Saturday 30 November 2013

All Weaved Up

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you’ll know that I love hair extensions! Any kind, any make - I just love long hair! My hair just doesn’t seem to grow and it annoys me SO MUCH so i’m always trying out new extensions and hair pieces to give me that length I lack.

I’ve had weaves in the past but when I came across bonds, I fell in love with them an weaves were a thing of the past but I have been thinking about getting a weave for a while since i’ve not enjoyed having my perm as much as I thought I would. So, luckily, around the same time I was looking at getting hair, I was sent some clip in’s from Xtras. Initially i’d use a DIY weft of hair and have it double drawn but the extensions I were sent were pre-cut and had clips on. Not a problem though, one of my close friends is a hairdresser and she does all the extensions you could think of so she snipped off the clips and managed to work her magic with the pre-cut extensions.

If you don’ know what weave’s are, it’s a way of attaching hair extensions without using glue and it is wefted (sewn) to your own hair. A plait is made horizontally across your hair/head and then the weft is sewn into it using special weft thread which is really thick. I have no idea how it’s done but the pictures below show the pattern of the weft a little better than my explanation. The plaits are repeated to create 4 or 5 rows of hair and this would all depend on the size of your head and the style of your hair. (It does hurt a little as the plaits are done right to your head and the first night is so painful but after that, it’s fine!)







When it’s straight, you can still see a bit of the join of where my hair ends and the extensions carry on but I don’t really wear extensions straight, they’re mainly curled or waved like the above photo and you can see how volumes it makes it. 

It took about 4 hours to do this but that was because we were chatting so normally only takes about 2 hours. The weaves will last around 2 to 3 months depending on the quality of hair and taking care of it i.e. washing properly, drying properly, not tugging on the wefts and any fall outs of the weft but it’s super easy to fix if anything like that does happen! 

The hair I got was the ‘Crazy hair 20inch Remy Clip in Extensions in #4’* (Chocolate Brown) that are available from Xtras for £36.99. I had 2 packs of the hair put in as my hair is quite thick even though it doesn’t seem it. It was all doubled up too and the quality seems really good for the price! I had to wash it last night because it just felt too siliconey, that lovely, soft, shiny effect new hair extensions have isn’t good when they’re wefted in because they don’t look natural and they don’t hold a curl when they’re 
new either. 

So even after a wash, they’re still in really good condition. I used baby shampoo on the ends of the extensions and my regular shampoo on my roots - making sure I didn’t rub the hair together and used downward strokes so it didn’t tangle. I applied a drop of liquid gold onto the hair once I had dried it and it’s still silky smooth 6 hours later! 

I hope that the quality stays this high as I want lovely hair for Christmas but I really want to try the DIY weft next time to compare the two and see which is best! 

Have you ever had a weave!? It’s so much easier if you clip in extensions every day! 

Friday 29 November 2013

Funny Stocking Filler Ideas

Along with my Christmas Gift Ideas for members of the family, I also have a few stocking filler ideas or things that are funny just as joke gifts. iwantoneofthose.com are fantastic websites to find unusual gifts on if you’re stuck for ideas for someone! There is plenty to choose from with gifts for her, him and even the kids! 











The Edible Eyes* have to be a winner for me and are perfect as a gift to Mums or even Kids so they can turn their food into people (not that you should promote eating people…)  but it makes breakfast, lunch and dinner time so much more exciting. You just push out the eyes you want to use from the sugar plaque they’re on, stick it on what ever is being eaten and eat it like normal (they don’t have any stickiness so better to use on food that’s flat). They taste a little like sugar money, just less sugary and more papery. I haven’t really used them with Millie though as I don’t want them to get stuck in her throat so probably more useful for toddlers that are starting to be picky with foods! 

The next is a bit of a joke gift that we actually think is a brilliant idea. We’ll be rocking up to my parents house on Christmas day with one on each and these are Emergency Costumes*! When I saw them online I thought they were going to be a selection of accessories to turn you into a selection of people i.e. snowman, santa, elf etc but they’re not! It’s a plastic sort of sheet that has the print of the character on so you literally just throw it on over your own clothes and you’ve got an instant fancy dress. Perfect for a silly get together or even just for a bit of fun on Christmas Day! 

