My Tips for keeping your hair as healthy as possible!

Hello Everybody!
Hope everyone's week is treating them well! 

In this weeks blog post I'm going to talk about taking proper care of your hair. I've been on quiet a journey with my hair! Made a lot of mistakes and learned how to come back from them!

Quick backstory on my own mane, I'm a natural blonde (Although a few people don't believe me when I tell them) but i am!
I started getting some highlights when i was 15 to maintain the blonde because I felt the colour was turning a bit mousey. And everyone knows once you start getting blonde highlights or bleaching your hair there's no turning back! The upkeep of blonde hair is hard but have beautiful results! 

It can also tend to become quiet expensive, which is why when I was 20 I made the catastrophic mistake of bottle bleaching my hair! 

I thought it was great at first. Convenient and cheap. But it was when my hair literally started falling out in clumps i realised maybe it wasn't my brightest move!

My hair is only just after getting back to a healthy place, so here a some of the products and tips and tricks I've learned over the past few years to bring my poor damaged hair back to life!

1) PUT DOWN THE BLEACH!

It is so tempting to do your own hair at home, and that's fine if you're brunette, darker or even a strawberry blonde would turn out ok. But pleeease don't go for a white DIY bleach from off the shelf. The long-term damage it does to your hair will leave you paying more to a hairdresser to fix it than you would have paid if you just went to a good hairdresser from the start. Also, you might think it looks amazeballs at the time but from my experience..9 times out of 10, it really doesn't. The white hair totally washed out my face, i remember having to pile on the bronzer but then the bronzer would transfer to my hair because it was so light. It was a losing battle. Here's what my hair looked like before. I had also just discovered back-combing.. cringing for my life. 

         

     

         

2) Avoid Sulfates,silicone & Alcohols in Your Shampoo & Conditioner and don't over-wash!

Sulfates strip your hair of it's natural oils and alcohol tends to weigh down your hair! look for shampoos and conditioner that say they are Sulfate and silicone free. My personal favorite is the Garnier Ultimate Blends shampoo and conditioner for Mid length hair, I've seen a huge turn around with the quality of my hair since I've started using this, It's widely available and it doesn't break the bank! I also love using the polish scrub mask once or twice a week! 

3. Leave your hair air dry and avoid towel drying.

After my hair started falling out from being so damaged from the bleach, I went to my fantastic hairdresser and she put a blast of low lights through my hair and I decided to go cold turkey and tried not to use hot tools as much as I was in the past, and once I did i noticed a massive difference. We all know heat isn't good for our hair but the majority of us can't avoid using it! Before I Had to have my hair dead straight or curled and backcombed to the heavens which was really damaging, Now I straighten my hair every two days and leave my hair air dry 99% of the time! And I never backcomb my hair unless i'm wearing my extensions for a night out or special occasion.  When I do blow dry it I make sure to put plenty heat protector in it, and don't brush your hair when it's wet, It causes hair loss and breakage, you're better off waiting until your hair is dry before detangling it. Avoid rubbing your hair with a towel when it's wet, They are quiet rough causing friction and frizz! Use a T-shirt or a soft Turban, and if you do use a towel make sure to pat your hair rather than rubbing!

4. Rinse and Condition your hair in cold water.

This might sound a bit strange but it is effective! It doesn't mean you have to take a cold shower but when you are rinsing out your hair, switch the dial to a cool temperature for a few seconds. The cold water will help seal in moisture, and lock in any conditioner you use. The same goes for blow drying your hair, alternate between hot and cool air, it closes the hair shafts and leaves your hair soft and shiny! 

5. Don't Over-wash

Over-washing, it can strip your hair of its natural oils, which actually causes your scalp to produce more oil, resulting in greasy hair! If you train your hair for a few weeks washing it every 2 or 3 days, you'll notice it gets less oily and you won't need to wash it as much! If you feel like it's getting too greasy try and resist the urge to wash it and resort to the good ol' reliable Hun-Bun! #onfleek

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you found this helpful :) I stand by all of this advice, it really does make the biggest difference! If anyone has any questions or comments feel free to leave a comment! All my social media is linked at the top of my blog.

I hope you have a great and safe weekend! :)

Until next week!

Kelsey

xo

My Top 5 Under €5!

Hey everyone! Long time no post, I know!

August always seems to be the busiest month for me! I had family home for my dads anniversary so i was spending as much time as i can with them as they live in the U.K and i don't get to see them often unfortunately!

But I'm itching to get back into blogging and cant wait to share with all of you my top 5 current favourite products for under €5!
These products are tried and tested by myself for the past few weeks and i must say I'm thoroughly impressed and they are now essentials in my shopping basket!

So lets get straight into it!

P.S. Love "Double Trouble" Eyelashes by Primark (€2)

These need no explanation! Full Lashes. €2. whats not to love!? These are really flattering on the eye and give them a very sultry look. They're a bit long on my eyes so i like to cut a small bit of the end and then keep them to use as corner lashes for a more natural look! i find them easy to apply, but just a tip id use a different eyelash glue to the one that comes with the packaging to ensure longevity and a seamless application. one of my favorite things about these lashes is you can reuse them so many times! they have a nice thick band so they pretty much never go out of shape!

