In-Between

Hey Pretties,

If you haven't seen this super important post check it out here.

You may or may not know ;) that there's literally 10's of thousands of beauty and fashion blogs in the world, exciting right?  It definitely is, but it also means that as a blogger who takes her hobby very seriously {that's me if you don't know LoL}, it means that there is a certain amount of pressure to stay on top things.  Perhaps I'm the only blogger that feels this?  But there certainly is always an amount of competition amongst us all.

I truly am grateful and so happy that my blog has grown so tremendously since my very first post, which was done on 29 September 2012, I also at this moment in time have 137 GFC followers with almost 11000 pageviews.  It has taken a lot of hard work and time to do this, blogging isn't always easy, it certainly is loads of fun, but it takes prep work and time to do it properly.  And one can always see those bloggers who take short cuts, who haven't really put in the time and effort ~ and I certainly won't be one of them.

Being married, mommy to 3 furries and working a 9 - 5 job can be challenging, top that with the fact that my husband has a very difficult and demanding job as manager, we've been trying to have a baby for 2 1/2 years and general life, I have had to make the decision as to what is important to me.  I've also asked the question whether at times I'm truly present in the moment, or am I so consumed by the fact that everything I do is for my blog, some purchases I've made purely for blogging reasons and that is certainly not the way to live life, I don't just want to do or be somewhere purely for the fact that I want to feature it on my blog.

Now at the age of 31, I am past the years where I feel that I have to impress anyone ~ trust me, it's one of the positive things that comes with age, is being totally comfortable with being you.  I don't want to live my life just to capture moments on my blog, and as much as I adore and love sharing things with you, it's more important for me to be present in every moment.  My husband works long hours, and when he eventually comes home, I want to spend those few precious moments with him, before he has to continue working from home too.  I was diagnosed with stage 3 endometriosis in November 2011, I had a laporoscopy and hysteroscopy with our fertility doctor and he removed it all, but he had advised that because he cut it out, he thinks it'll take about 18 months before it comes back.  Endometriosis is one of those conditions that has a 50/50 chance of coming back, I think it's easier to deal with the pain that comes along with this condition every month, but the worst thing is the fact that it has a high percentage of making a women infertile.  Also the fact that I'm already 31 doesn't really help ~ I guess what I'm saying is that I need to make more me and hubby/family time. 

Coupled with the fact that I no longer support brands who regularly release new product lines such as MAC and Revlon to name but a few, I don't know if a lot of readers will still be interested if I don't jump on the bandwagon when some new hip product comes out.  I'm not saying that I'll disappear from the blogging scene forever ~ but at this moment in time I don't want to spend as much time blogging, I don't want to live for moments but I want to live in them!

Please do still check out my facebook and twitter page for updates!

Much Love,
xoxo



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Beautiful ~ At What Cost?

Hi Lovelies,

To the world you may only be one person,

but to an animal you could be their whole world!

I am giving you a friendly forewarning that this is going to be a long but important post, so get yourself a cuppa and have a little read.  This week I sat and browsed through the new People Magazine, and came across an article that has changed my life.  If you don't know already, I am an absolute animal fanatic, I am mommy to three Yorkshire Terriers named Paco, Levi and Bambi plus a couple of ferals cats at work that me and a few other people feed and look after.  They truly are my world, and the love I have received from these furrballs have made me grateful that I am able to experience pure love one can only ever really receive from a pet.  The article was about scientific experimentation and animal testing, and to say the pictures were gruesome does not convey the full extent of pain and hurt I felt.  I've always wondered why there seems to be two separate laws, one for us and one for animals?  People get up in arms when they hear abuse towards human beings and rightly so, yet the same kindness and laws do not apply to animals, why?

I am one of those people that will stop in a busy road and most probably put my own life in danger to catch a stray or lost dog, stop when an animal has been run over to try and save it's life, involved with various pets charities and generally try to raise animal awareness as much as possible.  Perhaps I'd been living under a rock, perhaps I tried to shelter myself from the reality ... I don't know why I never fully understood the horrific truth of animal testing up until now, but I can safely say I'll never be able to turn my back to the truth I have uncovered.  I also want you to know that this post is not meant to be judgemental, or that I'm trying to preach or force my opinions on anyone ~ But at least if I've made you ask the question what your beauty is worth, and have helped you to make informative choices, then my work has been done {knowledge is power}.

