My Ombre Hair

Hi All,

Since my last blog post about my BaByliss Curl Secret I have had a lot of questions about my hair.

If you have seen this post, you will know I have extremely long ombre hair and a lot of people have taken an interest in it so I thought I would do a post on it.


Ombre
I wanted to dip dye my hair for ages before I finally did it!

My natural hair is mousy brown, the same colour as it is at the top currently but I always thought this was a bit plain.

I have dyed by hair blonde and chocolate brown before but the blonde washed me out too much so I decided I only wanted it at the ends.

Ombre is a perfect combination as it is not as damaging as a full head of colour.


What I Used

• I used Loreal's Wild Ombre in the No. 3 Shade. I used this as it was recommend by a friend who had a similar hair shade to me. This product was great and so easy to use! My friend actually did this for me as it's easier for someone else to do it rather than looking in the mirror and trying to gage where to put it.

How I Did It

• This product comes with a brush to comb the dye into your hair with. This makes it so simple! 

• I recommend getting someone else to do this for you the first time, but you can do it yourself after. 

• The dye started just over half way down my hair. It is important this colour isn't in a block and it is different lengths to match natural tones.

How Long Have I Had It

• I have had Dip Dyed hair for nearly a year now and have only had to do it 3 times. The first time I did it, it stayed on for around 40 mins and I did it again 3 days later for a further 30 mins to get it even blonder. I then left it for around 4 months before I did it again.

• I'm surprised how long the dye has stayed, it has really stuck to my hair now and it's blended to such a nice natural colour.

My Ombre Hair March 2013

Length
I have super super long hair, it's past hip length now! I get asked a lot how I maintain it but there's no secret really!

I have ALWAYS had long hair, never had short hair and it's also very thick. I'm pretty lucky with it actually.

The only issue with having such long hair is that is gets flat so I have to backcomb it quite a lot for it to get volume, and when I get volume, it's often been compared to a mane!! I love love love volume!


What I Use

• To maintain my dip dye and stop damage I use John Frieda Moisturising Blonde Shampoo 
• I use Gold GHD Straightens and for curls, BaByliss Curl Secret 
• For hairspray I use Pantene Extra Strong to keep it volumised
• I am a huge fan of dry shampoo and use Batiste original 

I hope this has been helpful for you and if you have any questions about maintaing, dying your hair, let me know!

Have you ever dyed your hair?

Cya x

Review - BaByliss Curl Secret

Hi All,

This post has been requested so many times and good news, it's finally here!

If you haven't read my previous post about why I wanted to Curl Secret read that HERE first so this makes more sense to you. Today's post will be the review of this so if you just want that, carry on reading!

So this beauty to my right is the BaByliss Curl Secret a curling tool which was shown to suck up your hair in some magical way and produce a curl in a few seconds. So, does it work?

YES! Is the answer..

I have tried to think of all the questions you would want to know in the post, which are pretty much the things I wanted to know before.


First Thoughts

At first, I was absolutely terrified of this I'm not going to lie. I am very precious about my hair and the one thing I was worried about is it getting tangled because it sucks up your hair so quick. I read the instruction booklet over 5 times and I reccomend you do this because I did not want to get to wrong. I practised the motion a lot before doing it also, as I was aware it could go wrong.

At first, I didn't even look in the mirror to do it, I had my eye glued on the bit where your hair is zapped up. However, as I got into it, I wasn't even looking at it anymore and was seamless. It is also quite a nice size and not too bulky.

Does It Curl Well?

Below I have I included a before and after shot of my hair. I never usually have curls as it takes me foreever due to the length of my hair, so it curled really well for me. I was unsure where to start the curls due to the length but as you can see I went quite up with the curls, which is what I wanted. 

You can create 3 types of curls with the Curl Secret, which I found very handy. The setting I used for this review was defined curls as I wanted a dramatic effect, but there is a loose waves setting which I am very interested to try.

                       BEFORE                                            AFTER

How Is It With Long Hair?

This is something I was very worried about. As you can see my hair is extremely long as I wasn't sure how well it would do with it considering the mechanism. However. it coped a lot better than I was expecting. I started from just above half way to be safe and still got a really nice finish. The barrel that your hair is kept in does seem quite small, but it keeps wrapping until it is done. It's funny you can hear it doing it!.

My hair is completely natural so I am not sure how well this would be with extensions, but if they are secure, I see no reason why this should be an issue. Please read the instructions though!

Does Your Hair Get Caught

This was the one thing I was TERRIFIED of happening. The mechanism in this quickly zapped up your nail and wrapped it around a tong inside so it is clamped in. At first I did this was very thin strands of hair as I didn't want to get it caught, but once I worked out how to do it I got used to it.

