[BEAUTY BYTES] Short Hair Products

I had my long locks chopped off a couple of weeks ago. After growing my hair for the past couple of years in anticipation of my wedding, I was in need of a change. The long bob has been having a moment for the past 12-18 months and so I decided to join the bob gang!

Styling short hair requires more effort than long hair. Long hair can easily be pulled up if necessary but short hair doesn’t afford this luxury. So I thought I would share the products I’m using on my short hair right now.

After washing my hair I run my Denman Professional Comb for Grooming (D22) through to remove any knots and to smooth. What I use next depends on how I’m styling my hair.

If I’m leaving my hair to dry naturally, I’ll scrunch through Umberto Giannini’s Curl Friends Create A Curl Scrunching Jelly. I’ve been using this jelly for years. It does have a tendency to go a little crunchy as the hair dries but if you have a play it quickly disappears. It’s really important to use this jelly when the hair is wet, as it can make it really greasy if you use it on dry hair.

If I’m planning on rough drying my hair and curling it with my straighteners, I’ll use TRESemmé’s Perfectly Undone Waves Creating Foam. This is a nice light mousse which enhances curls without adding weight to the hair. I have also used this for second day waves/curls, to rejuvenate them after a night of sleeping on them!

If I’ve straightened my hair, VO5’s Give Me Texture Dry Texturising Spray is a great pick-me-up for the second day. It works a bit like a dry shampoo – without the grey – and helps to give hair a bit of volume.

Do you have short hair? How do you style it? Any products you swear by?

[BEAUTY] Michael Van Clarke 3 More Inches Magic Oil

I had my hair cut a few weeks ago. Since dip dying my hair my trips to the hair dresser have become no more frequent but I have realised that when I do go, I need more off to make sure I get rid of all of the split and dry ends. So when I had my hair cut a few weeks ago, I asked for a good couple of inches to go. I’m resisting the urge to chop my hair into the oh-so-of-the-moment long choppy bob look that is so hot right now and that I love. I’m getting married in less than a year and want longer hair for my wedding day.

However, looking in the mirror earlier this week I noticed that my hair looked considerably longer than I remembered. Then I remembered the new product that I’ve been using – and loving – for the past month.

At a recent blogging event at the Bullring in Birmingham, the goody bag had a free bottle of Michael Van Clarke’s 3 More Inches Magic Oil. And this stuff works.

I’ve been using oil on my hair since last Christmas when I mum gave me L’Oreal’s Mythic Hair Oil. I’ve tried Moroccan oil a few times and every time it leaves my hair so greasy that I can’t leave it more than a day without washing it all out again! But the L’Oreal oil really suits my hair, leaving the bleached ends feeling soft and conditioned.

So I was more than a little dubious about fixing something that wasn’t broken by trying the Magic Oil. But, in the interests of blogging, I gave it a go.

The bottle has a dripper and you use 3-4 drops of the oil. I rub the oil together in the palm of my hands and then rub it on the ends. I use any residue over the rest of my hair.

I can’t say much about what it does specifically, suffice to say, my poor bleached ends are not dry and brittle after using this and it dries smooth on the ends. Probably, if I’m pushed, my hair dries straighter after using the L’Oreal oil, rather than the Michael Van Clarke oil but that’s it.

And my hair is definitely growing! Something I really didn’t expect to happen. But it really does work.

What is your favourite new hair product?

[HOW TO] Get The Bed Head Look

Bed head hair is not something you wake up with and roll out of bed with. It sounds like it is. It looks like it might be. But it is as carefully styled and thought through as an immaculate up do.

Bed head hair is probably one of the most coveted looks, rocked by off-duty models, actresses and everyday girls the world over.

For many of us, the bed head look is the ultimate “I-didn’t-do-anything” style. But getting it can feel like a massive effort.

Texture is key to this look. You want hair that is a day or two old. And you want that hair to be dried out, no moisture or grease!

1. Dry shampoo is traditionally one of the favourite products for this look. So it’s no surprise that I started styling my bed head look with Batiste dry shampoo. I love this stuff – so affordable (less than your average take out coffee!) and it works! Plus, it comes is a whole host of scents.
2. Recently I treated myself to Umberto Giannini’s Morning After Dry Shampoo. This stuff is, admittedly, a bit more expensive (maybe the equivalent of your Greggs lunchtime sarnie and cake!) but it’s also invisible, which means no white/grey hair!
3. But the real hero product here is Vo5’s Dry Texturising Spray. Like the Umberto Giananni dry shampoo this is invisible, it’s also a few pounds cheaper and doesn’t leave your hair with the residue sometimes associated with dry shampoo. Plus, it’s great for getting the bed head look on newly washed hair too.

Do you have a hero product? How do you get bed head hair?

Image via Pinterest

[COMPETITION] Win A Denman Hair Brush

This is your chance to win one of the six Denman hair brushes in the video below! To enter, simply watch the video and leave a comment, telling us which is your favourite.

The competition is open to UK readers only (sorry everyone else!) and is open until midnight on Sunday 13 April. Two winners will be picked at random from all of the answers.

[HOW TO] Five ways to style your hair in less than five minutes

Mondays are the worst for me. I always seem to hit snooze at least three times on a Monday morning. Sometimes more! And when I do eventually drag myself out of bed, I’m left with very little time to shower, dress, have breakfast and make myself up – let alone to do my hair too!

With a little help from Pinterest here are our top five ways to style your hair in less than five minutes!

1. A top knot is one of the quickest and easiest ways to work your hair when you’re running late. Throw it and up and run out of the door.

