How To Dye Your Hair Extensions

As many of you know, I love to wear extensions.  I enjoy being able to choose whether I want my hair to be styled long or short on any given day.  Because my hair is such a specific color, I couldn't just pick something that matched my color off the shelf.  I've become very familiar with the dyeing process and thanks to Irresistible Me Hair Extensions, I'll be giving you a step by step process to help you achieve the perfect color!


Here's a list of things I needed for the process:
- Irresistible Me Hair Extensions in Silky Platinum Blonde
- Hair dye of choice.  I used Sparks Color in Purple Passion, which I mix with conditioner to achieve the desired color.  If you use hair dye with developer, I'd suggest mixing according to the instructions provided.
- Gloves
- Mixing bowl
- Tint brush
- Fine toothed comb (not pictured but very important!)
- Dark colored towel

Create Your Space/ Mix Your Color
Start by creating your work space with the dark towel.  Even if you do end up staining the towel, you'll never know it!  Then begin to mix your dye.  Due to my method of coloring (which is pretty standard when you're doing something rainbow colored), I have to do a strand test first to make sure I create the desired color I need.  I start with one of my smallest strands and brush the color into the hair slightly.  In this case, it was a little too light so I had to add some more color.  Once you have the perfect shade you're ready to go!


Paint!
I like to start with the thickest strand first.  If you've never worn Irresistible Me extensions before, they provide one extremely thick weft that perfectly fills in "negative space" that other extension companies don't offer.  It's seriously the best because it makes your long hair very hard to detect as fake!  It will take a very long time to get into every nook and cranny when you're dyeing it though.  I actually part the weft in half and color each side, as it helps with getting all the color in there.  Use a fine toothed comb to very gently comb through the weft after you apply a few strokes of color.  It's a great help when you want to evenly distribute the color.  Make sure to saturate the seam line, as well as the hair behind the clip.  Those areas are easily forgotten!  Once the entire weft is saturated, comb through once more and set aside on your towel.  Keep repeating until all the wefts are saturated with color.


Let It Sit
The next step all depends on the color you use for your extensions.  Make sure to process the color for as long as the instructions advise you to do so.  If you're using a vegetable based color like myself, the longer you leave it on the better.  I set my towel into an empty bathtub (so my toddler/dogs don't get curious) and go about my day.  The least amount of time I'll process it is two hours, but if I start the process at night I'll leave it in until morning.

Wash It Out
Because this isn't hair from your head (and won't grow back), I always take extra precautions when washing the color out.  Make sure to use cold water to keep the color locked in.  Once you've done a clean rinse, take a weft and lightly shampoo, wash, and deep condition it.  Then set it aside to absorb the conditioner.  Continue this process with each weft.  Once they're all done, start washing the conditioner off of each one.

Let It Dry
I highly recommend letting your extensions dry naturally.  I'll take another dark towel and gently squeeze (not rub) the hair as dry as I can.  I'll then take a skirt hanger and clip the wefts to hang dry.  Once they've dried completely, I'll style them to my heart's desire!

I'd like to note that since I've composed this post I've changed my hair color (and my hair extensions) to dark brown.  I basically repeated the exact process and they turned out lovely!  While I don't recommend dyeing your extensions frequently, I was quite impressed with how resilient they are.

Have any questions?  Please let me know in the comments below!

xoxo

Ashley

Umbrella

It's been quite a dark and dreary week, especially for May, so I decided to dress the part.  This amazing vintage dress is one of my newest finds.  A friend of mine was letting it go and I had to claim it as my own.  Made from a lightweight cotton, this dress features the cutest chevron style drop waist, red piping, ties at the shoulders, and a full gathered skirt.  Of course, the best part is the red umbrella print.  It's truly a one of a kind dress that now has a permanent place in my closet!