Initially after the whole article when I started doing my research, it was a bittersweet moment for me, as I had realised my holy-grail products MAC Cosmetics were doing animal testing, for years they never did, but it seems that they finally decided to cave into the Chinese-market greed.  But I was also pleasantly surprised and excited when I saw just how many brands were cruelty free, it made me incredibly happy and I couldn't wait to share the good news with all you beauties, I mean who doesn't love discovering new brands or products that you now realise are actually doing such an amazing thing such as supporting cruelty free practises.

Sentience: The word “sentience” means “one who has the faculty of sensation and perception”, meaning to have the ability to “feel” physically and emotionally.*

Animal Rights: Animals have natural rights which must be acknowledged in South African law; these include the right to freedom from unnaturally induced pain; the right to shelter; the right to nourishment; the right to indulge their natural instincts; the right to freedom of movement and most importantly, the right to exist. Animals have intrinsic worth and their value should not be based on their usefulness to humans.*

What is Animal Testing?

Every year, cosmetics companies kill millions of animals to test their products.  Product testing is commonly performed on animals to measure the levels of skin irritancy, eye tissue damage, and toxicity caused by various substances used in the manufacture of cosmetics. In the Draize test, caustic substances are placed in the eyes of conscious rabbits to evaluate damage to sensitive eye tissues. This is extremely painful for the rabbits, who often scream when the substances are applied and sometimes break their necks or backs trying to escape the restraints.

Lethal Dosage (LD) tests are used to determine the amount of a substance that will kill a predetermined ratio of animals. For example, in the LD50 test, subjects are forced to ingest poisonous substances (through stomach tubes, vapor spray inhalers or injection) until half of them die. Common reactions to LD tests include convulsions, vomiting, paralysis and bleeding from the eyes, nose, mouth or rectum.

General Info:

Do not be fooled by certain companies or cosmetics brands such as MAC, they claim to have an animal cruelty free policy, yet when they want to sell their cosmetics in China, it is required by Chinese law that all cosmetics have to be tested on animals!  Yes, you read that right, all cosmetics sold in China have to be tested on animals first.  I am more than aware that there are Chinese activists, but they are few and far between, and as far as humanly possible we must stop and avoid supporting Chinese products, their legislation and laws need to be changed, but as long as people support their practises and there is a demand for it, they will continue with their inhumane ways.

* Information taken from www.bwcsa.co.za

Cruelty Free Brands:

 

ELF

Lush

NYX

Physicians Formula

Topshop Makeup

Butter London

Tarte Cosmetics

www.makeupgeek.com.store

www.eccobella.com

Woolworths

www.natural-beauty-africa.co.za

Annique

Beauty Factory

Cosmetix

Hannon

Stila

Urban Decay (A few months ago they said they were doing animal testing but in July they turned their back on this policy and now remains cruelty free)

Barry M

Dr Hauschka

Essence

Jemma Kid

China Glaze

Illamasqua

LA Girl Cosmetics

Brands that Do Test On Animals:

 

L'Oreal (Make sure that you know which brands are owned by these cosmetics houses, chances are high that if a certain brand is owned by them that they'll adhere to company policies, for example Garnier and Maybelline is owned by L'Oreal, and you might also be asking me why The Body Shop isn't featured above on the good list, and the reason is that The Body Shop was bought by L'Oreal in 2006 and they do animal testing, so truthfully, by supporting The Body Shop you're not actually doing anything good)

Smashbox

MAC
Almay

Bourjois

Chanel

Christian Dior

Estee Lauder

Maxfactor

Clinique

Clarins

NARS

OPI

Revlon

Rimmel

Coty

Sleek Makeup

The above cosmetics brands are accurate as far as I know, I've done my best to look for the latest status on them, but I do suggest visiting www.peta.org and www.bwcsa.co.za to stay updated with all the latest developments.

