99 - available here

I like to use this conditioner when I'm in a rush and don't have time to wait for a mask to work it's magic. This Dove conditioner is a non-greasy, dry oil product so it definitely replenishes hair just in 3 minutes. I love to whack this on, do my thaaang and rinse it off just before I'm about to jump out of the shower to get the best benefits.

£6.29 - available here

I like to use this once a week as it leaves my hair looking like I've just got back from the salon; full, healthy and glowing. Love this mask!

How do you keep your hair tip-top shape?

 

xox

HOW TO: MILKMAID BRAIDS ON MEDIUM-LENGTH HAIR

 

1. Start with fresh, untangled hair.

2. Separate any hair that you'd like to leave out of the braids.

3. Part your hair down the back into two sections.

4. Brush the hair to make sure that it's smooth and taut. You don't want your layers falling out here, there and everywhere.

5. Pull the first section up as if you're going to put your hair in to pig-tails & start your plaits from this height.

6. Plait your section and tie an elastic band around the end. Repeat the above steps on the other side.

7. Pull your plaits outwards to make the fatter. This gives the illusion of thicker hair.

8. Take your hair grips- I usually use two or three.

9. Pull the first plait up and over your head and secure into position.

10. Grab the other plait and put over to the opposite side, making sure to cover the ends of the first plait.

Tuck the end underneath the beginning of the first plait and grip into place.

Et voila! 

Cutesy milk maid braids without the long locks that you would usually need.

FUZZ-FREE AND FEELIN FINE

Following on from the previous post about the wonderful Veet Easy Wax, I thought I would share my two go-to facial hair removal products too.

 

I have never been one to worry about facial hair- luckily I'm very fair-haired, so it's never been a massive issue to me, but I was watching something on TV and I had noticed this lady's 'peach fuzz' and suddenly I got ridiculously conscious of my own facial hair.. 

I have used a number of hair removal creams on my face over the last year, some of which have been successful but have irritated my skin slightly and two of them actually chemically burned my face, which was hugely painful. That'll teach me for never carrying out patch tests!

Whilst talking to a friend, it came into conversation, and she recommended the Boots' own facial hair removal cream.. I saw it in our staff shop the next day for 50p and figured that I'd give it a go.. 

I love the fact that it has minimal smell as every other one that I've tried has absolutely stank rotten.. This makes sitting there with it on your face bearable!

It's also handy that it can be used in 3 minutes.. I know that removal creams are generally quite low in development time, but this one was extra-quick, meaning that you can throw it on before your shower as it's warming up and get it off before carrying on with the shower.

I also saw this facial wax whilst in the shop for £1 and figured it could work.. 

You heat the wax up in the microwave, give it a stir and pop it onto the bits of the face that you're looking to remove the hair from and then you peel it away, which is something that I've never encountered before.

I was quite eager to try this, so I gave it a go on my upper lip.. Yep, it hurts.

I think it's because I'm so used to my easy wax not hurting at all, so this gave me quite a shock!

Have you ever done those nose strips and started peeling them off and then totally regretted ever putting them on? I then thought of ways to live with it on my face forever.. Can I conceal it? Will foundation cover it? Because there is no way on earth that I am proceeding in tugging this off of my face..

I then told myself to man the f**k up and pulled it off in one swift movement, revealing a nice, smooth, hair-free upper lip, but then I grabbed my hair removal cream and continued removing my hair with that.. 

Heck, I won't be using that until I'm drunk..
This was literally the messiest product I have EVER used.. I ended up with some of it between my toes.. heaven knows how!

Since removing the hair on my face, my makeup has completely changed. My foundation glides on, looks smoother and feels great. I can't believe that I didn't do this quicker.

I hope that this post doesn't make anyone too concerned about their facial hair, but if it does, at least you know what you're options are! 

EVER-CHANGING HAIR

I am blonde.

Well, ombre. But almost blonde.

I've always said that I'd never go blonde, but after dipping my toe in the 'ombre waters' last summer, I craved the sunkissed look & swore I'd go back after the cold, winter months were over, but I just couldn't wait that long..

So just before Christmas, I made the decision to get rid of the dark hair that washed me out, and take another divulge into the world of blonde-ness. I started off just by ombre-ing the ends, just like last summer, but was left feeling a little empty & wanting more to my hair.. After trolling through Pinterest and looking at what felt like thousands of ombre hair pictures, I finally decided that I needed to lighten my hair more, have highlights, and then carry the ombre up higher..After numerous boxes of bleaches and hours of waiting, I am finally happy with my hair, and can go off to New York with lovely golden locks, yay! 

xxx

GET THE LOOK: AUTUMN FASHION

Don't you just love Autumn?!

Dark nights are coming, the anticipation of Christmas, early nights drinking hot chocolate with a blanket and the fire on. Goose Fair, Halloween and Bonfire night! 