Catrice Long Lasting Lip Pencil in "That's what Rose Wood do!" (€2.29)

I swear by Catrice Lip Liners! Creamy, long lasting, highly pigmented and they have a huge variety of shades to choose from! For €2.29 you cant really go wrong. This shade is one of my favourites at the moment, Its like a "my lips but better" shade, You could wear this on its own or under almost any nude shade of lipstick or gloss. A Very versatile shade! Love it!.

Primark P.S. Fashion Nail Range (€1.50)

 These nails are by far my favourite find this month! A huge varitey of colours and designs and can we appreciate the price? €1.50!? They're a steal. Quick and easy to put on, no waiting around for nail varnish to dry or filing shapes..Whats not to love. Nail glue does come with these but like the lashes i would suggest using elegant touch or broadway glue, just again to ensure longevity! I've had a set on for 2 days and so far i have no issue with them, no chipping or anything! Delighted with these, penny's is really stepping up to the mark and offering great products lately! 

Essence Lipstick in 07 "Natural Beauty" (€2.60-€2.99)

Essence are another brand i really love, especially their nail varnishes and lipsticks. They are great quality and so inexpensive! This lipstick i have been wearing non-stop paired with the Catrice lip liner, they were made for each other! This lipstick lasts so long on my lips i was really surprised the first few times i tried it out. When it does eventually fade it leaves a really nice light stain on the lips, It's a very natural colour so it looks very flattering! No issues with drying or bleeding either! This lipstick kind of does it all, i actually prefer it to a similar MAC lipstick i own! Nothing negative to say about this, it's my new go-to lipstick!

NYX Auto Eybrow Pencil (€5.99)

I could've sworn this was €4.99, I'm gutted! It may not be under €5 but i still have to include it. This brow pencil is my holy grail! I have tried loads, high end and drugstore and i was never happy with one until i used the infamous Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. I heard so much about it through YouTube and Social media that i decided to order it off CultBeauty. It Retails For nearly €18 but i have to say its an amazing product, except i ran out of it after maybe 3 weeks and i just couldn't bring myself to spend that much money on a brow pencil again! So i decided to try NYX which isn't long after landing in Ireland. Oh my god It is the exact same as the Anastasia Brow Wiz! I can't get over it! It's very precise and not a bit waxy (Which i personally don't prefer in a brow pencil!) Very long lasting and the colour matches me perfectly. I use the shade Taupe. If you are looking for a new Eyebrow pencil i really do recommend trying this out! I would be very surprised if you didn't like it! I've been repurchasing for months now and I can't see myself switching to another product!

So that it for my Top 5 Under €5! (and one under €6!) I hope you enjoyed this post and if you purchase any of my favourites I hope you enjoy them just as much!

Have a great week everyone,

Until the next time!

Kelsey

xo

My Secret to Salon Quality Nails For under €20!

Happy Saturday everyone!
Welcome back!

I cant wait to share this post with all of you, I've been Planning it for a while!

I absolutely love wearing false nails, always have! They give me a boost of confidence and make me feel really put together, but seeing as i work with food as my full time job, there is no point in getting gel or acrylics done because i couldn't wear them to work!

So for nights out etc. I started doing my own,they come off easily after the weekend and I must say look pretty professional,as I've heard from a lot of people!

So if you're interested I'm going to give you a run down of my favourite products and techniques I use to get a professional looking manicure at home, which is long lasting and at a purse friendly price point!

First on your list of what you're going to need is any type of bare false nail set! you can pick these up from a lot of different brands that carry all different shapes, but my personal favourite is the:

Elegant Touch Totally Bare Stiletto 003 (RRP €6.49)

These are amazing and so inexpensive! They look so classy and stay on me well over a week! Nail polish takes beautifully to them and never seems to chip or leave my nails damaged after removal! and if you don't like having the same look for too long you can easily remove and re-apply polish!

Next what your going to need is nail varnish, this is completely down to personal preference, keep it simple or go completely mad, totally up to what you like!

Lately I've been loving a simple polish with a statement nail! To achieve this i use the following.

SOSU by Suzanne Jackson in "I Do" (RRP €7.99)

I'm Honestly amazed by this polish! It's the first one i have tried so far in the collection and if the rest are as good as this one, my bank account will be getting a rattling! for a nude shade it applies so evenly and opaque! only two coats is what you need with this and it leaves no brush strokes and looks so elegant! and its from an Irish Blogger..Love Love!

Next for a statement nail and a top coat are actually two Essence varnishes! Cheap as chips, and they have a massive variety. I use a glitter polish from the "I Love Trends" Line in the colour 04 cupcake topping. I cant for the life of me remember the prices unfortunately but i can say it was definitely under €3! I Top it all off with Essence "Gel Look Plumping Top Coat" again I'm sure is under €3. They really finish off the look and make it look salon quality in my opinion!

And Here is the finished look!

I'm in no way qualified in nails but i don't think they look too shabby!

Who doesn't love affordable glamour!?

I really hope you enjoyed this post everyone! and thankyou for reading!

 I really do recommend all these products, if you try it i guarantee you'll love it!

Have a great weekend!

Until the next time :)

Kelsey

xo