Most brands will state on the label that it is cruelty free, or have this logo on it:

 

I know it's a lot of information to take in, as I looked at my make-up collection I realised just how many of these cruel brands I have supported and thus enabled to continue doing these awful testing on our furry friends {and this doesn't begin and end with just cosmetics ~ it effects every single part of our life from food choices to medicine and even the contacts you might be wearing}, I know that I won't be able to have a proper make-up collection completely cruelty free for quite some time, but I will endeavour to eliminate as many of these cruel brands as soon as possible, and I am also going to be writing letters to these companies, letting them know that I will no longer support such cruelty.  Also, I will be making more educated food choices, household cleaning items etc.  Of course this is going to be a long road, by no means am I saying I know everything, indeed I am a rookie, this is all new to me, but I know one step at a time my family will be making a positive difference.  I know sometimes we feel like we're just a small fish in the pond, but trust me, by making educated and compassionate choices, not only can we live with a peaceful and happy soul, but knowing you have made a difference!  Here's some beautiful pictures to remind you what we are fighting for:



I hope I've helped you to make informative and good decisions, I hope I've helped you ask the question what your beauty is worth? 

Much Love,

xoxo



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Winners: Cosmetics Hamper

Hi Beauties,



Congratulations to the following winners:

Kim

Joanne

Odette

 

I will send you an e-mail shortly so we can arrange to have your fabulous R400.00 cosmetics hamper delivered to you soon.

 

I hope you enjoy the goodies and thank you to everyone who entered!

 

Love,

xoxo

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My Blogging Area / Desk

Hi Pretties,

I never thought that I'd enjoy blogging as much as I do, and when I started I thought it will be okay to share my hubby's desk ~ but it soon proved to be quite challenging and somewhat of an annoyance.  I didn't really have any area to put my products I wanted to review and general bits and bobs. 

Perhaps he felt I was invading his space too much ;) but he bought me this lovely new desk, now I can burn my beloved Yankee Candle's to my hearts content, and I finally have a small space in the study I can call my own.  It has to be said, ever since I can remember I have been a couch potato, and in school I literally could not do homework or study without the telly being on in the background, although I like music I prefer watching television, even if it's on just as background sound ... so it was imperative that I position my desk so I can see the telly ;)

Desk and Chair:  Mr Price Home

Storage Boxes:  Mr Price Home

Glass Jar:  @Home

Yankee Candle in Vanilla Cupcake:  Tobacconist (Retails for R250.00 ~ 411g)

Pen Holder:  Mr Price Home

Flowers:  Mr Price Home

3 Wick Candle in French Vanilla:  Mr Price Home

Sony Vaio in Pink:  Incredible Connection

I love the contrast between my mahogany desk and crisp white chair, initially I wanted to get the chair in red and it looked so retro, but decided against it as I wanted a vintage look to the area, although I can't make it too girly as I am sharing this space with my hubby.

I store stationery such as a stapler, cello tape etc. in the storage boxes, plus a few bits and bobs.  I've got some candy in the glass holder to keep me going whilst blogging, and I have quite the love affair with Yankee Candles.  Yes, they're expensive, but they're totally worth the investment, all of the ones I've bought, the fragrances are true to the name, it also fills the entire area with the loveliest of smells, and the biggest positive for me on them is the fact that they burn for hours and hours on end. 

The candle from Mr Price home is also really lovely, I'm usually not a fan of their candles as I find the smell is not very pleasant, but this one is really amazing, and I adore the glass jar.  I also got some gorgeous notebooks from Mr Price Home and they were really inexpensive.  Oh, and of course I have my mandatory cup of rooibos tea sweetened with honey, blogging just won't be the same without it.

Our study isn't finished at all, we have this beautiful ethereal painting of a lake that needs to be put up on the wall, plus a clock and a mirror, and some few other things that need to be done.  But I'm happy with it so far.

PS ~ You can see my tripod standing in the back, it was really inexpensive from Incredible Connection, if I remember correctly it was around the R200.00 mark, and I highly suggest investing in one as it's so much easier to take your own outfit photo's with these.

I don't know if I'm the only curious one, but I'm always interested to see where other girls do their blogging?  I can't find any posts on the internet ~ So here I am tagging or whatever you want to call it to all my fellow lovely bloggers to do a post about your blogging space, and remember to give me your link once done.

Love,

xoxo



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Christmas Giveaway !!! {Closed}

Hi Beauties,

The lovely people from Perfect 10 salons nationwide is giving three of my readers the opportunity to win a lovely hamper from one of the cosmetic brands they stock, they're also my favourite to visit when I buy O.P.I. nail polishes, visit their website here to find your nearest branch.

