5 Secrets to Maintaining Beautiful Hair Extensions

Hair extensions make your hair thicker, fuller, longer.  I've been having them for years, I got my first set in 2005! Wow time flies.  They become quite addictive actually! A bit like getting your nails done, they just make everything look better!

The hairdresser tells you a couple of tips and may even give you a care packet but nothing prepares you for extensions like talking to somebody who has had them for years. 

With this in mind I know how hard it is when you first get them done and you don't really know how to look after them, they are not cheap after all so you want to make them last as long as possible.

Here are my secrets to keeping your hair extensions in great condition and making them last as long as possible! 

1. Always dry your roots.

This is where the bonds will be so whenever you wash your hair make sure that you take a couple of minutes to blow dry your bonds using COLD air.  I would use the hot setting on my blow dryer and they would get all warm and soft which is the opposite of what we want. So always use the cold setting. 

2. Wash less

It's a good idea to wash your hair as little as possible to keep your bonds in tact.  Dry shampoo is a lifesaver for this.  Extensions tend to hold styles and curls a lot better so why wash it if you don't need to? You can also do a top wash.  Section your hair in half, making sure all the extensions and bonds are neatly tied in a bun at the nape of your neck out of the way, leaving your natural hair free at the top of your head. Put your head upside down over the bath and do a shampoo and condition on the loose/top part of your hair. I do this once per week between washes. 

3. Serum and mask

It's likely that the ends of your extensions will get dry because they are not attached to your head they are not getting any oil to them.  To combat this I use an all natural hair serum by arbonne on my ends everyday, it keeps them shiny.  

4. Shampoo sans SLS

One of the main reasons my extensions often last 6 months is because I only use shampoo with out nasties like sodium laurel sulphate and silicones. SLS is a foaming agent which strips away the colour and moisture of your hair.  Best to avoid these ingredients to promote longevity of your extensions. I use Arbonne FC5 shampoo and conditioner.

5. Brush gently

I know this sounds simple but it really makes such a difference.  Brush your hair very gently and hold on to the top part of your hair while you run a soft bristled brush from near your hand to the bottom of your hair.  Braiding your hair at night to keep it from getting tangled over night is a great idea too!

Feel free to share your tips on keeping your hair extensions in great condition…

Love Ashly xx

REVIEW | HotHair Brianna 3/4 Wig Glazed Strawberry*

The folks at hot hair very kindly asked if I wanted to try out one of their new hair pieces.  After the success and compliments I received using my clip in fishtail plait (review here) I jumped at the chance.

I was sent the Brianna 3/4 wig* by HotHair in the colour glazed strawberry R29S. It is a 3/4 wig with waves through the ends.  I have to say it did not disappoint. 

It arrived in a lovely box - great for storage. Wrapped in a net, with not a strand out of place.  I was very impressed.  The colour was as close to perfect as possible.  Obviously the texture is different to human hair, as this piece is synthetic.


Easy to apply, with hair grips and clips.  Takes 2 minutes to put in place (perfect if you are in a rush but still want to look fab).  You do need to cover the seam though. I back combed the front of my hair and pulled it straight back, securing in place with Kirby grips (bobby pins), which did the trick.


What I liked most about this hair piece is that it is so versatile.  You can quite easily put your hair up in a pony tail or braid the piece, it blends in really well and looks fab.  It gives your hair up that extra bit of thickness and volume, who doesn't want that?


I would say if you are going to wear this piece straight down, it is probably best worn on a night, just because the texture is slightly different to human hair.  Either that or easily wear it styled up (as mentioned previously) for the day, it looks all the more natural that way.

I have to say I absolutely love my Brianna 3/4 hair piece by Hot Hair...  Hair style tutorials with it coming very soon.

Lots of Love Ash x

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Long Hair Don't Care | Hot Hair Fishtail Plait Review*

I have used hair extensions for years and even made my own clip in ones, before you could buy them easily in the shops.  The Halo is one of my favourites which I recently reviewed here.  But recently I have been trying out the Fishtail Plait from Hot Hair (£19.20).

The braid itself comes in 10 colours so the chances are you will find one to match your own hair.   The colour I went for was 'Strawberry' which has quite a few different colours through it. Although the hair is sythetic in my opinion it looks as real as it can do.  By messing up the plait it looks even more realistic because then it doesn't look too 'perfect'.