In terms of it getting caught, out of doing my whole head, which was many many many strands I only struggled once. I wouldn't say it got caught, but it pulled and made a loud beep that wasn't like any of the other ones and the clamp was released, meaning it was caught or the hair was too notty or something. In my case, it was caught on another bit of hair so didn't want to go further.

I found this VERY useful as it didn't carry on and could identify before it happened that it may get caught, so it avoided it. It beeped at me about 3 times like this meaning I had put it in wrong and it wasn't going to curl it for me.

If getting your hair caught is something you are worried about if you really look inside the curler there is little wand like a curling tong and once you released the clamp and turn it off at the plug you could just unwrap it. Luckily this didn't happen with me because the curler already identified it was caught. A fantastic feature!!

How Does It Work?

Now, I'm not exactly sure is the answer. At first I thought it was magic but I had a real good look when it was being extracted and I'm pretty sure once its clamped in it is then swirled and placed around a curling iron like rod. This is curled round until all the hair is covering it and you can hear this working. For me it went on for longer because of my long hair. 

Your hair is then kept there for 4 seconds you will hear 4 beeps and then you release the clamp. Simple as that! If you hear a louder sharp beep, you must take your hair out as there is a problem.

There are various setting depending on your stength of wave, which I liked and there is also a switch for thin and thick hair. I have very thick hair so I thought this was a really nice feature!

Below is a video of me using the BaByliss Curl Secret:

Benefits

1. Speed - The speed of the curler is amazing, in 4 seconds you have a perfect curl. In total to curl my hair using this took me about 10 minutes. I couldn't believe it!
2. Features - I really liked the fact you could choose your wave as I used to curling using a straightener where you only get one style. 
3. Design - I really like the design of this product. You can't see inside the mechanism so you never see you hair being curled, it just makes it that much more seamless.
4. Warning - Something that really impressed me was the tangle warning. I think this is something most people are worried about, so very glad they put this in.
5. Ease - Once you get into it, it is very simple to use, almost effortless, all you have to do is hold the curler. It's almost easier than straightening! 

Weakness'

1. Burning - As you might be able to see from my video, a lot of smoke comes from this and my room was actually very smoky after using this. I am not sure if this is because it was the first time using it, it was on the highest setting on that I had some product in my hair, but it did seem to smoke a lot. 
2. Weight - This is not a huge issue, but because of the mechanism it is obviously not as light as some of the other curlers or straighteners used to curl. 

Overal

Overal, I am thoughrally pleased with the BaByliss Curl Secret, I couldn't wait to show my family how it worked as I was so amazed by it and that cool mechanism doesn't take away from the curl you do get a perfect curl with it. What I was super impressed with was the speed, it completely shortens down the time it takes to curl and this is now management for me to do in the mornings. 

I would definitely recommend this! The price is a bit of a stretch as is around £120 but for the amount of time you save I think it is worth it. All of my hair took me only 10 minutes to do!! With a normal curler it would take me over an hour!

The steam issue is the only problem I had with this, but it could be because it's the first time I've used it so I will keep you updated.

After Curling

The images of my hair were taken directly after curling so they still have the defined curl. I would finish this off with hairspray and I like a more natural curl so I would brush this through a little either with my fingers of gently with a hairbrush so the curl isn't so set. 

Have any of you ever used this? I would love to know what you think. 

Also if any of you have any more questions regarding this please ask and I would be happy to answer them.

I hope you enjoyed this review and stay tuned for the next Char's Insights post.

Cya! x

What I Got For Christmas

Hi All,

Firstly I hope you had a lovely Christmas and enjoyed your day whatever it was you were doing!

In today's post I will be sharing with you some of the lovely things I received for Christmas. I will be doing this post in 2 parts and will shortly be posting a 'What I Gave' blog post for you all. So on with the presents! Now I am not going to share with you EVERY present I got, so I am just going to share with you a selection of my favourites.

BaByliss Curl Secret

If you follow me, or know me at all, you will know I have been banging on about this for AGES. I asked for this for christmas and yes I finally got it. I am so excited to use this! A lot of you have asked me to do a review of this because I know it is highly sort after, but the price puts a lot of people off so I will be doing a review for you to let you know exactly what I think of it.


I have actually used this already as I was far too excited to try it and did a photo shoot with the after effects to show you. I am currently editing all the photos and videos now which is taking a lot of time so will be posting this in a few weeks for you.

Here's a sneak preview from the shoot <<


Now onto more presents..