2. A head scarf will disguise greasy roots with no effort at all.

3. If it’s volume you’re after, spray on a little dry spray or scrunch in some mousse – do not brush as this will immediately flatten your hair further. For an added option – pull back into a ponytail – the messier the better!

*V05’s Dry Texture Spray is our favourite for adding volume. It also acts a little like a dry shampoo and the smell is of just clean hair – an all-round pick-me-up for your hair.

4. If your hair is long enough, braid it. The prettiness of the style will detract from the fact that your hair is not clean.

5. Throw on a hat! This won’t necessarily work in the office but if you’re out and about, a fedora will cover up all manner of sins!

What do you do with your hair when you’re running late?

Images via Pinterest

[BEAUTY] The Lazy Girl's Guide To Frizz Free Hair

Styling my hair has been the bane of my life for years. As a teenager – long before straighteners were really around – I remember being horrified at the idea of going to school with the frizzy and uncontrollable mess that was my hair. So much so that for years I wore it in a bun every single day. And then at the age of 17, I chopped it all off! In a pixie style much like Victoria Beckham’s (around the same time!). It didn’t suit me. A couple of years later, as it grew out, I discovered hair straighteners and have never looked back!

Over the years, I’ve learnt a few tricks to stop the frizz without too much effort. I’m a lazy girl – what can I say?!

• If, like me, you struggle to get up in the morning, wash your hair the night before.
• I no longer use conditioner when I wash my hair and instead spray it with a leave-in conditioner afterwards.
• I like to rough dry my hair before I go to bed – so that it’s not a complete bird’s nest the next morning.
• When drying my hair, I section it off and start at the roots, so that these are as smooth as possible.
• The next morning I again section off the layers and straighten like that.
• And I’m ready. In less than 10 minutes!

If you’re looking for a new and affordable hairdryer or straightener, check out the collection by Gamma Piu.

<emHow do you manage your hair?

Image via Pinterest

[HOW TO] DIY Dye Your Hair At Home

It’s no secret that I dye my hair. Myself. At home.

I swear by L’Oreal’s Casting Crème Gloss semi-permanent dyes. I’ve switched between a few: Chocolate, Black Cherry and Dark Chocolate. Dark Chocolate is my usual shade of choice as I find the lighter Chocolate fades too quickly (and I’m too lazy to do the dye too often) and the Black Cherry looked too red as it faded.

Having dyed my hair at home for the past three or four years, I’ve come up with a few foolproof tips:

• Make sure you have old towels on hand – no matter how careful you are, you will end up with some dye on them!
• Have a clip handy to keep hair up and off your face and neck during its development time.
• Use the gloves – even though a little dye on your skin will wash off, it’s best not to have a large amount for a prolonged period on your hands.
• Use Vaseline to keep dye away from your hairline and ears.
• If you do get dye anywhere on your skin (I always get it on my shoulders) use a wet wipe or face wipe to remove it straight away.

Do you dye your own hair? Or do you prefer to leave it to the professionals?

Image via

[BEAUTY] To Fringe, Or Not To Fringe

That is the question. Today. At least.

Whilst watching New Girl at the weekend, I couldn’t help but start to want to instantly cut a lovely heavy fringe. Right there and then. Of course, this has disaster written all over it, so I stopped myself. But I am planning a trip to the hairdressers soon and am seriously considering having one cut in. With this in mind, here is a little inspiraton board:

There are a few things to consider with a fringe:

• Right now my hair is about the length where on a really lazy/bad hair/greasy hair day, I can simply grab a tie and pull the lot back. This isn’t possible with a fringe.
• A fringe gets a lot greasier, a lot quicker.
• It’s taken nearly a year to grow it out.
• Keeping it the right length means regular trips to the salon – something I’m really not good at.

So, I leave it up to you to decide:

Images via (clockwise from top left): #1; #2; #3; #4; #5; #6

[BEAUTY] Bad Hair Day Kit

As a woman, bad hair is the worst thing that can happen. The worst. I might have put together the best outfit for my day ahead but if my hair’s not playing ball, I can pretty much forget feeling good, all day.

A woman’s hair is totally tied into her whole identity too. As a woman who for some years seemed to not conform to this stereotype, I know the pain of deciding to chop all of your hair off, only to find days later that you miss your long flowing locks. I have learned my lesson and now, when I feel like an image change, I add a brighter lipstick or a bigger necklace – something less permanent than a pixie crop.

Still, sticking to a style which suits is no guarantee against bad hair days; there’s still plenty of opportunity for your hair to find a new and irritating way to stick out or for the humidity to turn it into a frizzy mess akin to Monica’s attractive look in Friends.

Instead, I have spent the past few years collecting an arsenal of products and implements to help to combat bad hair days:

[INSPIRATION] Hair

Every six months or so I begin to think about making a trip to the hairdressers. This sounds terribly lazy, particularly as a beauty blogger and I can honestly say that I don’t hate the hairdressers. I think it has more to do with my poor judgement when it comes to hair cuts. I’m not particularly precious about my hair but I do prefer it when it is long. It is much more manageable and easier to look after when it’s long but for some reason, over the years I have tried out pixie crops, bobs and every in between. Now, for the sake of my hair, I tend to avoid the hairdressers and only go for a trim every six months or so. However, this does not mean that I spend a good few weeks filling my Pinterest board with idea for how I would like wish my hair would look!

How often do you go to the hairdressers? Do you take ideas to the hairdressers with you or do you leave your hair fate in the hands of your hairdresser?