How to Grow Your Hair

Photo by Andreas Kuehn

Long time no see! I'll admit I do get a little bored without an internet connection, or even a working laptop. But the well-organised girl knows that less time for one thing means more time for something else!

Ever wondered how some people have these gorgeous manes of hair, sometimes in feet, or even in metres? Full of shine and bounce and not a strand out of place. It's enough to make most people epically envious of it. But we can't all look like models... right? In fact, looking after your hair isn't so hard when you know what to do. Just a few simple changes to your haircare routine will give you head-turning hair in no time! Whether you want hip-length hair, have a bad haircut to grow out or would just like to inject your locks with a healthy dose of life and lustre, fear not - help is on hand! Or, hair, in this case...

Brushing - or Not

Rule number 1: don't brush your hair! Not unless you have a specific reason to - for example, if you've just used some dry shampoo (which, by the way, is really handy for overnight stays). Brushing is more forceful on the hair and more likely to rip the ends off, which means two things - you get more flyaways and split ends, making your hair look frizzy, and if you break off enough of the ends, you'll end up losing all of your growth. Just as you can grow half an inch of hair a month, you can break it right off again if you're too rough on it.

So what's the alternative? Comb! Get yourself a good smooth wide-toothed comb to use instead - it's much gentler on the hair but just as good for detangling. If you really must, use a fine-toothed comb for styling, but not before combing with the wide-toothed one to get rid of tangles. Tortoise shell effect combs are best - they're made of a resin that gives a gorgeously smooth comb and in turn gives gorgeously smooth hair. They can, however, be hard to find in wide-toothed form and slightly more expensive than some others. Sometimes a regular wide-toothed comb will do just as well, as long as its seams aren't too prominent. 

Remember to comb from the bottom up - that is, comb the bottom couple of inches of your hair, then comb the bottom 4-6in of your hair, and so on, until you're combing the whole length of hair. If it's extra long or you just want to be careful, do this with sections of your hair. I tend to do it in three sections - left, back and right. Comb no more than a couple of times a day if you can, use a detangling or leave-in conditioner spray while you're at it, and try not to comb when wet. Unless you're like me - naturally curly hair, when dry, is much more likely to rip if there are more tangles in it. So to get around this I pump it full of conditioner and comb very gently, then comb it as I rinse and tie it up to dry. Speaking of which...

Drying Without Drying

Heat treatments are bad news for hair. Hair is dead, meaning it doesn't produce its own oils. The scalp produces the oil, and any products you use can add to that. If your hair's dry, it's brittle, and if you blowdry, straighten or curl, you're drying it out. Ideally we'd never do any of these things, but where's the fun in never styling hair! If you're lucky and have hair in the exact texture you want, and are okay with always having it that way, then just leave it to air-dry. But if you're like me and like to straighten your hair to smooth it out and keep it nice and flowing, or curl it for variety, then you'll need some tips on how to get around the damage caused by it. 

One thing is to only heat-treat when you need to. I never blowdry unless I'm in a rush and need my hair to dry quickly, I only straighten when I'm going to see somebody, and I only curl for special occasions. More unnecessary damage can be avoided by using only as much heat as you need. Admittedly very thick, wiry curly hair can only be straightened using high temperatures - African hair, for example. You'll need to go up to 230◦ to get decent results if that's the case. Of course this means more damage, so be sure to only hold the irons on your hair for a few seconds at a time. 10 seconds max for curling (which, by the way, needs a lower heat level than straightening does), and for straightening it should take you about 8 seconds to get from your parting (assuming it's in the centre) to the bone of your shoulder, hopefully twice maximum for each strand. Try to apply this speed to the rest of your hair too. 

And I hope it goes without saying that you should never straighten or curl straight from wet, and always spritz with some heat-protecting spray beforehand!

Softly Softly

But what to do if your hair's already dried out? Simple - oil treatments! I always find the best oil to use is coconut or monoi. They don't call it monoi miracle oil for nothing - it really is the best way to get soft, supple hair fast. You can apply it little at a time as an end serum to keep your ends in good shape, or use it as an intensive conditioner. Be sure to pick a day you're not going anywhere important! Put it into small strands at a time (the best way to save it - it's not the cheapest in the world) until all your hair is covered and looking slightly damp. Leave it in for at least a couple of hours, or overnight for some serious softening, then wash it out with your normal shampoo. It may take a couple of shampoos to get it all out so that it doesn't still look greasy afterwards, and you may not even need to condition it. I'd also like to note here that dry hair sometimes doesn't need washing more than once or twice a week - any more and you can start washing out the natural oils and making it drier. And presto! 