I'm so excited to be hosting my 2nd giveaway and this one is just in time for Christmas!  I do love giving my readers gifts, and I want you to say Thank You for supporting me, for reading and following my blog ... these things would not be possible without YOU!  So Thank You xoxo

All the Lovely Details:

~  Open to South African residents only.

~  Three (3) readers will win an Empro Cosmetics hampers to the value of R400.00 each.

~  The prize includes:  Triangular Brow Pencil, Black Diamond Liner and Day Night Mascara, they can be viewed here.

How to Enter:

*  Leave me a lovely comment on this post, please include your contact details so I can contact you once the draw has been done.

*  Follow my blog via GFC (Google Friend Connect) at the top right corner of my blog.

*  Like Perfect 10 Facebook page here.

The above is compulsory and will be checked.

*  For an additional entry please follow me on twitter and send me a tweet, only one entry via twitter will be accepted.

The giveaway is open from the time it is published, and ends on Wednesday night, 5 December 2012.  The winner will be announced as soon as possible, please check my twitter and facebook page for updates.

Good luck angels!

Love,

Elrese

xoxo





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Lady Gaga South-Africa: OOTN

Hi Lovelies,

A few months ago a certain mega pop-star announced that she is coming to South-Africa as part of her Born This Way Ball worldwide tour, and to say that caused a bit of excitement amongst us little monsters is the understatement of the year.

I still remember the day the tickets went live, my brothers girlfriend took the day off to buy us all tickets, from the time of opening everyone got bumped into a queue, people went a bit gaga-crazy on twitter and most of us struggled to get tickets.  Needless to say we got them in the end thanks to my wonderful mom who had to go into computicket to book our seats, and of course I then started planning what I was going to wear.  Now I know a lot of people like to imitate Lady Gaga and that's fine if it's your thing, but to me, her main message is celebrating who you are as an individual.  I love anything girly and sparkly, so I knew it was going to be bright with lots of bling and not forgetting my beloved smokey eye.

 

 

I was unsure if I wanted to wear flats and in the end I decided to go with these, and I was so glad I did, the parking was situated quite far from the stadium, and it's so massive inside that I ended up walking more than I expected, not to mention the little run when we heard the music playing and we still had 4 levels to go upwards.  Needless to say the run was all for nothing as we still ended up sitting for about 20 minutes before the show started (so my exercise has been done for the next month) hehe.

 

Plain White Vest Top:  Mr Price

Purple Skater Skirt:  Mr Price

Pointy Flats:  Cotton On

Hair Extensions:  Cliphair Ltd

The stage was so beautiful, it was a castle but looked different with every song due to clever lighting, and the band was stationed in different areas in the castle whom we got a peak of every now and again as the stage opened.  Lady Gaga made her grand entrance on a horse, the whole feel of the concert was definitely sci-fi alien(esque).  I didn't expect anything less from her.

 

As soon as she came on stage, you could feel her presence, she's a mega star for a reason, she filled the whole stadium and we were left in awe and wonder of her.

This was my favourite dress of the night, I would totally wear something like this, and she also wore this beautiful pink dress with an amazing hat, which unfortunately I didn't take a picture of.

The show was the most amazing concert I have seen, the choreography, lighting and set up was extroadinary, with loads of suprises, heart-felt moments and a few bits of shockers too, like her entrance made via a "lady bit" LoL. 

 

Regardless of your thoughts of her, what I saw was someone that truly cares and loves her fans, above all, she encourages us all to be proud of who we are, and not care what people think or say of us.  That is an inspiring message I hope we all will live by.

 

 

Love,

xoxo

 

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Hair Care: Micro Ring Hair Extensions

Hi Lovelies,

This week is super busy for me, not only did I have my birthday celebrations, but we're going to see Lady Gaga Monster Ball Concert live at Soccer City this Friday!!

I am absolutely in love with my hair extensions!  I've had them in for just over a week, and I thought this is the perfect time to share with you all my tips and tricks that I have learned so far.  I told my husband the other day that I don't want to be without hair extensions again, I feel so pretty and feminine.  If you missed it, my micro ring (bead/link) hair extensions is from Cliphair Ltd.

