Monday 30 June 2014

Hair Growth Update - June



Hair update! Finally my mop of hair is starting to straighten out a tiny bit, granted it's not that much, but it is getting a bit straighter on top where the length is starting to weigh it down, the ends do still kick up into little curls, but, as you can see from the pictures it is getting a tiny bit straighter!

The pictures above I've washed my hair the night before, so it's dried naturally and just does what it wants to. Obviously, when I get straighteners through my hair, it does go much flatter, which I will do a post on during July to show the full length it has reached to date.

Other than my hair getting that tiny bit straighter, (and there being that little bit more on my head) there is not much to add from my last update. I'm still willing it to grow down to my waist overnight... but that's not likely to happen... at all. I'm still using the pink hair growth shampoo, treatment pot and conditioner from Lee Stafford's hair products range, which you can pick up either online or in Boots stores! ♥





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Makeup - Giraffe Inspired


I bought myself some massive lashes a while ago and have been trying to come up with something creative to include them in. The other night, I got thinking about giraffes... and then I thought, why not do a giraffe inspired makeup.. they have really beautiful, long eyelashes and they also have really nice patterns over their body. So this is what I came up with....


I started off by using the browns in the Kryolan Derma Color Camouflage Palette to give myself a darker base colour on my face and blended the colour down my neck. I then moved onto the eyes, tight lining with a black kohl eyeliner pencil, apply black eyeshadow for a smokey eye, then applied mascara and false lashes.
I then started to add the pattern of the giraffe to my face and neck, using the browns in the Kryolan Supracolor Palette, once I'd finished that, I then went back in with Illamasqua's Skin Base Foundation to highlight around some of the brown shapes I had created, to bring forward and emphasise the pattern.

Products used:
  • Black Kohl Eyeliner
  • Black Eyeshadow
  • Mascara
  • Kryolan Derma Color Camouflage Creme 'A' Palette. Colours - Brown (D11) and Light Brown (D6)
  • Kryolan Supracolor  'B' Palette. Colours - Brown (046) and Darker Brown (101)
  • DUO Eyelash Glue
  • Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in 01
  • Stargazer Feathered False Eyelashes in 54

All of my makeup looks, once I've completed them I pop up on my Instagram, before I get round to writing up a products used list on here. So if you'd like to you can visit and follow my instagram account by clicking on this link... My Instagram! Or alternatively, you can search 'emilyevaalice' into Instagram.







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Saturday 21 June 2014

Guest Post - Erin's Eyebrows


Recently I have been talking to a lovely girl called Erin who lost her eyebrows. Whilst they grow back Erin has been trying and testing out different techniques to recreate natural looking eyebrows and I thought this might be something that would interest a lot of people. Although I didn't lose my eyebrows during treatment, I know that there are people who do and there are other treatments and skin conditions that can cause loss of eyebrows, so I asked Erin if she would like to write something for my blog, including pictures and here's what she has written...



"The saying, 'you don't realise what you've got until it's gone' is so true. You really don't realise how important eyebrows are to the overall look of your face until you don't have any. They frame your eyes and without them people do look rather strange. So I know from experience that losing your eyebrows is very stressful. In my opinion, just as stressful as losing your hair.

When I began losing my eyebrows I would fill in the gaps with a brow powder. Then as there was gradually more to fill in I would use a pencil too. When I lost them completely I experimented with ways to see how I could make them look most natural. Pencils can give too harsh a line so they look too solid unless you do light strokes to look like hairs. Powder is great when you only lose parts of your eyebrows, or if they are just thin, however if you have no brows at all there is nothing for it to stick to. I experimented with putting on wax first, then powder, but it became patchy throughout the day and looked silly. I settled on a combination - pencil first, then powder over the top. I found this worked best for me and looked the most natural, however everyone is different and it's kind of a process of elimination until you find something that works for you.

The pencil, followed by the powder was a great technique for me, until it came to exercising or swimming. My eyebrows didn't stay looking good if I was sweating and obviously they didn't stay on in water. That's when I did some research online and found my saviour! Beauti-Full Brows! These are temporary tattoos that apply quickly with water. They are so easy to apply and I wear mine for three days before they start to need replacing. They don't smear and are waterproof so you can swim and shower without worrying. They come in loads of different shapes, colours and styles so you can choose the ones that best suit your face. You get a sheet of 8 pairs when you purchase them. I have the 'Dark Aaliyah' ones from the Brunette Brows section (pictured above) which cost $4.79 (about £2.82) If you have lost your eyebrows, they are thinning or you just want the illusion of thicker brows, check out their website... Beauti-Full-Brows!"


As Erin said in her post, eyebrows do frame the face and it must have been awful losing them. The picture of Erin, (above left) shows that the Beauti-Full Brows look really natural and to be honest nobody would ever know that they weren't real!

Lots of love to Erin and a big thank you for writing this post all about eyebrows!




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Monday 16 June 2014

Makeup - Zombie



I wanted to try out a zombie look on myself and also wanted an excuse to whack out my special effects kit. Liquid latex looks really effective when teamed with layers of cotton pad fluff and more layers of latex, to create the look of broken/ holey/ infected skin. Combine this with a bit of food gelatine that looks like pus for a more gory effect and I think my finalised zombie look turned out well.

