DEMO | How to highlight hair extensions at home | video

Hair extensions have become a familiar every accessory for some, being as common as false lashes or acrylic nails. You can buy them in ready made sets or even find bulk hair wefts that can be sewn in to your needs. Human hair extensions are often preferred for their natural look and feel but even better, there's lots that you can do with them including heat styling and colour. Today I want to show you just that, how to highlight your hair extensions at home.

THE PRELUDE

Before we start snapping on the gloves, there's a few points I'd like to make clear about colouring your extensions. You can only do this with 100% human hair, synthetic hair will not take colour because they are not porous or worse yet they will just snap and break. Also, most hair extensions (especially if they are in a dark shade) are already colour treated to achieve a rainbow of hair matches however this means that, like any pre-treated hair, it takes longer for the colour to penetrate the hair and in addition tends to reduce the health of the hair fiber overall. Take note and colour at your own discretion.

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS

PRODUCTS SHOWN/USED

• Human hair extensions (provided by VP Fashion*)
• Hi-Lift permanent hair colour: L'Oreal Superior Preference LC61
• Rat tail comb, hair colouring brush, glass/plastic mixing bowl, foil

THE RESULTS

Here's how the hair turned out after a good rinse, shampoo and conditioning (I used my Joico K-Pak for some post trauma TLC). Depending on how thick your highlights are and how bright they are, the results can be a more natural or dramatic. 

As you can see here, my highlighted wefts look a bit more multi-dimensional and brought the overall tone up a few shades while still retaining some depth. This is a great option if you already have highlighted hair, if you want to add more interest to your natural base colour or if you are rocking an ombre look and feel that a solid coloured extensions drown you out.

ONE MORE THING...

As mentioned above, I choose to use my trusty L'Oreal Superior Preference high lift hair colour. Having coloured my own hair for many years, this is my favourite product for lightening my naturally dark hair or even lifting some colour off of previous coloured dark hair at home (shhhhhh... don't tell my hair stylist I do this. I'm naughty I know.). It's a bit gentler than bleach (which I've also frequently used in the past) and I'd say more ideal for hair extensions. Putting bleach onto healthy hair on your head is daunting enough but using it over already treated extensions would not be my first choice.

Once you get comfortable with the method to apply colour, there are so many variations that you can do be it highlights, lowlights, dip dye or even a pastel rainbow (hellooo manic panic!). Best yet, they are commitment free so you can be your serious self at work and let out your fun side on the weekends. 

Enjoy it!

Details on the extensions shown:

http://www.vpfashion.com/20-off-black-indian-remy-clip-in-hair-extensions-usna20-115g-p-8056.html?vp=257

Hair Length: 20inch

Hair Color: #1b off black

Hair Texture: Straight

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This blog post contains press samples sent for testing and review consideration, for more details on how this works please read my *blog policy guideline.

A'PEIU // Flawless Cover BB Cream (spf30/pa++)

If you're an adventurous beauty lover like me, sometimes curiosity just gets the better of you and you bring home a product that you know little about. Sometimes luck gets it right (see my beauty lottery winner here) and sometimes it gets it very very wrong. Well, ladies this is one of those times.

A'PIEU | Flawless Cover BB Cream // Light Beige | 12,000 Won (full size: 40ml)
WEBSITE

You may remember my excited enthusiasm for my very first A'Pieu product a few months ago when my KoreaDepart order arrived at my door. The brand is popular for being affordable and also attracts much attention with it's use of natural ingredients and plant extracts, featuring a green appeal.

I picked up this BB cream in the lightest shade available No.13 Light Beige but for those who have more colour to their face there is also No.21 and No.23 in this range. Unfortunately, here's where to problem started. With a small dot of product this actually swatched nicely, being a similar paleness to my skin but once blended into my face I realized this turned out be an unflattering shade of peachy pink. Nice as a blush, not so great as a foundation or BB cream.

It also had thick dense texture which required carefully patting onto the face with fingers or a damp sponge, use a buffing brush and you are almost certainly pick up every single dry patch on the skin. The finish once set the look was matte while being slightly powdery/velvet to the touch and although it did not feel like a burden on my face, I still couldn't help notice that the combination of mismatched colour and thicker consistency looked very unnatural on my face. In fact, this is one of those rare occasions in which my bare skin actually looked better than wearing a base product.

