Toni & Guy | Extreme Volume Heated Rollers

Toni&Guy // Extreme Volume Heated Rollers // £59.99* // Link

I swear by heated rollers.  Whether I'm wearing my hair straight or wanting big, bouncy curls - I always start by applying rollers to give that extra bit of lift and volume at the root. I just love the natural movement they give the hair and I've always managed to achieve such a wide range of looks with them depending on how I apply them.  Once you've mastered them, you'll never want to go back to using a standard clamp-curling wand again! For a long time now, I've loved my Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers (post here) but I've recently had the chance to try Toni&Guy's 'Extreme Volume Heated Rollers. I thought I'd give them a whirl and offer my thoughts on the set - along with a comparison of the two.  The Enrapture ones are notoriously difficult to track down and I've always wondered if there was ever going to be an alternative introduced...

Firstly, I love how neat and compact the set is - it's so lightweight and small in size.  The set contains 10 rollers - 4 large (placed down the middle section) and 6 medium sized ones located on either side.    What's great is that you can purchase the rollers separately so if you have longer or thicker hair you still have the option of using more than 10 if you need to.  Personally, I always feel slightly sad that I'm unable to take my Enrapture ones away with me when I'm travelling... although the Toni&Guy ones aren't marketed as a travel set, I'm definitely considering taking them in my suitcase the next time I go on a little weekend trip - they're about half the weight of my larger set and don't take up much space at all.

The rollers sit neatly on the heated plates, and each come with a butterfly clip (which also have heated pads) to secure the roller in place.  I won't go into how to apply them too much as it's very difficult to explain in words, but once you've got the knack of it, they're super quick and easy and they're perfect to leave in whilst you do your makeup.  The set also heats up super quick so there's no waiting around of a morning. I have to say, my hair goes straight much quicker when I've used these as opposed to my Enrapture ones - they don't seem to lock in as much style - but I still like the effect they give. My hair always appears much more lifted at the root and feels bouncier - it also appears much more glossy and smooth after I've used them. The work well at providing volume at the root and prepping the hair for further styling. The only thing I didn't like so much is the application - for some reason, they're a little slippier than what I'm used to and I struggled at times to get the clips to hold properly.  I've read a couple of reviews online and a few people have mentioned this - I thought it was just my hair but they're definitely a little more fiddly.  It's a shame because it makes the application time slightly longer.

Overall, I think these rollers are a lovely little set.  I do think the lack of hold on the clips lets it down slightly and I do still prefer my Enrapture ones as they seem to lock in a curl much easier - however, these are a fab buy if you're looking for something that's more appropriate to travel with or just want something to provide some quick volume.  If you have thinner hair, or aren't so bothered about creating waves or curls and just want something to provide some lift, these are well worth a look.  I'm glad I have them in my collection and I'm definitely going to try travelling with them sometime in the future...  The set retails for £59.99* and you can find them on the Boots website here - I've also found them on offer at ASDA for £29.00.

My Current Hair Product Favourites

Oh hello there! Long time no see... (well, it's been a week but for me - in blogging time - that's an absolute eternity) It's not that I haven't wanted to blog - more that I haven't been able to access the interwebs properly since my laptop finally croaked it. It's been a long time coming but stupid me had only backed up my uni work - I have all the important 'work-related' stuff on external hard-drives but I never really thought about the sentimental things that I'd miss if they were gone.  Every cloud has a silver lining though as I've now used this mishap as an excuse to upgrade to a Macbook Pro... I've also learnt my lesson and promised myself I'll be much more organised (and less lazy when it comes to backing up my files) from now on.  It just so happens that I now have a tonne of blog photographs that I need to re-take (for once, i had them all sorted for the month of November and cleared out my memory card just before my laptop died - typical) - amongst the ones that I lost, I had a batch that I'd taken for my October favourites, but since I seem to have missed that boat now, I've decided to type up a few generic ones instead. The majority of the products featured were all hair-related anyway so it seemed silly not to group them all together and create some sort of hair-themed post! Without any further rambling, here's my newest additions to the hair product cupboard and why I think they're the bees knees...

The Mousse // Percy & Reed | Abundantly Bouncy Volumising Mousse | £12.00* | Link

I received this in one of my Love Me Beauty boxes (post here) and it's fast become my favourite mousse. So much so, it's blown any others I've previously used out of the water.  It's much more creamy in consistency than your average mousse and comes out a little more runny as opposed to foamy. However, it doesn't compromise on volume and adds so much body to my hair - after I've dried it, it feels so weightless and bouncy. I love that it seems much more moisturising too - I'm never left with crispy hair even if I do go a little bit overboard and my hair looks glossy and polished despite having product in it. I also love the packaging and design - always a nice little bonus!

The Heat Protection Spray // Neal & Wolf | Heat Guard | £7.61 | Link

I love the scent of Neal & Wolf products so I always spend a little more on their heat protection spray. For me, it's such a necessity and although they all essentially do the same thing, nothing compares to the lovely, musky scent that Neal & Wolf's version leaves my hair with.  It just smells so expensive and luxurious. It leaves my hair feeling silky smooth and I've noticed that the ends feel much softer to the touch since I've been using this - definitely worth the extra bit of money for me and I love that the salon-like scent lingers for a while afterwards.

