Thursday, April 27, 2017
Unboxing/ First Impressions: WOWAFRICAN 360 Lace Frontal 180% Density Yaki Brazilian Wig
If it works, why fix it?
Although I agree that this is true when it comes to my beauty staples, I can't really say the same for my hair. From braids for most of my life to wigs every day for the past two years, I have found something I love.
So, I decided to dig deeper and take a risk in investing in yet another unit; not from RPGShow this time, but WowAfrican.
The Box
The wig itself came in a standard cardboard box, packaged fairly well for overseas transport- although mine was definitely stepped on a couple of times.
Unlike RPGShow, WowAfrican do not provide a brush/ comb, but like RPGShow, they did include a wig cap (two actually!) and a brochure for hair maintenance. Another thing in the box was a piece of elastic which can to be used for the now popular "Elastic band Method" which stops your wig front from riding up and showing flesh beneath the lace.
I have seen that prominent YouTubers also get added extras in their packages, but to be honest, a wig calendar isn't exact a VIP addition in my opinion, so I wasn't to sad about not receiving that.
The Hair
My wig details:
Name: 360 Lace Wig Brazilian Virgin hair
Code:TLW07
Style: Yaki Straight
Colour: Natural
Hair density: 180%
Length: 18 inches
Hairline: Pre-plucked
Price: $196.00
I already own two full lace wigs, so I decided to branch out and went for the newly hyped 360 frontal lace wig.
This wig is made up mainly of about 75% tracks, with a lace front of about 2 inches and more wefts at the top of the head .The style gives you the opportunity to maintain thickness of the wig by adding tracks as hair fallout occurs, but limits the ability to split the hair wherever you please. You are free to split this unit anywhere along the circumference from ear to ear, 2 inches deep- everything else isn't possible because of track exposure.
On the plus side, since the wig is a 360 frontal, there is room to wear the wig in an updo hairstyle such as a high bun or ponytail and still maintain the realistic look, which is not possible with an ordinary full lace wig.
On top of that, this unit has a 180% density, in comparison to most wigs which range between 130%-150%.
First Impressions
Does it look real?
Straight out the box, this wig is soft, manageable and looks realistic. My hair is Type 4B/C, yet when my edges are laid with gel and slicked back underneath a wig cap, I can get away with the "growing from my scalp" look.
Although you can see a mesh-like appearance of the lace on first installation, this can be fixed by bleaching or dying the lace to suit the scalp. Personally, I don't believe it is necessary.
Can I do a ponytail?
I tried doing a ponytail but noticed that the back instantly lifted up to expose my natural hair.
I actually have a low nape line than most people which means my nape hair grows lower than most, so I personally would struggle to make the ponytail work. The only way I can see this working is by fastening the back strap as tight as possible and using bobby pins to hide the bunches- but that to me defeats the purpose, but bare in mind that this is because of my hairline.
How should I style the hair?
I took my unit straight from the box, and it was honestly ready to wear. I just geled the pre-plucked baby hairs to fasten the wig to my head and to get rid of that gap between the lace and my scalp. I also fastened a silk scarf around my head for about 10 minutes to allow the gel to set properly.
You can also pluck more of the hairline to your personal preference and use a range of fastening methods including glue or an elastic band, but I find that my method results in the least amount of damage to my natural hair. I wash the gel out of the wig ever other day and condition that strip of hair to keep it nourished.
Overall
I love it. I always feel weird in a new unit but this has grown on me very quickly. Considering my current hair unit is a black to auburn ombre, this is a nice transition back to something that looks normal.
If you are not fussed about wearing your hair in high updos, then I would say don't bother get a 360 frontal and stick to a 360 full lace. However, bare in mind that this unit may shed, but there is that option to purchase more bundles and refill the fallout, whereas on a full lace, once the hair falls out, there is nothing you can do.
Also, I have to say that dealing with WowAfrican was seriously such a good experience. They were very quick to reship to me when I messed up my order and even sent it back to me for free although the wig I ordered was custom!
Fiona x
~
VIDEO: Watch me unbox and fit this unit in my YouTube first impressions video
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Isle of Wight Travel Diary
A visual round up of my long weekend in the Isle of Wight
If you ever want a little holiday within the UK that looks and feels like the bright coastal towns of the Mediterranean, then the Isle of Wight is for you.
