Hairburst Review

Every woman has different problems with their hair. Some struggle with split ends, others have trouble with thinning hair, the majority of us can’t obtain the shine, length or volume they desire.

I fit firmly in the middle camp, I’ve got thinning hair and I’ve been struggling with hair loss due to the copious amounts of medication that I have taken for years, that combined with normal styling with straighteners/curlers and during my 3 years at uni my hair went through a variety of colours.

I strive for longer, thicker, fuller hair. I’ve been tempted to get hair extensions for years but was put off by the cost and maintenance of them. So I decided to look at shampoos and tablets. This time I brought Hairburst capsules, one of the most raved about hair vitamins on the internet, my Instagram feed is filled with ‘Before and After’ pictures. Now I’ll admit I was pretty skeptic, I mean we all know how those pictures can be faked with either hair extensions, photoshop or just clever hairstyling so I was pretty anxious to get started and see if anything would occur.

After 2 weeks, I was considering giving up. I didn’t notice a thing, but I figured I had nothing to lose by continuing the regimen. I already had the product, and I brought the 3 month pack with 3 bottles containing 60 capsules (it’s cheaper that way). Perhaps I was being too impatient.

After a month, I realized I was being too impatient. I noticed some small signs that my hair was improving: less hair was coming out in the shower, my hair was strangely thicker and felt stronger.

These weren’t massive improvements but now I have finished the 3 month pack. I’ve noticed some serious improvements in my hair. It’s thicker, stronger, and more brilliant than before and my hair seemed more lustrous. It’s much, much stronger than a three months ago and it doesn’t crack when I’m straightening it or curling it like it used to. It’s less brittle and actually feels soft and plush when I run my hands through it, it looks longer to the naked eye. I’m not sure if you can see much difference in my before and after pictures (which you can view on my Instagram) but I can notice it myself.

The only problems I have with the product is that it’s kinda expensive, and it takes much longer than sprays or shampoos to be effective. But I think it will remain consistent as opposed to wearing off like with a spray when the moment you stop using it stops working.

All in all, it’s a good product. My hair became thicker, longer, stronger and altogether healthier, not longer as promised. On the downside, it takes a while to work. It’s also a bit pricey (£60 for the 3 month supply from Holland and Barratt)..but I think I’m gunna give it another go. I may not have mermaid locks yet but maybe one day my hair will be strong enough to use like Sindel from Mortal Kombat (I’m wondering how many of you will get that reference)

Remember everyone’s hair is different. If you want your hair to improve in any way give it a go, if you do give it time and let me know how it goes xxx

Makeup Tips for Headshots

I recently posted a blog which was general tips on how to achieve a good headshot during this I covered clothing, lighting and briefly mentioned makeup. Well since then I’ve had a few lovely young ladies ask me about the make up for a headshot. Fearing that they might look too fake/overdone which unfortunately can happen.

I’d like to point out now that I am not a makeup artist! And I really don’t know too much about makeup apart from my years of getting expensive makeup on the cheap (all thanks to my lovely mother for her staff discount at boots!) and from being on sets and photoshoots. So here is my (non-professional) advice.

Natural Look, not ‘Light’ makeup

For headshots, you want natural look makeup. ‘Light’ makeup is good as long as it is natural and evenly applied. If you apply foundation makeup too lightly, the application tends to be uneven, and you can see a mottled pattern in the picture. To avoid this, use enough amount of foundation with attention to make it uniform. Also, don’t be afraid to use a lot of setting powder, compared to when you are going to, say, a workplace or a party. What you need is good coverage combined with natural look finish.

Always good start is a clean and healthy skin, well moisturized. Use primer where appropriate.

Colour of foundation

Match the colour of foundation to the natural colour of your skin in neck/chest area. Some people (especially with fair skin) often choose a colour darker than the skin tone, and that is fine for social events. However, in photography, always match your foundation colour to the rest of your skin. If you prefer to alter the skin tone in your photograph, the whole skin colour can be adjusted to warmer to make it look most attractive during editing.

The best type of foundation is liquid type. For headshots, oil-free (water or alcohol based) or those that contain just right amount of oil is best. In particular, oil-free matte finish foundation is most common for beauty headshots, but it is a bit difficult to apply as they dry quickly, and it also makes caky look if applied too thickly. Avoid ‘sheer look’ as they have a bit too much oil to give excessive shine in the pictures, but sometimes oil based or silicon based foundation is used with a lot of powder. Powder or compact foundation doesn’t quite give the right level of coverage for photoshoots.

