My first experience of bonded hair extensions!

“Life is too short to have boring hair” 

I know I’m not the only one who dreams of long, thick, mermaid hair! My hair has been something of a chore of mine for the past couple of years. I hated it. It was a medium length with little to no volume and was extremely thin and damaged at the ends. It had been the same length, colour and style for years and I was getting increasingly bored. 

I’ve always envied girls who are lucky enough to be blessed with beautiful, Rapunzel-like hair. But no matter how much I tried to grow it, it just wasn’t happening! That’s when I decided to finally bite the bullet and go for bonded hair extensions. I feel like a lot of people turn their nose up at the thought of getting bonded hair extensions, and that’s purely because they don’t have the correct information on them. 

I have only had them in for a week, but they’ve inspired me to write a blog post discussing my experience and to answer any questions that you may have if you’re thinking of getting bonded hair extensions yourself.   

With my thin, medium length hair, I wanted to add a good few inches, but I’m not the type of girl to go all-out and get 20 inches (that’s great if you are!) but it just isn’t me. So I decided 16 inches was a good choice for me, I didn’t want a drastic difference.  I also really wanted to change up the colour too. I’m perfectly content with being a brunette, but I loved the look of balayage, and it’s really on trend right now, so I decided life is too short to have boring hair and just go for it. I’m over the moon with my new hair, and it was definitely worth every penny in my eyes. But all this extra hair is a lot of hard work and is very high maintenance (as you can imagine)! So here are the answers to some questions that might be playing on your mind: 

Will the hair extensions damage my own hair? – This was a big worry that played on my mind a lot, since I can’t really afford to damage my already rather weak hair. It’s simply just a case of looking after them correctly. You can’t have the mentality that once they’re in they’re in, and all the work is done for you. Unfortunately that’s not the way it is, you have to make sure you’re being gentle with them, using the right products for your hair and (to my horror) using less heat on them. 

How are the extensions fitted? – My salon used a device that warms the bond and attached them to a strand of my own hair. This sounds damaging and painful but it isn’t at all. If you want more information of the methods use to fit extensions, contact the salon that you are thinking of getting them done at. 

How often can I wash them? – My salon recommended that I wash the extensions no more than once a week. However if you’re hair is like mine, you’ve got extremely oily roots (eww!) and I know that I need to wash my hair more than that. Personally I think it’s okay to wash them about 2-3 times a week, and if you need to wash anymore than that I would suggest to wash just the roots and try not to get the ends wet. The reason for this is because the extensions will dry out if you treat them too often. 

How long does the fitting take? – The fitting of bonded hair extensions shouldn’t take any longer than 2 hours, depending on the thickness and length, and how many bonds are going to be fitted. For me this took a little longer because I was going to have balayage done my roots touched up.  

What products should I use? – It’s recommended that you only use products specifically designed for hair extensions. If you go to a reputable salon, they should provide you with the option to purchase some hair extension shampoo and conditioner. As for combing your hair, my salon recommended that I only use a tangle teezer when styling and brushing my hair, this way my hair is kept in the best condition possible. 

Where did I get my hair extensions done? – I decided to get my hair extensions from Vivid Hair Salon in Northampton. They are an extremely reputable salon with years of experience with bonded hair extensions. Please do research into whichever salon to choose to get your extensions done, and please have a consultation to discuss the fitting before making an appointment.  

I’m going to write a follow-up post in a few months, which will give you more information on the hair extensions and how I’m getting on with them. I hope this post was helpful to you if you’re thinking of getting hair extensions, if you have any more questions please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments below and I’ll get back to you as quick as possible. 

Thanks for reading! 

Alice D x 

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Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Review!

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others” – Audrey Hepburn 

As with many makeup and beauty products, I’m always on the hunt for the hot new thing to try out that will change up my makeup routine. It’s a never ending cycle of searching, buying, trying out and of course reviewing for you guys! It’s something that I absolutely love to do. Makeup is my passion and so anything new I can try out is an absolute joy. 

Mascara is a big makeup product that I’m known for changing up. It’s not that I haven’t found one I don’t love, I just enjoy trying out different formulas, different wands and of course drooling over beautifully packaged products (this is my weakness) and comparing them. 

So naturally the minute my current mascara starts to dry out, I’m already picking out my next contender of mascara to add to my never-ending collection. This led me to a naughty little purchase I made to get my hands on the Benefit’s Roller Lash Mascara! 

