HAIR TLC

Winter.....Not only can it create havoc on our skin, making it quite dry, itchy, and flaky during the colder months, but it can also take a toll on our lovely locks.
From dry, brittle hair full of split ends to frizzy, static-prone tresses, our hair needs a little extra DIY TLC every now and then to keep it look its very best. But how do we look after our hair in these cold months? Hair masks ofcoursee!

With the dramatic change in temperature comes a change in how you manage, treat, and style your hair. Starts with simple habits, such as letting your hair air-dry, can cause more damage than you realize. I usually opt for air dry for less damage in warmer months. The structure of your hair can be weakened. Wet, or even damp hair can freeze and break more easily, causing split-ends which we all hate! These split ends then cause your hair to look even more damaged and dull. Compound that with dry, static-causing air and you’ve got one hairy situation going on.

To avoid this make sure you completely dry your hair before leaving the house, and try to only wash your hair every other day. That way you help to lock your hair’s natural moisture into each strand, protecting it against the harsh elements.
If you find your hair still feels a little dry or damaged, try conditioning it up to four times a week.

No matter how good (or bad) my hair looks, the cold weather will dry out my scalp causing irritation and flaking. 

If you tend to have dry hair or split ends, boost up your hair care with a weekly DIY hair oil treatment.  Here are a few of my favourites:

• Apply olive oil (cooking oil) I know that probably sounds bizarre but olive oil cooking out is fantastic!  Apply all over your hair and scalp, massage in thoroughly, cover your hair a shower cap or plastic bag if you don't have a shower cap and leave in for 20 minutes. Shampoo as usual, but avoid conditioner maybe just on the ends if you have knotty frizzy hair.
• Boil ½ cup of water, then add ½ cup of olive oil.  Warm up the mixture for a couple of seconds approx 30-40 until warm (make sure not to over heat the mixture) Once it cools down to the point that it won’t burn your scalp, mix well. Massage into your hair, cover with a shower cap and leave on for 15-30 minutes.  Wash as usual.

Glossy Shine: For a shine boost during the winter, every couple of weeks pour 1 cup around 30ml lemon juice through your hair after shampooing.  Rinse well and condition as usual. This will add shine and smooth the cuticle. 

The Sweet Life: So you need 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1 egg yolk... Mix mix mix! Apply to hair, cover with shower cap and leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse and shampoo as usual. This is always brilliant for soft skin, highly recommended face mask. Two in one hair and face mask, what more could a girl want! 

MIRACLE OF ALMOND OIL

When it comes to hair oils I like to stick to natural oils. Why? because all products like Moroccan Argan oil etc from drug stores have many other chemicals mixed into the product to speed up the process and for quick results. My favourite oils have to be Almond oil, coconut oil and olive oil. Almond can do wonders to your skin, hair and general health, making it a popular ingredient in many beauty products. I'm going to roughly talk through hair and skin benefits of using almond oil.

Most oils I have used have a pour-cap mechanism, which can release a lot of product in one go so girls be careful! As you can see above I have removed to cap lid and replaced it with a spray bottle cap, as I'm not a fan of oil getting messy or falling onto my bedroom carpet. Its much easier with this spray bottle cap. But be careful not to spray too much as washing it out might take around 3-4 washes. I learnt the hard way!

 Almond oil naturally is scented of almonds, some brands can be sweeter than others but I find most have an earthy undertone to them. The scent is barely visible once used however, and doesn't tend to be overpowering or artificial. Hair oils are a hair care product, but tend to come with a hefty price tag - as a cheaper and pure alternative I apply a small amount of almond oil.

Hands & Nails

I love to use almond oil on my hands after doing the washing up or cleaning and even after hairstyling as hairspray can make my hands feel all yucky! My hands are left overly dry and rough after all the above. The oil sinks in nicely and leaves them feeling instantly replenished. It's definitely not something I would carry about in my handbag but around the house it's ideal. Another thing I love using my almond oil for is a cuticle oil, it rubs around the nail nicely without leaving a greasy feeling on my fingers. If your like me sometimes have dry skin, peeling or even darkness around your finger nail, then almond oil is brilliant to sort these minor problems! It smoothes and softens my cuticles in an instant, they push back well without any pain and feel nourished after use, I'd say its definitely improved the appearance of the skin around my nails.

Hair

I have been using almond oil on my hair for a couple of months now, I'm obsessed with my hair! I have been testing different oils and this is definitely one of my favourites. I didn't really know the value of this oil until I used it and its actually AMAZING! definitely recommend I bought my KTC bottle above from a Cash and Carry for around £1.99. Super cheap I know! Almond oil is a rich source of vitamin E which is an antioxidant that protects and repairs scalp and hair. Almond oil apart from hair growth also nourishes the hair follicles and smoothens the hair cuticles. Not only does it helps in less hair fall but also has shining property to the hair. Now you can achieve the sleek polished hair in no time. My ends were a slightly dry on the ends and now I have sleek fresh ends. I'm not one to get lots of split ends  as I hardly use heat and I do cut my hair regularly. There are many home remedies available for the organic people who can combine almond oil or just use it plain on the hair for better results. To tame the mane honey can be added with almond oil to get rid of the frizz. Apply this treatment an hour before washing your hair, wash you hair as normal. Another trick I have tried is mixing almond oil into conditioner but I found this treatment made my hair way too silky so I would only advise this for girls with frizz bomb hair!

