After a year and a half of having a bob, the time has come where I want my hair long again. Back in summer 2014, I tried to dip dye my hair at home (mistake!), which involved a lot of bleaching, even when getting it fixed at the salon. Because my natural hair colour is so dark, this completely destroyed my hair to the point where my natural curls were no longer curling, and my hair was left completely dead. My only option was to take the big snip, and get a fresh new bob. I absolutely loved the style, and still do, however as mentioned above, the time has come where I miss my long hair. Following this, I've decided to keep a diary on my journey, so I can share it with anyone interested and see my progress. I'll also be making video diaries too, so scroll down for my first video!

Bleached to death, literally.

First cut into a bob.

Current hair length - start of journey.

After researching different methods of encouraged hair growth, I'm starting with 4 products. 

Number 1 - Coconut oil. Not only is coconut oil fantastic for moisture, it also prevents breakage by the fatty acids working with the natural proteins. Less breakage = longer hair. The main reason I'll be using coconut oil for hair growth is because it boosts blood circulation, encouraging the hair to grow from the root. The way I'll be doing this is by coating my hair in coconut oil twice a week before washes, and giving my scalp a thorough massage. By massaging your scalp, more oxygen and nutrients will be sent to the hair follicles to stimulate hair growth. 

The second product I'll be using is extreme anti snap treatment by Redken. This is a leave in conditioning treatment to solve problems with hair prone to breaking and splitting, by smoothing the hair cuticle and reducing friction from brushing that can damage the hair. Being made up of proteins, lipids and ceramide, it helps to reinforce the cuticle as well as protective resurfacing. This product also contains heat protection - Bonus! By having less breakage at the ends, this should result in hair not needing to be cut shorter, and the ends not decreasing in length.

Now I've covered the external products, lets move onto the things I'll be putting in my body! Folic Acid, a type of B vitamin, helps your body to produce and maintain new cells. By helping the tissues in skin, hair and nails, Folic Acid can be a natural stimulant for hair growth. I will be taking one tablet a day.

Finally, I'm going to be taking a multivitamin & iron supplement daily. As the name of the vitamin states, there are several types of vitamin from these bad boys that your body needs. By taking these, I'm giving my body what it needs to function properly, and hopefully work faster with cell growth and all that jazz. 

So there we have it! I'll be trying to not use heat on my hair as often as I can, to keep it as healthy as possible. If you have any hair tips or advice, please comment as I'd love to know!

Check back in a few weeks to see part 2 of my hair diary, where I hope to see some progress! 

Check out my video diary here:

Thanks! x

So this is my first post in a long long time! I've been extremely busy since the summer sorting my life out for uni, and of course moving and settling in to the good ol' sunny Brighton. Hoping to get back into the swing of things, I recorded a little tutorial for a simple but striking make-up look that is perfect for the start of the colder weather. (Scroll down past photos for video) Enjoy!x

So since seeing all these gorgeous-sunkissed-golden-glowing-bronzed babes all over Instagram I was dying to try Bondi Sands tan, as this was appearing all over my feed. When I saw the slogan was 'The Australian Tan' and that the majority of people promoting the tan were, well.. in Australia, I was truly gutted. However, to my surprise, I picked up a bottle from the one and only Superdrug! (£14.99) After doing some trusty research, I decided the 'Light/Medium' would without a doubt be the most suitable colour for my British born pasty skin. I also saw a lot of good reviews on the 'Self Tanning Foam', so I opted for this (there are also mists, lotions, creams etc).  Reading the instructions on the back, I realised it probably best to pick up a tanning mitt, as the application says so.

Here is my skin, freshly exfoliated and free from any moisturisers (instructed in Step 1)

Step 2 instructs you to apply the product to a tanning mitt (remember to shake the bottle first), followed by using a long sweeping motion and using remaining residue for face, elbows and knees.

The first thing I noticed when using this tan was the fantastic you-could-eat-it scent. Instead of that classic fake tan biscuit like smell, this stuff smells like a thousand coconuts. Even after I had applied it, my bedroom smelt like coconut for days. 10/10 for the scent,

So here's what the foam looks like on the mitt. Being a usual gradual tan girl, I was quite scared when I applied this foam to my leg which was 10 shades darker than my skin. But don't fret, you wash it off. I started on my legs, using the residue for my feet, then I worked my way up my back, tummy, chest, arms and neck and finally a tiny bit on my face. I would say the foam is easily spreadable if you're quick with it, however if you notice a streaky patch a few minutes later, it can be quite difficult to blend, requiring more tan to even it out.

Step 3 says that skin may be washed after one hour, but for a longer lasting darker tan, leave on for up to 6 hours. The first time I tried this I left it on for one hour then rinsed it off in the shower (using body wash as normal). This gave me a really lovely light tan which lasted a good few days.

Washed off after 1 hour. Light tan.

The next time however, I tanned before bed and slept in it, washing it off the following morning. This gave me a much more deeper tan. I love the fact you can adapt the tan to your own preference, having a light glow to a deep tan with the same product.

These photos above were the next morning after application before washing off. As you can see, the product goes very dark. One thing that I also noticed was whilst the tan was settling, it wasn't totally dry. When I sat on the toilet seat I left marks from my tanned backside (it did come off the seat), and a bit on my bedding. This isn't too much of a problem because the whole point is to rinse it off, but I would recommend wearing loose clothing after applying the product. On the upside, the product isn't at all sticky, and you can pretty much carry on as normal.