Dress- Vintage
Shoes- c/o Unique Vintage
Petticoat- Malco Modes
Lipstick- c/o Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Candy Apple

A few of my girlfriends and I went to the 25th anniversary screening of Beauty and the Beast on Monday.  Not only did we get to watch the original 70mm film, we also listened to a discussion panel with many of the voices, animators, and producers.  It was completely surreal.  Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite Disney movie and being a part of this event was truly a dream come true.  I'm not going to lie, I teared up more than a few times!  The next day I decided it was Bianca's turn to see the movie for the first time.  Again, I cried like a baby watching her react to the movie, much like I did when I saw it 25 years ago.  Being able to share things from my childhood is truly one of my favorite parts of parenting.  I feel like it's passing on a piece of myself to her, so you can imagine the emotions that come with it.  I'm just happy she likes Belle just as much as she does Elsa!

xoxo

Ashley

Pink and Blue

I think it was about time for an outfit with pants.  I don't wear pants very often, but when I do I'm always sporting different versions of these Laura Byrnes beauties.  In addition to being cute and comfortable, I love the elastic waistband detail in the back.  Because my waist and hips have a fifteen inch difference, it's hard to find pants that fit both areas.  The elastic feature creates the perfect fit and doesn't allow any gaping while sitting.  Basically, they're my dream pants.









Top- Pinup Girl Clothing
Pants- Pinup Girl Clothing
Shoes- Bettie Page

As you can see, I've gone back to my roots and dyed my hair brown.  It might not be as fun or interesting, but I'm actually really excited about it.  I felt like I couldn't wear certain things because it clashed with my hair, especially anything purple.  So I'm kind of ready to build some more purple into my wardrobe again...  It is my favorite color after all!

To those who celebrated, I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day.  Mine was pretty great.  My husband, who knows me so well, took Bianca out in the morning and left me home alone.  Literally the thing I wanted most, haha!  We then had lunch with his mom and later had a romantic dinner alone at a swanky Beverly Hills restaurant.  He also bought me the most gorgeous vintage Emma Domb dress.  I can't wait to wear it for a post!

xoxo

Ashley

French Quarter

I'm just going to be frank: This is probably one of my favorite outfits in my closet.  This Trashy Diva French Quarter skirt had been on my wishlist for years...  Literally!  Because it's been long discontinued and considered a "unicorn", I never thought I'd have the chance to get one for myself.  But of course, the stars did eventually align and the skirt now has a permanent place in my closet.  Being someone with a very long torso, I appreciate the wide curved waistband.  The skirt is fully lined and has perfectly placed pockets.  My favorite part would have to be the gorgeous print.  It makes me want to fly back to New Orleans immediately!  While I might not be able to visit right now, Sammi and I have a girl's trip planned for the very near future.













Top- Pinup Girl Clothing
Skirt- Trashy Diva (no longer available)
Shoes- Pinup Girl Clothing
Hat- Jeanne Simmons (similar)
Belt- Pinup Girl Clothing
Petticoat- Malco Modes
Bracelet- c/o Touchstone Crystal by Swarovski

I've been known to be impulsive and I've gone ahead and done something drastic.  While it may not be much to some, this was very much a big step for me.  So what have I done?  Well, this is actually my last post with purple hair.  As much as I loved it, the upkeep was just getting to be too much for me.  It was a wonderful few years but I'm ready for a fun change!  Make sure to stay tuned later this week or keep an eye on my Instagram to see what color I'm sporting now...

xoxo

Ashley

Matilda and Marina

There's nothing like a chic yet casual cotton dress to start off your week!  This gorgeous Emily & Fin dress was released last week and I was instantly attracted to its sweet nautical vibe.  Because of the light (but fully lined) fabric, this dress is the perfect option for a hot summer day, which is right around the corner here in California.  The deep set pockets are a huge plus and the full back zip allows me to easily step in and out of it.  I'm thinking about adding a red belt and accessories for the perfect 4th of July outfit!











Dress- c/o Emily and Fin
Shoes- c/o Loly in the Sky
Bracelet- Swarovski
Belt- From another dress

I'm super excited about my new Loly In The Sky Marina flats!  I've been eying their adorable shoes forever so I couldn't wait to feature these with one of my outfits.  I was incredibly impressed with the padded foot beds, my other flats don't even compare when it comes to comfort.  Of course, the heart shaped toe cap is my favorite feature.  It instantly sweetens up your ensemble!  They're also vegan friendly, so no cute animals were harmed in the name of fashion :).

I had a very full weekend of work, so I'm planning on laying low today.  I'll be taking Bianca to her very first movie theater experience.  We're going to see Zootopia and I'm hoping she can stay entertained the entire time!  I'm not expecting much but I'm hoping for the best.  We'll also be heading out to Disneyland later in the week for some mommy/daughter fun.  But not until I've had some proper rest!

xoxo

Ashley