The Shine Spray // Neal & Wolf | Glow Super Shine Spray | £8.08 | Link

I've never really used shine sprays before but due to my love affair with Neal & Wolf, I decided to give their version a go. Just a few spritzes after styling and my hair looks glossy, smoothed and polished without looking greasy.  It's a nice addition to my collection, especially through winter when my hair can have a tendency become a little dull.  I wouldn't say it makes masses of difference but for me, it has the added bonus of the signature Neal & Wolf scent! It kind of doubles up as a subtle hair perfume for me - I'm left with glossy hair that smells salon-fresh and doesn't feel weighed down. It's a nice little treat if you're a fan of the brand like me...

The Shampoo // Lush | 'BIG' Seal Salt Shampoo | £12.25 | Link

I've recently done a full review of this shampoo here.  I mentioned that it didn't lather too well on me, but since I've used it again I have too eat my words - I'm not sure whether I just didn't use enough water but I bloomin' love it! It smells so fresh and delicious, and the sea salt really does seem to help lift the hair.  For me, it's more of a cleansing shampoo with volumising benefits as opposed to an 'every day' product, as it really does leave the hair squeaky clean and removes build-up. I love the unique texture too - it's actually quite relaxing to massage this in to the scalp and once dry, my hair is left feeling (and smelling) super fresh.

The Deep Conditioner // Lush | 'American Cream' | £4.50 (100g)  | Link

Ok - so Lush don't market this as a deep conditioner as such but that's what I've been using it as.  It's incredibly moisturising and even though it doesn't have an overly thick consistency, it really does work itself in to the hair and you only need a small amount. My hair always feels incredibly soft after using this and always appears much more healthy. It completely revives my hair if it's feeling a bit worse for wear and injects some much needed moisture into the mid-lengths and ends.  It also smells incredible. Honestly, if you love 'creamy' scents you'll absolutely adore this because it's good enough to eat - it lingers on the hair for ages afterwards too. I have a full review here.

The Hair Oil // Shu Uemura | Essence Absolue Oil | Travel Size - £12.00 (Full - £29.60) | Link

This is not a recent discovery for me but I have to include it - it's been my holy grail favourite since I first discovered it over a year ago now and I kid you not, no other hair oil compares. Not even close.  I recently had to use my Moroccan Oil instead when I went away recently and I really did realise just how good the Shu Uemura version is. I missed it so much.  I'm surprised that it's not more well known on blogs because seriously - once you've used one drop of this you'll never want to use anything else. It's so moisturising and my hair never feels weighed down or greasy when I've used it - it's perfect for using on dry hair too and I often run a drop through to kill frizz or add some more moisture to the ends (it also revives hair extensions extremely well). It instantly polishes off your style.  I owe so much to this oil - i truly believe that it's made my hair grow considerably and it's looked and felt so healthy since I switched to using this. I recently picked up the travel size (shown in the photographs) which is sadly a limited edition.  If you've been wanting to try it for a while but didn't want to pay the full whack I urge you to pick one up. I'm so tempted to stock-up on some more to keep by me for when I go on holiday next year because I really can't live without it. It's completely transformed my hair.  I really hope they make the smaller size a permanent thing - it's fab to pop in your handbag for on the go! I have a full review here. 

The Daily Conditioner // Dove | Pure Care Dry Oil Conditioner |  £5.99 £2.97 | Link

I picked up a few bottles of this on a whim for just over £2 each. It's become my new go-to daily conditioner and I love it.  It's so moisturising and smells beautiful. I get through conditioner extremely quickly and a bottle of this lasts me quite a while because the consistency is rather thick.  I love the fact that it's tailored towards dry hair and contains oil - the moisturising benefits are instant.  My hair is left feeling silky smooth and easy to manage - I've found it styles really well after use too as it doesn't leave it feeling 'fluffy'.  Really recommend! 

What are your current hair favourites? Have you tried any of the products featured?

Lush 'BIG' Sea Salt Shampoo

Yes. I finally went there. I took the Lush obsession beyond the odd bath bomb or two.  After reading mixed reviews about their 'BIG' shampoo and having never tried Lush's haircare range before, I must admit I was a little unsure - but I couldn't resist the promise of fuller, glossier locks and quite fancied mixing up my haircare routine.  When I was on holiday in Greece this year, I loved the way my hair had so much natural volume in it due to the change in environment - a combination of the sun and the sea worked miracles for my hair and when I arrived home, I missed my swishy, volumised barnet.  The fact that the main ingredient in Lush's 'BIG' is sea salt made it my first port of call in a bid to recreate my bouncy, effortless holiday-mermaid hair!  

'BIG' is said to be a softening, volumising shampoo containing coarse sea salt, sea water and seaweed extracts. Whilst the salt helps to lift and add body, the extra virgin coconut oil and protein rich seaweed softens the hair and injects moisture.  Lemon and lime help to add shine as they allow the cuticles on your hair to lie flat, thus reflecting more light - oo it's all very scientific ya know! After doing my research into the ingredients, I hoped for summery beach hair in a tub...

