Late last year, I dipped my head (…) into the new and exciting world of hair extensions. After 27 years of fine, flat, lacklustre hair, I thought it was about time I had the Zoey Dechanel locks I’d always dreamt of.

I started with clip-ins and although they gave me the bouncy look I wanted, they damaged my hair. So I  looked into other options – extensions that would last longer, would fit into my daily routine and would be kind to my feeble follicles.

I’ve been getting my hair done at Russell Eaton, a hairdresser in Leeds, since August last year. I was so impressed with my gifted cut and colour that I went back again and again, always coming away with a spring in my step and a diva swish of my hair. They were my first port of call when it came to researching extensions and I was bowled over when they offered to provide the treatment for free, along with their partner Great Lengths.

Having bonded extensions applied is a serious commitment, so I wanted to make sure I did things right. After deciding to go ahead in April, I waited until June for my hair to grow and recover. Finally, after a fresh cut and colour, we were good to go.

before. 

My stylist at Russell Eaton, Jess, has bonded extensions herself and is an expert in their application and aftercare. A few days before my appointment, she cut and coloured my hair, making sure it was in the best condition. The cut was kept quite feathered on the ends – something I never go for, having fine hair, but necessary to ensure the extensions blended seamlessly with my own hair.

Once we’d got the colour right, Jess matched my hair to the extensions. We went for a blend of two colours for a really natural, flawless look. The hair was provided by Great Lengths – it’s 100% human hair that’s ethically sourced and has a traceable origin.

I arrived at the salon at 12pm and had my hair washed with a toning solution. This removes excess oil from the hair to ensure the extensions can bond easily. By 12.30pm my first bonds were in place!

during. 

My extensions were smaller strands, so they mixed perfectly with my fine hair. Each extension was applied using a heated tool to ‘bond’ it to my hair – the bond is a keratin mix, a substance found naturally in the hair. It’s not a glue, and it’s pH balanced, making it kinder to your hair and scalp. Jess applied the extensions in crazy-neat rows, moving up towards my head.

It wasn’t painful or uncomfortable at all and the time seemed to fly by. By 4.30pm I was all done. Jess cut and styled my hair, layering the extensions and cutting off some of the length.

after.

Ta-dah!

I loved it immediately and have to force myself to stop stroking it on a regular basis. Jess mentioned that some people need a few days to adjust to having all that extra hair, but within hours I couldn’t imagine not having it. It’s entirely seamless and there’s no clue that it’s not mine. Because the extensions have been tailored to my hair type, I just look like one of those people with totally great hair. And I’m pretty smug about it!

I can feel the bonds when I touch my head and I’m more careful when brushing, washing and styling, but other than it feels like my own. It’s not heavy, it doesn’t pull and I am completely and utterly enamoured.

With TLC, my extensions could last up to 5 months before they need refreshing. And although this set was provided to me for free, I know I’ll be more than happy to pay for them myself the next time round.  The cost of my individual extensions (as everyone’s will be different, depending on length/thickness) would’ve been around £500 – a lot of money, I know. But if you’ve suffered from hair-based insecurity for a long time – absolutely, totally and utterly worth it.

I’ll be updating my hair extensions journey over the next few months, including how to care for them. For now though, I’m going to practise my fishtail braid and stare at myself in the mirror. *swish*

What do you think – do you like the new look? Are you tempted by bonded hair extensions?

This treatment was provided to me for free for the purpose of reviewing. Great Lengths provided the hair and Russell Eaton provided the application and styling. I paid for my own cut and colour before the treatment. 

The more I discover about beauty, the more I realise much of what we read is rubbish. From combatting oily skin with alcohol-laden cleansers to piling volumising product on limp hair, beauty articles can be very unhelpful.

So, using my own beauty disasters as a cringe-inducing guide, I’m writing a series of posts that aim to bust beauty myths. And I’m starting with my own personal demon – Vaseline.

Back in the 90s, Vaseline was the It Girl of the beauty world. Celebs achieved glowing skin through a combination of soap, water and Vaseline. We put it on our elbows, eyebrows and – most importantly – our lips. That little blue pot was the must-have accessory in my high school and synchronised lip-glossing took place at least 10 times a day.

The thing about Vaseline is, it’s made of petroleum jelly. Which is also known as petrolatum, white petrolatum, soft paraffin or multi-hydrocarbon. Wikipedia tells me it’s a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons with carbon numbers mainly higher than 25. Mmmm, glossy.

I don’t know much about the scientific side of Vaseline, but I do know it’s an addictive product. After using it on your lips for a length of time, you can become dependent on it. Not only the process of opening the pot and slathering it on, but actually physically dependent.

After 7 years of using Vaseline as my sole lip balm, I began to develop a reaction to it. My lips got sore and red and using Vaseline only made it worse. So I went cold turkey and stopped applying. Almost immediately, my lips cracked, flaked and became very painful. I had a rash on my upper lip and it hurt to smile. It took all my beauty-based strength not to cave and go back to that little pot of evil.

After three weeks, my lips were almost back to normal. I haven’t used Vaseline since, but I have developed a sensitivity to many of the ingredients found in lip balms, like parabens, mineral oils and lanolin. I’m obviously prone to allergies in this area but I do think over-use of Vaseline triggered the problem.

These days I’m very careful about what I put on my face and steer clear of most commercial lip balms. Lots of people use lip balms on a daily basis which shouldn’t be necessary – especially in summer, lips should be balanced and moisturised naturally. If you find you’re reaching for your Vaseline way too often, here are some alternatives I’ve found really help:

– Lip Scrub by Lush – great for sloughing off dry skin after initially giving up lip balm
– Dream Cream by Lush – another great, natural product with no nasties. I use this at night to soothe dryness
– Baume Lèvres Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm by Nuxe – if you really can’t quit balms, this is a lovely one
– Moringa Balm by Emma Hardie – technically a cleanser, but actually quite the wonder product that can be used on dry patches and angry rashes. I dab this on my lips if they’re feeling tingly and it cures them overnight

Do you use Vaseline? Have you ever had a reaction to it?

If you have any Beauty Bullsh*t you’d like busted, let me know in the comments.