Showing posts with label #beautybloggersaus. Show all posts

AUGUST

Do you guys remember when I was all about mattes? Matte shadows, matte contour, matte base, matte lip (still loving those though) and matte everything, essentially?

Let’s all laugh together, shall we?

This year was the year I not only learnt how to strobe, but how to do it properly, and all the joys that come from having THE LIGHT OF APOLLO ON YO FACE.

Highlighters. All the highlighters. ALL OF THEM.

Liquid. Cream. Powder. Eyeshadow (hear me out) – you name it, if it gives the skin a glow, I’ve used it on my face. August saw me swapping my beloved Sheer Glow for the Nars Velvet Tint; a satin finish, medium-full coverage skin tint that made for the perfect base for all kinds of highlighting and glow. And it wasn’t something I restricted to a full-face kinda day – even study days saw me whipping out the Josie Maran Argan Oil Illuminiser, as the Argan oil base gave that bit more hydration and protection to my skin on long library days.

So here are my top fave highlighter/illuminators – for the time being, of course!

Josie Maran Enlightment Illunimiser – liquid crème with a rosy gold

NARS Illuminator in Copacobana, and Super Orgasm

NARS Dual Intensity Blush in Frenzy – used with a wet brush for a POP like you wouldn’t believe!

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Incandescent Strobe light – silvery pink that sits beautifully with a blush, and best used with a sponge

Too Faced Candlelight Glow – Rosy Glow

Stila Kitten Eye shadow Single – when used with an extremely light hand, this is the ULTIMATE glow-getter. I’m obsessed. And a multipurpose product that’s so so easy to travel with? SOLD!

Stay tuned to @beautybyasparrow on Instagram for swatches and daily looks with these bad, bedazzling boys!

Tweet tweet xx

MARCH

Silver Dreams & Silver Hair
March was a mixed bag this year. I went back to full time study (“WHY?” you ask, ‘I STILL DON’T KNOW’ I silently scream in my head) and that wasn’t exactly an easy transition for me, or my skin.

Suddenly the heavens parted, angels sang, the dream like candlelight like a dream you can’t quite place twinkled down, and I met ARgENTUM Apothecary. No literally, I got to meet the founder. Joy Issacs is exactly how I imagine the Faerie Queen would look and speak.




Her la potion infinie is also the stuff of the fairy realm. It’s magical. Silver is one of the most healing ingredients used in both medicine and skin care. In Argentum, silver is fused with DNA HP (a natural marine extract) in order to enhance the healing and regenerative power of the colloidal silver.
So… it’s a face cream?
No, little birds, it’s a game changer. More than that it’s a face changer. Moisture is locked down, skin is clarified and brightened, and it lifts and refines the appearance of the face and neck.

And also… Ok. Clear your mind, take a deep breath and think about your current crush. Or even like, Zac Efron. Leo. Think about that guy. Now imagine what he’d smell like. YEP. THIS SMELLS LIKE THAT.
Vanilla, sandalwood, Argan oil, and sweet almond oil. It smells incredible. Almost enough to make me forget I’m single. (HA lol jks)

ARgENTUM as a brand are also really fun, as they make the cream an experience. Each pot comes with its own Tarot Card. I got ‘The Rebel’ – prepared to challenge and change the forces that surround themselves – and I actually believe now, in hindsight, that card predicted how this year went. Don’t change yourself, change the game, and see how far you can take it.
But seriously my skin has had quite a few bad reactions this year, and nothing soothes or calms it like la potion infinie. I might not use it daily, but it’s a love that’s gonna last to infinity and beyond.




The silver obsession expanded into my hair, as my poor head had finally recovered from the Unspeakable January Incident, and I decided to play to my strengths – i.e., the cool, ashy, NOT grey tones of my natural colour. A really soft balyage with a ash bronde base, taking the cooler tones down to the ends. The change came about for two reasons; one, being a time poor and just y’know, poor-poor uni student, an easy-to-maintain colour was absolutely necessary. 





And secondly, after being bleach blonde for x amount of time I figured it was time to get a little dark. After all, I am a Rebel...







Tweet tweet xx

P.S. Be sure to visit ARgENTUM Apothecary online, and in stores at Mecca Cosmetica x

JANUARY

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.

