How to: Colour hair extensions silver

So as you saw in my last post I went from brunnette to a very cool ash ombre! Yay! And as all of you know I'm a huge hair extensions fan, the longer and thicker the better! I wanted to get myself some silver/grey hair extensions from cliphair, unfortunately they don't do those in 24 inches (YET). But as I'm a loyal customer, I got myself some in the lightest blonde shade, so I can play around with the colours - more work for me but I get to practice my skills.

       Products I used:

• ClipHair Extensions in Lightest Blonde for brightest result
• La Riche Directions dye in silver for white/silver result
• Tint bowl and brush
• Plastic sheet
• Tangle teezer
• Some patience
  

If you are colouring your hair extensions at home, I strongly suggest you first wash your wefts a couple of times before applying any kind of chemicals. Very often hair extensions contain a silicone coating  to keep the hair soft and shiny, and it creates a barrier for colouring which can either intesify the colour or for  the result to be too weak. Once you do that, before colouring the whole thing do a strand test because we want to eliminate any chances of the hair extensions not taking colour or turning GREEN or BLUE as a result. Just like any of us, I don't want to spend a £100 on hair extensions just to ruin them!

To do this, mix some of the dye into a bowl and apply it on one of the smallest clip-in wefts. Follow manufacturer instructions for developement time. Once the dye has developed, you can then see if the hair is the right shade and decide whether you want to continue using the dye or not.

I did two different strand test with two different colour options and two strikingly different results.
For the first one I used La Riche directions in silver for 30 mins, which completely toned down the yellow hues of the extensions and left a silghtly purple tone behind - close enough to what I need.

The second one i used Wella Colour Touch 8/81 with 3% developer for 10 minutes, exactly the same colour that I use to freshen up my own grey ombre. The result was quite shocking - the strand test turned BLUE - that's why, it is really important to do strand tests before colouring extensions, even if you are using the same colour that you use on yourself!

 

 I also had to ombre my hair extensions to make them blend with my own hair. You can read about how I do it in one of my older posts.

Bleaching with OLAPLEX

Almost all of us have been there—having luxurious dark hair, being happy with our choice, then one day deciding that being blonde is better. With the help of bleach, we're happy again. Actually, more than happy because now we love being blonde! But then comes the breakage and the dryness of the hair, so now we have to go dark again. It's normal, we can't fight it, and we'll continue to change our minds when it comes to hair colour. I'm no exception.

Last year I was dark, then blonde, then dark again. Now I want to jump onto the ombre bandwagon again! Although is it possible with all that bleaching hidden underneath the healthy 'looking' cuticles of my hair? Most stylists would say no, unless you plan on taking time to go through all the stages of your hair colour—from red to orange, then yellow, before you can achieve a shiny silver, which is what I want. Well you know what? You can go from dark to light in one sitting using OlaPlex, and I am here to prove it.

'OLAPLEX™ is a single active ingredient, designed to reconnect the disulphide sulfur bonds broken by the process of permanent hair coloring and lightening. OLAPLEX™ is free of silicones, oils, aldehydes and parabens.'

It took me and my friend Craig nearly 7 hours to achieve the look I have today but it was well worth it to get this done in one sitting. To pass the time we sipped wine and started a makeshift karaoke session, while blasting music in the salon after closing hours. Here is the result:

I would like to note that if your hair has been bleached before like mine, then the use of OlaPlex to lighten again is not normally recommened. I went into this experiment expecting the worst, but hoping for the best, as my mum would say. With that in mind, the procedure was slightly compromised due to the condition of my hair. There were a few signs of breakage and dryness but nothing serious considering bleach was left on my hair for 2 hours, while being remoistened and regularly checking the integrity of my hair.

To get the ombre look after the lightening was done we used:
NASHI 30g of 5.12 + 6% developer on the roots
NASHI 20 g of 9.11 + 10g of 0.22 + 3% developer on midlenghts to ends

At home, to freshen up the silver areas, I use Wella Colour Touch 8/81 + 3% developer, the result was more of a pure grey than silver.

If you are contemplating on going light but are really worried about the damage, I would ask for an OlaPlex addition to your colour service in your salon. It might not be a guarantee but it definitely is insurance.

Review: London Hair Academy NVQ level 2

Girls with hair that needs attention—here I come—I can be your “hairy” godmother!

2015 was my biggest year so far. It started off with me working in a cute beauty salon tucked away in Shoreditch and finished with me booking and completing my course at the London Hair Academy. Wait, what? YES, I DID IT! I finally saved up enough money to do my course! All of those long, crappy shifts at ZARA dealing with customer returns and, sometimes, incompetent staff members proved to be worth it in the end.

Along the way there were many bumps and falls, like always, but in the end with the support of my beloved one I can finally say my biggest dream of becoming a recognised hair stylist is gradually beginning to come true! The feeling I get when I see happy faces after colouring, cutting and blowdrying my client's hair makes the hard work and longer years of saving so worth the trouble. It's moment like these when I realise that this is exactly what I want to do with my life.

