koko couture hair extensions

My first memory of yearning for longer hair dates back to the mid-1990s. As a young girl, I wanted nothing more in life than to have hair to rival the likes of Ariel, Jasmine and Pocahontas. I used to close my eyes at night and hope that when I opened them again in the morning I would have flowing, waist-length hair.

Fast forward to my mid teens and I discovered hair extensions. I think I must have been 16 when I purchased my first pack of clip-in hair extensions from a down-market salon supply store in South London. From that moment, I didn't look back. Throughout all the switching and changing between bright blonde and black hair (and all the shades in between) I always had a set of clip-in hair extensions to match the shade du jour.

This set from Koko Couture is my first ever set of synthetic hair extensions. They are heat resistant and incredibly soft, so I can really see the benefit of synthetic hair. Synthetic tends to be shinier than real hair, and low quality synthetic can look down-right plastic. This hair on the other hand, blends perfectly with my natural hair (especially thanks to the perfect colour-match!). The set I have is the Lena, a 3 weft, 22-inch curly set available from KoKo Couture for £19.99*. The third photo above is my natural hair, with no extensions in for comparison. The extensions add not just length, but also volume and an overall healthier look. 

One of the draw-backs of clip-in extensions can be visible clips, which none of us want! My favourite hair-guru, Silvia, has got a great video on hiding the clips in your natural hair. Watch it here.

Thanks for reading, Love K. x 

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*This product was a sample, all opinions are my own

MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour

 

Years ago, I used to have this cheap little liquid lipstick from ELF Cosmetics. It was a beautiful peachy shade, matte finish, long lasting. It was fabulous. Unfortunately the formula changed, and it was never the same again. Heartbroken, I've been on the lookout for a replacement for ages, and I've finally found one! 

 

 

In steps MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour, in Back in Vogue. This range has been all over my instagram and twitter feeds lately, so when I spied a peachy shade I knew I had to give it a go.

 

The formulation is obviously drying on the lips, as mattes and liquids both usually are. However, the longevity I've been getting with this product makes up for the drying nature. I always give my lips a little prep with something moisturising (8hour cream, lanolips, any rich lip balm really) before applying a matte or longer lasting lipstick, and that has certainly helped the texture of my lips when applying this product.

 

The doe foot applicator makes precision application really easy, although I've been finding that the applicator usually has too much product on it to start with, so I like to remove some of the product before applying to avoid making too much mess!

 

Best of all with this product, no lip liner necessary! I love having 'finished' looking lips with out having to faff around with 10 different products. Don't get me wrong, I love a good lip liner, but this is perfect for something quick and long lasting. Lips that you don't need to worry about throughout your business meeting, or dinner date. Perfect.

 

There are a whole bunch of beautiful colours in the line, but of course I went for the neutral shade! If you're a little braver than me make sure you check out the rest of their collection - gorgeous.

 

Thanks for reading, Love K. x 

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everyday make up 2016

I'm the sort of person that enjoys make up every single day. I might not do anything ground breaking, or even particularly exciting, but every day I enjoy a little transformation in the morning. 

I thought today I'd share with you a typical everyday look for me, with some of my favourite products. What I reach for does vary on a daily basis, but the end result is always fairly similar (neutral tones on the eyes, contour, 'naked' lip colour).

I recently made the leap from always using liquid foundations, to using powder or mineral based foundations. I love the bareMinerals matte foundation for a light and flawless base. For a little more help with coverage I also love the Max Factor Facefinity Compact Foundation

For many years I have been wildly in love with the Urban Decay Naked palettes, and the original is definitely my One. All of the palettes have soft, neutral tones that are easy to wear everyday and easy to build into something more dramatic when wanted. They're the perfect do-it-all palettes and I'm dying to get my hands on the Naked Smokey. 

Despite my most recent blog post (red lips - read it here) I've always been more comfortable with 'naked' lip colours, where my lips are just sort of perfected but not really changed. NARS Dolce Vita lipstick is nailing this look for me, it's a soft pink just a few shades brighter than my natural lip colour.

I feel like I've only recently become satisfied with my eyebrows. I've almost fully recovered from years of over-plucking, their shape is really coming back nicely, and I've found two perfect products for getting them 'ready'. The most important of these would definitely be the Anastasia Brow Wiz. It's the perfect ashy colour, has the perfect fine nib, has a perfectly handy spooley on one end. It just does it all, effortlessly. I find it's perfect for getting the shape and filling in any sparse areas, while a nice dark eyebrow gel (recently been obsessed with the L'Oreal one) completes the look and makes the hairs more defined for a more natural effect. 

Contouring is an everyday thing for me. You know that meme that makes a joke about being super moon-faced before contouring? That's me! It's essential. If you want to see me demonstrate how I sculpt on a daily basis, I made a video on it and you can watch it here. 

My eyelashes are not quite what I'd love them to be, so I always require a little extra help from something magical like Charlotte Tilburys Full Fat Lashes. Luckily they're naturally quite curly, so I rarely curl them but always put heaps of mascara on.