Benefit is one of my absolute favourite brands for mascaras, the legendary “They’re Real” Mascara is one of my staples, so something was telling me I would be keen on this one too! It’s their newest mascara which details an “eye-opening Hook ‘n’ Roll” brush which grabs, separates, lifts and curls each individual lash, lasting up to 12 hours of wear. 

There’s something about Benefit as a whole that just draws me in; and this product was no different.

What I love: 

First things first; the packaging is absolutely to die for. Do you see what I mean when I say there’s something about Benefit that draws me in?! It’s got to be the packaging! Both the box and the wand details a creative and colourful retro theme that seems like it was inspired by girls of the 1950’s-60’s era. The wand almost resembles a curler too, it almost makes me think that this is something the Pink Ladies would use in Grease (got to love that film!) 

Packaging aside, I’m sure you all want to know about the actual mascara! This mascara doesn’t disappoint either! The mascara has a unique and innovative formula that actually DOES what it promises you. It’s adds substantial length and volume to my lashes which does actually last all day long. It’s a mascara specifically designed for girls with short, straight lashes (that’s me!) 

The innovative brush is probably the best thing about this mascara, it’s a plastic brush which grabs onto the lashes to create a 1950’s pin up curl, but for your lashes! 

What I don’t love: 

The only negative words I have for this mascara is that it doesn’t really grab onto my bottom lashes. Maybe because it’s a new mascara I haven’t quite got the technique down yet, but I have tried mascaras that are better at accentuating my bottom lashes. 

Overall thoughts: 

Since it’s a new mascara for me I’ve quickly fallen in love with this product, I can’t find much faults in this mascara and it definitely has changed up my mascara game. Is it an all-time favourite contender though? I guess I’ll wait until I’ve used up the tube to work that one out. 

If you’ve tried this mascara out, please let me know what you’re thoughts are. And if you’re looking at trying this out for yourself, what are your thoughts after reading my review? 

Thanks for reading! 

Alice D x 

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Theme Park Makeup Must Haves!

“Paris is always a good idea” – Audrey Hepburn 

I was lucky enough to spend the second week of August at Disneyland Paris (my absolute favourite place in the world!) If you’re reading this from France, or you happened to be in France this month, you’ll know that it was so hot! But of course I didn’t go without my stash of makeup goodies and beauty products, and making sure those goodies stayed in place all day under the heat was something I made a priority during my holiday. 

This inspired me to write this blog post, because although the summer is coming to a close, I know a lot of you would have (or are yet to go on) you’re holiday or summer days out, and if you’re anything like me, you want assurance that you’re makeup will stay on all day no matter what the weather maybe doing! I was pretty much wearing makeup all day, every day and I was pretty impressed with the staying power of my makeup, so I wanted to show you guys everything I brought along with me!

Products that I took to Paris with me: 

Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation: This is a relatively new foundation that I’ve been trying out, as I wanted to try something new and something that would last on my skin all day. I have extremely oily skin that tends to look a bit sweaty in the hot weather, so this foundation worked miracles on me during my trip, staying in place all day! By the end of the day my skin barely needed any touching up and left a nice glow to the skin (not oily in the slightest!) one girl who even worked at the park complimented my foundation and asked me what I was wearing! I have previously written a full length blog post on my first impressions of this foundation and will be writing a follow up on my thoughts once I’ve finished the bottle, so if you want to have a read of my first impressions feel free to do so. 

Mac Pro Longwear Concealer: If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now you’ll know that the Mac Pro Longwear Concealer is my holy grail concealer and I can’t see myself using another concealer for a very long time! So naturally I had to bring this along with me. Like the Nars foundation it didn’t move under the heat and kept my complexion looking completely flawless. The creamy application also meant that if I was in a rush to go anywhere I could blend this in quite quickly! 

 Rimmel Stay Matte Powder: If you’ve got normal to oily skin I would definitely recommend setting your makeup with this setting powder. It’s not cakey and leaves a matte, translucent and almost invisible finish on the skin. It doesn’t add any colour to your already applied foundation/concealer and it meant that I only really needed to touch up a few times during the day.