This is my favourite time of year, yet I always regret not enjoying it, so this year, I want to take my wellies and my warm winter coat and go for cute walks in the crunchy leaves, sipping a Pumpkin Spiced Latte. Oh, how I love Autumn!

I think when it comes to this time of year, you have to disregard all of your little summer dresses, your sandals and your light jackets and bring out your knitted jumpers, thick socks and boots. Not to mention your big winter coat, scarf and gloves as the next couple of months roll in.

This last week, I've adopted quite an autumnal look myself, laying back on mascara, using deeper lip colours and more bronzer, and throwing my hair up in a lazy ponytail because contending with the wind and the rain is not something I've felt up to. I must say, it's very low-key and takes minutes to get ready- perfect for giving you an extra 10 minutes in bed.

*excuse my dirty mirror*

I've been wearing these jumpers quite a bit this month.. I picked them up from Tesco in a sale about two years back for £4 each, reduced from £45 each! I wasn't sure if I would use them, but they have become staples in my winter wardrobe this year. Also, for those of you that know me, I never wear jeans, but I wanted to try and integrate them into my looks this month, and I've worn them all week, actually! I partially think this is also because I have a new job (for Boots' contact center) where there is no uniform, so I am enjoying my last few days of being casual before I have to dress ultra-smart every day.

I'm also loving this leather jacket that I got for £32 from Tesco. It gives outfits an edge, makes me look a little tougher than I dress- seeing as I always look so girly. It's also perfect for being an extra layer in this ever-changing weather.

I've been wearing my snood constantly this week too- I believe it was from Primark last winter, but it's soooo cosy! I'd love a few more in different colours. 

This past month, I've had many a compliments about my hair too- with everyone saying that it's the perfect colour for this season.. I used Superdrugs' Permanent Colour Vibrance in Plum Passion and here are the results. I love it! 

It's a very rich plum, and hasn't faded at all since I dyed it, which is amazing for the price you pay! Anyone would think that I had gotten it professionally done! *also, I'm loving this fur headpiece. I had to chuck the one that I had last year as I literally wore it to death, but I found this little gem in Primark for £4!*

How are you finding the Autumn weather? 

xxxx

REVIEW: GARNIER OLIA HAIR COLOUR REVIEW

Hello lovelies! 

Today, I wanted to review the fairly new 'Olia' hair colourant by Garnier. I got shade 4.6 in Deep Red because I was after that Amy Childs, Cheryl Cole-red look. After reading about this new box dye in different magazines and on their website and seeing their TV adverts, I was really intrigued by it's break-through concept of hair dye and couldn't wait to get my hands on a box. 

Garnier say that this new hair dye revolutionized the way that dyes are harmful to hair by being the first oil-powered home hair colour. It has no ammonia and claims to improve the visible appearance of hair and make it silky smooth. Sounds amazing, yes? 

I kind of wish that I hadn't just jumped into buying the dye & had a little look around on blogs for reviews, because I do feel a little ripped off with this dye. At £6.99 for one box, this is one of the pricier box dyes on the market, and I've always had such good results, so I was expecting a little more of this.. 

ANYWAY- Here is my review, and it is 100% honest. 

This is the only picture that I got of the box because I didn't originally plan on doing a review.

I like the packaging actually- I think that it's chic, it tells you all you need to know, and it promotes the product very well. I like the fact that the back of the box has a pop-out circle, so that you can lay down the box and use the hole as a bottle holder so that you don't make a mess of your surfaces. Inside the box, you get the applicator bottle, the colourant, the mixer, instructions and gloves. I must say that the gloves are really good quality compared to most box dye ones, so that's a plus! 

Okay, so on to the product itself: 

Once mixed, the colour looks a little frightening.. It's very dark and I did have a little bit of a panic, but soldiered on never the less. The dye smells very pleasant actually, and I put that down to the lack of ammonia-- I didn't have the urge to rip my nose off like I do with every other home dye kit. 

There was definitely enough product in one box-- I have mid-length hair and I had just under half of a bottle left, so I dyed my extensions too. I thought that this was really good, because I've been having to buy two boxes the last couple of times that I've dyed my hair. 

One of the things that I wasn't happy with was the applicator bottle itself-- It's shaped as sort of a tear-drop, maybe to replicate the drops of oil that it contains, which at first I thought was really clever and different, but when it becomes wet with the dye, its very hard to grip and I dropped it more times than you can imagine. I wasn't all that impressed with it. 

Was I impressed with the results? 

yes, I was... At first. 

BEFORE:

Ignore my completely gormless faces-- I was just showing how puffy my hair was after trying out a new dry shampoo haha. These were the last pictures I could find of my 'old' hair, because, like I said, I didn't intend on doing the review. As you can see, it's a medium brown, very dull and in dire need of a little sprucing up. 

