by VioletLeBeaux | Nov 30, 2009 | About Me, Beauty, Hair, Hair-Tutorials, Tutorial
Lately a couple of people have been asking about how I do my hair style and decorate my hair.
When I posted my make up tutorial Victoria Suzanne from Lolita Charm asked:
“I’d love to know about the roses in your hair – did you make them and how are they in such a cute little band? “
Here is a screen shot of my hair from the tutorial (the best one I could find anyway!)
So I thought today that I would talk a little bit about hair and show you how you can turn pretty much anything into a hair clip ^_^
![]()
So let’s make the hair clips first. These are my favorite types of roses. They are actually made from styrofoam which sounds strange but they are very soft, durable and realistic. I got mine from Spotlight but I imagine most craft stores carry them.
So what you need is flowers (or whatever you want to make into a hair clip), a hot glue gun and some bobby pins.
Using the glue gun you should put a good amount on both the rose and the bobby pin. Press them together. A good tip is to make sure that hot glue actually gets through the loop part of the bobby pin, this makes sure that it can’t pop out of the glue later.
You should hold the bobby pin where the stem on the flower would go. Normal hair clips would put the clip on a right angle but I find that it’s easier to hide the pin amongst your hair like this. Be careful not to burn yourself on the glue! When it’s dry it should look like this:
If you want you can cover the ugly glue on the back with a small circle of felt but seeing as it’s going to be buried in my hair I don’t mind so much ^_^
You can really do this with anything. Here is a sneak peak at what I’m going to be wearing in my hair at the Nuffnang Christmas party… I bought these butterflies at a junk store.
Now I have an army of butterfly hair clippies!
They are going to look super cute!
So now that you’ve made your clips it’s time to decorate your hair! How you arrange them greatly depends on the look you want. For me I want a hime style look but my other motivation is to cover my re-growth of non-blonde hair so I can wait longer between dyes and damage my hair less. So this is what I start out with:
When it’s up like this, the regrowth is super obvious. I’m sure I could cover it with a hat like a normal girl but with hime style hair it doesn’t go so well!
So to do the style I did in the video you need to start with a base head band. I like to use one which is similar colour to the flowers and has something interesting on it like a bow.
Everything about the style I’m making is lopsided so make sure you pick your best side for the bow!
Now get your flowers, it’s nice to use a few different types or shapes of flowers to make the style more interesting.
So grab one of your flowers (I’m starting with the light pink ones) and attach it. You should slide the flower under the headband because the band will hide the metal bit. You really don’t actually need to get much hair to hold it in, just a tiny bit. I get a tiny bit of my fringe in to it then push the whole way into my pouf.
This is how it looks all the way in. See how it hides everything nicely?
Now add another one on that side above the first.
And one on the other side… For this style I work with uneven numbers of flowers to make it even more lopsided.
Now you have quite a good base to work with, start adding the other kind of flower. You can add as many or few until you like how it looks. I like a lot of flowers so this is what I ended up with 😀
No regrowth to be seen ^_^
Now here are some variations on this look, it’s very versatile…
This time instead of a head band I started with a row of flowers that I’ve glued on a comb.
So add it to the side because it’s going to be your feature piece.
This version requires more flowers if you want to cover up regrowth but still looks cute.
If you are wearing awesome earrings you can pull the bits of hair on the side backwards and pin them over the headband. Here is how it looks with a different headband.
So I hope that answers some of your questions, if you’d like ore information just leave me a comment 😀
Btw if you’re interested in Lolita fashion you should check out Victoria Suzanne‘s blog, it’s full of really interesting articles and she has some very cute hair styles of her own!!
by VioletLeBeaux | Nov 9, 2009 | Craft, Hair, Hime Gyaru, Nails, Outfit Of The Day
Well as promised here is my outfit for the Nuffnang awards in all of it’s minute details!
I put so much time and effort into this outfit that I think it deserves it’s own post if only for my records heeheee!
The dress:
I was so torn on what dress design to go with. I wanted something Hime Gyaru obviously but I wanted it to also feel like I was wearing a million dollars rather than something I’d made. Originally I wanted to buy a dress but I couldn’t find anything I liked so I improvised.