Desperately, the week of my twenty-second birthday, I attempted to re-dye my blonde roots by myself. Me, with no hair experience – me, who is not a hair dresser, and does not have any kind of colour or toning skills, me who is impatient as all heck…. You can imagine what happened.

things could be better


So I literally rang in 2016 at my hairdressers on New Year’s Eve getting my blonde fixed, and New Year’s Day showing everyone a ‘new me’. So cliché, I know, but hey, gal’s gotta do what a gal’s gotta do when HER HAIR IS PURPLE.

I don’t know entirely how I managed to dye my hair orange and purple, but there we go. See the pictographic evidence below and feel my pain friends, feel, my, pain.

 













My lovely colourist ran a toner through my hair, and essentially colour corrected the orange and purple. Little bit of a trim because I managed to fry my ends. (See when I say disaster it ain't hyperbole.)
 
The New Year inspires people to do a lot of stupid, stupid things – from drinking too much champagne, to making resolutions we all know we won’t keep, to drastic changes as a means of coping with life changing. Again, very cliché, but the lesson I learnt the hard way was that you don’t get to skip change or recovery and get right to the shiny brand new you after a tough break. You need to give it time, and space, and if all else fails, a colourist who really knows her stuff.



Tweet tweet x

THE 12 DAYS OF BLOGMAS

Hello little birds!

 A thousand, million, repeated, gross-sobbing, sincere apologies for being MIA this year. Turns out when you start a new job, and start writing a 15,000 word thesis, it gets a little impossible to do aallll the things you want to do. 

 So to make up for my shocking absence I've organised THE 12 DAYS OF BLOGMAS!
glitter
A blog a day, per month of 2016, with the best tips, things, lessons, fun facts and just cool beautyful things I've learnt this year, from January-December. Like a Calendar Girl! 

 Stay tuned for a-blog-a-day, and a Insta-post-a-day too, leading up to December 24. 

 FOR NOW, however, here's a few quick little updates;

 I'm now a full-on, unapologetic chocolate headed brunette, and if you've been here for a while you'll know that's a MASSIVE change after being a bubbly blonde for four-five years. Blonde was fun, but as we'll see tomorrow it comes with its own challenges and quirks. Being a brunette has been kinder to my hair, cheaper, and honestly just feels so much truer to my personality. 

 I work in beauty, specialising in skincare, and I am LOVING IT. Each day I work is literally living the dream. I've learnt so, so much this last year that I can't wait to share, and, bonus, I've made amazing amazing friends in the industry (like Natasha Ribeiro Artistry - go and follow her Instagram and be inspired! @natasha_ribeiro_makeup) and Centaine of glossco (glossco.com.au). Two amazing beauty babes to check out ASAP if you're serious about anything and everything beauty.

 Between livin' the dream and plain livin', I went back and completed my Honours year of study in Ancient Worlds (ancient civilisations, Greece and Rome, and Egypt and Mesopotamia) and experienced one of the most intense love/hate relationships between myself and the written word, in the form of my thesis. My brain baby/bane of my existence. Graduating this week and Imma need y'all to cross your fingers and hope I don't trip up, OR down the stage stairs.

 Aaaaaannd that is it! Please come back and visit these next twelve days, I promise I've put in the best beauty bits, lots of pictures, and as many puns as one human is allowed to get away with in a singular blog post. 

 Tweet tweet xx

Step into Spring: New Skincare & Beauty Loves

Hello my little birds!
Let's not talk about the fact it's almost the end of November and I'm convinced some cosmic giant pressed the 'fast forward' button on 2015 haha - instead, let's talk about SPRING, because it has indeed sprung, and it's gorgeous thus far! Trends including crisp whites, co-ord sets, full brows, coral lips, and of course, Spring Racing colour and florals are making me all kinds of excited for the Spring/Summer season ahead.


So in keeping with the whole, spring-is-a-new-season-ergo-I-need-to-get-new-things vibe, I thought I'd give a little update on my skincare routine, and what I'm loving colour-wise as we move into warmer weather (YAY! SUMMER!)

actual footage of yours truly in summer

SKINCARE

Now you long-time sparrows will notice a couple of old favourites in this photo, and some newbies. My faithful Cetaphil SPF 50+ Daily Moisturiser took a back seat during Autumn/Winter this year, but as the mercury creeps up and the days grow longer, I'll definitely be reaching for my 50+. I'm going to attempt to NOT get sunburnt this summer, and whilst I know the likelihood of that succeeding is low, I'm hoping with a little help from some wonderful SPF+ friends I can make it!