You can get the edible eyes here for £6.99 and you can get the emergency outfits here for £5.99 

Do you know anyone that would love these!? Why not go silly for Christmas Day and give your Turkey and Stuffing some eyes and dress as Santa to surprise the family!? 


Thursday 28 November 2013

OOTD: Military Fashion

When it comes to fashion, the inspiration for the theme / style has to come from somewhere and a lingering fashion style is the Military / Army styley. When I think of Military I think camouflage, greens and browns, big boots, buckles and mud - obviously. But it can differ with brass button up jackets, epaulets and berrets - giving a more Formal Military style to the look.

I have few items of clothing that would be classed as ‘Military’ when thinking about it... I love my Faux Leather Camo jacket that I got last year for my Birthday and it’s brilliant for winter as it can be layered up and then also used in the warmer months too. Team with jeans, a chunky scarf or even a chunky jumper and throw on some boots and you’re good to go… Military style! 


For more of a toned down army inspired look you can go for a plain colour with attributes that give off the army feel. I have a G-Star RAW Grey jacket that has certain ‘military’ styles to it. The big collar, the big buttons and pockets and also the stamp on the back all give it a modern army look and this again is perfect to layer up! I’ve given it more of a modern look by wearing my leopard scarf to go with it but it’s all within modernising what can be seen to be an old fashionista. 

If you’re looking to go a little more Military this year, remember you can get camo leggings, jumpers, more jackets and boots! They don’t have to be the real thing but if you are looking for a decent pair of boots to keep your tootsies warm when (and if) it snows this year, take a look at these Magnum Waterproof Ankle Boots for Women - they’re the perfect fit for the military style and completely practical because if you’re anything like me, I fall over in the snow and ice and my feet get SO COLD I constantly moan about owning a decent pair of snow boots! Team these with the Faux Leather Camo, Black Jeans and A super cosy Scarf and you’re ready to take on world snow. 

I know that there seems to be a lot of those ‘Tough Mudder’ training sessions about at the moment too and Magnum do a really good range of waterproof and cool dry clothing that would be perfect for it if you’re planning on taking part! Don’t let the cold beat you, make sure you beat the cold! 

Do you own anything that would fall under the ‘Military’ fashion directory? 

Wednesday 27 November 2013

Christmas Gift Guide #2 - Mom / Grandma

The second part of my gift guide is going to be focusing on the women in your life… The only women that truly know you - Your Mum’s and Grandma’s! I think Grandma’s are the only people that seem to have everything and when it comes to Christmas, you’re stuck for ideas and just end up getting them something they’ve already got to add to the collection. 

Aside from these gorgeous candles and wax melts, the thing that me & Adam do for my Grandma is take her and my Grandad out for a meal rather than buy them something, we also got my Mum and Dad a night at the Dogs last year from Groupon so there’s another few ideas for you if you’re really stuck! 

Cali’s Handmade Candle Co. actually came about from a Christmas Present from Cali’s husband, Andrew. It was a home candle making kit and since then it has just grown and grown! She has turned a hobby into a business and is doing really well with it too! There is so much to choose from and the website categorises the candles into Autumn, Summer and winter Fragrances which is really good if you’re into more wintery / christmassy scents or more floral / summery scents. 

I was kindly gifted a tin Candle and 4 wax melts when Cali sent over a hamper for my East Midlands Meet Up and thought it was a perfect gift for Christmas so saved it for my gift guides. The 4 wax melts that came were: Cinnemon, Yuzu, Coffee and Hazlenut and Lemon Lavender and then the tin candle was Crackling Firewood. The Wax Melts smell incredible and are of a similar size to the Yankee Candle tarts, just a little deeper. We melted the Cinnemon one in our candle burner and it was AMAZING! The smell is so strong and you can smell it instantly. 2 days later it still smells gorgeous so thumbs up for those! The Candle Tin is also another lovely smelling candle but this doesn’t seem to smell as strong as the tarts. It did however burn for a total of around 18 hours before I had to blow it out and all the wax had gone but that’s really good going for such a small candle! 




