Beaut it yourself

I think it's safe to say that we're all realising that we're a little more high maintenance than we thought. Since lockdown commenced, girls have been crying about their lack of eyelash extensions while boys have been dealing with their lack of haircuts by either going Jesus or going bald. For me, the main thing I've been missing is my amazing nail appointments with Abbey at Castle Beauty, plus my lash lifts. But keep calm and carry on is the British way. So instead of wondering if beauty businesses will be reinstated in time for Christmas, I did it myself. I'm now lash lifted, nailed up and I have a boyfriend with a fade again instead of a hair style resembling a mushroom. Here's what I used, how I did it and how they went...

DIY gel nails

Right so 1 day after lockdown was announced, I got myself straight on eBay to order a gel nail kit. I was unsure which one to get so I basically just went with a little bargain £20 one that came complete with 36W lamp, 12 colours, top coat, base coat, various nail files and tools and even some nail art stuff. I also ordered a magic gel remover which cost about £3. Okay, so I'm quite good at picking things up, whether that be information or physical technique so I was pretty confident I could copy Abbey's nail-doing magic. First things first, I had to get the old set off which was BioSculpture (about as strong as acrylic) and oh my god it was a task and a half. First review first: the "magic" gel remover was a load of crap. I'd probably have been just as good splashing water on my nails. After about an hour and a half of scraping and buffing and tugging and peeling, I finally had the old set off with only a couple of minor casualties but with most of the length still in tact. I then filed and shaped my nails, buffing the tops with a buffing block to smooth the nails and get them ready for the new lot of gel. I was pretty impressed with the nail tools that came with the kit.

When I first opened the kit, I thought it was majorly weird and unhelpful that the gels didn't come with any indication of colour on them. But then I noticed it came with a sticker sheet, so you could paint a little of the gel on each and then stick it to the lid so you'd get an accurate show of the colour. So then I thought it was pretty clever. After painting a sample sticker for each one, I chose a creamy almond colour. I thought it wise to go with something neutral in case I made a bodge job of it! Although I've always been pretty good at painting my own nails (even using my left hand, even on moving transport, even in a rush) so I wasn't too worried. The gel kit didn't really come with instructions so I was guessing how long the gel needed to cure and just went with 2 presses of the button. Although, after doing that, the nails still felt tacky? Well, I pressed on with the base coat followed by 2 coats of colour and they still felt tacky but I then realised one very important step; cleaning the nails. I was in a very nail polish mind set but the nails weren't tacky because they weren't dry, they were tacky with residue so a little wipe with nail cleanser and they turned out great! I finished with a top coat and have to say they looked pretty good!

However, I am a calamity kid. If you're used to normal nail varnish and you try this gel kit then you'd probably be massively impressed. The gel is thicker than normal polish, has a nice glossy finish and the colour goes nice and opaque after only 2 coats (even with a light colour like this). I would say it's just a little thinner than shellac so if this is what you normally get then you'd be golden. I, however, managed to chip and break my shellac nails within a week and quickly learned I needed to swap to stronger stuff. I've been getting BioSculpture ever since and I really noticed the difference of not having something super thick on my nails - even washing my hair felt like a potential nail-breaking-disaster. Something that I've had a couple of times at Castle Beauty is The Gel Bottle in the shade Teddy - it's a builder in a bottle (meaning no base coat) and it's the PERFECT nude. On week 1 of lockdown, I did consider buying that exact product but it's £35 a bottle so I resisted. But after walking (or touching) on eggshells with my thin nails for a few days, I took the plunge and ordered it. You can't buy directly from The Gel Bottle without the relevant qualifications and certificates but luckily, eBay don't care if you're a legit nail technician so I got mine from there (on a bid but there's quite a few for sale on there if you search the name). I also bought a 48W lamp which I read is needed to cure TGB (sorry bored of typing it in full) and was £15.99.

Feeling majorly excited, I got ready to try it out! Well, the "magic" gel remover was even useless on the thin gel and again, it took me like an hour to get it off! I obviously jumped straight on eBay to buy some proper acetone shortly after. In my research to learn what lamp I needed and how to cure the gel (48W lamp on either 99sec low heat or 60sec twice), I also came across a couple of beauty forums on how to best apply it so pairing that with my observation of how Abbey does it, I applied a thin first layer and then built the product more on the second layer. So the first layer, I just painted it on like a normal nail varnish, and then the second layer, you almost have to treat it like a solid rather than a liquid; pushing and pressing it onto the nails rather than just swiping it. Also, only have a tiny bit of product on the brush at a time; wipe it all off and then scoop up little amounts as you go. I have to say, it went pretty well! And cured perfectly too so thank you internet. I could've obviously left it there and just top coated it, but one of the reasons I also felt happy investing in TGB is because it's the perfect nude nail colour, meaning it looks beautiful on its own but also works as a great base for whatever other colour you fancy. So I added 2 coats of one of my gels; a gorgeous rose pink colour (so it wasn't a wasted purchase, I'll just use those gels for colours, rather than strength). I then cleansed (important step) and finished with a top coat. Obviously I'm no nail technician (god I sound like a primary school teacher drawing on the whiteboard) but I'm very proud and impressed. The nails are fairly even in texture, they're strong, they're glossy and they're done neatly (no dobbing it round the cuticles here). A round of applause for me? I think so.