Speaking of SPF, my current moisturising duo tick that little box too. The two Clinique jars with green lids are from the Youth Surge range, designed for dry/combination skin. Whilst my skin has behaved fairly well these last few months, exposure to artificial air and heating has dried it out something shocking. I picked these babies out of Mumma Sparrow's stash (sorry Mum) and I've found them to be really effective. The day cream contains SPF 15+, perfect for overcast, wintry days, and the night cream is buttery and feels luxurious on the skin. I don't know if I'll repurchase this duo in future, simply because there are so many products I'm wanting to try and experiment with. I think around this time next year though, if my skin is again feeling damaged and dried out, I'll definitely come back to them. 

The Garnier Gentle Cleansing Milk has also become a fast friend of my poor, dried out skin. I often use this as my 'second step' following a trusty Johnson's make-up wipe. Whilst wipes aren't the best thing in the world for your skin, I find they remove a majority of that 'top layer' make-up that usually comes off quite easily. The Cleansing Milk, with cotton pads, is great for getting rid of the stuff you maybe can't see. I also find it really gentle to use on the eye area, and very effective at removing waterproof/eye make-up. Whilst the idea is that you can leave your skin after using the milk (as it's also a moisturiser on its own), I'll often follow this with my Swisse Cream Cleanser, because as nourishing and luxurious as the milk is, it can feel a little heavy if I leave it on my face. 

Lately when I feel like I need a good, deep cleanse, or I want to do something a little more relaxing and ritualistic at the end of the day, I've been turning to the Eve Lom cleanser. THIS STUFF IS AMAZING. Eve Lom is a facialist, honing her craft in L.A., and created the balm for clients who wanted the same effective cleanse and treatment at home, between facial appointments. The balm is a cleanser, an exfoliant (when used with the accompanying muslin cloth), and a moisturiser, if you choose. For starters it smells incredible, so right off the bat you receive aroma therapeutic benefits. Following the instructions included with the pack, I found it easy to give myself a facial massage, which felt incredible. Even more exciting, it removes make-up so, so easily and quickly, including eye make-up. Unlike the Garnier milk, the balm doesn't feel heavy on the face. Out of habit I'll still rinse after cleansing, but I could leave the balm and just not moisturise, if I wanted to. A really, really beautiful product that I highly recommend for anyone looking for a more pampering, relaxing way to effectively cleanse x

Last but not least, primers! Yay! I recently re-purchased the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, with SPF 15+ and I've fallen in love with it all over again. It feels like silk on the skin, and causes make-up to become water resistant, something that I know I'll really appreciate when those sticky, hot summer days come around. I've also been using the Too Faced Shadow Insurance eye make-up primer, and again, it feels so silky and wonderful on my eyelids, as well as preventing my shadows from creasing or fading. and evens out skin tones as well. 


COLOUR

First things first (I'm the realest), I know there's a lot of Nars happening in the above image. After having such amazing success with Sheer Glow, however, I felt I should give a few more products a try, and it's been terrible because now I love them and I'm never going to be able to NOT have them in my kit because I love them infinite amounts!

Above I've included my Soft Velvet Loose powder in Eden, the Eye shadow Duo in Portobello, and the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Mysterious Red (swatches below). I find the powder perfectly compliments my Sheer Glow shade, Mont Blanc, as well as perfectly setting my T-zone for a full day's wear; it mattifyes without adding pigment, which is so wonderful because I adore my colour match. 
The Portobello duo contains a mushroom-like brown, and an almost-nude taupe shade, which are wonderful for creating a basic day look, but can be blended and smoked out for something a little more intense when going out. 
Finally, the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Mysterious Red has toppled my favourite red lipstick of all time (Bombshell by Sportsgirl). It creates the perfect red lip, every time, without fail, and is long-wearing without flaking. An incredible red, and something I'd recommend to anyone wanting to attempt a red lip, but feeling unsure. 

Now my Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face should technically be in with my skincare, but the amount of time, care and thought put into the Mecca Cosmetica range means I'll count it in with my colour. Containing SPF 30+, I find this moisturiser a happy medium between my Clinique Youth Surge, and my Cetaphil 50+. Whilst it provides a higher level of protection than Clinique, it feels less sunscreen-like, and far less heavy than my Cetaphil. Also, as I use this as a base under my primer and foundation, I feel like it counts as make-up... sort of... not really... but I think we agree it looks good in the photo...? Hehe

 Two new picks from Stila have made their way into my collection, the CC Cream and the Convertible Colour in Gerbra. 