I expected to take a trip to another traditional English seashore located much further south than I have ever been, but was pleasantly surprised that the isle just off the edge of Portsmouth was more or less an undiscovered little haven; considering the total journey took 8 hours, it was well worth the trip!
My group of four girls plus myself stayed in the quiet east coast town of Sundown, travelled to the furthest west point of the island to visit the famous Needles white cliff tops, walked around the popular streets of Ryde and kicked about at a beach in Shanklin.
The island offered lots of cheap food spots, including numerous fish and chip bars and tea rooms. We stayed with a family friend and commuted across the island using the tourist Island Breezer service, which runs every day and at both early and late hours.
Famous for the Isle of Wight festival, if you like mixing in with the locals, you can probably find a local music event or festival to fit your budget and music taste- but be warned, they shut off streets and bus services to accommodate such events, so you might end up stranded if you haven't sorted previous transport arrangements. In addition, there are plenty of opportunities to hop in a boat and tour the island by water or cable car.
Overall, a beautiful place to go for a tonne of sunshine and relaxation, particularly for the music lover and the aviophobic!
Fiona x
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Review: Family Lunch Date at Bill's Resturant
This post is a little bit overdue, but it doesn't mean it is any less important or interesting. If you love good food ( like me) I am sure you have probably been to a number of raved about restaurants.
My first time at Bill's was with my colleagues and I fell in love! When I met up with my Mum and sister for a rainy weekend catch-up the other day, I knew we had to find another location and sample the food together.
Bill's reminds me of a homely and rustic cabin; the choice of furniture and decoration is mostly wooden or rusty, making the most of wooden benches, chalkboards and rows and rows of colourful bottles and greenery on display. It might have been the deary weather, but the Saturday afternoon we went was quietly busy and was a nice lazy lunch with some home cooked body warming food.
I usually go for something that sounds exotic, but this time, I chose a classic (well done) 10oz rib eye steak with chips and a creamy Bearnaise, peppercorn and garlic butter sauce. Despite the steak being cooked almost to crisp, it was pretty tender and seriously juicy- I've never devoured a steak so quickly, it was a no-frills meal that seriously hit the spot.
Kelita (my sister) ordered a Duck Pie served with red cabbage- a bit of gamble, considering duck can be extremely greasy and more fat than meat. I almost ordered the same thing, but wasn't brave enough to chose duck over the other safer option which was Fish Pie. She said it was 'different', probably because duck is quite an acquired taste, but she liked it all the same.
My Mum is a tricky one when it comes to eating out, but she *absolutely loved* (quote quote) her Mojo chicken skewers which came with came with piadina bread. The portion came out looking quite small, but it was
Our family never leaves a restaurant without at least looking at the desserts menu,so after we argued between ourselves that we were far too full to have dessert, we ordered one each anyway and waited for them to come out feeling a little bit sheepish. Since we couldn't decide what to get, we agreed to sample a bit of each other's desserts; I had a small but filling plate of chocolate brownie that was incredibly moist and gooey, Kelita had pancakes and my Mum had classic waffles.
The service was really quick and our waiter at least made an effort to crack some jokes and make light conversation. I can't really fault Bill's , and thankfully, because there are plenty of restaurants across the country, if you're feeling a little hungry after reading this, you might be able to taste some of these dishes for yourself in no time!
To good food!
God Bless,
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Bra-blems: Bra Issues and Hacks to fix them!
Here’s a sad story- I just went through a "bra breakup".
I’m sure we all have that one bra that fits very well, doesn’t hurt our back and doesn’t show up through sheer shirts, so we wear it all the time (obviously washing at regular periods). This week, my favourite bra decided to break and stabbed me in the chest while I was minding my own business and getting on with my day. I had to wait in pain until I could get home and assess the damage and mortified to find that the wire had completely broken through the fabric.
I’m sure we have all been there and experienced some “bra-blems”, so I thought I would share some advice on how to go about fixing these problems.
"Wire stab" problem
The easiest thing to do is to sew up the problem. Cover the end of the wire with some tape ( masking tape is the best for this) to smooth out the sharp edge and prevent more piercing. Re-insert the wire and sew the fabric back together, securing the stitches with fabric glue or clear nail paint
TIP: I had to learn the hard way, but, you should store your bras open in a drawer, not "cup within cup" or folded as it can mess up the moulding and cause the underwire to pierce through the fabric
TIP: I had to learn the hard way, but, you should store your bras open in a drawer, not "cup within cup" or folded as it can mess up the moulding and cause the underwire to pierce through the fabric
"Slipping strap" problem
If your straps are slipping, it seems obvious, but try tightening the straps, ensuring that they are the same length. One strap that is too long will create a gap in the strap pn the other side and will give you lopsided support.