The texture is unlike any other hair product I've ever used - it's gel-like, slightly lumpy/gritty (due to the sea salt) and feels quite cool to the touch.  I gathered a rather sizeable blob in my hands and began to work it through my hair - which is when I realised that 'BIG' is rather unlike any other volume shampoo I've tried in the past... it doesn't lather too well! *I've since been informed that you just need a lot of water to work up more of a lather - I guess I didn't add enough - to be fair, it did create a light lather but just not the level of suds I was used to!* It's a sensation I've not really experienced before and I must admit I was a little worried - I had visions of having to get straight back in the shower because it really didn't feel as if I was cleaning my hair and I was gearing myself up for a negative review (sorry, LUSH - I love you but you did throw me off guard with this one!). You have to work it through gently too as the bits of sea salt can be a little bit scratchy - but it actually feels quite satisfying - like a strange, sea salty head massage!  But despite my initial uncertainty, I was very pleasantly surprised.  Honestly, this shampoo really did clean and cleanse my hair amazingly well. I was amazed at how shiny and soft it was after just one use and my blonde appeared brighter and lighter - if you've ever used a cleansing shampoo, you'll know the feeling I'm describing. I was so impressed. My hair looked and felt so healthy and soft to the touch.

But the 'BIG' question (lolz), did it volumise? I have to say - it does do a great job at lifting the hair and making it feel altogether more 'swishy'. It looked visibly more lifted and 'plumped' at the root. I applied my heated rollers after drying and my hair was visibly quite bouncy and light - even more so than when I wash it with a regular shampoo. It wasn't a drastic 'oh my goodness my hair looks so volumous' effect, but it was certainly noticeable. I've been meaning to try it again alongside blow-drying my hair upside down - I can image this will work wonders (if you want to maximise volume potential it's always good to blow-dry upside-down - this is one of my usual tactics!) It certainly transformed my dull, lifeless hair into shinier, healthier looking hair and I really recommend this if you're experiencing limp, dry hair that's in need of a bit of a perk up!

Overall, I have to say, 'BIG' is a winner in my books - if not for the volumising effect but for the fact it breathed so much life into my hair and made it look so much healthier.  It definitely provides a slightly different hair-washing experience - which actually adds to the attraction to this product for me.  At first, you might feel a bit unsure about the fact that it's difficult to get a lather going and slightly weird, lumpy consistency, but roll with it and I can guarantee you'll be left pleasantly surprised like I was.  I've used it a few times since and still have a load left - which is great considering this stuff isn't the cheapest of hair care out there. Priced at £11.35 for 330g, it's definitely more of a treat but one that's worth it for both the benefits it provides and the slight novelty value!  It also smells lovely and fresh - with a hint of 'ocean' in there (what else would you expect?!) and a citrus-y kick, it's quite a unique scent - one that completely freshens up your hair and lingers slightly even once you've washed and dried it. I can imagine it's going to be a 'marmite' product but personally, I love it!  Also, keep your eyes peeled for a review of their 'American Cream' conditioner soon - together with 'BIG' i think I may have found my newest dream team...  You can find 'BIG' on the Lush website here.

Have you tried Lush's 'BIG' shampoo? What did you think? 

Hair Personality with Toni & Guy | The 'Jumbo Tong'

Toni & Guy | The Jumbo Tong | £20.00* | Link

When I was asked to take part in Toni & Guy's 'What's Your Hair Personality?' challenge, I jumped at the chance.  If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I have an obsession for anything hair related.  Every blogger has a 'thing', don't they? Whether it be skin care, nail polish or an ever-growing lip balm collection at the bottom of their handbags. Mine is most certainly anything to do with the ol' barnet! Toni & Guy do a fabulous selection of products and hot tools, all matched to certain hair personality's and types.  There are 4 core collections - 'Classic', 'Casual', 'Creative' and 'Glamorous' - something to suit every preference.  I had a little browse through but there was one collection that caught my eye straight away - 'Glamour'.   I'm always curling my hair (it's naturally straight) and I'm a big fan of volume - the bigger the better. You'll never catch me getting ready for a night out without a few rollers delicately perched on my head! Enter the Toni & Guy 'Jumbo Tong' - meant for creating lots of volume, glamorous waves and sleek loose curls.  

The large barrel (38mm to be precise) is perfect for creating waves and large, loose curls in the hair.  A lot of curling tongs and wands on the market tend to give that 'ringlet' look - but this one adds just the right amount of curl without looking over-done, and provides the hair with a lot of movement and texture in an instant.  To create the look above,  I simply took one inch sections and wrapped them around the barrel for a few seconds before releasing.  I then 'perfected' the look after I'd gone around my whole head and re-curled some of the bits that looked a little bit flat - sometimes taking slightly smaller sections of hair to get a variety of slightly tighter curls and loose waves.  The movement and texture that is achieved is simply stunning - very similar to the look I'd get when using heated rollers or when I have 'second day curls' - very undone, a little tousled and with a lot of body in the mid-sections.   The curls do drop throughout the day, so if you're the type who likes your hair to stay put I'd recommend using a good hairspray, but I was left with lovely, loose looking waves - very beachy and bed-heady. I will say that the tongs work much better on 'second day hair' - I achieved a more defined wave when my hair wasn't freshly washed but I guess that's the case with the majority of heated tools.