  


You can put together little hampers if you contact Cali and she will happily help you pick the right things for whoever it is you’re buying for or, just buy a candle burner and lots of little scents and you’re onto a winner! Who doesn’t love the look and smell of a candle!? 

You can buy the Container Candles* from £4.90 and the Wax melts* from 99p each!  

Will you be picking any Candles up for your Mum or Nan this year!? 


P.s. Have you entered my Big Christmas Goodie Box Giveaway!?

Monday 25 November 2013

Lush Golden Wonder

Yep, another Lush Christmas Product! Don’t act like you don’t love them!! This time it’s all about the Golden Wonder Bath Bomb. I picked this little fella up a while back when my lovely boyfriend treated me to a heap of Lush Christmas products and I’ve just not got round to using it, until now! 

I try to give myself a nice, relaxing bath once a week (obviously I shower in-between but unless you have a child, you don’t realise how hard it is to have a soak in the bath) and in this bath I use a bath bomb of sorts. When (or if) I do and it’s something that I think you will love (or hate) I blog it which obviously includes taking photos etc etc but with this one, I took the first few photos of it fizzing away in the bath and then… My camera died! I was in a state of panic, frantically looking for my phone to try and capture the fact my bath was now turning green when I had just put a gold coloured bath bomb into it! Luckily, I got my phone and managed to get the snaps I wanted - phew! 
 
So, what’s so special about Golden Wonder you ask? What isn’t!? It’s made to smell like Champagne but to me, has a real fruity fragrance to it that everyone loves! It has a gold, sort of glittery outer shell that looks like a present waiting to be un-wrapped. I tend to drop bath bombs into my bath whilst the water is still running and doing so unveiled a greeny, gold, festive delight! The water curdled with greens and whites and then appeared the most magical part… Stars! My bath was filled with tiny gold stars! Definitely one of the best Christmas Bath products you could possibly try! 







One of the main things that did spring to mind when I saw these pretty stars was ‘Oh god, the mess!’ because if you’ve read other reviews of Lush products of mine, you’ll know I hate cleaning up dirty residue that’s left around the bath but with this, there was none. I just swilled the bath like I normally do once I was out and it was clean as it was to begin with! 

If you’re looking for a treat or even an extra little something to go in someon'es stocking, this is perfect! I don’t know who wouldn’t love it and definitely want to re-purchase before the Christmas Collection stops in January! You can pick Golden Wonder up for £3.50 here or at your nearest Lush store! 

Have you tried Golden Wonder? Did you love it as much as I did!? 
 

Sunday 24 November 2013

#TheSkinProject - My Skin

This is my first post of a new project that has been created by Lianne over at The Brunette Says. It’s a Skin Project that will run over 12 weeks including everything Skin related. It will give us Beauty Bloggers the chance to share our tips and experiences when it comes to looking after our skin including: 

Cleansing 

Exfoliating 

Using Toners 

Serums 
Eye Creams 
Moisturisers
Face Masks & Treatments 
Anti-Ageing Treatments 
A Q&A session with a Skincare Expert 
and TheSkinProject Awards taken from the most popular products used over the series. 


So, this week is all about My Skin. Before I met Adam (back in 2010) I never really used any form of skincare. I used wipes and a general face wash to remove my make up and never even knew about serums and oils but he recommended that I went and had a consultation with Clinique to get a proper skincare set that will cleanse and tone as well as moisturise my poor, un-loved skin. I went over to Selfridges Birmingham and had this consultation and it came out that I had combination skin with dry patches around my nose and my chin and boy, do I know it! 

When it turns cold, my chin gets SO dry and flakey and every month, it’s where I get my ‘hormonal’ spots. Super annoying but I have come across a holy grail product that i’ll share with you later in this series. Other than this, my skin works well with most things really. It’s quite clear of bad breakouts and blemishes apart from over my eyelids and around my nose - where it’s quite red and veiny. I also have quite large pores around my nose and under my eyes but with a good primer, this is made pretty much unnoticeable when I wear make-up. 