What are your everyday essentials? Thanks for reading, Love K. x 

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Rimmel The Only 1 - Best of the best

I absolutely love a new drug store make up treat. There's something so satisfying about getting stuck in at the stand, picking up the bullets or palettes that catch your eye, swatching on the back of your hand and adding your favourites to the basket. So when I saw that Rimmel (one of my absolute drug store favourites) had launched a new line of lipsticks, I was in. 

The packaging of this lipstick is almost there but not quite. I like the black cover and base, and I love having the shade of the lipstick visible, but the shape of the lid is a little odd and less comfortable to hold, and the plastic feels a touch cheap. 

The colour I selected is a seductive red, bolding named Best of the Best and I must say, I'm convinced. Usually a little scared by reds, the dark, cooler tone of this one drew me in and I have to say it's one of my best drug store lipstick purchases. 

The formulation is opaque yet smooth, it glides on the lips with an almost glossy texture but soon dries to a satin, comfortable finish. It's quite long lasting, not as long standing as some liquid or matte lipsticks, but the comfort factor is worth the extra need to reapply. 

At £6.99 with 15 shades available, I think I can say Rimmel have done it again. Available to buy at Boots.com.

Love, K. x 

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MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

A few weeks ago I did something radical. I went off piste, and bought a new concealer. For what feels like forever, I've used the oh-so-predictable Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer every single day, and it has never let me down. So when I had the urge to purchase a new concealer that I'd never tried before, it felt more than a little alien. 

I knew exactly which one I wanted, so got my butt over to my nearest MAC counter. I have to say, I've always had mixed experiences at MAC, and mostly found it overwhelming and the staff a little intimidating, but this time around it was probably the best make up counter experience I've ever had.

I've been testing this out and used it almost every day for the last two weeks, and at first wasn't sure how I felt about it. I've used it with both powder and liquid foundation, and applied it using fingers and a beauty blender. I've had the best results when teamed with liquid foundation (L'Oreal Infallible Matte) and applied with a beauty blender. This, however I am a little disappointed with as I've recently been moving to using powder foundations on an everyday basis and saving liquids for days requiring more coverage. 

The concealer is quite light in texture, certainly lighter than our beloved Collection one, but still offers good coverage for under eyes and blemishes. One of the main things that I love about this concealer is the amount of product that you get. 9ml for £17.50. When compared to NARS Creamy Concealer at £22 for 6ml, this seems like a total bargain! Of course, nothing beats the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer on affordability, but for a long lasting, good coverage concealer from MAC I think this is pretty good going.

I have no doubts that I'll be reverting back to my Collection favourite, but it's always good to shake things up and try something new, especially when you find something that works! 

Love, K. xInstagram | Twitter | Bloglovin | Youtube

MAC Look in a Box: Sophisticate

This was a little Christmas delight from my boyfriend's wonderful mum. She always hits the nail on the head and generously gets me something perfect. This year, it was a limited edition MAC Look in a Box, which contains 2 cheek colours, 6 eye shadows, 2 lipsticks and one double ended brush (one end eye shadow, one end lip). The lip colours have a handy perspex lid over them, which stops any pesky fall out from the powders getting stuck in their creamy formula. 

This box is called Sophisticate, and has classic neutrals for eyes (my favourite!), peach colours for the cheeks and one nude and one red for the lips. 

LIPS
The red lip is True Red which is an amplified colour, and is more of a coral red than a blood red, which I've never tried before but surprisingly really suits my colouring. The nude lip is Love Happens, which is a pale peachy nude and goes perfectly for an effortless day time look, or a smokier eye in the evening. 

EYES
The six shades are: Dance in the Dark (matte, dark brown), Sun Tweaked (pale copper, shimmery), Wedge (matte, mid brown), With Flair (warm, shimmery peach), Beautifully Charred (shimmer, dark brown), Hey (pale champagne, shimmery). They're buttery soft and easy to apply, the same usual quality from MAC eyeshadows.

CHEEKS
Two peach offerings here, Linda is the darker of the two and will be the perfect highlighter for those with more olive skin tones, or for a summer glow. Cream Soda is the paler here, and it is a classic peach highlighter colour with plenty of shimmer. 

The set is so versatile and can be used for simple everyday looks, but can also be used to create more dramatic looks for evenings out. The ideal set to take when travelling as there is so much to chose from in one small package. Dreamy! Have you tried any total face sets before? This is my first, and I love it! 

Love, K. x

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Fresh Start

It's that time again, where the cliched "New Year, New Me" phrase is thrown about so often. I've been meaning to get back to my blog for months, but have struggled to find a time where I'm settled enough for blogging to become a consistent part of my life again. 

In the time that I've been gone, I've started a new job (career, if we're being optimistic), and not only moved in with my boyfriend for the first time, but we've actually somehow managed to by ourselves a house. In London. I know, shocking. 

With a few impossible items crossed of my life goals, I am ready to get back to blogging. Watch this space for more posts, mostly beauty but perhaps some lifestyle and food thrown in for good measure. To keep up with my blog and me, follow me @kittyheartsblog (twitter) and @kittwills (instagram).

Love, K. x