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray: Setting sprays have become a must for me recently, mainly because they really are a life saver! There’s so many different setting sprays out there and I want to try them all, but recently I’ve been loving my trusty Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. It does what it says on the bottle, it sets the makeup after application, making it last all day (even under the summer heat!) Pairing this with my Nars foundation it’s a match made in heaven. I also carried this around Disneyland in my bag so I could sprtiz this throughout the day whenever I needed a little touch up. 

Kerastase Nutritive Oleo-Relax Serum: My hair can become quite intolerant under the heat, and so I wanted a serum that would stop it from getting so frizzy and clean up any unruly hairs. This serum has been a massive favourite of mine for years now, so naturally I had to pack this stuff! It completely smoothes out my hair and helps to keep the style of it in place all day. If you’ve got frizzy or rebellious hair it’s definitely worth a try! 

So those were a couple of my theme park must haves that I brought along with me to Disneyland Paris (there was so many more!) I had an amazing time and I’m definitely having withdrawal symptoms! If you enjoyed this post please let me know, and let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you think of them! 

Thanks for reading! 

Alice D x 

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Mac Pro Longwear Pressed Powder Review!

Hand on my heart, Mac is honestly one of my favourite makeup brands of all time (along with Nars and Chanel to name a few!) But if I ever want to try out a new makeup product, I instantly check out Mac first. I don’t know what it is, but there’s just something walking out of a Mac store with a bag in hand full of beautiful new goodies. It just makes me happy (that’s not weird, right?) 

As I was going on a week long trip to Disneyland Paris, I knew it was going to be an incredibly hot week, and I knew I was going to be wearing makeup for long periods of time. I wanted to treat myself and try out some new makeup for my holiday that I knew was going to actually last under the heat. 

Obviously my new Nars All Day Luminous Weightless foundation helped a lot, and there will be a follow up blog on that foundation (so keep an eye out for that!) but I also wanted to try out a new pressed powder that would keep my foundation in place all day. 

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, it’s still a holy grail product and I will love it forever. But I wanted to try out the Mac Pro Longwear Pressed Powder because I’m a makeup junkie and this appealed to me, partly because it’s Mac, and partly because I wanted something new for my holiday. 

This powder promises to give a wet-proof velvet-matte finish that gives medium coverage and zero shine. For someone with extremely oily skin, this was obviously everything I look for in a powder, so I had to get my hands on it. 

What I love: 

-      It definitely does create a velvet matte finish that I love. I’ve always been a matte girl, unless a product was going to make my skin look completely matte, I didn’t want it. But since I’ve had compliments on how nice my skin looks when it has a slight dewy finish to it, I’ve been quite enjoying the finish that this powder gives me. 

     The choice of shades is amazing, which is typical of Mac. There’s nothing I hate more than finding a beautiful face product and realizing that there isn’t s shade to correctly match my skin. But you can always count of Mac (with any of their products) to provide you with the perfect match of your skin tone. 

     The packaging is beautiful and convenient. It’s a simple black case with a compact mirror. This is a God send for me since I was out wondering Disneyland all day and needed to check on my makeup and do any touch ups. 

      What I don’t love: 

      As much as I adore Mac’s products, this powder didn’t do anything special in terms of actual staying power when comparing it with the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder. I find that the Rimmel Stay Matte powder, which is a much cheaper alternative, did almost exactly the same job as this powder, so in future I will continue on with my Stay Matte, and save my Pro Longwear for special occasions. 

 

     So that’s my thoughts on the Mac Pro Longwear Pressed Powder. Keep in mind that I have only been using this powder for around a week, so obviously I will be using the full product up. Overall I think it’s a beautiful powder that gives me a finish that is so beautiful it’s changed my mind on the dewy look, and I won’t be so obsessed with having a matte finish all the time. Let me know what you’re favourite Mac products are or if you’ve tried this product yourself, I’d love to know all your thoughts. 

     Thanks for reading! 

     Alice D x

  

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How to save money on makeup: Part 2!

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about how to save money on makeup, and it became quite a well received post so I decided to write a second part of that blog post, as I have so many more tips and tricks up my sleeve to share with you! 

It becomes a bit overwhelming when you’re shopping for makeup, and it’s so easy to get carried away with all the beautiful little goodies on display, but its worth while getting into the habit of the following tips so you’re bank account won’t regret it later! 

If you want to have a little read of my part 1 blog post on saving money on makeup, please feel free to check it out, there’s a lot of really helpful tips on that one! 