The CC cream is colour correcting, as well as providing hydration and brightening effects to the skin. It does come out of the tube green, but quickly adjusts to your skin tone, providing a more natural colour-match, with a radiant finish. A new go-to for days off, this stuff is foolproof, and definitely worth a try if you're looking for something user friendly!

The Convertible Colours have long been a Stila fave and staple for many the beauty junkie, and for good reason, In that little compact is your lip and cheek colour, and they're super blendable, so it's easy to achieve a hint of colour, or a full-blown natural glow. My chosen shade, Gerbra, is what Nina wears in Offspring (for any of you fellow fans out there!). Again, so user-friendly and foolproof it's not funny, this convertible cream is perfect for day-off chill, and work-day madness! 

Now, as promised... swatches!


NARS Portobello - L is the nude/taupe, R is the mushroom brown

 

Stila CC Cream - goes on green, blends and adapts effortlessly to the skin! Easy as!

To the right - Gerbra, so beautiful and peachy!
To her left - on the bottom is a swatch from a NARS blush tester, in Deep Throat
Above left - another NARS tester, the Liquid Illuminator in Super Orgasm

NARS Mysterious Red - mysterious because it's a mystery why this doesn't have its own cult following, seriously guys, GET ON IT



That's all for now my little birds, stay tuned for how NOT to contour and strobe! 

Until next time,
Tweet tweet xx

Cult Products: The Good and the Meh

Hello my little birds! 
I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long, work, life and all of that wonderful stuff has been a little intense lately.


So I’m making a comeback with my thoughts on some of the big name products I’ve been trying lately!



First up – NARS Sheer Glow. 
I know, I know, I went on about this baby a few posts ago, but now that I’m almost two months into using it consistently and constantly, I need to say it.

HOLY. GRAIL.



Holy grail foundation. I know, a big claim, but I am still so, so in love with this foundation. I’ve changed my application method from using the Real Techniques buffing brush to smoothing it on with my fingers. I find it gives me a little lighter coverage, that’s more buildable, and feels nicer first thing in the morning.
Worth the hype? Absolutely.
10/10


Last month I treated myself to the original Naked palette by Urban Decay. 
I actually can’t describe how excited I was to open up my post package and carefully take it out of its box. The packaging is gorgeous, chocolate brown velour with a magnet closure, and a lovely big mirror to go with the shadows. 





The brush that comes with the palette is incredible too!
In terms of the shadows, I quite like the shimmer shades, especially Virgin and Half Baked. They’re quite pigmented and give enough shine without large glittery fragments. The matte shadows are nice enough, but I prefer my Too Faced Naturals palette. I haven’t tried the darker shadows, simply because I haven’t had an excuse or reason to whip out a smoky eye lately. But it is pretty to look at, and hold… and there is a great variety of colours in the palette, some of which I haven’t swatched or used just yet.
Worth the hype? Eh, kinda.
7/10

I’m a dirty blogger. 


Last month I ordered my first, of what will be many, Frank Body coffee scrubs and OH MY GOSH. My skin feels amazing, soft and nourished, my shower is a coffee bean infested mess, but it’s so worth it. If I had one minor complaint (and I do), I hate that you need to leave the scrub on for five minutes before rinsing. Not because I don’t like waiting (I can be patient when I try), but because it’s FREEZING. Freezing, freezing cold; the pack recommends five minutes but it’s a struggle, folks, standing in the shower DESPERATE to jump back under the hot water.
Worth the hype? YES.
9.5/10 (because waiting and being cold sucks)



In terms of beauty inspo Zoe (Zoella) is kinda up there, so when she started raving about Maybelline Lash Sensation Mascara I thought I’d give it a go. 
Coles had it on special so I figured, why not? AND OH MY GOD AM I GLAD I DID. THIS STUFF IS AMAZING. It looks like I’m legitimately wearing false lashes, more so Maybelline Falsies, or Benefit They’re Real! 