The Jumbo Tong is extremely easy and straight forward to use.   You simply choose the heat setting depending on your hair type/thickness via the dial on the body of the tong (I use a medium heat) and in a minute or so you're pretty much ready to get styling! If you have hair that tends to struggle to hold a curl, you might need to have a play around with the dial to find a setting that works for you, but It's very quick to use and a complete doddle to get around your whole head in a matter of minutes - leaving you with perfectly 'undone' looking hair to rival the likes of Cheryl Cole.  The best part is the price; for just £20, the Jumbo Tong is amazingly affordable and is the perfect companion for voluminous, natural looking movement.  You can find them on the Toni & Guy website here and also in lots of high-street stores.

Have you tried the Toni & Guy Jumbo Tong?  Which 'Hair Personality' do you reckon you'd be?

The Perfect Blow-Dry? | Ego Professional & Schwarzkopf OSIS+

When it comes to my hair, styling starts right from the shampoo and conditioner I use.  I am most definitely not your 'wash and go' type. Oh no. I'm much more fussy and like to get everything 'just so'.  If I haven't got time to blow-dry my hair properly, then heaven forbid - it's going to be a bad day to say the least.  Blow-drying my hair is a delicate operation - I have a certain 'routine' and technique I use every single time without fail and I like to experiment often with new products in order to get the best possible barnet.

Ego Professional Hair Alter Ego* | Link

As hairdryers go, this one is pretty swish.  It's superly duperly lightweight - which makes it the perfect companion for those of you who take time blow-drying your hair like me - my hair takes an age to try so I like to avoid 'dead arm' whenever I can.  The design is also really satisfying (waheyy the design student in me is coming out...) - it's really smooth to the touch, easy to grip, buttons are easy to access and the 'nozzle' (not pictured) is very easy to whip on and off.   I also love the whole 'red to black' thing it's got going on.  Visuals aside, the actual performance is really good.  It has 8 speed and heat settings which is fabulous for a fussy little urchin like me, and also has the much needed 'cool' shot for setting in the style.  The best aspect for me, and what sets it apart from a lot of dryers on the market, is the 'HW2' technology - making your hair feel softer and smoother to the touch and generally increasing hair manageability and quality afterwards.  I can honestly say that my hair felt so smooth after using the dryer - even when I blow-dryed my hair upside-down (i do this to get volume in the roots).  I found that I had to use less hair serum the next day to tame frizz, and my GHD's glided through like a dream. I did find I had to read the manual a couple of times to get the best out of it - at first I found it didn't dry my hair as quick as I'd have liked but a quick gen up on the controls and I found it pretty speedy.

The downside? It's by no means a cheap addition to your hair tool collection.  At £109 it really is the crem de la crem of the hairdrying world and if you're a 'blow and go' kind of girl (scrap your filthy minds....) then this won't be for you.  If you're like me and are absolutely hair-care bonkers then it's worth a look if you're in the market for a new dryer - but it's worth shopping around.  You can find it on BeautyBay currently at full price, but a couple of weeks back I found it on Amazon for a great deal less.

Schwarzkopf OSIS+ 'Blow & Go' Volumising Blow Dry Spray* |  Link

Those of you who read my hair-related posts are probably well aware of my love affair with hair mousse. I flippin' love the stuff. If I blow-dry my hair without a dollop or two then I certainly know about it.  After trying a few volumising sprays in the past, I've always converted back to my trusty bottle of the whipped stuff. I often find sprays leave my hair crispy, or looking dull, and often don't provide as much volume as a mousse.   This little offering by Schwarzkopf has probably been the most successful in swaying me in the 'spray' direction so far.  I actually use this for my fringe.  I either like my fringe pushed back slightly, or sweeping across my forehead - and I always like it to look like it has volume. There's nothing I hate more than a flat, gappy fringe (fellow fringe fans will know what I mean here! Jeez, how many more times do I want to say 'fringe' in this paragraph? >>FRINGE!<<) I simply lift the section of hair up, and spray at the root a couple of times from a bit of distance and then blow-dry for a few seconds in the opposite direction, before drying and setting it into the position I like.  I find that it always looks much more glossy afterwards, and doesn't have any crispy bits that the mousse can tend to leave - the 'Blow & Go' doesn't leave any sticky residue whatsoever and leaves your hair looking polished and feeling light as air.  It also helps my fringe to stay pretty 'swoopy' all day.  Result. I can totally see why this little spray is a bestseller... At just under a tenner at £9.75 (you can find it for around £7 on eBay) it's well worth a try if you're struggling to inject a bit of volume into your barnet but don't want to pay a fortune.