TIP: use a pantyliner! This sounds weird but if you cut a thin strip from an unused pantyliner and place the sticky side against your skin, your straps are less likely to slip anywhere!
"Straps digging-in" problem
Time for a smaller band! Digging straps means that either your band has stretched out or you have purchased a band that is too big in the first place.
TIP: Sometimes I like to go for a great strapless- it frees the heavy feeling in my shoulders and I, of course, don't struggle on that day with strap problems.
"Quad boob" problem
I used to get this all the time, especially when I wore tighter shirts. This can be fixed by going up a cup size e.g. if you are a 36b, you should be buying a 36c
TIP: How can you tell if you have the right bra size? If you lift your arms over your head and your band is lying flat and the cups contain all of your breast tissue, then you are wearing the right size!
"Quad boob" problem
I used to get this all the time, especially when I wore tighter shirts. This can be fixed by going up a cup size e.g. if you are a 36b, you should be buying a 36c
TIP: How can you tell if you have the right bra size? If you lift your arms over your head and your band is lying flat and the cups contain all of your breast tissue, then you are wearing the right size!
Of course, some bras are beyond repair because they are worn down or faded; if that is the case, throw them out and then you can head over to ThirdLove for a brand new bra! ThirdLove help you to find the perfect bra fit in a variety of styles and sizes; they even have an app for virtual sizing!
The lovely people have provided me with a coupon code for buyers from my blog: just enter PERSONALITY at the checkout for 15% off.
Thank you to ThirdLove for inspiring me to write this post and for providing the graphics. You can check out more "bra-blems" over at thirdlove.com, or by downloading the FREE iPhone app from the App Store!
♡ thirdlove.com
♡ Third Love app
disclaimer: I am not being paid to feature Third Love on my blog. The promo code is not a partner/ affiliate link and the graphics were provided by Third Love.
God Bless,
Sunday, February 21, 2016
UNBOXING: Clarisonic Aria Keith Haring Edition
I've wanted a Clarisonic for as long as I
can remember.
I have had a problem with my skin for quite some time and
the idea of cleaning my face with a sonic brush has always appealed to
me- especially after spending so long in the bathroom scrubbing my face
with a manual face brush.
I decided to
take the plunge this week and invest in one while biting my tongue the whole
way through the checkout process, knowing full well that I could have saved the money for
something else. I placed an order last Monday on the official Clarisonic website and I received the order by the Thursday.
Since I am a little late on the whole
sonic cleansing system hype, I was pretty impressed with the look and
feel of the Clarisonic. I know that the Aria was launched in 2013, as an
upgrade of the previous Mia versions. The Aria is lighter and slimmer and feels pretty solid in the hand.This unit is a little different though as I managed to
get my hands on the limited edition Keith Haring Aria; the cleansing
device is red and it comes with a pouch designed by Keith Haring.The box includes the Mia system and a pouch that holds the USB-enabled magnetic Universal Voltage Plink Charger, wall adapter and drying base, as well as a sample size cleanser.
I'm
in love with the pouch design, the zip tag is in the shape of a mini
Clarisonic and the inside of the pouch is covered in one of Keith
Haring's iconic designs. I love getting these kind of pouches with
purchases because I like to use them as makeup bags, so I think this one
will be going straight into my work bag.
To
charge the unit, you have to use plink charger and wall adapter. The
magnetic charger attaches to the base of the Aria and connects to a wall
socket through the plug adapter. This makes the unit travel friendly-
instead of taking the drying stand, you can charge the unit using only
the Plink charger, which is handy because the drying base is pretty
chunky!
I was pretty impressed with the magnetic function, but I will have to see for myself if this is a gimmicky feature.
It
was a nice surprise to find the sample sized cleanser included in the
pack, although I am a little hesitant to use it. My skin is pretty
normal and doesn't react too much to different products, but since I have
established such a solid skin care regimen already, I wouldn't want to
change it.
I'm pretty excited to use my Clarisonic although I wasn't impressed with the 24 hour charging time- I'm hoping that it lasts for quite a while.
Have you used a Clarisonic? Let me know?
Happy Cleansing
God Bless,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)