 

This photo was taken about four hours after application and they still look phenomenal, and since the formula is waterproof there’s no risk of smudging or shadow during the day’s wear.
Worth the hype? HECK YEAH
10/10

It's spring! (WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN SERIOUSLY HOW ARE WE IN SEPTEMBER ALREADY??)
Aside from my shock and concern over the fact that we're already in September, spring time means that summer isn't far away, which means, you guessed it, this pasty little beauty blogger is going to start seriously tanning again soon. Whilst I'm in love with the St. Tropez mousse in Light/Medium, I don't have the time currently to be applying and waiting for it to dry, etc., so I wanted to use a gradual tanner for now. I've used the Dove Body Glow, Le Tan Gradual Tan, and Palmers' Cocoa Butter Gradual Tanner in the past. This time around I decided to opt for the Bondi Sands Everyday Tan, after reading some very positive reviews online. Before I found St. Tropez on sale (Oh, HAPPY DAY!), Bondi Sands was my go-to tanning mousse, so I figured the gradual tanner would be the same quality. 

And so far, so good! What I love about Bondi Sands is their tan is red based, rather than brown or orange. This means, for me, having a pinker skin tone, the tan looks that touch more natural. Unlike the Palmers' Cocoa Butter Gradual Tanner, which starts depositing colour almost immediately, the Bondi Sands takes 1-2 days to start clearly showing up. That being said, it's a really nice, warm, natural looking tan, however I've found the Palmers' tanner to be more moisturising. What I've been doing is alternating each day, one with Bondi Sands, the other with Palmers' Cocoa Butter, just to keep my skin nice and moisturised.
Worth the hype? I'd say so!
8/10



Now I’d like to quickly re-visit a product I reviewed a little while ago, because it’s a cult classic, and also… Well, I’ve had a slight change of heart.
When I first tried the AContour palette, I struggled. The powders were highly pigmented and good quality, but not quite right for me. I pushed them to the bottom of my make-up bag, thinking, if anything, I’d try it out again this summer when I’m tanned (by the bottle) and going out, etc.
Well HOLD YOUR HORSES, FOLKS, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY WENT OUT. SERIOUSLY. I WENT AND DID 21-YEAR-OLD-THINGS. And that involved being tanned, and a lower cut top, and I tried something I’ve never done before.
I contoured my boobs.
Yep.
That happened.
And it went… well? Really well, actually, it looked quite natural, and I have the AContour palette to thank for that! So… thank you, Australis!
Worth the hype? Actually, yeah!
8/10




Also I FINALLY HAVE A GLASSHOUSE TAHAA CANDLE MY LIFE IS COMPLETE I AM SO SO SO HAPPY AND THE VANILLA SCENT IS ACTUALLY AMAZING
Worth the hype? YES.
11/10, 12/10, ALL THE NUMBERS/10


So there we have it, a few cult classics, a few new favourites, and a couple of misses, and a whole lotta reading for those of you who've missed this bird!

Until next time my loves,
Tweet tweet xx

July Buys


WINTER IS HERE LITTLE BIRDS
AND 
IT
IS
FREEZING

Melbourne has been outdoing herself lately, bringing in sleeting rain, cutting winds and mornings so cold that breath comes in cloud puff or smog options. Frost, ice, and even snow in some of the outer suburbs. So, naturally, I've found myself drawn to warmer options beauty-wise and wardrobe-wise too.



Today I had a mini-spree at Priceline and Chemist Warehouse, and honestly, I shouldn't be allowed in their beauty aisles unsupervised. 
Pictured above are my favourite buys, and newer picks, from July so far. Ripped denim is an easy way to look casual and fresh, without compromising on warmth or style. Ribbed knitwear has been a key trend this Autumn/Winter, and I love the creamy colour of this piece from Cotton On. It works with both blue and black denim, and I love it with tan ankle boots. My navy Converse chucks are an awesome wardrobe staple - so, so comfy, and they're perfect for pairing back dark denim, and they'll work beautifully with summer dresses and skirts. Rose gold is my favourite metal, and this watch from Forever New adds a hint of glam to even the most casual of outfits, and I'm in love with my Samantha Wills Bardot Bohemian Ring!

Before bed, when I want to unwind from a busy day at work, I've been burning my Glasshouse Esperance triple scented candle. It's amazing, it smells of apples and mimosas, and it's just the most relaxing scent. 