And now I've got the technique (and the proper remover since my acetone arrived), I'm already branching out! This week's manicure was done with exactly the same TGB base, and then I went with a pale gel on 3 fingers, a dark brown gel on finger and thumb and then a tiny brown love heart! I just did it with the brush by doing tiny dabs but now I'm in the mood to get creative so I've ordered a proper nail art tool this morning (only a few pound). Watch this space! All in all, I've been very impressed with all the nail stuff I've purchased (magic remover aside) and would highly recommend. TGB is also non-damaging to your nails so it's much better than something like acrylic (but comparatively strong and thick).

DIY skin fade

My boyfriend Ollie last had a haircut in March and for someone who normally gets his fade redone every week, he was moping and moaning for weeks about the length of his hair. At first, he point blank refused to let me cut it (not helped by the fact my mum and dad warned him off letting me), but by the time I'd convinced him and he'd ordered the clippers, he couldn't wait for them to turn up. Well, that ended up being a bit of a fiasco because they got stuck in the post for like 3 weeks (a cheap £20 pair) and in that time, it was announced that beauty businesses wouldn't be open for a long time, so he ordered some Wahl ones instead (about £60, eBay - now ended so not linked). Wahl seems to be the barber's clipper of choice and so armed with the proper tools, I got (nervously) ready to attempt a skin fade (knowing I'd be in big trouble if I spectacularly messed it up). Mirror positioned, YouTube tutorial on and clippers in hand, I followed the steps by shaving up from the bottom on the shortest setting, then created a sort of headband with a slightly longer setting, and then just blending it all together. It actually wasn't as hard as I expected, although the top and front was a different question entirely. The clipper set had come with scissors but I think it made it harder because his hair had gotten SO long. If I'd been maintaining the current cut (like I will be this weekend) then I imagine it's easier than almost an entire restyle. Even so, I was very proud of the results and more importantly, Ollie was very happy with it (brownie girlfriend points for me). I'm just wondering what I should make him buy me as a present to say thank you?

DIY lash lift

If you read my Castle Beauty blog post then you'll know that I like getting my lashes lifted every 6 weeks. Correction, I HATE getting my lashes lifted but I loved having lifted lashes (hate the process, love the results). I don't even know when the last time I got a lash lift was (I think I was almost due my next one fairly early into lockdown), so my lashes had gotten tragically straight again (mine are very VERY naturally straight). After seeing (well, being practically bombarded by) an advert on facebook, I had a look for DIY lash lifts. There were plenty on eBay for like £10 but with it being a product that was going on my eyes, I for once didn't want to trust eBay with that. Instead, I went with a brand that looked pretty reputable (and was the one advertised), the Diablo Cosmetics lash lift kit. Their kit was £29 down from £58 (still on sale now) so I went with that one. I'd rather spend £29 and not go blind, than £10 and risk it. My service experience with Diablo Cosmetics was really good actually; they sent an email shortly after my order confirmation to say thank you for shopping with a small brand, to ask for a positive review and to encourage you to get in touch with questions or just to say hi. Their email also warned of slow delivery but to ask not to review them negatively for that. Okay, so slow delivery, so like a week? No, it took nearly 3 weeks to arrive! I get that there's probably delays due to coronavirus and stuff so I won't be marking them down when I review them, but be warned; if you buy a kit, expect a long wait thrown in for free. 

When it did arrive, it came nicely packaged and I was very impressed with the helpful instructions and aftercare advice on the box. All was very clear and sounded simple enough, although having had my lashes lifted professionally many times before, I was kind of dreading the process. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Normally, my eyes water like crazy when getting my lashes lifted but I think it's due to the combination of cold bottom eyelash sticker pads, lying on my back looking up at the ceiling lights, and having someone else touch my eyes. When I did it myself, there wasn't a droplet in sight (pun not intended). First, I had to select a lash pad (they said if you were unsure then just go for medium) and stick that to my lid, close to my lash line. Then apply more adhesive to stick your lashes up onto the pad and separate them all out. Apply a line of perm, cover with cling film and wait for 12-15 minutes (I went with the upper bandwidth due to my eyelash straightness). Then remove the perm, apply a line of fix solution, cover with cling film and wait for 8 minutes. Then remove all of it using the cleanser and wipe gently until your lashes are free of the pad and then the pad is free of your eyelid. Finish with some nourish solution (I skipped this step because I couldn't be bothered) and comb the lashes through. Repeat with your second eye!

The verdict. Oh my god, I was very impressed! The lift took SO well (even as good as previous professional ones), was relatively easy to do (comparatively fiddly to putting on false lashes) and I think the results are fab. Just look at those before and afters! My only notes on the kit itself is that it doesn't come with enough lash pads for how many uses you can presumably get out of the solutions (given how little you use of each). But I've already found these on (you guessed it) eBay for a few pound so can easily top up the supply. I also think that the kit should come with a spoolie for brushing the lashes through at the end. The lash combs it comes with are great for separating the lashes on the pad, but not so much for brushing them through afterwards. I would also like a lash tint (given that I normally get a lash lift and tint combined treatment) but I can always buy this separately. Other than that, I'm majorly impressed with the kit and will 100% buy another when this one runs out. To say lash lifts are normally £50 a pop, £29 for a kit that lasts a number of uses is really reasonable. And since fiddling with your own eyes is much more bearable than someone else doing it, I may actually swap to DIY lash lifts permanently; lockdown or no lockdown.