This is how it all started out:
I cut one of my basic patterns out of a stretch cream satin for lining.
![]()
|
Then I added the pink flower silk chiffon over the top in the pattern I wanted. I had no end of trouble with the chiffon, I wanted to throw it out the window so many times!
I feel the need to tell you all that I hand pleated the ribbon for the straps (and back up shoes). That’s right hand pleated. No where that could ship fast enough/was within driving distance sold pre-pleated ribbon! WTF?? I really wanted it though so I stubbornly decided to do it myself.
This is the neckline of the dress (yes blacked out the cleavage for protection of your eyes :P) The flowers are all hand sewn on and made of paper, in the middle is a giant heart shaped pink jewel which I just LOVE. The bust has a slight sweetheart line with a row of gathering to make it interesting.
There is also a 3 layer tiered petticoat which I made for this dress specifically. It’s out of cute dot tulle similar to my wrap. I wanted it to have a slight bell shape but nothing as extreme as Lolita so I kept it to 3 soft layers.
The whole outfit
I think this is one of the only photos of me without the wrap. I don’t normally show my shoulders or cleavage so I was a touch uncomfortable without it ^_^ James is taking a photo of my nails.
I made my wrap from some lovely dot tulle (different from the petticoat) which was edged with white pom pom fringing. The pom pom fringing was a super large pain to get as well! I swear that all the fabric shops in Brisbane keep a list of things that I desperately want and all collude with each other to not stock them…
The bag
This is how my bag started out. I got it on sale at Charlie Brown for around $20
I hated the ugly gold chain on the straps so I removed that and added a rose to make it match the rest of the outfit. It’s made of the softest faux leather I think I’ve ever touched.
The alternate shoes:
I found 2 pairs of shoes on sale at Wittner. This first pair was my back up pair, it took me forever to decide whether to wear these ones or the others because these were more comfortable but they didn’t go with the dress well while the others were stunning but were half a size too small *_* |
Anyway these were $40 marked down from around $170. Before decoration…
After decoration… Notice the pleated ribbon again 😉
Detail shot: Yep I’m so detailed obsessed that I glued diamantes to the buckles ^_^
The real shoes
Now this is how the shoes I actually wore started out… On sale for $30 originally like $150ish.
After the Violet treatment…
They are so pretty but holy bajeebus are they painful! Seriously I think I hobbled around for half the night but it was totally worth it XD
Detail shot:
Interestingly enough these shoes tested by deco abilities. I couldn’t use plain old epoxy glue because it was too brittle, every time I put on the shoes a bunch of jewels cracked off. So I came up with the solution of glueing with epoxy first and then doing 3 top coats of plain old craft tacky glue. This gave it the flexibility to move with my feet 😀 Totally interesting right?
The nails
I didn’t get too many detail shots of my nails because I completely forgot about them ^_^ The are a pink base with a touch of glitter, white lace with ceramic flowers in pink and white on the very tips. The white lace even has little roses on it!
Funny story- I ran out of nail glue so I had to rush and get some for the flowers. They didn’t have my usual brand so I just grabbed one marked “Professional”. Turns out what they meant by “proffessional” was actually “rubbish and doesn’t stick to anything”. This lead to all kind of shenanigans with little roses flying off and having to dig around under heavy cabinets to get them back before the night. Lesson: Once you find a good nail glue stick with it!
Thought I’d show you my other nails for the trip while I’m here 🙂 These are blue and blue glitter stripes with silver tips and blue/silver diamantes.
Some of the small diamantes are heart shaped.
The jewelery
My choker, brooch and one of my bracelets were all custom made by the beautiful Celeste from Little Waltz. I commissioned Celestewith a jumble of ideas even before I had a dress and she made the most beautiful pieces for me!
This was the package that arrived from Little Waltz. Everything was packed super well.
The choker is pink pearls with a silver crown backing and a large flower over the top. There is a little chain with more pearls hanging down. The brooch has Swarofsky crystals dangling down in a vintage metal base and a beautiful pink cameo. She also included 2 absolutely beautiful bracelets with diamantes and little bells which jingle whenever I move. When I wear them I feel like a fairy!