Finally today I managed to re-purchase the Maybelline New York Age Rewind concealer. This stuff is amazing, and I can't wait to start using it again. I've had to grab the medium-dark shade this time around, but the Goji berry extract won't be any less effective on these big black circles! Another very necessary repurchase was my Face of Australia matte eye primer. Don't let the 'matte' fool you, shimmer shadows and whites look phenomenal over this cream. 

 
Another very necessary repurchase earlier this week, was the Sportsgirl lipstick in Bombshell. I've worn this shade of red for the last five years and each time I whip her out, I get compliments left, right and centre. 


I LOVE this lipstick. Like the Sportsgirl brow pencil, I'm considering buying about, like, maybe fifty of them, just so I never ever run out of my perfect red lipstick. I'll actually die on the inside if this red ever goes out of production!
The perfect red lipstick means nothing if it isn't perfected on the face, so I took advantage of the Priceline 3 for 2 on Australis eyes and lips, and bought myself a lip liner in 'Lady in Red'. 

Australis claim their lipliners are a 'Emollient and vitamin rich formula that won't dry lips out' - I'll report back if that's true!

Making the most of the 3 for 2 promotion, I grabbed another of their Velour Lips Matte Creams. I adore the shade N-Y-Cee, and I've seen a lot of gorgeous blogger selfies with the 'Hono-Loo-Loo' tone. I was a little nervous, simply because nude-based shades don't always work that well against my pale skin, but I was pleasantly surprised!
I felt like Lana Del Ray with this on


I honestly respect Australis so much as a brand and company. Their products are such a high quality, and I'm so glad to know they're completely cruelty free and still at such a decent price. Even without the 3 for 2, $9.95 is an amazing price for lipstick. 

And the last little Australis goodie I picked up is another that I've been seeing splashed all over Instagram. Last month Australis launched their Metalix eye shadow collection. I was a little unsure, simply because they seemed to be very highly pigmented and better suited to going out/event make-up, something I hardly get to do anymore (social life? Oh social life, where are you?!). I popped a little of the tester on my hand of the shade 'Pearl Jammin' and my rose gold obsession struck. The ROSE GOLD MAN. IT WON'T LEAVE ME BE!

In all seriousness, the shimmer and pigment caught my eye, and I figured, for $8.95, could I really go wrong? 



Look at that shimmer! 


I reaaaalllly want to try this shadow with a bold eyeliner and big, false lashes. I feel like this colour will make my blue eyes pop that little bit more, and I can't wait to have a little more fun experimenting. Believe it or not, I've never used a cream eye shadow before, so this will give me a chance to use new techniques and tools. 

And finally, I bought myself my own little jar of Coconut Oil. I've been borrowing from Mumma Sparrow's cooking cupboard lately and I figured it was time I got my own. Aside from its dandruff fighting properties, and its incredible smell, you can use coconut oil to make exfoliants, face masks, hair masks, and hand moisturiser.


And that's it!

I promise my next post isn't too far away little birds!
Until next time,
Tweet tweet xx

Cleaning My Make-Up Brushes: Lilo and Stitch

Tonight I cleaned my make-up brushes and I feel like the only way I can express this to all you little birds is through GIFs of Lilo and Stitch.


STARTING OFF
heck yeah! Cleaning my brushes!




FIRST BRUSH IN
washing out AAAAAALLLL of the make-up and seeing how much there is... ew


SECOND BRUSH IN
Aaaaand that's my lower back that's hurting 

ya' know, from bending over the sink and squeezing all the soap and goop from the bristles



HALF WAY!
Why did I start this? Why why why?

Internet/Fellow Beauty Bloggers/Experts/By the Book People:
"Because your dirty brushes gather bacteria and it's important you clean them!"
Me:


Parents walk past bathroom twenty minutes in and ask what you're doing... And you tell them... And they respond accordingly



When you're finally up to cleaning your shadow brushes and realise it's nearly finished

Finally being finished! And they're all clean and drying and done!



..... but you realise you have to do it all over again in 1-2 weeks' time...



And that's how I wash my make-up brushes!

Tweet tweet xx

Grow baby, grow!


Hello my little birds!
So I've started a process that I want to blog about and share with you, simply because in my own research and YouTubing I haven't found a clear, billboard like, HUGE sign saying "YES THIS WORKS" or "NO IT DOESN'T". I've only really found "SORT-OFs" and "FOR ME, YES". 

