The Halo: First Impressions!

It is common knowledge by now that I am a self-confessed hair geek. Yesterday, I was in my element as I got to play with my new Halo.

The Halo is a basically a one piece, quadrupled weft to hair heaven. Yes, indeed, there are going to be a whole lot of positives in this first review. There are no clips, glue or tape. It simply attaches to your head with one very small wire.

This wire is not really a wire in a conventional, industrial sense. It is actually very thin and transparent which potentially means less damage to the hair (none of that sticking or pulling nonsense). Of course, damage isn't an issue if the weft is going to fall out anyway.

This, folks, was my main concern with the Halo especially when I first saw the little wire attached to the weft. My joy at opening the parcel (delivered the next day, free of charge! Oh and I had a 10% Twiiter promo code!) was tainted with the doom of the 'this is never going to work, more money down the drain. . .'  thoughts. Argh . . !

Thankfully, I was wrong. I've now worn the halo and I can declare, yes, it really does stay in. Even when you shake your head really vigorously, the ultimate test of any extension! Mel did it a lot better then me!

Phew!

What is more, the final look really is amazing given the simplicity of the concept. The hair is Indian remy and it feels very silky and soft. The ends are already beautifully tapered and give the extensions a styled look.

I was worried that one piece would be difficult to blend and unbalanced. I suspected that the weft would either be too thin, too heavy or too blunt to blend in to my hair but once in, it blends really well and I still look, like me. I've always being a bit cynical about how generic one pieces could look. I guess, I'm a bit of a control freak and like tape or clips because you have the potential to customise your style a little more but actually with the Halo in, I don't really want to alter the style or change how the hair falls at all.

Sidenote: I took a gamble with the colour match and ordered Darkest Brown. *Happy Dance.* It is a perfect match for my natural hair colour. Personally I think that my Darkest Brown Halo is a little lighter (and possibly has some hints of chocolate in it) then some of the other Dark Brown hair extensions, I have or have dyed. This works for me as my hair has lightened a little lately but I would suggest to others, taking a little time and emailing a pic to the Halo team to get colour matched for free.

Now I've raved about the staying power and the beauty of the Halo, time to consider the application. Hmmm . . .

Given, it is quite easy to get the Halo on to your head, you more or less just place it there. However, covering the wire and getting the natural look took a few goes without a tail comb but with a tail comb, I did it first time and very quickly.

Really, get a tail comb for this one. It is so much easier and the combs are so cheap. Mine cost me nothing, I just used my Boots points! I think I manage to conceal the wire ok, I'm just a little nervous about it showing in the gap for my parting. However, somehow with a tail comb and just pulling the hair over, it appears to have disappeared and I've just backcombed a little at the crown to be sure. The only thing I may need to work on a little is how much hair to pull over the weft on the back of my head as this is where the difference between the length of the extension and natural hair is most apparent.

All in all. I'm very happy with my Halo so far and can not wait to play with it a little more. I want to investigate the styling options further, I know you can leave the wire forgotten in the weft and wear the hair in a bun and ponytail etc which I will try but to be honest, I like to wear my extension as an extension and then pull it up in to a ponytail or bun from there, it feels a little less contrived but we'll see. I might have to compromise with this when it comes to a halo as to take the halo out, you would normally pull it in a ponytail and tug a couple of times so I'm not sure if styling will make the wire slip. Saying that, I have managed a ponytail of some sort ( The Slovenly Saturday style, to be precise) for a couple of hours this morning. No grips and it remains in place, yayyy!

- For those interested, here are some links to some helpful You Tube videos on the Halo:
From Amy, Dazzledust25
From Louise, MakeupLoveer
From Mel, 30somethingmel

Have you tried the Halo? What hairstyle are you choosing this Christmas? Happy Saturday!

X



*Waves* hello!