I would absolutely recommend Little Waltzfor anyone needing custom or off the shelf jewelery, the designs are wonderful and the craftsmanship is just beautiful. Celeste handled all my panicky emails wonderfully and couldn’t have been easier to work with! The craftsmanship on the jewelery is immaculate and the prices were really reasonable, I’d give it all a 10/10!
The face
I decided to keep my make up fairly simple for the night with some false lashes and a hint of pink eye shadow. Lip gloss was of course a must too! 1000 Hoursent me some lashes to test out so I decided it was the perfect night to take one of the sets for a test run.
This was the set I was wearing, “Wild Damsel” you can buy them at Priceline for RRP $8.95. I used a different glue because of my allergy.
Of course here are some shots of them in action…
I found the application of these to be very easy, they held their shape quite well so it wasn’t a pain to reuse them next time. They were very easy to clean with warm water and with the help of my heated curler they were the perfect shape. I think if you wanted them more or less curled it would be quite easy to achieve. 1000 Hour sent me a couple of other products so I’ll be reviewing them soon for you all too!
Shot to see the length…
Well that’s a wrap everyone! I’ll be back to blogging as normal now that most of the move is out of the way 😀
Hope to see you all at the next Nuffnang Awards next year!
by VioletLeBeaux | Nov 6, 2009 | Hair, Life
So this is a regular old ACEO Friday post but I also have to let you all know that I’ll be without internet for a few days while we move in with James’ parents so I won’t be able to reply to comments until I get my internet connection back.
Everything is a mad house here at the moment! I’m knee deep in boxes and packing tape at the moment which is fun. I’ve got around half of the house done but the rest looks like a bomb has hit it ^_^There is row upon row of bejeweled bits and pieces in piles of “Keep” and “Throw out”. I went through all my hair and make up bits and pieces yesterday… here is a snap shot of the carnage!
So when I see you all next week I’ll be living with James’ parents ^_^ Have a great weekend!
As always click the image to be taken to the ACEO etsy store.
by VioletLeBeaux | Sep 23, 2009 | Beauty, Hair, Nails, Other-Tutorials, Tutorial
There are some days when absolutely nothing seems to work the way it should. Work explodes into a hot sticky mess, your hair won’t sit right no matter how much hair spray you use, there is nothing but spam in your inbox and you have a migraine the size of China. I am having one of those weeks!
So what to do in this situation but take a little time to yourself and relax.
If you’re anything like me you’re not very good at relaxing. I am the kind of person that needs t do like 10 things at once or I’ll get bored and feel unproductive. So this is my guide to relaxing.
Life can be very tiring! 
![]()
This is my secret relaxation kit, what you can see is: -Pot of tea (blueberry) -Tea cup (the cutest one you can find), milk and sugar -Face and hair masks -Sleep mask -Nail polish and toe separators -Bueno (Damn it Bueno sponsor me already so I can have free ones!) -Cute silver tray to carry it all on. -Advil to remove horrible headache or something stronger if needed
Optional: -Water bottle -Tv with Judge Judy on because she is hilarious -Body butter for massages -Boyfriend to apply said body butter, nail polish, pour tea, feed Bueno etc.
All of this should be done in bed with lots of comfy pillows or on a relaxing couch in front of the tv.
Preparation: -Make a pot of tea and collect all the needed equipment -Have a warm relaxing shower and wash your hair out, hime styles can be very tough on your hair with all of the spraying and teasing so give some love back to it!
-Apply the hair mask according to the instructions and clip your hair back to let it dry.
My favorite brand of facial mask is Montagne Jeunesse but they are all pretty much the same so just get whichever is available to you. This one is a self heating one.
It looks super gross. 
Apply the mask according to the instructions, make sure to check how long you need to leave it on for.
At this point you probably look like a swamp monster so take a moment to enjoy that feeling. This effect works even better if you haven’t shaved your legs for ages 😉
Now while the face mask is setting you can take the time to paint your toe nails. If you wear high heels all the time you could also take the time to give your feet a massage, feet take a lot of weight so treat them nicely!
My poor feet are covered in blisters at the moment because I wore some heels without stockings one day ;_;
If you want them to look extra special add some diamantes or a cool konad design. 
Now I usually make the tea so it has a chance to cool while I take off my face mask. I like lots of sugar! 