Lips

The colour of the lips should be one notch darker than the best look in person. The lips should be shifted in the direction of darker red. Also, lip gloss is often effective in making the lips fuller.

Eyes

Wax your eyebrows a couple of days in advance. Trying to reshape the brows through retouching process is possible, but costs more time and money than getting them waxed in real life. Fill in your brows, especially if you are not going for a retouching option. Make sure your brows are clear and dark enough when viewed in soft natural window light.

Mascara is also appropriate for headshots. Darker colour works better for mascara, so black is usually the best choice, even if you normally use brown. You can wear false lashes for most types of work other than the actor’s headshot. In photographs, the lashes do not look as long and drastic as you see in the mirror.

For natural look headshots like actress audition or corporate bio, there is no need to use heavy eye makeup at all. But if you are going for more styled photographs, the eye accents should be one notch heavier or vibrant.

Keep this in mind: the photographic lighting biases your face colour to the lighter side, and eyes are where you get the most attention.

Blush

Use blush in one small notch darker than the best look in person. However, please make sure to make a few well diffused applications in small quantities. The first time should be applied and spread in a wide circle, and the second and third in progressively smaller areas. This is to make sure that the edges of the blush are gradual and not abrupt. You can always add more, but once you apply too much in one application, it is hard to blur the edge or remove some.

Powder

Don’t be afraid to use a lot more powder than usual. A lot of setting or finishing powder is routinely used in fashion and beauty photography to reduce shimmer and make the skin look matte. You will realize that a professional makeup artist will keep applying powder every 10–20 minutes of the shoot to prevent shiny skin. You should bring yours and apply extra powder regularly.

For party makeup, shimmer can look great, but in photography, use matte finish.

Hair (also for men)

You may want to use hair spray, gel, and other products to tame frizz and make your hair look healthy. Make sure to avoid products that give a matte look. These are fine for some situations, but not for a photo shoot. Matte finished hair will look dull and lifeless in pictures. Instead, use hair products that enhance shine

Now casting directors can see the best version of you xxx

Keepng Your Hair Healthy This Winter

In previous blogs I have spoken about eating right and some tips on looking after your skin. Now let’s talk hair, we know that the cold of winter can cause dry skin, but hair is just as prone to damage from the winter weather. During the summer months, you may make sure to moisturize your hair to minimize the damage from the heat and sun; but during the winter months, your hair needs special care too. Cold winds, indoor heating, static electricity all can cause your hair to by dry and brittle.

So here are a few tips on how to keep your hair healthy this winter.

One very simple tip is to wear a hat when your out as it keeps your hair covered from the wind, rain and snow. It’s that simple.

A great idea is to treat your hair once a week to a deep conditioning treatment. This will help to replenish the moisture, which tends to get depleted from things such as the dry heat in your house and the cold winter air.

I also find if you can keep washing your hair to a minimum, say two to three times a week, this will prevent your hair from drying out too much. Shampoo washes away dirt but it also washes away natural oil and moisturizers on your scalp. And always make sure you dry your hair before leaving the house. Not only because you will get a cold, but the moisture in your hair combined with the cold air, will add further damage to your hair by making it more brittle and dry. On days you don’t wash your hair, rinse it with cold or warm water or use a dry shampoo to absorb some of the oils.

Use warm oil to moisturize your scalp and hair. There are hot-oil products on the market but you can also use olive oil. Warm it slightly and massage into your scalp and hair. Leave it on your hair for one to two hours and then shampoo out. Don’t worry if you don’t get every bit of the oil out of your scalp; it will continue to moisturize and condition your hair and scalp.

Use conditioner after you wash your hair. Conditioners should be applied to the ends of your hair, not rubbed into your scalp. Conditioners help moisturize your hair, keeps it looking shiny and helps prevent breakage.

Allow your hair to air dry. Air drying your hair is the healthiest way to dry your hair. Hair dryers, straighteners and curlers dry out your hair but going outside with wet hair in the winter can cause it to freeze and break. If you don’t have time for your hair to dry naturally before going out to work, use a leave-in conditioner and heat protectant before you using a blow dryer, straightener or curling iron.

And finally keep your haircut simple and maintenance free. The less you fuss over your hair, even running your fingers through your hair or combing it throughout the day, the more it can break or develop split ends. Style your hair so that once you are done, you don’t need to do anything else with it throughout the day.

I’m not expecting these few tips to change your life drastically or for them to work instantly but give it time and they may just make your hair that little bit healthier and a little bit more manageable during the next few months xxx