The 5 things we do everyday that are NOT helping our hair

Aug 5, 2015

We think it tends to be pretty easy to fall into a routine when it comes to your hair. The usual wash, blow-dry and style can become a staple in your daily life without you even giving it a second thought.

The thing is, our daily hair habits could actually be wreaking havoc with your attempts to have a lush, healthy head of hair.

Here’s some of the worst habits that hair stylists really wish we would stop doing. So when you show up at the hairdresser next time just wanting to ‘trim the split ends’, you’ll know why they might be trying to stop themselves rolling their eyes.

Brushing wet hair

Not a good idea apparently. Invest in a wide toothed comb or a Tangle Teezer that won’t pull on the strands and help prevent them from breaking.

Sleeping in a ponytail

Anna Kendrick’s stylist, Johnny Stuntz, explains: “Sleeping in a ponytail causes breakage right at the crown of the head, or wherever the elastic is placed. If you like your hair off your face, sleep in a loose braid off to the side, secured right at the end as loose as you can.”

Towel drying

This roughs up the cuticle. You don’t want that. Closed cuticles will reflect light and make your hair appear smooth and shiny. Bella Thorne’s stylist suggests you should “wring your hair out, moving downwards from root to ends.”

Pulling on split ends

This probably goes without saying but apparently it is still a very common occurrence. Oops. Instead of pulling at split ends, snip them clean off to avoid creating more uneven splits that will be harder to fix.

Too much too close

The man responsible for the locks of Lea Michele and Amy Adams says that spraying products too close to your head means you’re not getting the most out of them, at all. “Give the can a good shake for better product distribution, then extend your spraying arm out all the way and spray away. Aerosol products work best when they’re exposed to air before they reach the head,” says John D.

The 6 most genius ways to add more volume to your hair

Aug 1, 2015

by Amber Saunders

We have lost count of the amount of products we see lining the shelves every day that promise us ‘fuller’, ‘thicker’ and more voluptuous hair than we could ever imagine.

To be honest, we getting a bit tired of being lied to, we just want some more volume! Short of spending hours teasing and back combing in efforts to give our hair a bit of a boost, we were running out of ideas.

If this plight sounds familiar in the slightest then you need to read on. We found some of the best and most simple tricks to make your hair live its most volume filled life. They actually work, trust us. We would never lie to you about something this important.

Coconut Oil

The internet is going to tell you to start using coconut oil. If you have think hair, put the oils down. Lily Yip, a master stylist of NYC salon Mizu says: “Silicones and oils just become a coating on top of hair, so it’s very difficult to remove. Eventually, it weighs down your hair and you get tons of buildup and it actually makes your hair look thinner.”

Careful with the blow dryer

Over drying your hair, especially with a round brush will take the elasticity out of it and over-stretch any of your hair’s natural volume with all the pulling and dragging.

Bring back some mousse

Not the dessert kind, sorry. But using mouse the right way will allow you to embrace the volume of your hair easily. Just copy this handy little GIF.

Flip your parting

A photo posted by @kristin_ess on May 25, 2015 at 2:27pm PDT

Possibly the easiest way to add volume is to flip your hair to the opposite side you normally part it on. Laziness never looked so fabulous.

Use rollers

Haven’t decided on an outfit yet? Or else do you need some extra time to get that winged eye liner even? Your hair does not have to suffer, just pop two of three rollers at the top triangle of your head when your hair is already dry. Sorted.

Dry texturising spray

This will change your whole life. You know how adding dry shampoo the night before leaves your hair bouncy and thicker the next day but with a weird grey-ish tint? Well, with this magic product you have all the benefits just minus the vintage hair hue. We're big fans.

Did you know you could do all of this with avocados?

Jul 28, 2015

by Amber Saunders

Anyone who has ever tried bringing avocados into their life knows two things.

The first, is that they are delicious and good for you so therefore become a firm household favourite. Secondly, they know the pain that is waiting for the perfect avocado to ripen and then two seconds later it becomes a sludgy mess.

Stockpiling your avocados and placing them in the optimum conditions for deliciousness is how most people play it. The only downside then is an excessive amount of avocados in your life.

Not to worry. They are full of vitamins A, K, C, B and E, antioxidants and healthy fats. All of which are excellent for your skin, so you need to try these avocado beauty hacks ASAP.

Makeup remover
You don’t even have to sacrifice your guacamole for this one. Just rub a cotton pad over a freshly cut avocado and the use the oil collected to banish panda eyes. It’s rich in vitamins A and E so is very nourishing for your skin.

Hair mask
Biotin is one of the best vitamins for longer and stronger hair, and avocados have plenty, so you need to try this. Combine your avocado with olive oil and apply to the lengths and ends of your hair if you tend to have greasy roots. Itchy scalp? Add some lemon juice and massage into your scalp. Pop on a shower cap, give it a quick blast with your hair dryer and let the heat help boost the moisturising process for 20 minutes before you rinse.