Got greasy hair? Be sure to wash it every day, or twice a day if you need to. Use products with tea tree oil in them - this is a good natural essence that dries and disinfects, and is also very useful for greasy skin. If you want to use the oil in its pure form, use it very sparingly - occasionally it can burn. But in ready-made products it's in smaller concentrations and much friendlier. Carry dry shampoo around with you. This is a spray available in places like Boots and Superdrug that you spray evenly throughout your hair, leave for a few seconds for it to soak up the oil, and then brush out. You can comb it out, but it takes a very long time, and brushes are much more effective - as I said before, the only time your hair will forgive you for using a brush on it! 

What To Do...

...to make it look good in the meantime? Because let's face it, untied, unclipped, free-flowing hair au naturale is beautiful - but not half as much fun as hair full of accessories! The problem with this is that some types of clips and ties are bad for your hair and can cause damage, so here are a few quick tips to help you make your choices:

- Stay away from hair ties with metal joins. It's easy for hair to get caught in it and break off. Fortunately it's not so hard to get ties made without them.

- As far as clips go, avoid anything that snaps into place. French barrettes, ponytail barrettes and regular snap clips are the worst for this, though a snap clip covered in fabric can be a little kinder. Instead go for kirby grips, pins and sticks. Claire's Accessories sell some nice ones, or for something more elaborate, have a look online.

- Finally, be sure to take everything out gently and properly. Don't pull a clip straight out or at an angle and always unwrap a hair tie fully before taking it out. 

Et voila! Keep at it and you may find you get a whole inch of growth in a month, perhaps even 2 if you're careful enough (as tried and tested by yours truly!) but no matter what, your hair will be in much much better shape and look healthier however you style it.

"Hairstyle is the final tip-off whether or not a woman really knows herself."

~ Hubert de Givenchy

Loves you muchly,

Your fairy godsister, Pixie Choux

10 Tips for Gorgeous Nails

In this day and age, there are definitely more than enough ways to decorate your nails. Walk into a beauty shop and you'll find nail polishes in every colour, emery boards, fake nails in different shapes and sizes, clippers, buffers - it can all seem so confusing...

And that's where I come in! Today I'm giving you an all-round guide to beautiful nails, and a few simple tips for decoration. Nails can be a good indicator of your overall health, so healthy nails will never go out of style.

- Always eat lots of protein. Perhaps this sounds simple, but great nails really do start on the inside! Nails are made of protein, so if you don't eat enough, they'll split, layer or break much more easily. Eat your protein and you'll have nails of steel. And while you're at it, you'll also get healthier hair, stronger muscles and better skin - win all-round!

- Drink lots of water & stay nourished. Again, fom the inside out! Nails tend to need the vitamins put together in vegetarian supplements, as they're found mostly in meats so vegetarians don't always get enough. Dark leafy vegetables will help with this too. And again, these will also help your hair.

- Invest in some good supplies. Prepare yourselves - the list is long! Then I'll tell you what to do with each of them.

• clippers
• emery boards/metal files
• buffers
• orange stick
• cuticle trimmer
• wooden cuticle pushers
• cuticle cream/ointment
• hand cream
• strengthening base coat
• coloured nail polishes
• acetone-free nail polish remover
• cotton wool pads
• pre-soaked nail polish remover pads
• plasters
• nail glue

- Take good care of your hands. This means washing them where appropriate using a mild handwash, and moisturing afterwards with hand cream. Especially in the winter months, the constant switching between air conditioning, radiators and cold outdoor air can take its toll on your skin. Once a week, soak them in some warm water and moisturising bath milk and use an intensive moisturiser.

- Pay attention to your cuticles. These are the little ridges where the end of your nails disappear into your fingers. They're also prone to dryness and will benefit from a soak as well. Afterwards, use a cuticle cream on them to keep them soft, and gently push them back into an oval shape with some disposable wooden cuticle pushers. At this point you should be able to see if there's much excess - too much cuticle can be ugly! If they protrude too much, you can trim them with a cuticle trimmer. This is a stick with a steel swallow-tail shaped blade on the end - it's very sharp! To use it, gently push it around in the direction of your cuticle to remove the excess skin. Be very very careful! Cuticles are important in keeping your nails healthy and too much trimming can be detrimental. Also, you should never be able to feel the blade cut - if you can, you're cutting into your finger, not your cuticle, and believe me it hurts! If you do end up with a little nick, gently wipe it clean with some warm water on cotton wool and cover with a small plaster.