Just a very quick post today to let you know that I'm still here and have lots of posts planned and hope to get a few up over the next week or so. I just need to sit down and add some finishing touches.
I'm quite busy at the moment and riding many a fad (I'm so whimsical) including:

- The Sleep Cycle App
I am addicted to this app. There are two parts to it. Firstly, it monitors your sleep patterns and secondly, you can activate the alarm function which will wake you within your chosen window when you are in the lightest state of sleep. Apparently you feel much more rested and relaxed if you start your day having awoken from this state. I don't know how this app works but it really does. I've woken up in the night and not even touched the phone and it charts my wake up at precisely the right time. If the phone can pinpoint such times so precisely then I'm pretty sure that what it also charts about the sleep states I move in and out of is also pretty accurate. I haven't used the alarm function yet but now the monitoring function has proven itself then I think, I will activate it very soon to wake me at the 'ideal' time. After all, who doesn't need a good kickstart to the day?!
Sidenote: I have always being fascinated with the workings of the human body and mind, especially sleep. My dreams are always so vivid and real, I just can't believe they come from my little ole brain. Amazing! If like me, you are a bit of a Sleep nerd then this old Zoella post sticks in my mind. Check it out.

- The Get Running App
I'm not going to post too much about this one as Laura has already covered it but despite numerous incidents (including that disastrous first attempt, remember this post), I've stuck at it and miracle of miracles, I haven't broken/twisted anything yet. I'm about to start week three and I really am finding it easier to run that little bit longer and to keep going. Still, it is a given that every session, I will run the first two or three runs quite smugly thinking how easy I'm finding it and that maybe I'll just skip a couple of weeks to the longer runs (those that will really work me!) but then almost immediately, I'm on my fourth run of the day and I'm huffing, puffing and sweating buckets. It happens every time. Nice!
As well as running, it is invigorating and inspiring to get out in the fresh air and go places, the beach, country parks, that I haven't been visiting enough lately! 
- The Halo
After watching Amy's video and seeing a promo code on Twitter today, I have finally given in and ordered a Halo. Given my obsession with hair, it is actually quite surprising that I haven't tried flip in hair yet. I'm hoping it is going to save me some time. Taped extensions take a while to put in and, it doesn't matter that I've used clip ins on and off for years, sometimes they still feel a bit of a daily chore. I do have some concerns about the halo. I'm a little bit worried though about how long the wire will last and if the hair shreds easily but time will tell. I'll keep you informed!

- The Help
This is my latest read. I'm really enjoying it. It hasn't made me cry yet but I've laughed aloud several times. Minny is such a character and I've officially adopted the line 'best thing since hairspray in the can'!

- The Miss Selfridge Dress (and Top Shop lust)

I've still got to finish the post it deserves but I love this dress and am still sneaking a peek at it in the wardrobe every five minutes and I have been known to put it on just to twirrllll. Must get the post up asap.

I really can not justify it but I really like this dress that Top Shop tweeted today. I like the stars, the black and gold colour mix, the sheer sleeves, the floatiness, the shape and the list could continue. . ! Basically, I think that this beauty could be exactly what certain Christmas occasions calls for!

I hope you are all ok. Have you tried flip in hair? What are you currently reading? Any more apps that I need in my life or got a dress that I can swoon over? Tell me about it!

X

Taped hair revamp!

It seems that Truth of The World, Numero uno states that growing hair can take a long, long time!
Truth of The World, Number two states that it can be so frigging boring!!

This is where we're currently at with the hair growth marathon. Sigh!!!

Over the last couple of weeks, I've lost my motivation to grow my hair a little. I want long hair but I don't want to sit around with conditioners on my head and I certainly don't want to wait another eighteen months.
I'm in danger of letting all the hard work fall to the hairdressers floor, snip snip style.

Noooo, that can't happen.

So last weekend, I set about finding my hair mojo again by mixing the extensions up a bit. About this time last year, I stopped having my extensions sewn in. Instead, I have being alternating between clip ins and taped extensions. Swapping it up between the two is what I have being doing instead of the regular hair trim (yes, naughty to skip, I know . . .).

