Perfect Ombre with Halo Hair...

Afternoon ladies!

This is such a late post!! In among all the carnage of me moving to London I'd only gotten round to taking half of the photos, and then once i actually GOT here i just never got the excuse or time to style myself up all nice and take the rest! So i'm writing this post with the previous Instagram images i took of the style! The product in the spotlight is, of course, my beloved Halo Hair Halo....

I have posted about the Halo before. However, due to hair colour changes and a little growth spurt, it was just no longer suitable. As my hair has been ombre for quite a while now i opted for the 20" Halo in Dark Blonde (#18). The Halo is made up of 100g of Indian Remy Human Hair. And NOTHING else. 

There is another major difference between this Halo and my previous Halo other than the longer length. And that is that Halo have come out with the FABULOUS idea of making the wire adjustable to fit any wearer like a glove. It works very similar to the way you would adjust a handbag strap. I must admit i am a total clutz and managed to snap off the very end of mine so i have a random piece of wire that i now have to carefully tuck away each time i wear it. 

Above is the mini instructional you get on how to fit the Halo. It really couldn't be simpler and, once you've adjusted it to your perfect size, takes less than a couple of minutes to put in and take out. 

The colour match between my hair and this Halo wasn't exact. As a hairdresser i am well aware of the tonal NIGHTMARES that come with lightening hair. Naturally, as is often the case, my ombre ends were slightly darker and brassier in tone than the Halo which, although warm in tone, was lighter than i had expected it to be. It really wasn't that much of an issue though, and it only took a careful ombre with a medium/dark blonde semi permanent tint to get them blending. Once my hair was curled (in the photos below i used my Diva Hot Tong) it produced a really lovely tonal blend!! 

These photos are merely Instagram snaps as, every time i have done my hair recently (for weddings etc) there has just never been time to take proper photos. The photo above was the Halo as i received it and the one below was after i had darkened it down just a little. Please note that the filter used below may effect how well you can see the different tones.

If you would like to know how to ombre hair extensions i will be doing a post VERY soon on how to do this, as i have just dyed over my own ombre with a golden brown and, therefore, need to darken down the Halo ombre too. I like the idea of ombre that i can put in and take out whenever i like, so will be doing a step by step tutorial-style post on the best way to get this effect with hair extensions. 

I was a little nervous on how hair extensions would work with my ombre. I thought i would have to pay big bucks to get fancy pre-dipped extensions, but luckily i was able to stick to my beloved Halo! I really do love Halo for their service as well as their products. They are super nice and take every opportunity to help. This has always been my experience of them. You can keep up with them on Facebook or keep an eye out for their next Giveaway on Twitter (they have them often). 

You can also get 10% off your own Halo by using code HALOLOVESLISA at the online checkout. Just because i love you all so much!!

Baby I Can See Your Halo.... (Hair Extensions)

Good afternoon ladies!!

This week i got a very exciting parcel through my door. It's something i've been so curious about for a while now and now i finally have one of my own!! I've been totally in love with my Halo Hair Extensions ever since i was sent them to review back in August (read my review on the 20" Clip in Set HERE) and, although i adore my clip ins, I have been having some issues with them as my hair has been growing and the wonderful people at Halo offered to send me the Halo to try!! Lucky lucky Lisa!!

So as you probably gathered, i opted for the 16" Halo in Chocolate Brown. What makes the Halo different from the clip in extensions is the simplicity of it. The clip ins are quick and easy to use but the Halo is just a breeze!! It adds length and volume in just one step. Place it onto your head so it hugs the shape then quickly pull your own hair over the Halo to hide the weft. It literally only takes a minute!!

As with all Halo products it is excellent quality 100% Remy human hair and retails from £79.99 depending on the length you choose. 

Time for the 'Before' photo....

My hair has grown A LOT since i have been using hair extensions (not due to the extensions themselves, just generally), but as it grows it grows THICK and the ends of my clip ins were getting a little tatty and not really blending very well. The Halo i received is actually a shade lighter than the clip ins i have as i have been trying to get my hair to more of a lighter warm brown recently. The Halo is a pretty good match, however, my ends were slightly darker than my all over colour so a little ColourB4 on the ends was needed for it to blend in PERFECTLY. As it turned out i didn't even need to re-dye my hair afterwards and i am left with a gorgeous chocolate brown that i am so pleased with!! 

And here's my hair AFTER the Halo....