Benefits of Almond oil:

- Nourishes hair and smoothes hair cuticles.
- Makes hair long, strong and thick.
- Massaging with almond oil adds shine to the hair. 
- Controls hair fall.

How to apply almond oil to your hair and scalp - Apply a small amount onto your palm or 4 sprays if your using the spray application. Dip your fingertips and apply gently on your scalp. Massage slowly in small circular motions and relax. Remember to massage slowly, quick movements will cause hair loss.

Skin

Making good use of almond oil I mainly use this product to lighten dark circles, as I believe its a more natural treatment. I have had a look at eye creams to lighten dark circles, however nothing has grown on me and I feel all these high street products only help short term, not long term. I hoping to make sure I don't get dark circles at all although my eyes have a little darkness recently as I'm a night owl and hardly drink water! I apply almond oil to my under eyes every night before bed, pour a little oil into a bowl, dip the cotton bud into the almond oil and gently apply under the eyes. Leave on for the night and wash in the morning with lukewarm water. Be careful not to apply too much, if any almond oil leaks to close to the eye its very very painful and itchy! I learnt the hard way guys, so definitely avoid applying to eye lashes or too close to the eyes.

Listed below are benefits of almond oil for the skin. Beautiful skin will be no more just a dream.

- Improves complexion and retains glow.
- Moisturises better and deeper.
- Soothes skin irritation and inflammation. 
- Delays ageing process. 
- Lightens dark circles .
- Relieves dry and itching skin.
- Nourishes the skin. Makes it smooth and soft. 
- Cures chapped lips and body rashes.

Why you will never go back to a regular hair brush after using the Dtangler

Well hello there! Hope you have had a lovely day! I haven't posted for a while as I've been so busy with the Hair by Zara online store. Today I would like to talk about something different. I barely talk about my own products on my blog so today I thought I would take the opportunity to tell you girls more about the new Dtangler hair brush which is available on Hair By Zara, as a couple of you have messaged regarding more details on the hair brush.

When it comes to hair brushes, I'm quite picky I like to make sure the look of it is quite soft and won't damage my hair. I absolutely hate brushes which hurt my head and tug at my hair, it's possibly the worst feeling and since I've been using the Dtangler, brushing my hair couldn't feel anymore relaxing and soothing.

The best couple of things about this brush is it dramatically reduces breakage, split ends and any damage to the hair. It has been made with perfectly placed bristles to easily flow through your hair, perfect for those who wear hair extensions, have long hair or curly hair and even brilliant for children! Your probably thinking children, how can a brush be beneficial for a child. Well often children will avoid their parents when it comes to brushing their hair (yes, I was a victim of hair tugging by my mother!) because children don’t see it as necessary because it can feel like torture, hair knots and tangles are a painful problem for many kids, especially long hair girls. Removing the knots is not only frustrating for the parent, but also painful and uncomfortable for the child, making him or her not want to brush their hair, with the Dtangler brushing becomes an enjoyable experience, the brush easily glides through the hair from scalp to end with almost no resistance. Smooth, pain-free detangling. This unique Dtangler brush is so easy and comfortable to use, the best thing about it - 99% less hair loss which is brilliant, because don't we alI hate hair fall! Gently detangles hair while simultaneously adding luscious volume and shine.

I love this brush and have one for myself and my clients! I carry this hair brush around in my hairstyling kit as it works so well after curling hair and want to achieve the loose bouncy curls, the Dtangler removes any harsh ringlet curls adding voluptuous volume and natural bounce. It's also great that I don't have to tug at my clients hair which is pretty awesome because the last thing I want is screeching clients! The small compact handbag friendly Dtangler is the best tool you can have if your head sore too!

Who is this hair brush suitable for?

1. Children 

2. Curly hair

3. Long hair 

4. Knotty hair

5. If your head sore 

6. Combing out curls

7. Guys who have long hair

 The Dtangler hair brush is available on Hair By Zara for only £10 (FREE UK DELIVERY)

MY FAVOURITE SHAMPOO

Hey everyone, if your brave enough to read my huge long hair shampoo story then carry on reading. Now that the weathers brightened up a little this only means our hair is majorly confused, mine is between frizz bomb like literally, and straight. I've been juggling about experimenting with different shampoos and conditioners but I think my hair is unhappy seen as I have never had break outs with greasey hair after literally next day after washing and frizzy ends. I think it's time I headed back to my childhood shampoo head and shoulders. You have probably noticed when you change shampoo or conditioner your hairs texture changes as it takes time for hair to adjust to different shampoos as they all contain different ingredients. I'm really not into ingredients as things can get a little technical. But anyway my favourite is two in one head an shoulders shampoo, okay this is greatly known to be the most heavily strong shampoo which can fix any kind of hair, so if your looking for a strong shampoo for dandruff or for straight hair then make sure you try out this one! So enough of my babbling about my favourite shampoo, here's a hair tip which is much needed seen as I have fallen behind with daily hair tips! Gaaaah! Stay away from heat styling products and avoid washing hair in too hot of water. (Lukewarm with a cool rinse is best).