On Saturday, I swapped back from clips to tape. You can buy pretaped extensions (and I have) but I seem to find it as easy to make my own.
I took a weft of hair and some tape.

I cut the weft up in to pieces, attached the tape  to the weft.

Then, I heated the tape a little to warm up the adhesive before attaching the extension to my head.

Five days later and I have not lost any extensions. I used the whole weft and have 10-12 pieces in my hair.

Some of the pre-taped extensions are skin wefts and the edge of the weft is more  or less invisible unlike mine.

A lot of people use smaller pieces of weft and more of them (Given: this is probably kinder to the natural hair as the weight pulling on the hair would be more dispersed). I have done this but for three reasons, I'm not quite so keen. . .
1/ I'm lazy and this method means that more taping and active action is required. It can get quite time consuming and again, I'm lazy.
2/ I'm used to wearing larger extension pieces. Most of the clips in and sewns in I have used before have fitted almost around the head.
3/ I feel more secure with the larger pieces. It seems to me that as they are attached to so much of your head, they are less likely to fall out.
I would say that maybe smaller pieces can be blended better to give you a very natural, individual style. Larger pieces probably do give a more obvious fake look but a good hairdresser should be able to cut in to these and make them more natural. It's all a matter of personal choice.

At the moment, I keep swishing my hair. It feels very light after a couple of months wearing clip ins especially since with those last clips in, I had doubled, tripled some of the pieces up to give me voluminous rows. It all got quite thick and heavy.

I haven't done that this time. Instead, I've gone for a slightly sleeker look (although I have taped the bottom two or three rows quite close together to try and avoid wispy extension ends). Like my previous extensions, these extensions are 18 inches but I think because I've done less multiplying up with the wefts, the length may show itself off more.

Colour-wise, I'm trying not to colour my hair again at the moment as lately it has appeared so dark and also feels  a bit dry. Normally I would colour my extensions and hair before applying taped extensions or making clip ins but as I don't want to colour my hair at the moment, I've try to use extensions of my natural colour so that they will blend better in a few weeks time. I feel my natural hair colour is going to get lighter with the dye fade and the increasing number of lighter roots starting to grow through but until all this comes together a bit more, I suspect my hair will look a bit Ombre in some lights. I'm interested to see how I will take to this.

This is the great thing about extensions, you can make a real difference to the look of your hair with just a weft or two and yes, extensions do cause damage but nearly everything you put on your hair can damage it. At the end of the day, extensions mean long hair now rather then in x amount of long time!

Anyway, I'm not sure how long they are going to last (In the past, I have stuck liquid gold on to the ends of the hair pieces for added security but it can all get a bit sticky and messy so I'm trying to avoid doing that for now.) but small changes like this make such a big difference to hair mojo when you're in the midst of hair growth monotony. So maybe I'll start eating the green beans again and finishing off my Phyto tablets. . .!

Extra hair information

- My new hair is by a brand I've never used before so I will see how it lasts before recommending them to you. However, my last lot of Beauty Works hair (worn more or less 24 hours a day every single day for about five months) lasted really well and I was very impressed with the quality but then I should have been. It is the most expensive hair I've ever brought and even today when I found the link, I felt a bit guilty about the price but I guess, it was less then 75p a day. The only other downer was that I remember, waiting a while for the delivery. Hence, why they weren't invited to the hair revamp this time.
- I get my hair tape from here.

Extra, extra

In other news, I need to backtrack. I have spent the best part of two years rolling my eyes when I catch sight of the gold bottle that still needs to be used up but this last week (see this review, I take it back), I have actually really enjoyed dowsing myself in Something About Sofia (Benefit). It no longer seems to smell as busy or as deep as it used to. I'm not sure if it is the scent that has changed or me but I do think that by Christmas, the bottle will be almost empty.

Also, I am still so in love with the table I brought in Homesense earlier in the year. It is gorgeous. The gold, the decoration . , I love everything about it. Oh and I guess, it fits in with the metallic trend. Talking of which I'm currently lusting after this Top Shop number.