My thoughts after having them in for one day:

My hairdresser advised that I wash my hair the day after she applied them, which I did.  Unfortunately I used the wrong products, and I ended up with straw-like hair ... so not cute!  I had slept perfectly fine the previous night and the little beads doesn't hurt or anything, although you do feel them it's not painful (but after a day or two you won't even notice them anymore).  After washing them with the wrong products, I blow-dried my hair, it felt funny, and I definitely felt a weight throughout the day, especially in the neck area it felt quite heavy {by the second day I couldn't feel it anymore, so give it a day or so just to get used to it ~ a week later I don't even feel that I'm wearing extensions at all}.  It also didn't feel like mine yet, if that makes any sense, but I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that my hair felt brassy, which I'm not used to as my own hair is very healthy and shiny.

It is probably something I should've done before using the products, but that night I had a squizz at the ingredients, and all of the products I used that morning had a combination of alcohol and sulfate in them, which is the worst thing to use on hair extensions.  I then found a savour in a bottle of serum I had bought ages ago, and immediately after applying this to my hair, it felt soft and flowy. 

Products not good for hair extensions:

Approved products for Hair Extensions:



I'm not a hair expert, so I cant give you all of the scientific facts, but all I know is when you have hair extensions, look for shampoo and conditioner that is sulfate free, you will also notice in the ingredients list that there is only one small component of alcohol, whereas with other products there will be various components of alcohol in which is not good.  Also note that the first ingredients mentioned are the highest ingredients used in the product, so the further down the list the less of that specific ingredient is used.

Shampoo and Conditioner:  Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Sulfate Free Infused with Keratin {Available at Dischem stores}:

I am absolutely in love with this!  I have felt such a difference in my hair, even the hair extensions are unbelievably soft, and this will definitely be a staple in my beauty cabinet from now one.

Hair-Care Routine:

1.  I wash my hair with the Marc Anthony shampoo and conditioner every three days, I've been told and have read on a couple of sites that you should try and wash your hair as little as possible.  Lightly rub your scalp and work downwards, be gentle and don't rub your hair together too hard, keep working in a downwards motion.  Also leave your conditioner in for longer than you usually would, and it's highly recommended that you wash your hair in the shower, as this helps with the downwards motion.

2.  Try and let your hair air-dry as much as possible, here's a forewarning, your hair will take really long to dry!  What I do is once I get home I wash my hair so it has a couple of hours to dry naturally, never go to sleep with wet hair!  If you do need to blow dry it, use it on the lowest heat setting possible. 

3.  Generally I'll advise to add about 40 - 60 minutes to do your hair, especially if you blow-dry it immediately, trust me, it takes a lot longer to dry and style!  Yes, it's a high maintenance style but totally worth it.

4.  I use Kair Leave-in-Conditioner morning and night, when it's wet and at night before I braid my hair to go to sleep.  I also always use the Tresemme Heat Defence spray before putting any heat on my hair.  I prefer my hair curled, so I'll quickly curl it the morning, sometimes just loose beachy waves, and once dry, I use a teeny bit of Kair strengthening silicone serum.  The serum is wonderful to use anytime you feel your hair is a bit dry, or just need that extra bit of moisture.

5.  I suggest sleeping with your hair in two braids on each side, or in a ponytail, before braiding I spray leave-in-conditioner, brush and then braid.

6.  As I only wash my hair every third day, I adore Batiste dry shampoo, not only does it give you that fresh clean feel and smell, but it gives amazing volume.  Basically I only curl my hair the first day, the second day it's already curled and with the braids looks really lovely and beachy, the third day I'll wear half-up, or in a high messy bun, but the dry shampoo is an absolute must.

7.  Brush, brush and brush GENTLY!  The brush and comb have been approved by my hairdresser, you have to brush at least morning and night to ensure you get rid of any knots or tangles.  Easy does it!  I split my hair in two, so basically as you would to make two braids.  Starting from the tips of your hair brush out, and work upwards,  Be gentle so don't pull or tug.  You can even take your hand to hold your scalp area, then gently and lightly brush over the micro rings/beads.  I used to be so scared but I realised they're quite tough.  For wet hair, never brush with a hair brush but use a wide tooth comb!  You do get special brushes for hair extensions, so if you're a bit scared or unsure I'd say invest in one of them to make it easier for you,

Overall I am over the moon and so happy with my hair!  I feel that now that I've learned how to manage them, I enjoy it so much.  It feels and looks like my own hair, in fact it might even be softer than my own, you can do anything with it as you would with your own hair, just a little bit of extra care goes a long way.  And you should have a good hair care routine anyway.