Harry Potter

Now.. this was a funny one. Without knowing me and my sister bought each other one of the same presents. We are both HUGE Harry Potter fans and have been to Harry Potter land in America but haven't been to the studio tour in London yet. So.. for christmas we both accidentally got exactly that. Luckily before we both opened the same present for each other on christmas day my dad told us the situation once he found out and I was able to return them due to having already purchased tickets. 

So.. after all that palaver, me and my sister will be going to the Harry Potter studios in February, so we just catch it whilst it's still in the snow. I'm SO excited eeek.

Little Mermaid
I'm a huge huge huge Disney fan and my favourite Disney film, although a hard choice is The Little Mermaid. Now for the past few years, this has been a nightmare to get hold of, but as it was released recently my sister managed to snap me up a copy and get me the boxset. Can't wait to watch this!

As well as the first film, this contains the second one which I equally love and a third one I didn't even know about!

Have you seen or heard of the 3rd Little Mermaid film?



Oribe Texturising Spray
This spray is something I have wanted to try for a while now after seeing many other bloggers talk about it. The spray is quite expensive at £38 a bottle but I'm excited to try it. Having long hair, I really hope this is worth the price! This is also something I may do a review on.

Understandably it is not an everyday purchase at that price as many other dry shampoo's and volumisers are cheaper. However, if it's worth it is may be an investment.

Let me know if you'd like me to do a review on it?

So, like those are the main presents I wanted to share with you. Find below a nice little photo of all my presents. Some include a flashing Paris canvas, many cupcake books and a lot of nail varnish and jewellery. I hope you all had a wonderful day, I certainly did. I just can't believe how quick it goes by!

I will be posting part 2 of this next week where I share with you what I gave for christmas and make sure to stay tuned for the curl secret review in the next few weeks.

Cya x

Babyliss Curl Secret

Hello Lovelies,

Haircare blog post today! If you don't know, I have very long hair, like really long hair. I usually straighten my hair and that itself takes a good half hour to do well. On the odd occasion I curl it, it will take over an hour, as well as how long hair my hair is, it is also very thick so curling it is a huge amount of effort. I don't own tongs or anything, I just use my straighteners as I rarely curl my hair, but on the odd occasion I do it looks lovely.

I also have dip dyed hair, and the effects of dip dye often look nicer curled than straight. If you curl the ends of your dip dyed hair, the blonde will really stand out. As my hair is so long the dip dye now reached my hips so the ends curled would look lovely. The only issue is time, so I really want to invest in a good pair of curlers, that take minimal time and effort.

Bang. Enter Curl Secret.

BaByliss Curl Secret is a curler like no other. This device is like a magic wand and I am so excited to try it out. The curler sucks up your hair automatically and without any effort or time you have a perfect curl. Before I go into more detail about it, watch the video below showing it in action.

How amazing does that look!

It sucks up your hair, so you don't have to physically wrap it round, it heats up your hair depending on the softness of the curl and you have a curl in 10 seconds. This will take much less time to curl my hair and I think it will be very handy indeed in the morning! The one thing I was worrying about was it zapping up your hair and getting tangled but I have done A LOT of research on this and it is clear this is not an issue although everyone initially thought it would be.

What my hair is currently like- Dip Dye

Something else I am worrying about is the length of my hair and how this will effect the mechanism, as I have said it's super long, way past my hips now so I'm not sure how this will be in the curler and I might have to start quite far down. If you have the same problem or really long hair I would love to know your thoughts on this and if this issue has effected you?

The product is quite expensive and sits at roughly £120 which for a curler is a lot of money, however, I think with the amount of time and effort you will be saving, this will be worth it. I have asked for this as my christmas present to justify the price and I am sure I will love it.

I have read some reviews of this on other blogs and watched many videos and the response all seems very positive so far which is great. I would love to hear your thoughts on this and if you have it, what it's like? Would you recommend it? Or if you don't have it, would you buy it?

My hair is something which is very important to me, I take care of it and like to look after it. It is a big feature for me because of it's length and thickness and is something which many people comment on, even strangers. Personally I think it is a bit too long now, I'm close to being able to sit on it and it is a lot of effort to maintain, but I just can't seem to part with it, and I am not ready to cut off the dip dye just yet as it has faded to a lovely colour. As I am so precious about my hair I need to make sure this product is the right one for me so I would love some of your feedback on this.

If I do get this BaByliss Curl Secret, I will do a tutorial and review on the product for you. Hopefully I will be amazed and it will be a good as everybody says it is!