Having a cute tea pot is very important 😛
And don’t forget the Buenos! There is one for me, one for James… or maybe both for me! 
Before you eat you should wash all of the face mask off. Your skin should feel smooth and beautiful. Then you can enjoy your tea 😀
And if you feel like it you can take a nap! Naps are awesome, more people should take naps. 
Shh I’m trying to sleep! 
At the end of this you should be very chilled!
So what do you do to relax when you’re having a crap day?
by VioletLeBeaux | Sep 21, 2009 | Beauty, Hair, Hair-Tutorials, Hime Gyaru, Tutorial
Well after doing it every day for the last year or so I’ve developed some short cuts and easier ways of doing things. So I decided to made a revised tutorial and include the information about hot rollers in the bottom. The best part about this version is that there is very little teasing involved so very little damage 😀
We are going to end up with this: 
Now the secret to being able to do this style of hair with minimum teasing/damage is having something to stick in the middle to hold everything up. I borrowed this idea from Super Kawaii Mama’s video on 1960’s beehives. You need something to hold the center shape and a ratty old hair extension.
![]()
I use an old bandanna folded and then rolled up, you could use whatever you want as long as it gives the same basic shape. This gives a great amount of pouf and is sturdy. You can really use anything that will hold the shape.
Now find an old hair extension you’re never going to use again and tease it until it’s solid and matted, this helps it keep it’s shape.
Roll it around the bandanna.
Secure the ends with some bobby pins. 
Pinch the ends in and secure with more bobby pins until you can’t see the bandanna anymore. 
Finished! Now you can start trying it out with your hair! 
First separate the front section of hair which will become the bump.
This is the front section: 
Clip it to the side for now and keep it out of the way. 
Now place the hair piece on to of your head just behind the section you clipped. Secure it with some pins, I usually use one on each side then one for the front and one for the back. Don’t forget to put one in the front of you’ll find your bump gradually sliding backwards during the day.
Unclip the section of hair and divide it into 3, with a larger portion in the middle. 
Brush the middle section upwards and give it a good dose of hair spray. If you want to make it easier to manage you can tease (back comb) near th e roots but it’s not completely necessary. 
Pull it backwards and pin it behind the hair piece. 
Now do the same with each side. Brush it, spray it, pin it and spray it again! 
This is how the back looks:
All finished! Now it’s time to curl the rest of the hair. 
You will need your hot rollers, I have a set from Vidal Sassoon and they are awesome. Make sure to heat them up for the recommended time and always follow the instructions. I use mine on the hottest setting because I have very hard to curl hair.
You are also going to need the little clippy things to keep them in. I prefer the plastic ones to the metal “U” shape ones because they are quicker and easier to use. 
If you have hard to curl hair like me then you will need something like Tresemme Curl Activator spray. Some people use curling water but I have no idea where to get that from. Anyway give your hair a spray all over with the curl activator.
Brush out the rest of your hair, be very careful to hold where the pins are so you don’t ruin all the hard work you just did!
After you have heated the rollers get one ready to use. Don’t touch the hot part! 
The first this we want to do is get rid of all of the pinned ends so we can’t disturb the top bump 
It doesn’t really matter how you roll this part because it’s going to be hidden by a bow at the end. I’ll show you exactly how to roll them properly in a second. 
Clip it out of the way! 
Ok! Now let’s section a piece to curl. I like to start with the piece on the side and in front of my ears because I want these to be the curliest so I leave them in for the longest. Grab your section and brush it. 
Spray it! Brush through again to smooth it. 
Now grab your roller and twist the hair around it at the bottom. 
As you roll up catch the end of the hair in and keep rolling so it holds. 
To get this perfect you’ll have to experiment with your hair, for example if I roll these underhand the curls won’t hold but if I roll them overhand they curl nicely. It’s all about experimenting to find what works for your hair type! 
Clip the roller into place and you’re done.
Here is a video of how to roll them:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eqWCai9gcs]
Do the other side too.
Now start sectioning the back and rolling them up too. Start at the top and work down. 
Fit in as many as you can, the small the sections of hair you roll the better they will take the curl. 
