blogmas #3: Party Perfect Brows

Okay so making an eyebrow tips post into a Christmas one may be pushing it a bit, but I have been waiting to do this post for ages, and everyone needs good brows for the party season, right?

1) Fill your eyebrows in before plucking them - This way it is much easier to pluck them to the shape that you want and avoid overplucking. It then makes it much quicker to fill them in because your brows already have the shape that you're aiming for.

2) Try a variety of products - Different things work for different people so be willing to try new ones. I've tried gels, pencils and powders, and although I've found some amazing products, I'm still not entirely happy with my brow routine, so next on my list of things to try is the Makeup Revolution Liquid Brow Tint, and the Tarte Brow Mousse.

3) Define that arch - Poker straight brows can give you an angry expression, so lift your arch a little to make you look happier and frame your face better. Don't go over the top and try and give yourself something you don't have, but a little extra around the arch can make all the difference.

4) Use concealer under your brows - Adding a touch of concealer once you're done gives your brows a really clean, sharp finish. It's best to use a really small concealer brush for this for added precision. Using a pale concealer can also act as a bit of a highlight to further enhance your brows and brighten your complexion a little.

5) Check the finished product in different mirrors around the house - In my bedroom mirror my brows can look totally on point but then I go in the bathroom and you can't even see that I've tamed them. I recommend doing them in one mirror, and then going to another to touch them up, to ensure you look picture perfect in all lighting.

My final tip is to embrace what you have! Be confident, rock those brows and enjoy the paarrtaayyy!

emma x

Dealing With Fine Hair: Tips, Tricks & Products

I've had fine hair since the day I was born, I still do and I probably always will. Not only is my hair limp and lifeless, it is also overly soft and slippery, making it a real pain to style, and almost impossible for updos. However, over the years I have used lots of different techniques to deal with this, some worked, some didn't, and today I'm going to share with you what I find to be the best ways of making your unstyleable hair styleable.

The first thing I would recommend is doing the reverse wash. If you haven't heard of this before, it's where you use conditioner and then shampoo. I like to focus the conditioner on the ends of my hair, and the shampoo on the roots and the hair just above my neck. Doing this gives my hair a bit more grip, whilst still keeping it in good condition.

My next tip is to always blow dry your hair upside down. This gives it more volume and body, making it easier to style. Try not to go to bed with damp hair, because if you lie on it, it will dry very flat and lifeless.

Don't skimp on the texturising products. Salt spray, volume spray, backcomb powder and dry shampoo are all going to be your best friend. On a day to day basis I usually just go for my L'oreal Volume Spray, with the addition of sea salt spray if I'm going for wavy hair, however if I want to wear my hair up, I will go all out on the hair products in order to keep the style in place.

If you want to wear your hair straight, straighten it. Don't think that straightening your hair will make it even limper. If you straighten your hair, it will make people trick people into thinking that it's meant to be dead straight, rather than that your hair is lifeless. Also, it can make you look more put together.

Don't go overboard on the eyebrows. If your hair's thin, chances are your eyebrows are going to be too. Therefore if you fill them is too bushily, it will look unatural, so try to shape and define your brows, without making them too bold.

My final tip is a bit controversial, but something I like to do is lightly bleach my hair. I use the L'oreal Sun Kiss Jelly, which is a very weak bleach that gradually lightens your hair after 5 or so uses. I use this once every two weeks, just to dry out my hair a tiny bit to make it less soft. I don't use it often enough to actually damage my hair, and it is only a  very weak bleach (as you can see, my hair hasn't exactly gone bleach blonde), but it just helps to make my hair a bit more managable. I also enjoy experimenting with where I apply it. At the moment I've gone for a slight ombre, with more lighter bits at the front to help frame my face. As I said, controversial, but it works for me.

Lastly, I just want to say that whatever your hair type, enjoy and embrace it. I hope you enjoyed this post, and saw something that you want to try out.

emma x