Stick to the essentials- It’s important to prioritise what you feel are essential makeup items when you’re shopping; this could include foundation, concealer, powder, I would say any face products that are going to hide all those dark circles and blemishes should be an essential. This way you’ve kept some money aside for those items and if you’ve ended up spending less money than you thought, you can get yourself a little trick! 

 Prep, Prime and Set- You might think this is just a helpful makeup trick that has nothing to do with helping you to save money on makeup, but it does. It’s so simple yet it’s something people tend to forget. Preparing your skin by using a primer, then setting the makeup with powder and a good setting spray will help your makeup stay on much longer. But another purpose this serves is this actually helps you save money; because by doing this you’re not touching up your makeup so often, which obviously means you’re not running out on your essentials like foundation and concealer as quickly! I recommend using a good setting spray like the Urban Decay All Nighter Spray, the bottle will last you ages and you’re makeup won’t budge – It’s in the name!

Recycle for free products in return- Mac in particular, has a well known “Back to Mac” program that accepts old makeup containers. The best part is, for doing this small act of kindness to the environment, you get a free Mac lipstick of your choice! This will definitely save you some pennies on a must have product that your bank account will definitely thank you for! 

Look deeper- This isn’t known to many, but large makeup stores and department stores with big brand names will always place the most expensive products at eye level. This of course sounds like a simple marketing trick which is so blindingly obvious, yet it’s something most shoppers won’t catch on. It’s so easy to get carried away when you’ve got a ton of stunning products calling your name, but try looking beneath eye level for slightly cheaper products. You’ll be pleasantly surprised that a lot of these “cheaper” products are the same quality, or will do the same job as the more expensive “eye level” products. 

Sale, sale and sale- Yes, I know it’s obvious! You’re probably reading this and thinking “Yes well obviously Alice!” but it’s something a lot of people won’t take advantage of. There’s so many different ways you can take advantage of sales and discount on some of your favourite makeup brands. This can be signing up for newsletters at sites like BeautyBay and FeelUnique, where they frequently hold sales on amazing must-have products! It’s such an easy thing to do and it will save you a lot of pennies on that little treat you’ve had your eye on! 

I wasn’t planning on writing a part 2 of my “How to save money on makeup” blog post I wrote a few weeks ago, but because these tips are so useful I wanted to do another one. Following these tips it becomes so easy to save your hard earned money on makeup and beauty products, you don’t need to regret spending your money on products that aren’t worth it! I hope this blog post has been somewhat helpful to anyone who wants calm their shopping habits down a bit and save a few pennies. Let me know if you’ve got any more tips of this topic, it’s always something I’d like to get a bit better at! 

Thanks for reading! 

Alice D x 

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First Impressions Review: Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

“Happiest girls are the prettiest” – Audrey Hepburn 

The moment Nars brought out this foundation, I’ve been lusting over it and fantasizing about it. I can’t be the only one that does this surely?! So after purchasing this foundation I decided to write a first impressions blog post, then once I’ve finished the bottle or I feel like I have enough opinions on it after using it for a while, I’ll write a follow-up blog post with my overall thoughts. 

Nars is just one of those makeup brands that I constantly lust over and every girl deserves to own at least one thing from Nars! So naturally the moment I found out about it I knew it would be something for me. If you’ve read any of my previous blog posts you’ll know that I love the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation, because I love that weightless feeling on your skin. So naturally I knew I’d fall in love with the Nars All Day Luminous Weightless foundation, it’s like it was love at first sight! 

Nars have described this foundation as full coverage, but with a natural look to it that feels completely weightless on the skin. Did I mention that this foundation is also said to last 16 hours?! It’s a very liquidy foundation, so make sure you shake it well before applying! 

The packaging is absolutely stunning and very convenient in comparison to other Nars foundations. It actually comes with a pump! This is an absolute god send to all those Nars lovers out there! With other foundations you’d have to pay for a pump separately, but this foundation is conveniently provided with one. It’s a beautiful bottle with frosted glass and the iconic “Nars” name printed across the bottle. It’s simple but absolutely stunning! 

What I love: 

- What I love about all Nars foundations is the broad choice of shades, and this foundation doesn’t disappoint either! There’s 20 shades to choose from, so there should be the perfect (or close to perfect) shade for most people! I personally have the shade “Siberia” which is the lightest shade available. 

- The coverage is absolutely insane. Trust me; a little goes a long way with this foundation. 