Have you tried any of these products? Are you a blow-dry obsessive like me?! If so, recommend me some stuff!! :)

ClipHair Extensions | The 'DIY' Set

ClipHair Extensions | DIY Clip-In Set - 24" in 'Light Golden Blonde | £54.99* | Link

One thing I spend a great amount of time on is my hair.  Whether it be simply throwing it up into a messy bun or curling it for a night out, I never feel content unless my hair is done in some way.  I have relatively thick hair although just recently it's thinned out quite considerably due to health reasons - so keeping my hair looking thick and healthy has been a bit of a kerfuffle to say the least (there's only so many volume shampoos a girl can use!) Clip-in extensions are never far from my grasp - they come in handy for nights out or 'bad hair days' when you just need a little bit of a boost. And let me tell you -  I have been needing one heck of a boost of late! My hair is quite long now as I've been growing it for a number of years, so extensions are something I reach for if I want volume as opposed to length.

When ClipHair offered me the chance of sampling one of their hair extension sets, I knew straight away I wanted to try one their 'DIY' sets.  I've had my fair share of extensions in the past, and one thing that always niggles me is ready sewn sets of hair. Don't get me wrong, it saves a great deal of time and effort and spares you the fiddly little job of sewing the clips on yourself, but I like my extensions to fit a certain way and I like to choose the length of the pieces I wear - not everybody's head circumference is the same! I also opted for the 24 inch length - which is the longest length I've ever gone for with a set of extensions - but I also wanted to cut them myself so that they appeared slightly thicker.  I like my extensions to match the length of my own hair, so I figured if I went a little longer, then I could cut an inch or two off so it matched my own hair perfectly. A few stitches and a couple of snips later and voila - hair extensions that matched my needs exactly.

The colour I decided to go for was 'Light Golden Blonde' - which I have to say is a pretty good match.  I've said it before on my blog but my hair colour is a right pain to match - it's light but has darker blonde bits running throughout it, without any bleach throughout the longer lengths, so I always choose a shade that looks light enough to blend with the top, but natural enough to blend with the bottom.  This shade does just that - and blends seamlessly into my hair.  One of the best things about ClipHair is the range of colours they stock - honestly, i was blown away by the array of shades and colour mixes they offer and it has to be one of, if not the best colour choice I have seen from a hair extension company so far.  They also offer a choice of length ranging from 10 to 26 inches, as well as a choice of singular or double wefted sets - meaning that there really is something there for everybody. 

The quality of the hair is also really good.  They feel really smooth and silky to the touch and also style really effectively.  I always curl my extensions as I rarely wear my hair straight, so a set of extensions that hold a hairstyle is important for me.  What I really love about their website is that they offer FREE worldwide delivery - which is excellent (don't we all hate dreaded delivery charges!) I've been really pleased with the DIY set (link) - it's perfect for those of you who want to experiment with their extensions a little more, or find readily sewn-sets a bit off a faff at times. It's made applying hair extensions that little bit quicker for me. I'll definitely order off ClipHair again - their website has really impressed me and the range of colour, length and weft choices is really extensive.  But don't just take my word for it! You can have a browse on the ClipHair website here.

Have you tried ClipHair extensions? Is a 'DIY' set something you'd like to try?

Bobbyglam Hair Extensions | Review

Bobbyglam Triple Wefted Hair Extensions in 'St Tropez' | 20-22" (180g) £89.99-£104.99* | 

A few weeks back, I was contacted by the lovely team over at Bobblyglam asking if I would like to try one of their triple wefted sets of hair extensions. Just recently, my hair has been behaving quite badly to say the least; it's shedding quite a bit due to being on and off medication, so clip-in hair extensions are something that I really could do with and I jumped at the chance to try a triple wefted set.  If you know me, you'll know I'm a massive fan of big, bouncy hair and lots of volume, so the fact that these hair extensions are super thick makes them perfect for me and what I would use them for.  This post will be quite lengthy (pardon the pun ;)) so I apologise in advance, but if you're new to extensions or fancy reading up on what Bobbyglam has to offer then grab a cuppa, get comfy and have a read.

| Colour & Choice |

After a great deal of umming and arring, I settled on the shade 'St Tropez'.  You will see from the photos in the tutorial section of this post that my hair is a multitude of shades and is light on the top sections, but quite mousey and dark underneath.  It is very much a backwards ombre... And the ends are darker than the very top of my hair.  This makes choosing colours rather difficult for me, as my hair is naturally blonde and I don't have any bleach in it - so getting a colour that's light enough without looking bleached often proves difficult.  St Tropez is the perfect shade, as it matches the lengths of my hair (which is where the extensions will sit and blend), yet also doesn't look mismatched compared to the top section. For reference, my hair is very similar to Lauren Pope's hair colour from The Only Way Is Essex - it's blonde, but with brown/toffee and caramel colours running through it and it looks almost brown underneath. 