I like having quite a flawless, matte look to my skin when using make up so I tend to go for quite heavy duty foundations and always opt for a matte finish. If I used a lighter foundation or one that has more of a dewy finish, my skin just looks oily and it does me no favours. One thing I hate though is that I get a sweaty top lip quite easily which is SUPER ANNOYING when i’m wearing foundation so i’ll be looking out for things that can help me with this. Hands up all the STL sufferers! 



I’ve added a few photos of my bare, un-edited face so you can see what I mean by blemishes, red bits, dry bits etc. I find it hard to do comparison photos when using skincare unless there is a major difference but at least you can see my ‘natural beauty’. Ha, so she says! I am also well aware my eyebrows need doing, don’t judge! ;) 

So, all in all, I have combination skin, i’ve been using various different types of skincare for nearly 4 years now and have a few things that i’d change if I had the chance too! Make sure you leave your links below if you’re apart of this project too and if you want to find out more, head over to Lianne’s blog, The Brunette Says, to find out how you can get involved! 

Next week is all about Cleansing


P.s. Have you entered my Big Christmas Goodie Box Giveaway!?

Friday 22 November 2013

The Extended Christmas TAG

So i’ve seen the Christmas Tag floating around on various blogs with different questions appearing on different blogs. I’ve put together most of the popular questions to answer for my version of the Christmas Tag. I tag whoever reads this to do it and when you have (or if you already have) leave a link to it below! I love to see what other people do around Christmas Time!


Do you prefer a real Christmas tree or synthetic?
When I was younger, we used to have a real tree every so often but it just used to get so messy so now in the flat we have a synthetic one that looks just as good as a real one and there’s no fuss or mess! 

You're in a coffee shop, it's December, what do you pick?
At the moment, i’m LOVING Costa’s White Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows (no cream)! Mmmmm! 

Whats your favourite colour scheme for decorating the tree?
Red and Gold. It’s so traditionally Christmassy that you can’t go wrong. I’d like to have more white incorporated into our tree this year though to go with our new living room! 

Giving or receiving?
Giving! I go completely OTT with presents! 

To mince pie or not to?
To mince pie! And to Christmas Cake! And Christmas Pudding! 

What's your traditional sunday lunch?
Chicken, stuffing, roast potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, mash, gravy and bread sauce! *mouth waters* 

What's your favourite Christmas song?
It has to be All I want for Christmas by Mariah Carey or Fairytale of New York by The Pogues. Two typically classic Christmassy songs! 

What's your favourite Christmas film?
Home Alone as a classic or Arthur Christmas as a more modern alternative! Both really get me in the mood for Christmas!

Open presents before or after lunch?
Before breakfast! I could never wait until after lunch although I always regret that I don’t have anymore presents to open haha! 

What time of the year do you start your Christmas shopping?
The past 3 years ive started quite early, around September time, and been finished by November. Same goes for this year! 

Do you have any festive recipes for food or drink you limit solely to the Christmas season to share?
Only mince pies. I couldn’t eat a mince pie any other time than Christmas and I love baking them! 

Tell me how Christmas goes down in your home
When I lived at my parents, it had been the same since I was little. We’d wake up and come downstairs to see if Santa had been. We’d open presents, Lucy and Me would go first and my Dad would record it on the camcorder and then my Nan would open hers and then Mum and Dad would open theirs. We’d have breakfast whilst Dad tidied up and then go and get ready. It was then off to Grandma’s and Grandad’s house for more presents from them, my aunty and uncle. Up until I was around 16, my Great Aunty and Uncle used to come over too but this stopped as there were too many people in the house! We’d have Christmas dinner and then play a board game. Tea time came and we’d have some snacks and a drink and watch some rubbish TV and then head home! 

Last year was a little different as I had moved into the flat with Adam. So we woke up in the morning and got all our presents out onto the sofa bed in the living room. We took it in turns to open our gifts from each other and then had breakfast. We got ready and headed over to Adam’s parents house in Birmingham. We stayed there for a few hours then came back over to my grandparents and was the same routine as above. Presents, dinner, game, tea, tv, home! 