To redeem itself slightly, I can say that this does provide great coverage that goes on medium but is also buildable to cover most imperfections and discolouration that you'd like to hide, in addition you can absolutely go without setting powder and it will still look finished. If you can find a matching shade in this range, the combination of a matte finish and high coverage might be a winning combination for you especially those with oily skin.

While I fully intended to give this BB cream a good run and an in depth review, it just looked too ridiculous on my skin and I quickly gave it up without using it further to test its skincare benefits. I hope some of you have better luck out there!

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This is a FLASH REVIEW : these are my initial thoughts and/or first impressions on beauty samples that I have been trying out. I hope these mini posts will give you some basic information on certain products even if I haven't had the full experience with them some of them yet. 

WISHLIST | Hey hey Topshop!

What's a girl to do when life get's over her head?
Online makeup browsing of course! Topshop's appearance in the Vancouver Fashion scene was much anticipated and it's sleek, hip interiors has attracted much traffic in the 6 months since it's been open. 

All fashion and accessories aside, I was curious to browse through the beauty department, having heard so much rave from British bloggers. In all it's classic black and white polka dotted allure, the makeup wall was well stocked and the selection extensive. Although considered a "high street" brand in the UK, the prices reflected a more entry level department store range (or prestige drugstore) with many products selling near par to Clinique or MAC Cosmetics.

THE WISHLIST

Being short on time during my brief run into TopShop, I decided to do a little more investigating online before returning with a list. Here's what caught my eye.

Two items that frequently grace the pages of magazines and blog pages are the polishes and cream blushers from TopShop. For all you nail polish fanatics around Vancouver, the selection in store is incredible and with the way it's laid out on the wall, it is truly a magical rainbow paradise (see proof on my Facebook photo). Cream blushers on the other hand are a bit of a tricky territory as they tend to be either too wet, too dry, too pigmented or just not enough colour at all. Word on the street is that they are the perfect, easy to wear consistency so I'll definitely have go in for a test swatch.

Clothing items are also stocked by The Bay (online) and are available for easy ordering though it's a substantially curated list compared to the shops. I did find a few cute items but mostly I felt TopShop to be too "hip" or grunge for my own personal style.

If you haven't seen it already, the brand also has a Youtube channel where styling videos and makeup tutorials are spontaneously posted. The looks seem easy enough and showcases products from their limited edition or permanent line. 

Beauty Lovers, what is your take on TopShop makeup?
Are there any must have items that I should try?

ESSIE // Bridal 2013 Nail Polish : Swatches & Impressions

Bridal collections are always some of my favourites in the beauty market, the focus is usually on a soft and feminine colour palette which is absolutely my style. This spring ESSIE has released their 2013 Bridal Collection* which looks like they were plucked straight off the petals of a lush lilac bouquet.

Lilac Bouquet // Bows and Arrows Flowers

Dallas, Texas // Blog / Website

The collection features four lively yet romantic options, in various shades of cream, shimmer and even duo-chrome. Looking at these sitting on my desk, I think they would be wonderful for the bridesmaids as well.

NO BAGGAGE PLEASE: "positively rosy pink"
This is a very creamy light neutral pink sprinkled with micro fine silver glitter that is just minutely visible if I hold up the swatch to the light. While certainly noticeable in the bottle, it does not translate with the same intensity once applied.
Beautiful in 2 coats.

MEET ME AT THE ALTAR: "romantic rendezvous lilac"
This is a light creamy lilac version of No Baggage Please, with the same micro fine silver glitter which again is quite discrete when applied. The depth of this colour would fit a variety of pale to deep skin tones beautifully. One of my favourites from this set, it's that perfect choice when I can't decide between pink or purple.
Beautiful in 2 coats.

MY BETTER HALF: "irresistible peony pink"

This is a saturated fuschia with a slight silvery taupe duo chrome sheen which translates into a satin finish on the nails. I found this to take a bit more effort to perfect and smooth out evenly than the light shades though the formulation is not necessarily thicker. 

Beautiful in 3 coats.