If you have any other questions pretties, let me know and I'll gladly try to help where I can.

UPDATE:

Just to let you know that I have not lost any strands of hair extensions, nothing has come out, and my hairdresser did advise that I may lose one or two even from the first wash, but nothing ~ so these seem to really be holding super well.

Have a fabulous week!

Love,

xoxo



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Outfit of the Night: Dress from Topshop SA

Hi Pretties,

I made a trip to the launch of Topshop South-Africa last week Thursday, and found such a gorgeous birthday celebratory dress.  I will be posting about the other goodies I picked up and my view about the new Topshop very soon.

This dress reminded me of something Kim Kardashian would wear right?!  It is so pretty yet attention grabbing at the same time.  Very on-trend with mesh cut-out detailing in cream and black, with the girliest shimmery lace material ~ it is the dress that takes you from summer to winter and a definite investment.  It has slight padded shoulders, which perfectly balances out the flared skirt, as it was a bit chilly yesterday I wore tights and black patent leather pumps, and kept the colours black and cream which is very chic and classic, with a pop of colour through my faux-snake skin clutch bag.  It's so much fun dressing up for a night out on the town!

We went to Moyo Melrose Arch what an amazing restaurant, and later in the evening they came around to paint our faces, so much fun, here I'm with my mom and mom-in-law.

Dress:  Topshop in Sandton City R779.00

Hair:  Micro Ring Hair Extensions from ClipHair Ltd

And I wanted to give my brother the reward for the best Movember!  He is the best brother ever, well, he is my only one but still ;) he totally rocked it out!



I hope you enjoyed this post beauties.

Love,
xoxo

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Winner: Clip-in-Hair Extensions {Cliphair Ltd}

Hi Lovelies,



Firstly I'd like to thank each and every one of you for entering my very first giveaway ~ and don't fear beauties as I'll have 2 more giveaways before Christmas! 

I'm extremely excited to give a huge congratulations to Rossyana for winning a full head of 100 % Remy clip-in-hair extensions!!  You will be tweeted once the post has gone live, and kindly contact me soonest so we can arrange for your order and so you'll have your pretty new hair soon!!

I hope you enjoy your extensions from the amazing people at ClipHair ~ I know you're going to love them as much as I do!  And for those who unfortunately didn't win, do give them a try whenever you're interested in buying hair extensions, you won't regret it I promise.

Love,
xoxo

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International Giveaway: Clip-In Hair Extensions {CLOSED}

Hi Lovelies,

I could not wait to share this amazing giveaway with you!  The lovely people from Cliphair Ltd has given me the opportunity to give one of their sets of clip-in hair extensions (full head) to one of my beautiful readers, and it's just in time for Christmas!!!!

I wanted to take the time to say THANK YOU to each reader who takes the time to read my ramblings, that makes the effort to comment on my blog, that subscribes and supports me, I never in a million years thought people would be interested in my weird and sometimes lovely thoughts LoL.  Without you my blog amounts to nothing, and I want you to know that I appreciate you, and I really wish I could give each one of you something, but unfortunately there is only one winner, but keep your fluttery peepers peeled because I do have more giveaways due before Christmas.  So thank you ... thank you ~ Thank You!

*  You can make a selection on any of these Clip-in-Hair Extensions

*  The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL, and the prize includes shipping to your door.

*  The giveaway opens once published and ends on Saturday night, 24 November 2012.

*  A random selection of the winner will be made on randomizer.org

How To Enter:

1.  Subscribe to my blog via Google Friend Connect (GFC), it's the blue button at the right side of my blog.

2.  Comment (anything - surprise me) in the comment section of this post, please also add your contact details, it can be your twitter or email address.

3.  Like here, here and here.

4.  For an additional entry (only one will count, and as I will be doing this on a program your duplicates will be deleted), share this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook, and remember to include @DressedITCity and @Cliphairlimited in your tweet in order for your bonus entry to be valid.