This is how mine looks when it’s all done 😀 
Give it all a good final spray. If you’re going to try hime style hair, make friends with your hair spray! 
Now it’s just a matter of waiting! Go have breakfast or do your make up. Wait at least 20min until all of the rollers are completely cool to the touch! 
I went and replied to some of your wonderful comments about the new layout 😀 Hi internet people! 
Ok time’s up! You should take them out front first and then from bottom to top at the back. 
When you pull them out they will look kind of funky. 
Curl them around your finger to point them in the right direction. 
Hurrah a pretty curl! Now spray it in place!
Here is a video of how I take them out: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_ha4pbmbvs] Now do it with the rest of them.
And you end up with this! 
If you don’t like how some of the curls are sitting just gently separate them with your fingers. 
Fix up your fringe and add some accessories. 
All finished 😀 
And the back: 
The side: 
The end!
On another note, does anyone know how to stop blogger from compressing photos when I upload them? My photos are very good quality but when they are uploaded they get pixely and washed out 🙁 I’m seriously considering just getting my own domain bleh. 
I hope you all enjoyed the hime hair tutorial and if you have any questions just pop them in the comments and I’ll try my best to answer 🙂
by VioletLeBeaux | Sep 9, 2009 | Beauty, Hair, Review
Good morning everyone! Continuing my “Hair and Make Up” theme of blog posts this week, today I’m going to be reviewing some of the beauty products I’ve been using lately.
Review- 1000 Hour Eyelash Adhesive:
![]()
Background information: I have sensitive skin and allergies such as hay-fever etc. Over the last 3 years I have had a lot of medical problems resulting in be having many tests done. The over use of latex equipment made my allergies a lot worse. As a child I had eczema and I still have moderate asthma. After using lash glue and liquid eyeliner that contained latex for around 6 months I developed a full blown allergy to that. Since then I have been searching for an alternative.
Experiences: I bought this glue from Priceline after seeing it was “hypoallergenic” and did not contain latex. Before using it I did a test swatch on my wrist to make sure there was no reaction. Nothing happened on my wrist so I applied the eyelashes. I wore them for around half an hour to test them out. I took them off and around 2 and 1/2 hours later washed off the glue completely in the shower. My eyes were a little itchy but other than that fine.
The next morning I woke up like this: 
As you can see I had a very severe allergic reaction. When I woke up I couldn’t physically open my eyes because they were so swollen. Now 5 days later my eyes are still slightly swollen and itchy as all hell. 
I emailed the manufacturer (who’s name is very comfortingly “ChemCorp”) and received a reply on Monday lunch time asking for more details about what had happened. They also asked me to send the bottle back so they could analyze it. After a couple of emails back and forth this was the response I got as to why it happened:
Thank you for your prompt reply.
Firstly, I would like to apologise for the disappointment you have experienced with our product. Customer satisfaction is something Chemcorp holds in high regards and its of great concern when one of our customers is not 100% happy with our product.
As I am sure you are aware you haveexperienced an allergic reaction. It seems that you indeed have very sensitive skin, particularly in your eye area. We have sold over 50,000 1000 Hour Eyelash Adhesive and yours is the first complaint we have had.
We employ a regulatory company who makes sure all our products conform to all regulatory requirements. When a products is said to be hypoallergenic,
it is claimed it causes fewer allergic reactions. People with severe allergies and/or asthma may still be affected. 1000 Hour Eyelash adhesive has been put through tests specifically designed for sensitivity and allergenicity. All tests returned acceptable results. Hence despite the product being tested satisfactorily for reduced allergenicity and you having a negative skin patch test, you most regrettable suffered a reaction.
In regards to the allergens. Even though a product may contain suspected allergens, if the suspect ingredients are below the “risk” concentration, then it is acceptable and reasonable to describe the product as hypoallergenic.
Our recommendations are that you go to your pharmacy and seek advice in regard to a suitable antihistamine that will help reduce the allergic reaction. Also you should take note of all the ingredients so that you can ensure you will not be exposed to any of these ingredients in the future. We would like to fully reimburse you for the cost of the product and any associated pharmacy/medical costs.
We would like to thank you for alerting us to your reaction. If you would like any further information or have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
Kind regards.