USING MY  MAIDEN NAME: "pretty blue hydrangea"

This is a saturated lavender hydrangea shade (definitely not blue) with micro silver shimmer mixed with a brighter lavender duo chrome. The finish is satin but does show more multi-dimensionality than My Better Half. I did find this slightly harder to coat evenly and required one more coat than the lighter colours. For those who like a little more pow to contrast with a pastel dress or a pale bouquet.

Beautiful in 3 coats.

Availability: In stores now!

Overall I was especially please with how easily the lighter creamy shades applied as they tend to be the ones to go streaky. My favourite pickings would be Meet Me at the Altar and Using my Maiden Name or perhaps both together on fingers and toes. All four shades dried quite quickly and evened themselves out to a smooth sleek finish without an additional topcoat.

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This is a FLASH REVIEW : these are my initial thoughts and/or first impressions on beauty samples that I have been trying out. I hope these mini posts will give you some basic information on certain products even if I haven't had the full experience with them some of them yet. 

Let's Cook: Quick and easy London Fog

I've always been a milk lover, steamed, ice cold, chocolate, I adore 'em all! Well this love affair grew deeper the first time I tried the LONDON FOG, despite it's English moniker, it's apparently a Canadian version milk tea with a high diary ratio and a shot of sweet sweet vanilla. Soon I was drinking this in the morning, after a meal, as a mid day snack and in short whenever I needed a quick pick me up.

Whilst on a trip to the market to spice up my tea cabinet (usually well stocked with Asian leaves), I happened upon this fantastic little tin that is perfect for the casual London Fog drinker. Here's how to get a steaming cup in 4 minutes flat, your little cheat sheet.

INGREDIENTS FOR YOUR BREW

• Whole milk
• TETLEY | Earl Grey & Vanilla Tea
• Sugar

There is of course, a lot of tweaking that can be done with this, I eliminated the vanilla syrup because the Tetley tea already had vanilla inside so all I did was add a bit of sugar to sweeten the deal. Whole milk is my weak spot but try experimenting with other variations to suit your taste.

If you are using other variations of tea bags, make sure it doesn't have staples closing the opening as you don't want that inside the microwave. Alternatively, heat up your milk with the tea bag in a small pot but I find the microwave method to be faster as long as you remember to stir things up and heat in small intervals. Just fill up with milk, pop your tea bag inside and hit the button. As it heats up, the tea will slowly infuse the milk with that warm comforting aroma. A dash of sugar, some optional mixing with a hand held frother and you are ready!

Authentic?
Probably not.
Quick, easy and delicious?
Oh yes!

Lifestyle: Commiting to fitness

I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to my fitness routine, I get side tracked easily. In fact, my "routine" often come as sporadic guilt sessions rather than a committed scheduled regime. This year however, I decided to take a slightly different approach and I want to share with you a few personal tips on how to stay committed.

1. Know where you want to end up.
Have as clear of a picture as possible about where you want to be at the end of your journey and what you want to maintain. Rip out magazine pages, make an inspirations board, whatever you need but make sure it's a reasonable goal that's just a little challenging but not overwhelming. Personally, my goal is to get lean and do some body sculpting rather than loose weight. When looking for fitness guides out there, many focus on weight loss or "dieting" and that's not necessarily the right thing for everyone so choose your resources carefully.

101 Ways to Workout with Weights // Cindy Whitmarsh | see it

Body by You // Mark Lauren | see it

2. Choose a system or activity that works for you.
Sure you can just sign up for a gym membership and call yourself set but if that system doesn't attract you then you aren't going to be motivated to go there. I'm not much of a gym rat so I decided to look for approaches that can be done easily at home or just on my own, no fancy equipment required. Case and point, I was browsing the Amazon and found these two books that caught my eye. I've also picked up running which is an easy way to get some cardio into my day.

Lynn Canyon Park // North Vancouver

3. Sneak in extras whenever you can.

Now this is easier done in the summer months because of the insanely nice weather around here but grab the opportunity to fit in a little extra whenever and wherever that you can. So go on a hike, cycle around town or dive in for a swim, these may not seem like much but it de-stress your mind and help stretch out your muscles but more importantly keeps you in the mindset to keep moving your body!

This year, I'm not counting pounds or inches but rather the way my body looks and feels. I hope you're also off to a great start in your fitness goals this year!

Psssst...please share your commitment tips as well.