Bobbyglam were very helpful helping with shade selection, and you can send a photo of your hair to them to be matched up by their team of experts.  I found the shade range available very good - for blondes or highlighted hair I know it can be a pain to get extensions to match, but they offer a good range of mixed shades and multi-tonal blondes so there should be something there for everyone. If I can find my perfect shade, then trust me, it will be a doddle for you! There is also a choice of length. I opted for the 20-22" simply because my hair is already quite long, but there is also the option of 16-18" for those of you with mid-length, shorter hair.

| Packaging |

The packaging really impressed me with this product.  If you're familiar with extensions then you will know the bog-standard way of packaging them.  Once opened, you're pretty much stuck with them even if they don't match your hair. I have definitely been there and got the 'gutted' tshirt when it comes to opening a shade that doesn't match - being stuck with a pack of hair you can't use and a purse that's one hell of a lot lighter in the process!  Bobbyglam have been very clever here and eliminated the problem.  The set comes with test weft - which is just as carefully packaged as the rest of the hair, but is separately contained in a little box so that you don't have to break into the pack and void any chance of return.  This is so useful - you can actually clip the hair weft into your hair and see very clearly whether or not they will match - something that proves quite difficult with other extensions I've had in the past. 

| Hair Quality & Wefts |

I've had my fair share of extensions so I know the difference between remy-hair and standard 'market' hair.  The hair is very delicately packaged in little hair nets, so there's no snagging or breakage when you remove them from the packet.   It's very soft and smooth, and the ends are as thick as the top of the wefts.  The amount of hair you get is also fabulous - the triple wefted sets provide you with 180g of hair - well above the weight of a lot of companies 'deluxe' weights, meaning you get one heck of a lot of hair for your money and with less clips.  I love the way the triple wefted sets are bonded together - making them only slightly thicker than a standard singular weft.  I really don't like thick wefts with a passion  I wear my hair pulled to the front, so big thick bands of hair running around the back of my head just look awful on me and other people seeing you're wearing extensions pretty much defeats the object for me.  Bobbyglam cleverly bond their wefts together (as shown in the photograph) so that they sit flat to your scalp.  In my pack, I received one 4 clip weft (middle of the head), two 3 clip wefts (back of the head, nape of the neck area) and four 2 clips wefts (sides of the head). This makes up the full set and it is completely up to you how many you wear at one time.  You can also choose between double wefted, triple wefted or QUAD wefted pieces (cripes, now that's volume for you!) amongst other hair-related goodies. It's also worth mentioning that Bobbyglam hair is ethically sourced.

As you can see, the triple wefts add so much body and volume to what is usually flat, straight hair.  I couldn't believe how seamlessly they blended despite my cruddy-hair colour and dodgy multitones - you can also see from the back view that they are virtually undetectable.  The texture matches my hair perfectly, and they don't look overly shiny or false. The ends also look very full as they are cut slightly blunt - no rats tails over here! Yippee!  The triple wefts do feel heavier than your average extensions set, I can't sit here and tell you that they feel weightless - they don't.  But they don't feel uncomfortable at all.  As I've previously explained, I would wear the full set for a night out or special occasion, but on a day to day basis I would probably use half the amount of hair, meaning the weight is virtually no different to any other hair extensions - and the fact that there are less clips means there's less chance of you giving the game away. It also makes application very speedy.

Overall, I'm really impressed with Bobbyglam. I'm planning on curling them soon so that they blend in with my everyday hairstyle (you can view my tutorial for my curly hair here if you're interested) - I will try and post some sort of photograph or FOTD post once I've made them work for my waves.  To say they provide this much volume when straight leaves me to think that they will simply blow me away with the volume when I curl them! Cheryl Cole.. eat yer heart out ;)

Have you tried Bobbyglam extensions?
You can have a nosey at their website here.

Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers | A Review

Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers | £59.99 - Boots | For stockists see here |

Before Christmas, I spent a great deal of time researching the Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers but never quite took the plunge with them.  I've always loved big, bouncy hair but the furthest I'd ever ventured into the whole world of hair rollers and such-like was a pack of yer' average velcro ones from Boots. So, imagine how happy I was on Christmas morning when I discovered that Santa had very kindly treated me to these beauties. After using them a great deal over the past 3 months, I thought it was about time I give you all a run-down of my new favourites.. Apologies if this review is a little lengthy - but I've split the review into sections so you can pick and choose as you please depending on what you want to know..

Set Contents & Packaging

The packaging is the first thing that struck me with these rollers.. Call me a marketer's dream but the purple irridescent-y box just screams luxury (not pictured but trust me on this one, it's mesmerising!) In the box, you get a little leaflet which outlines how best to use the rollers depending on what you're after - volume, or curls, or even both. The set contains 10 large rollers, and 10 smaller 'medium' rollers - all with their own butterfly clip used to secure them onto your barnet. I have fairly long, thick hair and this amount is more than enough for me; I often have a couple of each left over once I've covered my whole head.

So how do the rollers work?

Enrapture rollers emit their heat from the core. As you can see from the photographs above, the rollers 'sit' on little bands of heated strips, which heat the roller from the inside. Once on your head, they emit heat from the core. The little butterfly clips also have a small metal plate on them, meaning your hair wrapped around the roller is surrounded with an even amount of heat - locking the style into your hair as the roller and clip heat up simultaneously. They don't take long to warm up at all - it takes all of 2 minutes, if that, for the little LED panel on the front to show that they're ready to use. Fear not, the rollers will not burn your hands - they slowly emit heat and even when on your head, they don't feel uncomfortably hot. I must admit it's lovely and toasty on these cold snowy mornings!