HA!! Massive hair in the face!! Always happens when i take photos.... Blehhhh

Anyhoo...... One of the major advantages i've found with the Halo is that you don't have to plug up gaps like you do with clip ins. Especially with my hair being so thick. I'd been having to wear a set and a half of the regular clip ins for it to blend properly, which resulted in a LOT of clips (you ever get that thing where you hug someone and the clips go straight into your scalp?? Ouchie), but i can barely feel this in my hair. The effect it gives is a bit different. It doesn't reach all the way round to the very front sections of my hair so it gives more of a layered effect. Shorter haired girls may want to bear this in mind (or pop in a couple of clip ins just around the front to balance it out), but my hair isn't actually that much shorter than the 16" Halo. I'm loving this length for everyday wear though as it looks so natural and is totally secure. Think i will be wanting a 20" Halo as well in the near future for more dramatic looks!!

I plan on doing a further post to make a more detailed comparison between the Halo and the Clip In hair extensions so expect that in a week or so. I am in the process of filming instructional videos on each type to show you exactly how to apply and blend them correctly. I have also previously done a post on how to care for hair extensions (this can be found HERE) and if anybody has any questions at all about the products or any other kind of hair extensions in general (I am qualified in Balmain Keratin Bonded hair extensions also) feel free to comment or email me. 

Massive thank you's to the gorgeous people at Halo. They really could not be more happy to help. If you are unsure about ANY of their products or whether or not they will work for you, you can email a photo and your query to info@halohairextensions.com and they will do their very best to colour match you and help you decide on the right product. Make sure you follow them on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest product news and giveaways. They love to chat as well!! 

Have you tried Halo Hair Extensions?? What other brands do you rate?? 

Sunday Salon #2: Caring for Hair Extensions

Evening ladies!!

Has it really been a week since my last Sunday Salon?? WOWZERS!! 

Since I received a fresh set of Halo Hair Extensions this week (love love LOVE them), i thought i'd dedicate this week's Salon to caring for them and keeping them looking their best. 

My previous set of 20" clip in extensions are still with us. However, since i've been wearing them almost every day since i got them they are looking, what can only be described as "Well Loved". After all they are exposed to everything our natural hair is exposed to, but they need that little extra TLC and a gentle hand to keep them looking fabulous. Hopefully this post will start to cover some of the BASIC rules when handling, styling and caring for your extensions. 

First up?? Washing....

I've heard some girls lamenting over twitter that their extensions were never the same after that first wash. I'm going to tell you how to do it RIGHT.  Just the way you wash your extensions can really affect how well they work for you and careful washing can really help to prolong the life of your hair extensions. Unless you are CAKING them in product and hairspray (going easy with these is the best way in my opinion)  I definitely would not recommend washing the extensions after EVERY use as this really is not necessary. You will just KNOW when they are ready for a wash. Here are my top tips and recommendations for washing human hair extensions...

- Halo actually manufacture their own shampoos and conditioners for their extensions. I received miniature sizes of these with my first set and they work really well. They also smell YUMMY! (they retail for £4.99 each for 400ml from halohairextensions.com). If you do not have these to hand i also like to use a gentle shampoo such as Johnsons Baby shampoo which will give them a good clean but is not harsh enough strip the hair and dry it out. Similarly you want to be using a hydrating conditioner, but it doesn't have to be a posh brand. A 5-10p size blob in the palm of your hand should be enough for one weft of hair. 

- I prefer to wash my extensions in the sink, which i part fill with WARM water (not hot and not cold). I also put a little blob of conditioner in this water before i start. I tend to wash the 2 and 3 clip wefts seperately and then the single clip wefts all together. I usually use the same water for all wefts (as i always rinse each weft with clean water straight from the tap) but you can empty and refill the sink as many times as you like.

 - When shampooing and conditioning the BEST way to apply the product is by running it through the weft then gathering the whole thing in your palm SQUEEZING it into a lather in your hand. Do NOT rub it into the hair as this will roughen the hair's surface.

- After rinsing the shampoo apply a small amoung of conditioner using the same method. I like to leave this in the hair for a couple of minutes before i rinse to let it sink right it and give it maximum shine! 

- Rinse  the conditioner off with CLEAN water (i just run the weft through my hand under the tap) and, just to give it that extra glossy finish you can also do a COLD rinse after this as well. 

-Once you have thoroughly rinsed the weft and squeezed out the excess water with your hand, take a clean, dry towel and wrap the weft in it and pat or squeeze the worst of the water out with your hand (again, do NOT rub)!! 

