Hair Plumage!

Recently there's been a lot of talk about feather hair extensions. Yes, feathers in your hair.
Celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Nicole Richie, Hilary Duff, Steven Tyler etc etc have been seen wearing plumage in their hair.

The concept is relatively simple and you can do it at home instead of spending serious moolah just to let some hair stylist shove them in your hair. Of course, if you are not coordinated or can't reach your head (don't ask...i'm sure a few people have some problems lol) you can buy a kit and get a friend to do it for you or fork out some cash to let a professional do it. I recommend buying the feather that are treated as i'm sure those that are not will burn when you try to curl or straighten them or the dye used will run. Your choice.

It's very in-keeping with this season's bohemian chic return. A bit hippie/earth child if you please.

Normally it consists of 6 or 7 very long, thin, TREATED feathers (so that you can wash, curl, straighten etc) being attached to a small group of hair near the scalp. The idea is to attach it under a bit of hair so it just peaks out from under like a little surprise. They come in bright colours, traditional/natural looking feathers as well as regular plumes (not long and skinny like the others). They last 1-4 months depending on the wearer.

Personally I find they look best closer to the front of the head on ONE side, with a clump of only 5 or 6 of them (the skinny long ones that is). Some people but a whole big bunch or put it all around their head in random spots but that's a bit over bearing.

People have also put these on their pets! I wouldn't but some do. It doesn't at all hurt you or the animal and is attached in the same way as you would attach them to your hair. Still, I wouldn't do it because your pet already has lots of fur all over anyway :s

HOW TO/ DIY:

You need:

• A Micro Link (kind of like a large crimping bead for your hair and otherwise commonly found wit hair extensions) 
• Feathers
• A bobby pin/small hair pin (if you buy a kit they come with a hook/threader)
• Pliers

1. First part the hair where you want to place it and take a very very small section of hair small enough to fit through the micro link with a tiny bit of space left.
2. Taking the bobby pin slide it through that section so that it is now in the open loop of the bobby pin.
3. Make sure that you do this close to the scalp as trying to move the bobby pin up closer to the scalp may cause the hair to bunch up.
4. Taking the micro link, slide it over both ends of the bobby pin and pull the bobby pin right through the micro link until all the hair comes through (all this time making sure to hold it very close to your scalp). This enables you to thread your hair into the micro link.
5. Push the ends of the feathers through leaving a only the tiniest bit of the ends hanging out to ensure when you clamp the micro link that the feather stays.
6. Finally, take your plyers and crimp/clamp down on the micro link to secure.

VOILA!
 
To remove just take your pliers and clamp in the opposite direction.




Some places that sell kits and feathers for such use are:

Birchbox (US customers only): http://www.birchbox.com/shop/fine-featherheads-feather-hair-extensions

Condition Culture (Feather locks): http://www.conditionculture.com/featherlocks

Fine Feather Heads (Birchbox sources their own from here): http://www.finefeatherheads.com/


xoxo

DIY Massage Bar! (Great Valentine's Day idea)

There's a store in the US called lush, and they have wonderful handmade products (soaps, lotions, bath bombs, bubble bombs, scrubs, bath gel and jellies etc). Around Christmas time they came out with this lovely little massage bar with a cute little mustache on it with glitter called 'Once a year'. They also have others with chocolate, cinnamon and spices.

For those who don't know what a massage bar is, it's basically a solid lotion. It looks like a bar of soap, but you take it and rub it between your hands to melt it a little and rub the bar all over your body and then you can massage it in. It's quite a cute gift and a great idea for Valentine's Day. It's super moisturizing!! You can give your boo a massage with something you made!! And if it smells like chocolate...BETTER YET! (guys & girls will love it).


You need:
1/2 Cup Cocoa Butter (sold in bars, raw...)
1/8 Teaspoon of vitamin E oil
1 Tablespoon coconut/sweet almond oil
Several drops of your favourite essential oils (cinnamon, bergamot, pepermint etc)

*Cocao Powder (if you want to make a chocolate-y bar).
*Coffee (caffeine is an antioxidant and vasoconstrictor)
*Brandy (this is one of the ingredients used in the Lush bar).
*Fine glitter/sparkles (if you want to give your skin a shimmery look).

1. Grate the cocoa butter as this will make it easier to work with and easier to melt.
    
2. Melt the cocoa butter over very low heat and add the coconut/almond oil. You need the heat to be very low because cocoa butter melts at a very low temperature and you want it to melt slowly, not burn! It's best if you place the grated cocoa butter into a bowl and put it into a bowl of hot (not boiling) water and stir slowly.
    
3. You can add the cocao powder here and stir. If you're wondering how much to put, I would say about maybe 2/3 the amount of cocoa butter you have in your bowl.
    
4. Remove and add the remaining ingredients.
    
5. Stir well and add to your mold (silicon molds are best as the massage bar can be popped out).
    
6. Let harden and remove from mold. You can place it in the freezer/fridge to quicken the hardening.
   
7. Keep in a cool place. Let cure 1 week before use (though it's not that necessary if you're impatient like me).

Solid cocoa butter

Heart shaped example.

Lush's Once a Year Massage Bar.

xoxo