Grow Baby Grow!

Hey All, 

Its been a while since my last blog post, as I browsed Amazon this morning I was reminded to write a post about my newest miracle routine. Some of you may have read the post some time ago about my hair growth journey. Since Spring especially I have noticed a huge difference, and I wanted to share my progress. 

July 2014

January 2014

It has taken some commitment but my routine now consists of: 

• Not straighening my hair for work
• Limiting the use of hair tools on weekends unless necessary
• Massaging Hair Stimulant Oil (from Amazon) in my hair once a week
• Massaging Coconut Oil in my hair once a week
• Washing my hair with Mane and Tail Shampoo and a deep 1 minute conditioner twice a week

I have followed this routine RELIGIOUSLY, and I have to say the rate at which my hair is growing is beyond amazing. I have always relied on my hair extensions for both volume and length, and my hair is now the same length as them... bye bye extensions! The fullness of my hair is also unbelievable, it looks so full and healthy after years of my hair falling out and being so limp. 

I have only had two trims between May 2014 and this year, and sorry but I personally don’t believe in the “trim every 6 weeks” rule, I have followed it for years and my hair has never changed in its length or form. I believe if you keep damage to a limitation it is possible to get away with not having a trim, and to be fair I am not one of those who is bothered by a few split ends. 

So lets look into the details behind some of my “miracle” products. 

Hair Stimulant Oil 

I first purchased this in April, it smells great and I have used many oils in my time but I really felt this one has worked the best. It is reasonably priced (around £5 on amazon) and a little goes a long way. I used this once a week and massage it into my scalp especially, and also the ends of my hair. I leave it in overnight (or longer if I am not out on a weekend) and wash it out the next day. It also washes out really easily which I have found not all oils do. I wash my hair twice a week, so I alternate this oil with Coconut once a week. 

Mane and Tail Shampoo and Conditioner

I have read SO many reviews on this stuff that I felt like I HAD to try it at least. I will never look back. As weird as it is that this product can be used on horses, this is the holy grail solution to healthy hair growth. I could not believe how thick and long my hair has become since I began to use this. My hair feels and looks healthier, even without using any further styling products after. The shampoo is a slightly odd texture, but neither the shampoo or conditioner smell bad- which is fine. It is worth it once hair is dry, I also like to follow up with my new favourite deep conditioner... 

Garnier Ultimate Blends 1 Minute Conditioner

In the past I mentioned the L’oreal 1 minute conditioner, I saw this one on offer and thought it was worth a try. It contains coconut oil and is great for damaged hair. I put this in and rinse out with cold water, and even when my hair is wet the tangles are minimal. I love this conditioner and it really tames my hair from any frizz when I allow it to dry naturally or with a hair dryer. 

So now I don’t straighten my hair for work, how do I make myself look socially acceptable and not homeless with my untamed hair?

These Umberto Giannini curling products work WONDERS...

I use the Flirty Curls Scrunching Jelly the day I have washed my hair in the morning. I am lucky enough to have a 30 minute drive to work, so by the time I get in, my hair is nice and dry. For those of you who aren't as fortunate, I suggest washing your hair the night before and using this, however allowing it to dry naturally is the trick for me. Only a small amount (the size of a 2p is sufficient) is needed otherwise hair feels a little on the crunchy side. The next day my curls are usually still tamed, but at times I use the Natural Curls Styling Spray which can be used on dry hair. 

This allows me to look a little presentable at least, and try and keep the damage in my hair through heated tools at a minimum. 

So there it is guys, after about 4 years of looking for a miracle, I feel like I have found the solution for me... have a try and let me know how you get along. 

K xx

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others. 

Change- The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Hey Beauty Queens, 

Today I am going to touch on something we have all been through; the phase of being bored of our wardrobes,make up choices, and hair. Sometimes a change is needed but does it always work out for the better, or do we look back and think “why did I do that?” 

I have recently experienced the dilemma every girl faces at one point in their lives- hair boredem. We grow our hair out, cut it off, change the colour, get extensions, cut a fringe, but how often do we think about the after math of the decision? I have spent years trying to lighten my hard to colour hair and the highlighting process became more and more addictive, soon I was the picture I was afraid to be- bleach blonde. It was the transition of going back to dark which was difficult, even after two salon visits the colour repeatedly came through. 

After much google and youtube searching I came across my golden (and less damaging) solution- L’Oreal Casting Creme Gloss. I have only had to use this semi permenant colour once to cover the blonde, and then once more to top up in a scare of the colour fading in the sun. Despite a number of negative reviews I have read, I can not speak highly enough of this dye. As a semi-permenant colour it has kept my hair in much better condition than others, and the colour has been locked in and lasted longer than I antiscipated. As my hair is naturally dark, the fear of my hair going too dark didn’t occur however I have heard this particular dye is not great for lighter hair colours (sorry blondes). 

About a month after being back to black hair, I started craving another change. This time around I thought long and hard of ways to go around this without damaging my hair, or committing to a haircut I might later regret. I came up with the perfect soloution- dip dyed extensions, although they were not easy to come by the search was worth it. 

Purchased from Hairfauxyou.com

I ordered these particular extensions from Hair Faux You, which is an american based company in California. They cost me around £55 with delivery once I had converted the cost, which is much cheaper than a full set of 18 inch hair extensions would cost in the UK- result! It took around two weeks before my product was delivered, however I antisipated this would happen with worldwide delivery at a low price. 

The hair is human hair, which means I can style them to blend in with my own, just what I always look for in hair extensions. Although one pack is quite thin, my hair is naturally fine so it blends in well, for those of you blessed with thick locks two packs might be more sufficient. 

These are slightly fidlier than putting in normal extensions, as the dip dye will blend in with the bottom of your natural hair and show the difference in colours, however I have managed to find a way around this. My trick is to section the bottom half of my hair and pin all of it under (using a hairnet might also be a good idea). I then clip the extensions in as usual above and below the hair which is pinned under. This way none of my black hair shows through the brown dipdye. Voila- nobody knows the difference between your natural hair and the dip dye. 

I love the final look of these extensions, even though it is a high maintenance process to blend the hair in; it is totally worth rocking a new look without committing to any damage. I would love to know your opinion on the following: 

Is committing to a new change worth the end result? 

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others.