- It’s so easy to blend, definitely a perfect match if you’re a beginner with foundations! 

- The finish for me is a perfect matte look, so for someone who has oily skin this is fabulous! 

- It isn’t sticky at all! Is it just me, or do some foundations just feel really sticky on the skin?   Well this one definitely doesn’t, and it doesn’t seem like it will smudge much throughout the day either! 

What I don’t love: 

- Although the packaging is absolutely stunning, it may be a bit difficult for those girls who travel a lot. It’s quite a hefty bottle and since its glass, you certainly don’t want to drop it! 

- It doesn’t quite cover my blemishes. Other foundations I have tried are much better at covering any spots or blemishes, but since you’ll be using concealer to cover them, this shouldn’t really be an issue. 

- It certainly isn’t going to suit all skin types. I have oily skin so I need something that is going to last all day and won’t look dewy or sweaty. However if you’ve got dry skin or you want a dewy look, I wouldn’t recommend this foundation. 

Overall first impressions: 

Overall this foundation has really impressed me so far. I adore the finish it gives me and how it’s suited to my skin type so well. I haven’t tried to see if it wears for the full 16 hours, but I have to say it definitely will last throughout the day and you shouldn’t need too many touch ups. I will be writing a follow up blog post once I’ve finished the bottle and let you know my thoughts. 

Thanks for reading! 

Alice D x  

   

  

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My July Monthly Makeup Favourites!

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty nosey when it comes to which beauty and makeup products other girls are purchasing and which products are working for them. Just me? 

So with this in mind, I’ve decided that from now on I’ll be writing monthly makeup (or any kind of beauty product) favourites! Although I’m trying to save my money where I can, I’ve still managed to sneak in a few new beauty finds in my ever-growing collection.  

Mac Pro Longwear Concealer: This isn’t the first month I’ve tried this, but here it is in my July favourites! It will forever be a staple for me in the concealer department. It brightens, concealers, covers, and the coverage and pigment is absolutely astounding! Unfortunately this concealer only comes in a 9ml bottle, but it will last for a long time, remember that a little goes a long way with this stuff! 

 Anastasia Beverly Hills Waterproof Crème Color Eyeliner: If you’ve read any of my previous blog posts, you’ll know just how in love I am with Anastasia Beverly Hills, their products are just really impressing me at the moment. So it’s no surprise that their Waterproof Crème Color Eyeliner has made it into July’s favourites. I’ve never been very skilled with eyeliners, but this is great if you’re a beginner. Just apply it with an angled brush and it’s done! It’s extremely pigmented and creamy. But it does dry pretty quickly and is very difficult to wash off, so be prepared for a long makeup removing routine!

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder: Again this isn’t the first time I’ve tried out this powder, but I wanted to talk about this because it is just that amazing! Of course every now and then I do like to deviate from this powder and try out a few news ones, but I always end up coming back to this powder! It’s just amazing! I have very oily skin (especially in the summer) and my biggest problem during the summer is my foundation seeping through my powder. But this powder works wonders for staying matte. What can I say; it does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a cheap and cheerful little product and even works better than some of the higher end powders I’ve tried! 

Mac “Nice N’ Spicy” Pro Longwear Lip Pencil: I don’t own many lip liners, so obviously one of my go-to makeup brands for trying out new products is Mac! I wanted a nude lip liner but would stay on throughout the day. What can I say? This stuff is amazing, it doesn’t budge all day and the colour is absolutely beautiful! It's a highly pigmented, universal nude colour that will work on almost any skin tone. If you’re looking for a nude lip liner, give “Nice N’ Spicy” a try! 

Mac “Velvet Teddy” Lipstick: And last but absolutely not least (in fact I may have left my very favourite for the end) the extremely popular and infamous Velvet Teddy lip shade from Mac! I’m sure you’ve all heard of this gorgeous shade, but in case you didn’t know, it’s an iconic 90’s nude shade (almost a Kylie Jenner lip colour) and again, lasts all day! Did I mention Mac lipsticks smell absolutely amazing?! 

So that’s it for my July favourites, there were only five but I didn’t want to ramble on forever a bore you all. If you want to know anymore on any of these little makeup goodies, I’ve written a blog post on every one so you’re welcome to have a little read if any of them have tickled your fancy! 

Thanks for reading! 

Alice D x  

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