- Trim your nails regularly. This might sound contradictory if you're trying to grow them, but it does help - if you have a little rough bit on the end of a nail, it can catch and rip, and then you'll end up with even shorter nails - that, or it could rip into the fleshy bit, which is painful. At home, begin by using clippers to cut your nails down to the same length and trim away any damage. Then use a nail file to smooth them into shape - always file from the outside edge towards the middle of each nail. This sounds tedious, but it really makes a difference!

- Prepare your nails. You've taken care of the skin on your hands, your cuticles, and the shape of your nails. Next, use a nail buffer to smooth away ridges on the nails and give them a healthy sheen - they may not even need polishing afterwards! I use two - I have a slightly rougher one by Icing that I use to smooth them off, and a more plasticky one from Ms Manicure to add shine. They have to be used in a certain order - sometimes they're numbered (as in the case of the Ms Manicure one), sometimes you have to feel for which side is rougher (such as with the Icing one) but mostly it should say on the packaging. These are also useful for running over the edges of your nails after filing - they can help strengthen them. Again, stroke the buffer in the same direction as you did for the filing.

- Orange sticks - useful for everything! These are little sticks with a block of soft plastic or rubber on the end, in a tapered circular shape. They can be used to push back the cuticles, to clean under the nails, or to neaten a French manicure - immediately after you've painted the tip white, use it to carefully rub away any excess and neaten the look.

- Begin to paint! Always use a base coat - they serve to protect the nail from the harsher coloured polishes, can keep the polish in place for longer, and you can buy some kinds that help to strengthen the nail and stop them from breaking off. Leaving 10 minutes between each coat of polish will give you a much better finish and make them less likely to rub off when you think they're dry. An easy way to do this is to watch TV - paint your nails in the commercial breaks and leave them to dry during the main programme. So, having left it 10 minutes since your base coat, carefully apply one or two coats of your main colour (again, 10 minutes in between if you're doing more than one coat!) and finish with a clear top coat. If your base coat is clear, you can use that. Leave it a little longer after your final coat to make sure they're dry before you do anything.

- Refresh regularly. Try to leave it a day or two between polishes - nails need time to breathe. This is where having buffed nails comes in useful! To remove, use an acetone-free nail polish remover as this is gentler on your nails. You can also buy pre-soaked pads for on-the-go usage. Afterwards, it's always a good idea to wash and re-moisturise your hands and cuticles. Also useful for when you're out and about are plasters, files and nail glue. If you happen to break a nail, it's always best to deal with it before it rips any further. If it's a little chip, you may just be able to file it down and be done with it. If it's bigger, it can be useful to apply some nail glue, used for applying false nails also, and smooth it down with an orange stick. Clean the orange stick afterwards with some nail polish remover. This is particularly useful if it's ripped into the fleshy part of your nail, where it can't be clipped or filed. When the glue is dry, or if you can't seem to be able to master the technique (nail glue takes some getting used to!) then put a plaster on it carefully to stop it from catching on anything.

And there you have it! Your basic guide to tantalising talons! One word of caution - your friends will be jealous!

"Beauty is the sole ambition, the exclusive goal of Taste."

~ Charles Baudelaire

Loves you muchly,

Your fairy godsister, Pixie Choux

When Things Get Stressful

Photo by Hannah Corbett

Life does get hectic when you least expect it to! In fact, that's why it took me so long to get this place up and running. Most people at some point or other feel like things are overwhelming them - we're given the idea that we should be able to manage everything at once - be it at work, at school, in the family, with friends, at home or in the shops. You end up feeling like you'll never get it all done, and in truth, if you allow yourself to be overwhelmed, then you may just be right.

It can be hard to prioritise at time and stay organised - especially if you're not the planning type. But setting yourself timetables and schedules can work wonders. The trick is not to be too hard on yourself. Set aside a particular time slot for doing one job, do all you can within that time slot, then forget about it. Take a break, move onto the next thing later. The clarity of mind achieved from doing so is pretty darn good!

So, a simple guide to helping yourself overcome the stresses of daily life.