How I use the rollers

It took a little getting used to at first. I recommend trying them on a day where you have time to experiment as I found I had to work out my own little 'routine' with the rollers before I had it completely mastered.  The 10 larger rollers are meant for volume, and bouncy waves, so I tend to place these around my roots and the top sections of my hair. The smaller medium rollers are used for more defined curls, and I place these towards the bottom layers as this is where I like my curls to stay tighter. The velvet on the outside of the rollers helps to keep the hair in place, whilst avoiding snagging or breakage. I find it best to begin in the middle of the strand of hair, wrapping the ends around before rolling the roller up to the root. Using them in the same way as velcro rollers is very fiddly indeed - but once you've got the 'knack' it's superly-duperly easy peasy and you'll be able to do it with your peepers closed. 

I usually pop them in before I do my make-up of a morning, just to get the most out of the setting time.  If you're in a rush then you're fine to take them out after 20 minutes or so, but I leave them as long as I possibly can. If I'm going out for the night then I'll pop them in for a good hour or so whilst I'm eating my dinner! They sit very comfortably on the head and don't feel too weighty - I find the warmth very relaxing! I take strands no smaller than an inch or so and vary the sizes slightly to give a more natural look, and spray them lightly with a heat protectant and a quick spritz of Elnett hairspray before rolling the hair into the roller. The moisture helps to create the curl and 'set' the style a little more. When I take them out, I simply spray each curl lightly with the hairspray again, before general 'tousling' to make the waves look more natural. 

Finishing Touches

The hairstyle shown above was created using purely the heated rollers. You can see the volume and root lift it creates along with the smoothness of the curl.  One thing I find through curling my hair with straighteners and other appliances, is that my hair can feel a little dry - these rollers help to keep your hair soft, smooth and touchable and look effortlessly natural.  I do find some sections can drop slightly, but setting with hairspray really helps keep them in for longer. If I accidentally leave any ends or small pieces of hair out of the roller (as you can see in the photograph above), I just tidy them up by curling them with the straighteners to blend in - it's such a quick and easy way of styling. Definitely a lazy-girl's go-to method for wavy-princess hair!

Are they worth it?

I adore these rollers so much and have been so impressed with them. They really are worth every penny (can you gather how much I love them yet?.. I sound like a broken record!). I love the fact you can alter the style you wish to go for depending on the size of the rollers you use - making them so versatile for day or night.  I love popping them in, doing my make-up for the day and not having to worry about spending ages on styling my hair, as as soon as I take them out the rollers have already done the work for me. All that's left to do is general finishing and touching up.  You do need to find a good hairspray to use - as on days where there's a bit of moisture in the air (typical English silly weather) I tend to find they drop a little bit quicker.  Overall, they are a staple in my hair routine that I genuinely couldn't live without now - they have changed my perception of rollers and give my hair that extra 'oomph' that I haven't been able to achieve before.  All of you fellow big hair fanatics - I urge you to give these a whirl! You can find them on their website here.

Have you tried Enrapture Heated Rollers or other Enrapture hair tools? What were your thoughts?

1K followers | BIG Hair Giveaway!

I promised a while back when I hit the grand total of 1000 followers on my blog that I would do a giveaway. I've finally got around to sorting it all out, and settled on the idea of a 'big hair' related giveaway. Those of you who have followed my blog for a while will know I love volumising products and big glamorous hair, and I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the products I use with one of you lovely bunch. The products i'm giving away have been featured in a few of my recent posts (here and here) and are products I use on a regular basis (you will also find a little pampering suprise tucked away in the parcel...don't we all love suprises!) The nail polish is actually one of my favourite reds.. and is rather appropriately named 'Big Hair'...

The Rules
- This giveaway is a UK only giveaway - apologies for all of my overseas readers.. I shall try and make my next giveaway international.
- Any entries made through accounts set up purely for giveaways will not be counted
- It goes without saying, but please be fair and only enter if you've done the requirements for the giveaway - any entries found that have falsely entered will not be counted
- If you are under 16, please ask permission from your parents to enter this giveaway as I will need you address to post the prize to you
- The giveaway runs for 2 weeks and will end on Sunday 27th January.
- The winner will be announced and contacted soon after the giveaway has ended. If i get no response with 48 hours of contacting the winner, I will pick another. 