Do you like it? Have you brought any metallics lately? Do you ever wear extensions? Do you have to make an effort to grow your hair? Any tips or perfume recommendations?

Have a good week!

X 

Making the best of a bad hair day!

Oh, I had a bad hair day today.

It was my hair appointment day. I normally have one about every 10-12 weeks. New hair extensions and a cut.

I hate the process. The hour or so when my old extensions are out, but my new ones are not yet in, is agony. It sounds pathetic but without the security of those extra inches, I do not feel like me and of course, in the hairdressers there are all those silly mirrors and all I can see is this reflection that does not look like me at all. It is horrible and really throws me. For that hour or so, I act differently and squirm a lot. I'm not always the most confident or bubbliest of people but there I am so, soo lost, so awkward and completly dazed. I guess for more then four years now, I have worn extensions everywhere. I even made sure my clips in were in securely when I did a parachute jump in Australia. For me, they have become like a piece of clothing (and more), without them I am naked and very self-concious.

I don't really know how to explain it. I know how silly it sounds but I can't help the way I feel. Somebody said maybe I feel how those girls feel who get their nails done every week or so and then for some reason stop.

I know it is a silly thing to get so worked up over and I know, that it is all relative. If, God forbid, I had some awful news at the salon about my health or somebody close to me or some other real 'crisis' happened then I know that my hair would be forgotten just like that. I know there are many people in the world with real, real worries that I can not even comprehend but when it is just me, my hair and the mirror then I can't help it, a switch goes off and I do not think about that and all I think about is my hair. It is not necessarily that I think the extensions look better. It is just that I identify myself now as somebody with all that hair and when there is some reminder that I haven't really got all that much hair then something in me gets confused. I'm not sure, it is difficult to explain. I think if you're thinking of getting extensions or indeed any kind of fakery, you should consider the addiction factor and what that could cost you both in money and confidence.

Anyway, never mind, normally it is just a hour or two and before long, I'm skipping out of the salon with my extra inches and for the first two weeks or so, that new hair is so shiny, soft and silky and basically I'm a very happy girl.

Normally . . .

Not today!

Old extensions out and then argh, I'm told my new hair hasn't arrived and I have got 24 hours plus au naturalle.

Oh and by the way, au naturelle was cut quite nicely at the back (free of charge, for obvious reasons ie. I had lost half a barnet!!!) but the front (where the work was so badly needed) had to be left until extension time for blending reasons.

My first thought was rush home, lock the door and cry (again pathetic, I know).

I didn't cry (maybe because my Sideways Cross necklace was waiting for me) but I did rush home and I did think about getting my clip in extensions out but then I thought, this is bad. Nobody can see me and well, I'm not planning on having short hair for a while so make the most of it so I had a bit of a play. Styling my hair this way and that and I have to concede that my natural hair is slightly more versatile then I feared.

This is my favourite style of the day.

I love this look. I think it is really girly, pretty and timeless. It took me two minutes at the most.

I can do it with my extensions but normally don't bother as it takes, at least, three times as long and is a bit more complicated. I had a bit of help from the hairdresser with this version (shown above) last year. It is all that trying to backcomb the hair without matting or getting it caught/tangled in the rows, pulling the sides of the hair back smoothly while trying to keep all the rows concealed, trying to find and attach a clip (or combination of clips/bands) to keep all that hair in place.

So in conclusion, I will be going back for my extensions tomorrow but the surprise break we had from each other was maybe not as painful as I imagined.

Maybe in fact, it was a very, very, very small step on the road to recovery from my chronic addiction which is good in light of the infamous Naomi Campbell picture which hit the newstands recently. It is alleged that she may have some form of alopecia due to adorning hair extensions.

Like some smokers and many people addicted to all different things, I do intend to give my extensions up. One day!

Have you ever had any shock, horror experiences at the hairdressers? Do you change your hair often or is there only one way/colour/length you would ever have your barnet styled?

X