After washing the tan off.

And finally, I have a tan! To be honest, I think all the faff is worth it for this beautiful outcome! It's very even, no funny smells, not too orange, and even looks natural. I can finally see what all the fuss is about. Another factor I love is that this lasts a good few days, possibly even a week without re-applying. I would highly recommend this product to anyone looking for a salon quality self tan, and I would say the price is worth it. I will definitely carry on purchasing the Bondi Sands tan.

Thanks for reading!

x

Follow me on Instagram for more makeup looks! @hollyisobelle

Products Used

Face - Double Wear Light Foundation by Estée Lauder

Double Wear Concealer by Estée Lauder

Hoola Bronzing Powder by Benefit Cosmetics

Rockateur Blusher by Benefit Cosmetics

Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter by The Balm Cosmetics

Eyes - Base Shadow - Nude/Cream 

Centre - Bronze/Gold 

Crease - Matte Light Brown

Outer Corners - Shimmery Dark Brown

All colours in 144 Eyeshadow Pallette by Revelution Cosmetics

ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Liner Black by Rimmel

They're Real Mascara by Benefit Cosmetics

Lips - Liner - Lip Definer in Nude Pink by Collection

Lipstick - Matte Lipstick in Fawn Fancy by MUA Cosmetics.

Hope you like this look! 

Thanks :) x

I am absolutely loving greys/taupes/mauves at the moment. Not only do they suit every coloured outfit, they also suit every eye colour. Therefore this look is perfect for everyone! The video tutorial for this look is at the bottom of the post :) 

Eyes - Products Used - Full Exposure Palette by Smashbox, ScandalEyes Kohl Liner by Rimmel, RollerLash Mascara by Benefit Cosmetics.

Face - Products Used - True Match Foundation by Loreal, Lasting Perfection Concealer by Collection, Hello Flawless Powder by Benefit Cosmetics, Dallas Blusher & Dandelion Blusher by Benefit Cosmetics, Hoola Bronzing Powder by Benefit Cosmetics, Mary Lou Manizer by The Balm Cosmetics.

Lips - Products Used - Lip Liner in 'Dark' by Smashbox Cosmetics, Lipstick in 'Thalia' by NYX, Matte Lipstick in '113' by Kate Moss Rimmel London.

*MAKEUP TUTORIAL*

Thanks! Let me know what your thoughts are on this look :) 

x

       

Top / Missguided

Skirt / New Look

Shoe Boots / New Look

Midi Rings / New Look

Bag / Primark

 \ Makeup Tutorial /

As the most romantic time of year is creeping up on us, I threw this pretty outfit together along with some colour co-ordinated makeup. This outfit would be acceptable for both day and night as it is casual enough for daytime and classy enough for the evening. If you want to go for something more relaxed & girly rather than bold and sexy, this outfit is perfect. With purple hues to the eyes and lips, this makeup look couldn't get anymore valentines day appropriate! To see how to achieve the makeup look please watch the video above.

What's your favourite look for a valentines day date?

So as I'm sure we all know, bigger and plumper lips seem to be quite a big fashion trend right now. Not everyone wants fuller looking lips, but for most of us ladies we wouldn't mind an extra boost. Obviously, not all of us want lip fillers.. So as soon as I discovered these bad boys I was super keen to try some for myself! Being from the UK, I had to purchase mine through Fullips Ebay store, as they are an American company. To my surprise, the lovely lady from Fullips sent me all 3 sizes for the price of one so that I would be sure on which is best for my lips! Each enhancer is £13.23 ($19.99) or there are deals where you get 2 or 3 in a package for cheaper. You can purchase the enhancers from the actual site (http://fullips.com/store/) or from the Ebay store if you aren't from the US (http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/fullips) These are what the lip enhancers look like :
                                            
                                      (Can I just say, how cute is the packaging?!)

                           
                                      Small Oval - For thinner lips or to target areas

       
                          Medium Oval - For overall mouth sizes looking for more fullness

                                               
                               Large Round - For bigger lips and overall mouth fullness

So this is how they work. Making sure lips are moisturised, place enhancer onto both lips or targeted area and make a firm suction. Leave for 15-30 seconds, and take off. You can keep doing this until you have reached your desired fullness. It really is pain free. I wouldn't say its too time consuming, as it will only take a few minutes to get a real big fullness. Depending on your mouth and lip size/shape, each enhancer is great for achieving different results. For example, the medium oval really made my lips fuller, the large round helped the shape look more round, and the small oval I loved for making my top lip larger as it is naturally thinner than my bottom lip. If you can, it is definitely worth getting all 3.

Here were my results :

                                                                     Before

                                                                      After

                                                                     
                                                                With Lipstick

                                                                       Before

                                                                         After

                                                             With Lipstick

I was thrilled with my results, and will be making them part of my make-up routine! The only downside to the Fullips Enhancers is that the fullness doesn't last very long, however the more I'm using them, the longer it is lasting. So hopefully soon it will last a few hours! They also say that the more you use the enhancers, the quicker your lips will react to getting fuller.

Who else is wanting to try these?