 GIVEAWAY CLOSED

  a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Congratulations to SOPHIE over at sophierosehearts. Youre the winner of this giveaway :) 

Good luck to all of you entering and thankyou for being a reader of my blog

♥ 

How To: My Everyday Hairstyle | Casual Waves

Products used / Loreal Elnett Heat Protecting Styling Spray in 'Curls' / Tresemme Keratin Smooth Protecting Spray / John Frieda Frizz Ease Shape & Shine Hairspray / Loreal Elnett Volume Hairspray / Batiste Blonde Dry Shampoo / Tigi Bed Head Dumb Blonde Smoothing Stuff / Schwarzkopf Got2B Powder'ful Voumising Styling Powder

Firstly, apologies about the lack of my face in this post.. I do hope you can forgive me. I'd got up early, hadn't applied a great deal of eye-makeup and didn't feel at all spritely this morning to say the least. Nevertheless, because I love you all so much, I thought I would take the chance to take a few photos of my daily hair routine since I had some spare time on my hands. Quite a lot of you asked me about my hairstyle in my Christmas Face of the Day post (here) and so I thought I'd give you a little run through of how I achieved it and the products I use to style my hair everyday. This has been one of my 'signature' styles since I was at school - and I find making my hair wavy this way is very quick if you're in a rush, or are just lounging around the house but want your hair to look half-decent. The beauty about it is that it turns out slightly different every time you do it, and the longer you spend on it the more control you have over what it turns out like. Personally, I like my hair to look a little 'undone' and a little dishevelled, so if i'm being completely honest I don't often take too much time or care in doing it! It's a very versatile little method and one that I will continue to use until i'm old and grey and resisting temptation to get a perm...

Step 1 | This step is optional, but being a massive fan of volume I take my teasing comb and backcomb at the roots lightly. My hair often gets quite dull in the winter months so I also tend to spray some Batiste dry shampoo in 'Blonde' at the roots to lift the colour slightly. This is also a fabulous way to add texture to 'just washed' hair - it takes away the fly-away feeling and helps to achieve volume. I just generally give my hair a bit of a tousle and a fluff up to prep for the further steps.. (you may notice one side of my hair is already curly - I decided half way through my hair-routine to start this tutorial so concentrate on my other half of my head)

Step 2 | To make my hair wavy, I use my trusty Remington straighteners. Yes, you may gasp in horror that I don't use GHD's but my trusty age-old ceramic Remingtons do the job perfectly fine (and until they run out of juice i refuse to throw money at more heat appliances as I have a drawer full of them - eek!). I either use the Elnett Styling Spray or the Tresemme Keratin Smooth for my heat protectant. For daily use I find the Tresemme works wonders on my hair as it keeps it soft and manageable and doesn't weigh it down. If I need my style to last for a night out I will use the Elnett Styling Spray. This is a little heavier and feels a bit more like a hairspray when applied - it has a slight sticky feel to it that helps to keep the style in your hair for longer.

I take 1-2 inch sections, varying as I go around my head but I never go smaller than this. The bigger the sections the looser the curl. This step is a little difficult to explain (definitely need to start YouTube!) but I place the straightener where I want the wave to begin - usually about 3 inches down from the root. After this you need to move fairly swiftly to avoid lines in the hair. I turn the straightener as shown so that the hair is wrapped around the 'barrel' bit. I turn it just under 180degrees (the further you twist the straightener the tighter the curl).

Step 3 | I then move the straightener down to the ends of my hair as smoothly as I can. If you aren't used to curling your hair with straighteners then I will warn you this bit takes a bit of getting used to (especially if yours are square edged like mine - but don't worry if they are, you can't tell at all if you do it correctly). I repeat the process all around my head - I dont section it off - I just do as I please as it adds to the 'undone' look I'm going for. But I do concentrate more on the two front sections.

Step 4 | I then take John Frieda's Frizz Ease Hairspray. If you're after a really good setting spray then this is wonderful. You don't need much at all. I spray 2-3 sprays on each side and lightly tousle the waves I've made. I don't scrunch it! This will make it frizzy and ruins the smooth shape you've created.

Step 5 | Again this step is optional. I don't always do this but I find it helps if I'm having a flat hair day. I take Schwarzkopf's Volumising Powder and use a small bit rubbed into the palm of my hands to lightly mess up the lengths. This adds volume to the lengths of the hair - if your hair is like mine and all the layers have grown out (my hair is mostly one length), it can be difficult to achieve volume - especially if it's long as it weighs the curls down. This gives the style texture and plumps up the hair. Again, I do this lightly and use more of a 'lifting' motion as opposed to scrunching the hair.

Step 6 | After all of that styling and 'plumping' sometimes some hairs can get out of place and if I'm having a bad hair day it can sometimes look a little frizzy (damn you, wintery weather!) If this is the case I take a pea sized amount of Tigi's Dumb Blonde Smoothing Stuff and very lightly smooth down the frizzy bits. I do this bit so lightly that I almost don't touch the majority of my hair - just the flyaways!

Step 7 | This step is just general shifting and perfecting. I use my fingers for this. I pull my fringe down properly and lift up the roots to bring back the volume I added at the start of the process. I sometimes give it a quick once over with Elnett's hairspray - it's really light and just seals in the style without making it crispy and overdone.

It goes without saying I use volumising shampoos and mousses when I blow-dry my hair (John Frieda's Volume Shampoo and Mark Hill's VaVaVoom Mousse to be precise) so I give my hair as much help as I can to achieve the volume. And there we have it! Simples! If I ever start YouTube I shall definitely do a little tutorial on this in video form. I'm also planning on doing some more in-depth photograph tutorials on my blog over the next few months using my waving wand (my favourite for nights out) and various curling tongs - I often switch up the heated appliance I use and each provide slightly different looks. So keep your eyes peeled for those!

What is your everyday hairstyle?

♥