Do you have any Christmas traditions?
The above kind of explains our traditions really. We never had any other traditions which i’m kind of sad about and really want to introduce some for Millie. One is going to be a Christmas Eve set of Pyjamas and a Christmas Eve Film and i’m going to save a present until bedtime on Christmas Day. I’d love to know what your traditions are! 

What do you do on Christmas Eve?
When I was at my Mums, I used to share a room with my sister so on Christmas eve, i’d pretend to tell her what I got her for christmas so she’d tell me what she had got me haha! We used to go to Midnight Mass and then come home and go straight to bed. Last year at the flat, I went to church with my family and then come back home to Adam and we just sat in and ate yummy food, watched Christmas films and had an early night (I was 5 months pregnant at the time). This year it’s going to be a whole new story as we have a little person with us! I’m SO EXCITED!

What's your Christmas wrapping strategy? Do you have a strategy?
Use lots of Sellotape! Haha, i’m so rubbish at wrapping but I love doing it so I jus try to get it as neat as possible and if all else fails, literally cover it in Sellotape so you can’t get into it ;) 

What's your dream gift this year?
I don’t really have a dream gift this year but my ‘dream’ is to give Millie the best First Christmas she could have and record as much of it as possible on camera! 

Do you decorate just the tree or other areas of your house e.g. windows, bannisters?
Yeah, we decorate windowsills and have little stocking hangers that sit on the edge of the windowsill too. I think it’s nice to take down any regular decorations and replace them with Christmassy ones! 

What do you wear to Christmas parties and what do you wear on Christmas day?
Ive never been to a Christmas Party but on Christmas Day, I like to get something pretty to wear. A dress normally but this year i’m thinking of a little two-piece, short and jacket combo. Let me know if you’ve seen any that you like anywhere! 

Please let me know if you do this, I love to read up on people’s lives and see what they get up to, especially over Christmas! 

Merry Christmas! 


P.s. Have you entered my Big Christmas Goodie Box Giveaway!?

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Christmas Gift Ideas #1 - Baby

This year seems to be full of new born babies and if you’re anything like me (or what I used to be like) I find it impossible to buy for babies/toddlers as knowing what they already have or even like is so difficult. Having your own child makes this easier though and you begin to learn the things that certain babies/children would appreciate.

Little Birdie Told Me is an online store ran by "a team of nursery specialists who are dedicated to making the world of little people and grown-ups that little bit more special. The product ranges offer an exceptional choice of developmental activity toys, innovative infant rocking animals & horses and nursery accessories, all of which are presented in beautiful eco-friendly gift style packaging. Stocking everything from toys to baby on board signs, you can be sure to find whatever it is youre looking for right here! 

With Millie becoming more mobile every day, all be it - she isn’t walking yet, we decided to get the ‘Curious Caterpillar Activity Pull-Along’* as it would be perfect for her now and even when she’s starting to walk. The caterpillar is full of surprises with sensory tags including scrunchy sounds in the leaves, a mirror in the flower, the wooden pull along wheels that are also detachable and the caterpillar itself, that also comes out of the shell. 

There are no loose bits and no strings to tie things together, everything is done by velcro. The flaps that hold the wheels in place is velcro and the attachment for the pull along is also velcro so there are no safety hazards around worries of being strangled (sorry, a little bit of health and safety doesn’t hurt anyone)










I think this Caterpillar is perfect for Millie’s age, 6 months and up. And like I said, it will last until she’s walking and she can still play with it then. It’s not too baby-ish and gives enough of a good vibe to curious toddlers. If you’re looking for something for babies a little older or something a little bigger, you could try the Rocking Horses or if you’re going the other end of the scale and looking for presents for new borns, try the Baby Play Mats

You can buy the Pull Along Caterpillar here for £18.00 Millie loves hers, she’s so fascinated with things that make a noise at the moment and now she can sit up unaided, it’s perfect for her to play with alone. 

Have you ever heard of Little Birdie Told Me!? 


P.s. Have you entered my Big Christmas Goodie Box Giveaway!?