Now you're ready for Drying!!

- I prepare the wefts by spraying them with a leave in heat protector and giving them a gentle brush through  to tease out any unwanted tangles.

- And THEN.... Here's my genius, DIY, top tip for the day: Although you CAN just place the wefts carefully on top of a towel and leave to dry, I do not have enough room in my SHOEBOX of a bathroom (and i need to keep them out of reach of ferrety paws), I have simply attached a piece of string across my shower rail to act as a washing line and simply clip the wefts onto the string. I also find this helps them dry quicker as the air circulates much better around the hair.

- I REALLY would not recommend that you blowdry human hair extensions. They will honestly last a LOT longer for you and remain much softer and shinier if you allow them to dry naturally. I usually wash them the night BEFORE i need them and it's a good idea to set aside that time. That way you can wake up in the morning and have a lovely, clean, dry set of extensions waiting for you!! 

So, now you have a clean, dry set of hair extensions.....

Whats the best way to Brush them???

I'm not being paid to say this and I have bought EVERY Denman brush i've ever owned, but i would highly recommend them for use with hair extensions. Both of these brushes are available from your local Boots or Superdrug for less than a tenner!

- When the hair is WET i like to use a medium sized Denman D3 brush. I start brushing from the ENDS of the hair and work upwards. This way you are teasing any tangles GRADUALLY and the hair will not break from tugging it at the root. You could also use a decent quality paddle brush using the same technique.

- When the hair is DRY i always use my Denman Grooming Brush. I would always recommend brushing dry hair with natural bristles because it is more gentle on the hair and promotes shine and these brushes seem to be PERFECT for extensions. Use them to brush the wefts before putting them in your hair or after tonging/curling to soften the curls and give a glossy, smooth finish to the style. 

And what about Styling??

So here's the rules about using heated styling equipment with your human hair extensions....

- Halo extensions (and indeed various other brands on the market) ARE made from 100% Human hair and ARE suitable for heat styling. HOWEVER, don't just go flying in there with your GHDs on full whack and expect them to come out unscathed! 

- GHDs are NOT the ideal heat styler to use on extensions, purely because they only have ONE heat setting. And that is HOT HOT HOT!! Supposedly, this setting is 160 degrees, but i really do believe that they heat up to nearer 200. 160 degrees barely touches my NATURAL hair. If you need to i would suggest purchasing a cheaper straightener with adjustable heat to use with your extensions. When i'm using my curling wand on them i ALWAYS use the lowest heat setting (see above).  

- A great and gentle way to curl your extensions BEFORE you want to use them (thus saving time and styling energy in the morning) is to use heated ceramic rollers on the wefts. I have actually done a video tutorial on how to do this over on my YouTube Channel

- Human hair extensions do not take as much heat to curl as natural hair. You only really need to hold your styler/wand/waver/whatever in the hair for a couple of seconds to achieve a decent curl. For a tighter, more defined curl effect you could take it a little longer but not a lot. Don't want to hurt your babies!! Another way to minimise the amount of heat you use on your extensions is to take LARGER sections.

- Before putting ANYTHING even remotely warm near your extensions make sure you give them a good spritz of a decent quality, leave in heat protector. This really is sooooo important!! I use the Aussie 'Take the Heat' spray but i know Tresemme also do a good one and i'm sure there are many out there worth checking out.

********************************

I hope this post has given you some good pointers on how to keep you extensions at their loveliest for longer. If you would like me to expand upon ANY of the pointers i've given in this post please do let me know. I do intend to make more youtube videos on this kind of subject so give me a comment and tell me what you would like to see.  Apologies for the EPIC-NESS of this post but once i get a bee in my bonnet about something its hard to shut me up!!

I'd just like to put in a special mention (alright, it's a shameless PLUG) for the lovely people over at Halo Hair Extensions.......

Over on Twitter we are fighting tooth and nail to get them to 2000 followers. What's in it for you?? Well, once they GET THERE there will be a FANTASTIC opportunity to win one of TWO sets of Clip in hair extensions in their Celebratory GIVEAWAY!!!

So go and FOLLOW!! They won't bite... in fact, they're some of the friendliest, most approachable Tweeters i've come across! 

What else would you like to know about caring for extensions?? Ideas/requests for a topic for the next edition of Sunday Salon?? Comment me!! Cos i LOVE IT!!

And the Angel is........

Hey there lovelies.....

Time to announce the WINNER of my

Halo Hair Giveaway!!!