To create the grazes, I used scab dark and an eyelash/ eyebrow wand.

It's a simple look, but there were quite a few products that went into creating it...


Products used:
  • Black Kohl eyeliner.
  • Mascara.
  • Kroylan Supracolor 'B' Palette. Colours - White (070) and Purple (082.)
  • Skin Illustrator 'On Set FX' Palette. Colours - Bruise Tone, Blood Tone and Aged Blood.
  • Ben Nye Liquid Latex.
  • Cotton Pads.
  • Scab Dark.
  • Gelatine.



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Monday 9 June 2014

Guest Post - Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research


Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia (APL): From Diagnosis to Treatment

We are the blood cancer charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. We work to improve the lives of patients with blood cancers such as Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia (APL). Our research aims to stop people dying from blood cancer and even prevent people developing blood cancer in the first place. For over 50 years now we have been working to beat blood cancer and we won’t stop until we do. We’re honoured to have heard Emily’s story and see the people that she has inspired through sharing her experiences in dealing with APL.

Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia or APL is the M3 subtype of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML). Although the symptoms of APL are similar to the symptoms of AML the treatment is usually very different. Many of the symptoms of APL are a result of cancer cells interfering with bone marrow and the production of healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

APL can develop at any age and usually develops very quickly, with symptoms appearing in a matter of days or weeks - Emily was diagnosed at age 20 after she developed symptoms that could be confused with tonsillitis.

The most common symptoms of APL include:

• Unusual bleeding and bruising – bleeding is a serious symptom of APL and needs immediate attention

• Paleness

• Tiredness and breathlessness

• Frequent infections and difficulty in fighting them off

Other less common symptoms for APL:

• Bone pain

• Swollen glands

• Abnormal pain

• Occasionally some patients may develop chloromas, which are small lumps under the skin caused by leukaemia cells clustering

Treatment

The treatment for APL is begun as soon as possible after diagnosis to combat the excessive bleeding (caused by the lack of platelets which clot blood) that is so common amongst patients with APL.

Chemotherapy

The main treatment for APL is Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy will consist of a combination of anti-cancer drugs, these drugs are administered in a precise order depending on the patient’s age, general health and the severity of their condition.

Stem Cell Transplant

Patients who are generally in good health are considered for stem cell transplant. Stem cell transplant is a very strenuous form of treatment that is only recommended for patients who have relapsed or have an aggressive form of APL. Older or weaker patients may be offered a less invasive form of the treatment.

Supportive Care

As infections and treatment complications are quite common amongst patients with APL, supportive care is a key factor in a patient’s recovery. Supportive care for patients with APL most commonly includes treatments for anaemia caused by lack of red blood cells and treatments for Thrombocytopenia which results in excessive bleeding.

Prognosis
The likelihood of being cured is very much dependant on factors such as the subtype of APL, how far the disease has progressed before diagnosis and treatment, age and general fitness.

Although younger patients with good fitness levels are likely to respond better to treatment, the prognosis for patients with APL is one of the best within the AML diagnosis. Following the correct treatment over 70% of patients with APL were cured.

In the spirit of National Cancers Survivors Day, which was on the 1st research has helped in adding more success and inspirational stories such as Emily’s. Charities like us will continue to invest in research to beat blood cancer. If you are struggling to deal with blood cancer, visit our website for patient support resources to help you get through Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia and other blood cancers.






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Sunday 1 June 2014

National Cancer Survivors Day - June 1st


WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO BE ALIVE.

Today is National Cancer Survivors Day. A day to celebrate life. This time last year I hadn't even been diagnosed yet... little did I know that a couple of weeks later I'd be sitting in a hospital bed being told I had leukaemia. When I look back to when I was diagnosed, being admitted into hospital, all the tablets, the chemo, the sleepless nights... all of it.. it seems like one big whirlwind. However I understand that it all could have ended so differently for me, had I not been sent to A&E after my third visit to the doctor. Which makes today (and every other day) something that I'm extremely thankful for. There were (and still are) a wonderful bunch of people who looked after me during my diagnosis and treatment, who continue to look after me now that I'm in remission and being monitored for the next couple of years.

However it's not just a day to celebrate those who have survived. It's a day to remember those who we've lost to cancer, those who fought so hard to stay with us and those who are still fighting against cancer.

If you'd like to know more about National Cancer Survivors Day, how it came about, events and latest news. You can pop over to their website *here!*


On a separate note, last week (Wednesday 28th May) I went up to London to help promote Race for Life, which helps raise money for Cancer Research UK. There were 50 of us altogether and we all donned a fluffy pink gorilla costume each! We then went round London having group photos taken in different locations and doing the 'Cancer Slam' dance routine. The whole purpose of the day was to raise awareness of the events going on, like Race for Life, that help to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Money which is vital into researching cancer further, improving on current treatments and developing new ones. It was a really fun day and the outcome was many funny photos, a lot of pink fluff and a video which you can view by clicking on this link... *Race for Life - Pink Gorillas in London!*



If you'd like to sign up for a Race for Life event near you (or a different event, as there are many!) You can do so by popping over to the website *here!* You can also read my original Race for Life event post, which my sister and I will be taking part in next Sunday *here!* 




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