It's called the Inversion Method and I'll admit, when I first read about it I was a little sceptical, and scared. Oil? In my hair? But oil make grease? Greasy hair bad? How...? Then I watched this little clip on YouTube by Evin Yalcin and heard that you actually don't have to use oil, but you can rely on your hair's natural oils instead. I find my hair can get quite greasy on its own, so the idea of putting more oil in there isn't very appealing. 
Essentially you flip your hair upside down, looking down, and give yourself a scalp massage for four minutes. At first I was a bit half-hearted, I mean, standing with your head almost between your legs rubbing your head isn't a daily activity, you know? But then I remembered something about myself -
I LIKE MASSAGES. 

So even if this method doesn't end up working for me, I'm getting a lovely mini-massage each night, and I'm ok with that! 


The reason I want to grow my hair out is two fold. For starters, at the moment it doesn't feel entirely healthy - my ends are splitting, I know I've done too much in terms of colour and bleach to it this year already, and it's just a bit of a hot mess to deal with.
Also, I'll admit, I haven't totally gotten over my love, my obsession... the chocolate brown hair.
I mean the gloss, the depth, the shine, how healthy it looks.... ah!
I already know, however, that I can't do another thing to my hair colour-wise until it's healthy again, and I was considering lobbing it all off, but that won't really repair any of the damage I've done. Also, I don't want short hair! As much as I adore a bob/lob, I know they don't really work for me. I'd feel silly chopping it all off since I've been growing it since August last year. 

 
On the left is my hair circa 2013, when it was still mostly blonde and the longest I can remember it being. On the right is my lob from August 2014. I did love my lob, and at the time it was exactly the style I needed, but it's taken a long time to grow out.

I've been looking up home remedies and other solutions for growing long, beautiful hair, and I've discovered three main themes.

1) OILS & PRODUCTS
2) FOOD
3) WATER

OILS & PRODUCTS
Obviously everything you put on your hair will affect it, its growth, and its strength and condition. I've spoken in the past about using John Frieda products to protect my colour, but I haven't been taking good enough care of my scalp. That's right folks, dandruff. Ick, I know, but it has to be said, and it's one of the main downsides to colouring your hair - a dry, flaky scalp will often ensue. Whilst various shampoos, including caffeine and coconut milk shampoos, are suggested for stimulating growth, I feel I need to get my dandruff situation under control first. Which leads us to oils! Aside from the inversion method, all of my favourite YouTubers rave about coconut oil and its benefits for your hair. Recently Kayley Melissa spoke about using coconut oil as a scalp treatment for conditioner, and said that it was far more effective than any other shampoo she'd used. Other top rated oils include Argon Moroccan oil, jojoba oil, rosemary oil, olive oil, and other essential oils too.

FOOD
You are what you eat, and to get healthy, beautiful hair, as well as healthy, beautiful skin and internal organs (woo! internal organs!), a diet full of rich, nutritious foods and proteins is highly recommended. Eggs, avocado, fish, fresh fruits, and vegetables, are all vital to growing strong hair. I'll admit, my diet is in desperate need of an overhaul (one too many coffees and cakes I'm afraid), so I've already been moving to these changes anyway for my own health. Now as an added bonus, I'll have beautiful hair to boot! A lot of beauty bloggers and YouTubers also recommend taking a multivitamin or hair supplement to boost growth, but I want to try adjusting my diet first before I start adding in any sort of extra pills or potions.

WATER
Water. Water, water, water. Seriously. The human body can't do jack without it. It's important for fostering hair growth as well as cell renewal and all those other lovely things our bodies do for us to you know, keep us alive. The human body is 70% water! It's so important to hydrate, and being exposed to fake air and heavy indoor heating has really taken its toll on not just my hair, but my skin and general health as well. A good tip I find is to keep a bottle of water with/near me at all times. Even just watching TV, working, or blogging, if I have water near me, I'll drink it without even thinking about it. Before you know it you'll have downed your 8 glasses (or 2 litres) without even realising!
Tea is also a good way to get water into your system, and a great idea for winter time when drinking cold water is super unappealing.

So here we are - I've been using the Inversion Method for three days now (it's Monday), so I'll be back on the blog this Saturday to give you my results. An inch to four inches in a week? My hopes aren't high, little birds, but I am a bit of an optimist. Make sure you're following beautybyasparrow on Instagram for updates and inspo!

Until next time,
Tweet twee xx
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