I've been soooooo excited for you all because i know how HAPPY i was when i received MY Halo and thank you sooooo MUCH to everyone who entered. 

Anyhoo.... I numbered all your entries and fed them into random.org which then spat back at me a random number.

And the winner IS...... ** Drumroll PLEASE**

HOLLY!!!!

Congratulations babycakes!!! Halo will have your 20" Clip in set sent off to you THIS week so you should be looking FABULOUS by the weekend!!

Thank you again to all that entered and I can't wait to bring you another Giveaway VERY soon!! 

If you're still DESPERATE for your own Halo I STILL have a very special discount code for readers of this blog to get 10% OFF any Halo at halohairextensions.com

Simply type in the code HALOLOVESLISA when you check out online.

And don't forget to check them out on Facebook and Twitter for regular giveaways, competitions and general chatter (they really are LOVELY) 

Congratulations again to Holly (check out her blog if you haven't already cos its AWESOME) and thank you once again to you all for entering

One Halo that DOESN'T Slip!

I am one HAPPY girlie!!

Since i have been poorly, I have struggled occasionally to find the energy to deal with my very thick, wayward hair. For this reason I made the heartbreaking decision to cut my waist-length hair into a shoulder length bob as it really was a little much for me to tackle when i was first diagnosed with ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia. 

It was a decision i INSTANTLY regretted. My brunette hair had been long for a LONG time and, although i experimented a little with colour to compensate for the change in length, I just didn't feel like ME! 

Fast forward to LAST Friday and I got a little message on Twitter to tell me that i had WON a set of Halo Hair clip-in extensions!! I was over the MOON! I seriously did NOT stop smiling all day!! 

My prize arrived early Tuesday morning.... 5mins before my dad was due to pick me up to take me to my hospital appointment. No WAY was I waiting until i got home to crack that baby open!! And, luckily, I had them out of the box and in my hair faster than you can say ANGEL. They really are THAT easy to apply!!

100% Remy Human Hair!

So what's in the Box???

2 x 3-clip wefts

2 x 2-clip wefts

4 x Single clip wefts

Full instructions on how to wear the extensions

Miniature sizes of the NEW Halo shampoo and conditioner to help you care for your new extensions.

My beauties are the 20" Clip-In set in the shade Dark Brown (no2)

So here's my hair BEFORE these came into my life....

My hair is relatively short, therefore i had worried a little that there would be a definite GAP (only word i can think of to describe what i mean) between my hair and the extensions, and that the result would be a little..... disconnected. Worries unfounded. The way the wefts are applied blends in perfectly. The single clip wefts can be positioned anywhere to hide any bits that 'stick out'. The only thing i will say if you have shorter hair is that you will not get the thickness in the lengths that you would with longer hair, and you may not be able to do some of the hair-ups that you see in the YouTube tutorials. I personally have always had long hair with shorter layers so the finished result for ME is almost as my hair was BEFORE i had the chop!!

So... Colour Match???

Pretty damn PERFECT!!!! I can't tell the difference at all! I guess it's easier to match dark hair as it's only in the bright sunlight that you can see any tonal differences, but even then i haven't found any! Blondes and red-tones might need more careful consideration when colour matching extensions, and if your hair is bright PINK??? Then you will definitely have to face the fact that you will have to DYE your extensions, so make sure you choose a pale shade!

The End Result!!!

I ADORE THESE EXTENSIONS!!! 

And i also ADORE the people at Halo for holding the competition. Make sure you follow them on TWITTER as they hold the competition EVERY Friday!! Tweet them soon because they are also SUPER nice and happy to chit chat away on Twitter. For me this also gives me more confidence in their brand (as if the product didn't speak for itself). They also have a page on FACEBOOK where you can keep up to date on the latest news and read the latest reviews and tutorials. 

The set of Clip-Ins that I have retail for between £44.99 and £59.99 and are available in a great range of colours with a choice of 16" and 20" in length. Also make sure you check out the Halo which is a hairpiece which is attached around the head with a special wire.

Visit halohairextensions.com

For an EXTRA 10% OFF your own Halo I even have my very own discount code especially for readers of this blog which is....

HALOLOVESLISA

Thank you so much to the lovely people at Halo. I've been beaming from ear to ear all WEEK!!!

Stay tuned for more EXCITING Halo news, reviews and tutorials to come on this blog. I also have a special treat for one lucky follower once i get to 200 followers so GET FOLLOWING!!