About the course  

 

Let's cut to the chase—the course was well worth the money. Thankfully the groups are small (up to 7 people) so we get lots of one to one tutoring and there's plenty of opportunities to practice our theory work. We only worked on the dolly heads once a week and, for the rest, we would do 1 to 2 clients in a day. Since it's all squashed into three very short months, it's incredibly fast paced with plenty of intense practical learning. Yes, you read that right, 3 months! How much did I pay? Around £6100 because I signed up during the Christmas offers. Do I think it's better than going to college for 2 years? Hell yes!

I know a “stylist” that did a college course for 2 years in a group of 30 people and felt she learned very little at all. Although they have the advantage of growing their confidence using the techniques, at the London Hair Academy you have to pick things up as fast as you can. It's not necessarily a bad thing if you're keen to put in the extra hours but you have to be able to keep up with the pace. Luckily the academy provides an ITEC qualification which is recognised worldwide.

Subjects that I covered in the course:

	Develop and Maintain Effectiveness at Work ~ Team work ~ Productivity ~ Personal developement
	Style and Finish Hair ~ Using different products for different finished looks ~ Straight, body, curly, bouncy blowdries
	Set and Dress Hair ~ Updos ~ Hot rollers ~ Wet rollers ~ Pin curls  ~ Heated equipment
	Cut Hair Using Basic Techniques ~ One length ~ Long graduation ~ Short graduation ~ Uniform layers
	Colour and Lighten Hair ~ Re-growth application ~ All over colours and toning ~ T-section & half head highlights
	Advise and Consult with Clients
	~ Factors that Limit or Affect Services ~ Hair Characteristics ~ Hair Classification ~ Advice and Recommendations Shampoo, Condition and Treat the Hair and Scalp
	~Hair Condition ~Scalp Condition ~Shampooing Massage Techniques ~Conditioning Products ~Conditioning Massage Techniques ~Advice and Recommendations (NEW) Perm and Neutralise Hair  ~Products ~Tests ~Factors ~Sectioning Techniques

My tutor was Paula and I can only say good things about her way of teaching. She always pushed us beyond our comfort zone so we could make mistakes on our dolly heads before we went on to cut people's hair. The most common mistake for all of us in the group was over-directing, which often got us crying out aloud “WE CAN'T FIND OUR GUIDE.” Believe me, you will understand the pain when you start studying hairdressing. Well it brought frustration to all of us but Paula would come over and magically pick it up, show it to us, then drop it—making us try to find it again. Grrr, but that's how we learn right?

At the begining of the three months, Paula warned us that there will be plenty of blood, sweat and tears during the course and most of us just laughed it off. Of course she knew better and probably at least 5 out of 7 of us cried at some point. We definitely all bled from nipping ourselves with the scissors. I cried myself from frustration, but mostly out of exaustion and confusion while trying to figure out colour theory. It's certainly not easy and there will be times where you might be pushed to your limits.

Most memorable quote from the group:  “You know that lady I had today, with the, with the...you know... McDonald's thing,” while pointing towards the hairline. She was trying to describe a very deep widow's peak but that's what happens at the end of a long day on an intense course.

Funniest memory: a client falling asleep in the middle of a pixie haircut.

Best moment: being nominated for the Hairdressing British Student of the Year awards.  

Right now I feel like I am confident enough to go out there and cut, colour and style people's hair and I'm so happy with the progress. Three days before the end of the course I already had clients in my salon and they couldn't believe that I was just about to graduate. I guess that's why I would recommend this London Hair Academy course to others out there looking for an entry point in hairdressing. You need a strong head, lots of energy and a good attitude towards learning but, stick with it, and you could be a stylist in three months too.

How I lost weight without being a slave to strict diets

So I always hear from my friends about going on unsuccessful diets. And I've been there before myself. I've cut out the carbs, squeezed in the green veggies, and been on liquid breakfasts, lunches and dinners. None of that helped – I always felt drained of energy and often moody because I couldn't eat my snacks. Worst of all, after you stop these fad diets all the previously shed weight is going to come back with a vengence.

I've matured a lot since then which means I'm taking a different approach to dieting – this time with the caveat that it has to be more like a small lifestyle rule that is very easy to follow. More importantly, sustainable! Basically, the less calories you consume the greater the weight loss – simple science right? The same goes for exercising. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not into starving myself. Quite the opposite. I eat the same way I ate before – just now made my portions a little bit smaller. I still love my carbs and my stomach still loves my lasagne and pasta dishes. Occasionally I might have a burger (not sorry) but everything is in moderation so on other days I'll have something fresher and healthier.

Another thing that has benefited the results is going to the gym. I'm notorious for being terrible with exercise but, guys, I can run. Run! And lift weights and all these other movements that I didn't realise I could do because I was too busy trying to sleep marathons in bed. You know what? I only go there once or twice per week for just 1 hour or more. Ok I'm not a big fan of the treadmill so I do my cardio on the elliptical machine, shooting the difficulty level to 7-12 and exercise for 40 minutes which burns ±400 kcal. Afterwards I'll try to blend with the meatheads and excercise my butt, legs, torso, back, arms and shoulders. Yes, 1 hour is usually enough because it's 1 more hour than lazy me could cope with. Start with small, manageable steps and work from there.