Homemade scrub
Half an avocado, a teaspoon of honey and a tablespoon of olive oil and brown sugar can be combined in a bowl for a fabulous scrub. Just buff it over damp skin and then wash off for super-smooth skin.

Face mask
Try mixing half of a very ripe avocado with a teaspoon of raw honey and leave on your face for 10 minutes before you wash it off. If you’re prone to blemishes you can also try adding a spoon of natural yoghurt, lactic acid is apparently helpful in killing of unwanted bacteria.

This HOT Brazilian hair trend is definitely NOT for the faint-hearted

Jul 9, 2015

by Amber Saunders

Strobing, contouring, even mermaid style hair was having a bit of a moment not too long ago.

We thought that ‘baking’ our faces was going to be the weirdest beauty trend of the summer but we were wrong!

Burning your hair is now the best way to get rid of those pesky split ends you hate without losing the length.

Perfect for those long summer locks and beachy waves everyone is always lusting after this time of year. If you can manage to get over the fact that your fire so close to your head.

The treatment, called velaterapia or candle cutting, is very popular in Brazil; home of the perfect beach hair aesthetic or have you never seen Gisele?

The trend has actually be around since the Sixties but recently a number of celebrities have been praising the bizarre, and highly flammable trend.

The process involves sectioning your hair before twisting the strands tightly so get a kind of dread lock type look. Then, the fire arrives. Experts run the candle along the length of the sections to burn away all of your dry and damaged ends.

After a wash and blow dry your hair is supposed to then look fabulous.

Allesandra Ambrosio goes to a salon called Laces in Sao Paolo which explains that the benefit of velaterapia is it allows people to keep the length of their hair while removing any damaged areas.

A deep nourishing treatment then typically follows as after the being burned your hair is apparently incredibly absorbent of nutrients, we wonder why…

While it looks a little nerve-wracking, considering hair is so incredibly flammable, you can’t deny the after-effects in the video look pretty amazing.

Her hair is just so shiny.

Five ways to avoid the issue of frizzy hair

May 6, 2015

by Amber Saunders

Frizzy hair can be a big problem for many of us, especially after showering. There is nothing more annoying and it can be a very big struggle when getting ready to go somewhere. Frizz can be avoided, and here are five useful ways how.

1. Always use conditioner
Conditioner puts moisture into your hair and makes it smooth.

2. Let your hair dry almost fully itself before blow drying
The hot air dehydrates your hair and makes it frizzy. Try to avoid using too much hot air.

3. Brush your hair regularly
This distributes your hairs natural oils to keep all of your hair hydrated.

4. Apply hairspray to your comb
This will flatten your hair down and hold it in place.

5. Don't towel dry your hair
This is too harsh on the cuticle and can cause your hair to frizz.

6 hair-care tips to keep coloured hair in top condition

Mar 13, 2015

by Amber Saunders

Whether you are a vibrant red-head or a bright blonde, all ladies with coloured hair have one goal – to keep the colour from fading for as long as possible.

If you want to keep your colour as deep and as dynamic for as long as you can between treatments, try using these tips!

1. Hit the hairdressers
Getting your colour done in a hairdressers is of course more expensive, but it will be worth it. The colour will last longer than at-home hair dyes.

2. Use a shampoo and conditioner for coloured hair
Yes, we know it may seem obvious, but many people with dyed hair don’t do this! We know shampoos and conditioners especially for coloured hair may be more expensive but you will save yourself money in the long run if your hair is in tip-top condition between treatments.

3. Don’t overwash
Shampooing and conditioning your hair with hot water every day will make your colour fade faster. Skip the water every second day and use a dry shampoo or some talc if your hair feels greasy.

4. Deep condition
For coloured hair, it’s worth investing in a deep conditioning at-home treatment you can use once a week or once every two weeks. It will keep the ends of your hair stay smooth and moisturised, helping to avoid split ends. Olive oil also works very well as a deep conditioning treatment.

5. Turn off the hair-dryer
The heat isn’t good for coloured hair so either turn down the heat or even better, let your hair dry naturally.

6. Stay out of the sun
Unless you’re a blonde and you want your hair to be lightened, it’s best to keep your hair in the shade when in sunny weather. For red-heads and brunettes, keep your hair tied in bandana or under a hat to keep your colour from fading.

Are you brave enough to join the ‘no poo’ movement?

Aug 13, 2014

by Amber Saunders

The latest craze to hit is the ‘no poo’ movement, but it’s not something we are really ready to get on board with.

Now before you gawk in horror, the ‘no poo’ movement is not what it sounds like – it’s all about not washing your hair with shampoo ever again.

Lucy Aitken Read author of Happy Hair: The definitive guide to giving up shampoo, swears by it and she has been without a rinse and repeat for two years.