If you have short hair it is really easy to apply,  just pop your hair in a ponytail, wrap the top of the braid around it and secure with kirby grips.  It did take me a little while to figue out how to actually use the hair piece myself because my hair is past my shoulders and quite thick (I will do a tutorial on this shortly).  Once I had it in I was really impressed, it looked fab.  Filling up my car with petrol at the garage the female attendend commented how great my hair looked and asked how I did it! Did I give away my secret? Of course not!!

I think it will take me a little longer to perfect using this plait and working it in to other styles which I am excited about because it adds a little wow factor to your doo.

For £20 I definitely recommend this especially for those with short hair.

I would love to know if you have tried any products like this and how you style them?

How to Apply your Halo Hair Extensions

A couple of days a go I did a review on my Halo Hair Extension, which I love by the way.  Today I wanted to show you how easy and quick it is to put in.  It literally takes abut 3 minutes!

Place your halo on your head, gently pull in to place so that it sits a couple of inches from the front of your head and lower down at the back.  Use your 'Halo' comb (which comes with the extensions) or any tail comb, to begin pulling out the hair from under the Halo wire.  Once pulled on top of the Halo comb down the hair and ensure the Halo is fully covered.

And that is it! Your are ready to go!!

What do you think about 'The Halo' or flip in hair extenions? Have you or would you try them?

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Review | Halo Hair Extensions The Halo 20 inch in Chestnut*

Hi all!! The weather is crisp and the winter sun is begining to shine.. so what about this storm? Think we missed it up in Scotland.  Today I am reviewing Halo Hair extensions 'The Halo'.  A pretty hyped product, so lets see if this little beauty lives up to it.

"Every girl deserves a Halo"

Before ordering my Halo I wasn't sure which colour to go for, there are 25 to choose from, so I emailed over a picture to the folks at Halo.  They were so helpful and picked the perfect colour for me.  In the end I went for 20" Halo in Chestnut.  A couple of months down the line I dip dyed my own hair pink and wanted my Halo to match, so they got the pink treatment to.  (Let me know if you would like me to do a post on how to dye your Halo hair extensions).  I have been using my Halo now for about 5 months so feel like I have a pretty good idea of what this little baby is about.  

When my Halo first arrived I was so excited, I filmed my first ever youtube video unboxing it here.  My initial views were that is felt super soft, thick and great quality.  I also did a blog post with lots of pictures of the lovely packaging and extras it comes with here.

The Halo is by the Halo Hair extensions brand who do all sorts of extensions like clip ins, but the Halo is something a bit different.  It doesn't come with clips and instead is one strip of hair attached to a thin clear nylon wire, which looks like the shape of a 'Halo'.  The wire is fully adjustable to fit any head shape and size.  Some people might know this type of extension as a 'flip in'.

Having worn clip in extensions for nearly 10 years I was very unsure about this little wire... I mean how could it stay in my hair all day? Won't it fall out?  I have to admit I was pretty scared when I first wore it and pictured myself looking like a badger was stuck to my shoulder if it fell out.

There really was no need for me to worry, once in, the Halo is very secure.  It does feel different to clip in extensions and may take some time to get used to.  I for one was use to the slightly sore feeling of the clips digging in to my head so when I didn't feel that I thought something was wrong! Ha ha but the truth is the Halo is just a lot more comfortable.

The most important thing for me when choosing hair extensions is the quality of the hair.  The halo is 100% Indian Remy Human hair and is very high quality.  It feels thick, soft, silky and luxurious.  It states on the website the Halo should last for about 4 months, but I have had my halo for 5 months now and the hair looks exactly the same as the day I got it, no fall out or breakage at all.  I have only washed my Halo once and that was due to dying it.  It really doesn't need much upkeep at all.

Another great thing about the Halo is, because it sits lower on your head you don't need to worry about any unsightly clips showing giving away your gorgeous hair secret! This also makes it easier to use your Halo for up do's.

The only thing I would say is that because I have exceptionally full hair to my shoulder and with the Halo adding quite a few more inches sometimes I feel like I want to add a row of clip in extensions to blend it.  Next time I will probably go for the shorter 16" Halo to combat this.

Overall I think the Halo is great quality and a genius product.  It literally takes 2 minutes to put in and I really love it.  I have had so many compliments when wearing it.

Get your Halo from www.halohairextensions.com

What are your favourite type of hair extensions?

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