At this point, which is about 2 months since I started my little work out routine, I've already lost 4 kg without being a slave to strict diets. I still enjoy my delicious hearty meals and still see the scales go down – the main thing is I'm doing this with a smile on my face and I think I can keep this up.

If you are on a diet or planning to go on one, consider this post. Just know that a diet shouldn't be a one time solution or a quick fix – it's a long-term, lifestyle choice that you should be able to maintain for a healthier, sexier body which means a happier, sexier you.

Easy dip dye hack for blonde hair

So my stylist enlightened me on this super easy temporary hair colouring hack and I'm gonna share it with you!

Basically it's called hair staining. It's not permanent but perfect for a day out, especially if you are going to a festival.

Step 1: Get any kind of semi-permanent, funky hair colour dye from your local shop (I used LIVE Colour XXL Purple Pink)

Step 2: Mix up 3-5 (less or more, to taste) pea sized drops of the dye with 1 litre of water (make sure there no little chunks of dye left there)

Step 3: Shampoo your hair while in the shower then dip your wet hair into the mixture

Step 4: Keep the mixture in the hair for as long as you want, depending on the intesity of the colour you wish to achieve. I only need to keep it in for 30 seconds!

Step 5: Rinse and condition your hair

This method should last you about 1-3 washes

Tested and used by me and many other of my friends!

Makeover: From brunette to ice blonde!

For so many years I've been surrounded by blonde women in my family – my mother, all four of her sisters, and my grandma. Even though I vowed not to bleach my hair and keep it naturally brown, things have changed after really researching women with blonde or grey hair and I've fallen in love with the look! So, after a deep breath, I decided to go for it even if it costs me the health of my hair.

Thankfully I recently started working in a beauty salon in Shoreditch so I won't be attempting any DIY bleaching (which would be a disaster) and my genius senior stylist, Craig, agreed to try and colour my hair to the level I want. When he has time, obviously. Just one of the many perks of being part of a talented hair and beauty team – and I plan to take full advantage!

Back on topic, Craig used powdered bleach and mixed it with 9% peroxide, which is quite strong but it didn't do too much damage to my hair. The first bleaching session left my hair very yellow. YIKES. Although I wasn't too disheartened by it and knew that I couldn't expect everything to happen in one day! It would be quicker if I had naturally light hair but then again that would just be too easy.

The second bleach session would have to be booked in three weeks later as Craig was massively booked up during that time and my poor head needed two weeks time to rest. The second session required the same powdered bleach + 9% peroxide, which was left in on half of the length of my hair. Mainly because the colour from my ends didn't lift that well due to old permanent colors that I used on my hair before. We kept the bleach on for 25 minutes before washing it off and then applied a toned permanent colour on all of my hair. I clearly remember the colour number as well! Wella Koleston 12/89.

We kept that colour on for an additional 30 minutes and, once washed off, we used a deep repair  conditioning mask from Moroccan Oil. Usually you need to keep this on for 7-10 minutes for it to work its magic, and indeed it is magic, but we kept it on for nearly 45 mins so my hair was very thankful for the pampering. Happy hair means a happy me.

The last part of the process was a trim for my ends. Originally I wanted at least 2-3 inches chopped off but Craig said my hair has actually withstood the bleach onslaught and only needed 1 inch to be taken off. The finished result was fantastic! As much I reminded myself of my mother, I absolutely love my new silvery blonde hair. As a Game of Thrones fan, I feel like Khaleesi.

                                                      Which look do you prefer on me?

Wonderful Treasure Find: Thrift shop gem

 

 If I told you that I bought this part wool, part cashmere coat for a reasonable amount, what price tag would you stick on it? I bet you priced it wrong.

This lovely camel coat cost me barely £5, while the dry cleaning for it cost £7! The coat is 1970s vintage and I will tell you, when I bought it, I thought it was brand new. It still has spare buttons attached inside and the label on the back of the neck isn't dirty or faded at all. It's in perfect condition – not something you would expect from a thrift store.

The place where I got it from used to be Klaipeda city's one and only supplier of all possible goods - from food to cars in the Soviet times. If you needed to buy shoes or a coat, the only way you would be able to get in there was by getting a ticket from your employer (the center was heavily guarded by armed security) and the only way to for your employer to give you that ticket was to be very hard working. I know all this because my grandfather used to be the manager of this whole center that's called "BAZE". Now this place is open for everybody and sells all kinds of things – you can find Russian make up stores, furniture warehouses, vegetable kiosks, food shops, and many used clothes warehouses such as the one where I got this classy coat.

Fortunately for me, and a shame all the same, my generation has forgotten about this place which is why once in a while I might find some kind of hidden gem. Hopefully something special, something unique.