PS ~ All entries and subscriptions will be checked, I appreciate honesty and if you've failed to adhere to the rules, your entry will be deleted to give someone else who is honest and loyal a fair chance to win.

The winner will be announced within a couple of days after entry closed, I will try and do it as soon as possible and will keep you updated via twitter and Facebook, so remember to check those accounts if you've entered.

Good luck all my beauties!!

Love,
xoxo

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Review: Cliphair Ltd. ~ Micro Ring Extensions

 

Hi Beauties,

I have some exciting news to share, so if you see me with long and pretty hair, don't think my evil twin sister abducted me (of course she's not real in case you're wondering).  I was contacted and given an amazing opportunity to review hair extensions, and I selected the new Micro Ring Extensions from Cliphair Ltd.  After doing some research on their website, I was pleasantly surprised to see the wide variety of hair extensions available, even more so when I saw how competitive they were with their pricing, even after converting it to Rands it still came out cheaper than most prices I have received in South-Africa, so if you are based locally I'd highly suggest you have a look at their website.

BEFORE:

I was sent 4 packs with 50 strings per pack, which came to GBP 131.00, and roughly R2000.00 - They sent me in colour Medium Brown # 4.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm lucky enough to be able to call my hairdresser my cousin too, she is the only one I trust with my hair, and I suggest you have a professional apply these ~ if you ever need an amazing hairdresser on the East Rand in Johannesburg let me know, she is totally fabulous. It took approximately 2 hours to apply, it can be quite rough on your scalp, luckily I'm not too sensitive on my head and you can kind of tug and pull a bit, but if you are sensitive this might be quite sore. 
 

What I Love:
 

~ Free and fast worldwide shipping!
 

~ I e-mailed a picture of my hair colour, and a colour expert helped me to select the best shade, which by the way is the perfect match.

 

~ Competitive pricing plus wide selection of products.

~ This type of extension guarantees the least damage to your own hair.

~  100 % Remy human hair.

Tips and Tricks:

Long hair instantly transforms me into a goddess, well, that's my thinking anyway. But I adore having long luscious hair, I feel more womanly and to be quite honest quite empowering. How many men have told you that they love long hair? Exactly. To keep your tresses in tip-top shape, here's a couple of guidelines:

* Brush your hair as often as possible, but very-very gently, using the correct brush or comb, start from the bottom and work your way up and instead of forcing a knot out, spray leave-in conditioner to soften it up a bit. Use your hand to hold the scalp area when brushing to avoid pulling out strands of extensions.

* As the extensions have gone through quite a rough process of chemicals etc. I have noticed that it is quite dry and dull looking, the reason is that it's not connected to a follicle which gives it much needed moisture, so you have to replace that from the outside. I suggest using a deep conditioning treatment at least once a week, up your quantity of usage such as heat protectant and leave-in conditioner, so when you think you've used enough add more.

* These can be treated and styled as you would with your own hair. Use your hairdryer and all other heating tools on the lowest temperature, and wherever possible let air-dry, but never go to sleep with wet hair, also never tip over your head when drying your hair. When going to sleep, tie it up in a ponytail or braid your hair, to avoid tangling.

* When washing your hair, do it in the shower, very gently starting from the scalp to the roots, don't rub and be gentle. Pat dry once out of the shower and continue styling.

* Make sure that you have a brush/comb with you during the day, as you'll need to comb through quite often to avoid tangling and helping your help stay blended and looking nice.

One Small thing I would change:

~ When you pick up a strand of hair, it's very thick at the base, but thinning to almost half of the thickness at the bottom, which means you end up with a lot of thickness up to where your own hair ends, and then it's noticeably thinner at the bottom. My hairdresser had to trim it a little bit, and also do a bit of cutting overall to help make it blend better. I also prefer wearing them curled rather than straight, I think it looks so much better when it's curled or wavy.

I've had these in for a day now, it has taken some time to get used to it, I can definitely feel that my hair is heavier, it also didn't feel like "mine" for a few hours, but now I'm getting more used to it, I've washed and styled it this morning and no strands came out. I didn't struggle to sleep at all last night and the beads doesn't hurt at all. My biggest suggestion is to avoid heat as much as possible, put in as much moisture as possible through treatments and serums ... but overall - Enjoy them! They look and feel so pretty, and I will definitely be repurchasing from them.

 

Love,

xoxo



 

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