1. Invest in a diary or calendar. There are some really cheap ones around at supermarkets and such, or if you've got a little bit of extra cash, go to a stationery store and get yourself a nice decorative one. Most mobile phones have calendar functions also. Got a Nintendo DS? Get a diary game for it! If you're really strapped for cash, you can make your own planner - design and print one off in Excel if you're good with computers, draw one up on paper for yourself if you're better at hand-drawing. Decorate it, make it colourful, put stickers on it, whatever! Make it something you'd like to look at - remember, this isn't a running commentary on how stressed you are, this is your way to get rid of that stress! Pin it up on your wall if it's a calendar or something big, carry it around with you if it's a notepad or diary. Whenever you're told or think of something else to do, write it down, put it on that planner.

2. Write in it! Make a list of all the things you normally do every week, and all the things you want to do this week in particular. Colour in all the spaces you'll need for school or work and have a look at what you have left. I like to keep a rule of three here - one part really important things (like homework, work projects, personal accounting), one part semi-important things (weekly food shopping, favours I've promised to friends, things without much of a time limit like tidying) and one part self-indulgence (watching TV, seeing friends, long baths). I also colour-code each one - important things are blue, semi-important is purple, and self-indulgence is pink. That way I can stand back and look at my planner and if I have too much of anything it'll stand out instantly. If you separate your to-do list into things for each category, you can begin to divide your time between each task. Try to have one day off every week - I like to call them pink days! Of course, this means you should have a lot more working in the week, and one or two days when you have a little more pink than usual. Break up your blues and purples, especially the blues. Never try to do everything at once - the lazier you can convince yourself you're being, the better! Even if all you do is stop for 10 minutes for a cup of coffee, make sure to take that break.

3. Have a weekly review. In fact, have a daily review too. Just 5 or 10 minutes will do for your daily one - a chance to cross things off your list when you've done them. For your weekly review, take as long as you need - set aside half an hour if you must. Take that list you've accumulated throughout the week in your notepad you now carry round with you (because you do, right?) and put it in the right places on your calendar for next week. Try not to fall into the trap of putting everything you didn't do this week into next week's schedule - say you decide to set aside an hour every week to tidy the living room, and didn't get round to it this week. Don't make it two hours next week! That'll only serve to take up more time and make you feel even more stressed. Just put that single hour in, but perhaps put it right after a coffee break with a friend so you'll be relaxed when you come to do it. If it's something important like a work project, you may just have to move the time forward from last week to next week. But if that's the case, take out something less important - if the living room really isn't too messy, leave that one. Try not to cut into your relaxation time - that's pretty important too.

4. Shake things up. As much as I hated school, I liked the variety in the schedule. You work hard for 6 weeks, then have a week off. Sometimes in that 6 weeks you work double hard, and sometimes you get 2 weeks off. Sometimes you're working on one subject, sometimes another, sometimes the holidays are just holidays and sometimes it's Christmas. Try to incorporate these things into your schedule, too - you may not be able to take a week off work, but you can with your personal projects. If you decide you want to sort out all those old boxes that have been gathering dust, do so. You may only be able to do an hour or two a week if you have other commitments - this means it'll take a while. But when you're done, you'll have a whole extra hour free every week! Have weeks when you focus more on studying or work, and weeks when you focus more on the home. Do this with your pink time too - get creative one week, be active the next, laze around after that. Routine is great and helps us stick to things, but we all need a little change. Try not to get stuck in a rut.

5. Stick to it! No slacking off! But that means each of the three categories - the important things need to be done for reasons you probably don't need telling, the semi-important things add up to more important things, and the lazy time will keep you sane enough to complete those tasks. You'll find if you stick to it that things get done much quicker, and that you feel much better and a lot more stress-free.

Give it a try! And on that note - the first ever Quote of the Article!

"Men, for the sake of getting a living, forget to live."

~ Margaret Fuller

Loves you muchly,

Your fairy godsister, Pixie Choux

Choux La La is born!

Dear Priviledged Reader,

You are viewing the very first post of Choux La La! 'What is Choux La La?' I hear you ask...

Choux La La is a lifestyle blog, full of little hints and tips to make that which is already rather nice, rather amazing. In it you'll find tasks and challenges to make you see things differently, organisation and decoration ideas, fashion tips, little recipes (and big ones too), household help, crafty projects, simple reflections, thoughts for the week, printouts to help you on your way, and bucketloads more!

Keep looking around, watch the site grow, and I'm sure you'll find something you love :)

Loves you muchly,

Your fairy godsister, Pixie Choux