Now I did my own research into the ingredients and it turns out that two of the four listed on the packet are known allergens. So I’m a little bleh on their ability to call it a “hypo allergenic” product when there are 2 allergens in it.
Price: $7.95 (as far as I remember)
Verdict: To be honest I still love the product. It sticks well, it dries perfectly clear and in a reasonable amount of time. When I had a complaint it was resolved in quick and satisfactory manner. That said if you have any kind of allergies or asthma you should seriously think about whether it’s worth developing an allergy to this. BE VERY CAREFUL. If anyone knows of a lash glue which is actually non-allergenic let me know please?
Rating:4/10 (If I wasn’t horrible allergic then the rating would be 8/10) r />
Review: L’Oreal Preference “Scandinavian Blonde”
Background information: My hair was blonde (exact colour as in these photos) with around 3cm of very light brown regrowth. Experiences: Bought this dye to cover the regrowth. It did not. When buying it I made sure to check the color guide, according to that my hair should have turned out the same as the front cover. I put the dye in as per the instructions. The mixture looked suspiciously dark but I gave it the benefit of the doubt… It looks like this in: 
And you know what? When I washed it out it still looked like that. Very much not a light blonde, much more like an ashy light brown. It also stripped all of the warm tones out of my hair. It didn’t cover my regrowth, it just left a strange line. Price: $12.95 Verdict: Very unhappy with the results, not remotely like the front cover. Rating: 1/10
Review- L’Oreal Excellence Creme
Background information: After the complete failure of the “Scandinavian Blonde” I decided to use this to get the natural reds back in my hair. Experiences: Again I checked the swatches on the side of the box and it should have turned out the nice coppery colour on the front. It did not. It turned my hair a medium mousy brown. The one positive thing I have to say about this dye is the applicator comb is awesome! It made the usually painful application process super easy. Normally it would take me around 20min to apply, it took less that 5 with this comb. Price: $9.95 Verdict: Crappy colour, good applicator. Rating: 3/10
Background information: This set was a gift from Nuffnang. It is supposed to make your hair softer, shinier and protect against heat damage Experiences: This has actually been really nice. All 3 samples pretty much have a coconut kind of smell, personally I hate coconut but most people find it pleasant so I won’t mark it down to much for that! I thought the texture was nice and creamy and it felt good in my hair. The leave in Velvet Whip was what I was most looking forward to and I was pleasantly surprised. Normally leave in conditioners make my hair really frizzy or stringy, this seemed to be a perfect balance and my hair was soft all day. Price: Samples free from Nuffnang Verdict: After using it for a week my hair is softer and smooth. Rating: 8/10
Review- L’Oreal Superior Preference.
Background information: This was the first shade of copper I used after bleaching for the first time. I wasn’t quite ready to go completely blonde so this was a great in between colour. Experiences: This one actually went on exactly how it should and turned the colour on the box! Shock horror! You can see how my hair looked in this post for an after pic. Price: $8.95 Verdict: Really liked the colour, though it didn’t have a fancy applicator. Rating: 8/10
Review- L’Oreal Super Blonde Prelightener Creme
Background information: I have used this 3 times, the first two to strip out my red hair dye and the third to correct the mistakes of the “Scandinavian Blonde” etc. Basically it is supposed to strip out dye or lighten your naturally dark hair. Experiences: I can’t say how much I like this bleach. After using it 3 times my hair hasn’t sustained any lasting damage at all. It corrected the Scandinavian incident easily and now my hair is back to it’s blonde glory! It also brought out a lot of the orange tones in my hair. The only thing that I don’t like is that it takes over an hour to complete as you have to apply it in two lots. The applicator also sucks. Other than those two minor flaws I am going to continue using this to manage my regrowth. Price: $14.95 Verdict: Love the colour, it’s a little pricey but well worth it. Rating: 9/10
Extra~
Now that you’ve made it through this many reviews you deserve a treat 😉 Here are some photo of me with a lady bug that was in our garden the other day! How cute! 
Unfortunately around 4 seconds later it pooped on me! EWW! 
So are there any hair or beauty products you want to see me review? See you next post 😀
So I thought today that I would talk a little bit about hair and show you how you can turn pretty much anything into a hair clip ^_^