RIGHT AFTER: 

                                                                       With flash

TWO WEEKS LATER:

Yes, the results were lovely when I had very first washed out the dye.. but it wasn't until later on in the day that my sister pointed out that it was all patchy. I looked for myself, and was astonished to find that huge patches of my hair were still brown. Luckily it blended in okay, and it was the under layers that were patchy, so it wasn't completely noticeable.  It's two weeks later now, and as you can see from the picture, the dye has come out a lot, leaving me with a dull, rusty colour, which isn't so bad, but my hair feels and looks very dry, so I've actually bought a different dye to try out. (I will probably blog about this one when I've done it.) Also, the dye is still running out of my hair when it's wet, so that is two weeks on. I read a few reviews online about this this morning, and I have found that quite a few say about how the dye has left their hair patchy too, so I don't think it was just a personal thing. So beware of this! That is my main dislike about this product. 

You do get a good sized conditioner with this, which I still have half left, and it's not bad stuff. 

Has anyone else tried this colour? 

Jessie xxx

HAIR EXTENSIONS: HOW TO APPLY

So for my first proper post on here, I thought I would do a topic that I have been wanting to do for a very long while.. Yes, as the title suggests, it's about hair extensions. 

Now, I know that many people still imagine hair extensions to be something that only Katie Price should wear, but they have definitely come a long way since POD began confiscating them from fake divas on Snog, Marry, Avoid.. There are so, so many different kinds of extensions and for those of you that have never delved into the world of false hair, you're probably sat thinking; 'how on earth can there be different kinds of hair?' or 'How do you even wear them?'. This is where I wanted to help. 
I remember the first set of hair extensions that I ever bought. They were a boxed set of Babyliss clip-in 18" hair extensions and I had bought them for my 18th birthday. I'm pretty sure that they claimed to be human hair, but I really don't think they were. I remember them being okay for a day, and then trying to curl them and they just burnt and went completely unwearable.. Not cool. 

awful picture, but here are the terrible extensions that I thought looked so good at the time. 

And here is a picture of me wearing my current extensions just yesterday..

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?sbk=1&nav=SEARCH&itemId=380454198235

yep, they look 1000 times better, don't they?

The one thing that really irritates me about people wearing extensions is when they don't even try to conceal them.. For example: 

I found this on Google images, but this is exactly what I was talking about.

So here's how I got my result and how I avoided the whole random length situation-thingy. 

Putting extensions for shoulder-length or longer hair:

1. For best results, you want freshly washed hair, preferably blow-dried. I then spray a little dry shampoo on the roots, because I find that volumised hair is the easiest to work with. 

2. Section off the entire head of hair with a clip leaving the very bottom layer. (You will have a very unattractive rats tail at this point.) Straighten this bit, and then use a comb to gently tease (back-comb) the roots. This will make them stay in easier and for much longer with less chance of slipping. Take a one-clipped piece and clip in over the top of teased hair. 

3. Repeat this going all the way up your head until you get the the ears. I would suggest doing them as thin as you can do, depending on how many different clips you have.. I like to use the two-clipped bits up until the ears. 

4. When you reach the ears,section the hair and straighten them in the same way, but incorporate the longer pieces of hair extensions, putting them around the sides of the head too. You want to do this until it gets a couple of inches away from your parting. 

5. Tease your top layer so that there is a little volume so that it definitely conceals all of the clips and style as you wish. If you are having it curly, don't forget to curl the ends of your natural hair that you can see. 

*top tip- curl hair the same way as the nearest extension curl so that it blends in seamlessly.*

Putting in extensions for shorter hair: 

1. Section hair so that the bottom half is left down-- usually about an inch lower than your ears. 

2. You want to french plait across the head, and then carry on the plait throughout the rest of the hair, and then grip it towards the head. Depending on how thick the hair is, you may want to do smaller braids.

3. Take your extensions and put them in where you would usually section your hair-- so every inch or so apart. 

4. Carry on from step 4 in the above section. 

I seriously hope that this has helped some of you.

Just for reference, here is the link to the extensions that I am currently using, but there are so many good ones out there. I would definitely recommend saving a little extra money and getting some around £40-£50, purely because you do get what you've paid for.. Definitely get 100% human hair! 

xxx

NEW BLOG, NEW START

Hello readers, new or old. Welcome to my little piece of the internet! I don't know if you were regular readers of my old blog (www.jessicastarbuck.yolasite.com), or whether you just happened to stumble upon here by chance, but I just wanted to give you a little introduction.. 

I am Jessica Starbuck, a humble piece of pie from Nottingham. I started up my blog around 5 years ago, expressing many thoughts and feelings over the years. Originally I used it as a way to express any feelings that I wasn't really willing to share with family and friends, but over time, and with me growing up, it seems to have transformed into a beauty/fashion-based blog. Beauty is something that I am very passionate about, so writing all that I know about makeup, hair and body products puts me in my element.. 

I hope that you will enjoy this blog as much as I hope that you enjoyed my old one, but please be patient with me, and send me some tips if you think that I need them (which I most likely do!) as I am very new to this site. 

-Jessie xxx