Lucy initially just wanted to rid her body of any chemicals – which there are a lot of in shampoos – and set about on her challenge. But she is not alone, there is a flood of bloggers hopping on the band wagon.

But what exactly does it involve and how on earth could we possibly go out with dirty hair? It literally involves not using shampoo and yes there is a smelly stage. Lucy resorted to using headscarves on not-so-good days.

She only uses “water on [her] hair every three to four days, and every 10 to 14 days [she] might use an egg on it, or some bicarbonate of soda,” and we have to admit her hair looks pretty great.

Beauty blogger of the week: Karen and Joanne Constantine

Aug 6, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Lovely Girlie Bits is run by Irish sisters Karen and Joanne Constantine who have a passion for all things beauty and fashion. Their blog is full of tips on make-up, skincare, hair care and fashion and is written with a hilarious tone that will keep you informed and laughing at the same time.

SHEmazing! caught up with Karen who let us in on her beauty secrets and tips:

What is your best budget beauty buy?
There are so many great quality beauty bits out there on the market but if I had to pick just one, it'd have to be Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water. It's fantastic for removing make-up in a jiffy and because it's always on special offer, there's no excuse not to pick up a bottle and start taking your make-up off each night!

What is your top makeup tip?
I'm going to cheat and give a general beauty tip and a make-up tip because I'm bold! If there's one thing I tell everyone who'll listen to me, it's to ditch the make-up wipes. My skin was literally transformed within three weeks of not using them and cleansing my face properly. My top make-up tip is to blend. Blend your foundation, blend your blush, blend your eyeshadow, blend your bronzer and you will have flawless makeup.

Most girls have much-loved lipstick, what's yours?
Asking me to pick one lipstick is like asking me to pick my favourite child. Thankfully, I've no children and my lipsticks don't get their feelings hurt when I play favourites, so at the moment I'm loving Clarins Joli Rouge in Coral Tulip and The Body Shop Colour Crush Shine in Sunset Romance. I'm more of a gloss girl at heart though and am obsessed with YSL's Gloss Volupte in Beige Nu from the Black Fetish collection and all of the Colour Elixir Glosses from Max Factor.

What was your very first perfume and what are you currently wearing?
I'm obsessed with perfumes and I thank my parents for that. My dad had more fragrances than any other man I know and even now my mam has a bottle of the first ever perfume I bought and that's Anais Anais! How I didn't choke people with the smell of it is beyond me but I loved it. Right now I'm wearing L'Occitane's Cherry Blossom and it is amazing. Although I've only had it a few weeks, it's the one to beat this year!

You're only allowed to use three make-up products for the rest of your life – what are they?
Mascara. I have beady villainous eyes without mascara and it's my desert island product hands down. Wearing it defines my eyeballs, makes me look awake and resemble a human being! Next is a base. I'm embracing wearing a lighter coverage on my skin and so I'd be happy to use Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream for the rest of my life. It makes my skin look healthy and radiant. Finally, I'd need a coral lip. Either of the two corals I mentioned above would be fine by me and I'd be able to use them as a blush too!

Check out Lovely Girlie Bits and don’t forget to follow the girls on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Blake Lively has a reason that she wears her hair down all the time

Jul 3, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Lots of women use their hair as a safety net to hide behind and it seems that Blake Lively is just like the rest of us, girls.

Blake is young, gorgeous, married to Ryan Reynolds and gives us major envy with her stunning hair, but it seems the 26-year-old is just like the rest of us admitting she uses her hair to hide behind.

The actress says that she uses her hair as a safety net because despite what it may seem, she is a shy girl: “Honestly I am a shy person. My hair is a safety net for me, so I love to have it down and full and relaxed. Often you see people on the red carpet with tight updos, but that makes me feel stiff.”.

The blonde bombshell has a simple hair care routine that involves minimal styling efforts and swears by Kerastas Reflection Chroma Captive Conditioning Hair Masque.

Even if she does use it to hide behind it is a pretty perfect looking shield.

Must-have hair products for perfect tresses

Jun 10, 2014

by Amber Saunders

When it comes to keeping your hair prim and proper, there are a few product essentials that you need.

Here are seven must-have hair items that every girl needs:

Hairspray
Every girl needs some hairspray in her life. Even if you don’t use it every day, it will no doubt come in handy for nights out with the girls.

Shampoo
A good shampoo is essential. Make sure you pick one that is right for your hair type, whether it is thick or fine, greasy or dry.

Conditioner
Even if you have greasy hair you still need conditioner to keep it in tip top condition.

Tonic or oil
A good tonic or oil is perfect for giving your hair some extra TLC.

Heat protection
Even if you don’t use hair styling tools, your hairdryer is enough to dry your hair out so make sure you have a heat protection product to hand. A leave-in spray is pretty good and helps to prevent breakages.

Mousse
You need some mousse for the days you want curly hair.

Hair repair cream
Get rid of split ends and give your hair some shine with a hair repair cream.