Cya x

Lypsso Beauty Launch

On Sunday, I was invited to a Beauty Launch in Farringdon, London. The launch was set up by Lypsso, check them out HERE. I went with my friend Oula who is a fashion recruiter and loves anything beauty related and I went as a blogger. Being a blogger I got many special treats including a complementary facial, make up done by a make up artist, free goodie bags and endless champagne. Not bad for a Sunday! I will be talking about this further below and including photos I snapped of the event. I love going to events like these and can't wait to go to more in the future. If you would like to go to one yourself, they are regularly held, especially in London so check out Lypsso and keep yourself updated as to when events like these are happening. Enjoy! x

The event was really good, lots of stands showcasing new products for the skin and new make up ranges. The make up which I had applied to me was the Benecos range and was vegan friendly and strictly not tested on animals, so I was very excited to try it. To match my outfit the make up artist chose a smokey eye effect for me. I love having my make up done, and it looked fantastic in the end. It was a shame I had to go home after! The products, especially the powder was very light on my face, which I like and the eyes looked great. Below is Oula having her make up done and the after shot. 

The facial I received was by a new brand 'Jason,' the products were lovely and light and had a very refreshing and fruity scent to them. I received the facial prior to the make up, which slightly ruined it as after being refreshed I was clogging my skin with make up, but it was the only way to try the new products. Facials are so good for the skin, and I always mean to have more of them so was very excited and happy I got to get one at this event. The products were lovely and I would definitely use them again.

We were advised to take before and after shots using the professional photographers there and the difference was incredible, I always find it fascinated how different someone can look with and without make up. The photos below are of Oula, she similarly had her make up matched to her outfit. She went with a heavy eye with blue shades to match her blazer. She too was very pleased with the outcome and thought it was a great way to showcase the new products. The before and after photos were also a great idea, to show how powerful the make up is and the effects it can have.

                   

All in all it was a good day, I got to test a lot of new products and meet some great people. As well as this I came away with 2 goodie bags with lots of lovely products in them to take away and try at home. I love going to beauty events and getting a chance to look at all the new products, and I think it's a great way to get a new brand out there. They are very popular events, and the majority are free, so I would recommend this to any beauty lover or new or struggling brand.

Cya x

Favourite Advert Of All Time

Hi All,

This is a question I am always asked, so I thought I would share my favourite advert of all time with you. This is an incredibly hard choice as there so many brilliant adverts and campaigns out there, especially at the moment.

After much deliberation I have decided and I actually have two, one is a TV advert and the other is a Viral Video. If you haven't seen these adverts before then I highly recommend you watching them in the links below.

Honda- The Cog

This advert by Honda has always been one of my favourites. I remember the first time I watched this advert and I was amazed by it. The advert was released in 2003, making me only 11, but I still remember seeing it and being fascinated by how clever it was. The concept it based on a Rube Goldberg machine which includes various car parts with them all connecting and linking together, showing the process of how a Honda is built. The advert flows so well and you are entranced right until the very end. Whoever came up with this idea is a genius and the thought process behind each movement must have been huge. The campaign itself was very successful and was broadcast on TV and in Cinemas. Cinema advertising is my all-time favourite type of advertising but I will talk about this in a later blog. I believe this advert is a classic, and whenever anyone asks me what my favourite advert is, I will always respond with this. The music at the end of the advert also makes it for me, as it is the only music throughout; it really stands out and tops it off perfectly. Watch it below.

Stats

Views: 5,286,488

Likes: 21,423

Posted: Jul 29, 2009

Dove- Evolution

My other favourite advert is Dove's Evolution Viral Video. I was introduced to this video during University by one of my lecturers as they recommending watching it and I thought it was amazing. The message of this advert is so strong and so cleverly put together, it really sticks in your mind. The campaign shows the photoshop altering of a women's face before and after it is retouched as it is for magazines and TV in todays society. This message is such a controversial and talked about subject and Dove have handled it really well, making you question society and indeed, beauty. The last line of this advert reads 'No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted.' As someone who regularly uses photoshop it is incredible to see the difference it can make to everyday images and faces. The sheer speed of the video and how quickly it changes amazes me. As well as the Evolution advert, Dove have also produced another more recent campaign in which others see your beauty even when you don't by the use of sketches. It has more views in total than both of the adverts I have shown you today and was understandably widely successful. This advert is truly touching and I will leave a link below if you want to check it out. 

Stats

Views: 16,347,365

Likes: 27,965

Posted: Oct 6, 2006

So there you have it, my favourite adverts of all time for you. The two adverts I have chosen haven't been picked because they are necessary the best quality, biggest production value or funniest; I have chosen the adverts which have stuck in my mind over the years and that I find myself going back to YouTube to watch over and over again. Those are the successful adverts in my mind, the ones that still have the reach even when the campaign is over. 

If you liked these adverts or have favourites of your own leave them in the comments section below or Tweet me. 

Click HERE to see the other Dove- 'Beauty Sketches' video I talked about earlier.

Cya x