My Juvederm Smile Lip Filler Experience

Before & after.. the after photo was taken around two weeks after the procedure

Overview

My lips have always been very thin and unsymmetrical and this has bothered me for as long as I can remember. Lip fillers had never really crossed my mind - then Kylie Jenner's lips were suddenly a massive topic of discussion and I was definitely sucked into the whole thing. I looked at before and after pictures and I couldn't believe the difference! I don't care what she says - she has DEFINITELY had lip fillers.

I had a look around at different practices offering lip fillers near me. I decided to go somewhere that had a good reputation and was well known and this led me to Harley Medical. They have a few practices throughout the UK.

I firstly had a consultation a week before the procedure where I discussed what I wanted with Nicola (the lady who would carry out the fillers) and she suggested we use Juvederm Smile. This forumla is targeted for lips so it is slightly 'softer' than their other formulas.

I had my first lip fillers in December 2014. Here are two pictures of my lips before -

My top lip was very thin and also unsymmetrical where the right side curved slightly higher than the left side

My lips before

Procedure

I had done a lot of research before I went to my first appointment. In my consultation Nicola had advised me she wont be using any numbing cream or a dental block as the fillers had numbing agents in them. She explained that the first one or two injections would hurt slightly but after this the lip should become numb. I am a bit of a baby when it comes to needles so I purchased some EMLA 5% numbing cream from Boots which you can get from their pharmacy, behind the counter.

EMLA 5% Numbing Cream

I used this about half an hour before my appointment and it worked a treat. Nicola took some before photos and then got to work. Even with the numbing cream the first two injections hurt, it feels like a sharp pinch which is the worst bit. When the juvederm is being injected it feels slighly uncomfortable and a bit strange but I wouldn't say it hurt. The injections mostly went along the border of the lips and not into the actual lip however I did have two into my actual lip which was more painful.

I had injections mostly in my top lip and we aimed to even the lip out so it was more symmetrical. I also had a few injections in the bottom. The numbing agent in the Juvederm works well but I am glad I put the numbing cream on before. 

Once Nicola had finished injecting she had to 'massage' the lips. She runs her index and thumb finger either side of the lip to distribute the product and to avoid any clumps to give a smooth finish. 

My lips felt very strange afterwards! It felt like I was constantly pouting and I couldn't relax my lips which I'm guessing was to do with the numbing cream. However you can immediately see the difference which I liked. My lips were slightly swollen and they didn't hurt at all.

My lips straight after

After the procedure

When I got home I couldn't stop looking at them! I was so pleased with them already and I couldn't wait to see what they would look like once the product had settled (which takes about a week). I had heard some horror stories about lips being humongous the next day with swelling, so I was scared to look in the mirror the next day!

My lips the next morning before work

However, as you can see my lips were not swollen at all and if you didn't know me you wouldn't even know I had had anything done. I was told they would last up to 6 months.

Second Procedure

In February I had an email from Harley Medical for a special offer on lip fillers. Unfortunately I do not have a before picture but my lips had not changed too much from the previous picture. The filler had settled a bit more so my lips were not 100% symmetrical still but this was not as noticeable as before I had the fillers done and it was probably only me who could notice as I am a perfectionist! However, my lips were definitely bigger than they ever was before.

This time around I had the same formula (Juvederm Smile) and I also used the numbing cream again. This time I had no filler in my bottom lip - several people asked me if I had but I think this is due to the top lip being bigger and therefore it gave the illusion of the bottom looking bigger.

I'm not sure why, but the numbing agent in the Juvederm worked 10x better and I literally could not feel a thing after the first two injections. This time around I had a lot of swelling on the left side of my lip (as you can see in the pictures below) and there was blood this time during the procedure too, but there was no pain at all.

My lips straight afterward. You can see swelling underneath my top lip on the left.

The next day the swelling had gotten worse and there was also a bruise. My lips felt quite tender and a little bit painful but I was happy with the way they looked minus the swelling.

Swelling the next day

Last time I had hardly any swelling or pain so I was surprised that this had happened. I went a lot bigger this time so I think this could be why and it was definitely worth it as it did not affect my day to day life. The swelling lasted for about 3 days, by the 3rd day the swelling was minimal. 

Fillers after two weeks

All in all getting lip fillers is a breeze! The slight pain is so worth it and it is very bearable. I cannot believe the difference in my lips and it has really boosted my confidence. I think they look very natural and people who do not know me would never know I had had them done.

Feel free to leave any questions! :)

A Preview of Benefit Cosmetics Upcoming Products

'Under My Spell Noelle'
£29.50

Out 28th September 2013

'Under My Spell Noelle' is described my Benefit as a 'woody floral, exotic & glamarous' fragrance. It features cardamom as a top note, wild orchid as it's middle note and patchouli as a bottom note. At £29.50, Benefit has kept this price consistent with their other perfumes. I'm particularly excited about this perfume as Benefit's other perfumes are a sickly floral that has never been to my taste! 

Bathina 'Soft to touch, Hard to get' Body Oil

£26.50

Out 26th October 2013

This new body oil is portrayed as a 'super fine body oil mist that absorbs instantly for immediate hydration'.  It has sweet almond, olive and avocado oils to moisturise and vitamin E to firm. I like the fact that this will absorb instantly as I hate that greasy feeling that comes after moisturising! I'm also hoping it will feature the signature 'Bathina' fragrance as I ADORE that smell.

Porefessional Agent Zero Shine

£23.50

Out 26th December 2013

Sadly, there are no pictures of this released yet! However, I personally think thisis the most exciting of the three releases and I get the feel its the 'sister' of porefessional. Whilst Benefit hasn't released a lot on this product, it is outlined as a 'shine vanishing pro powder'. I'm guessing that you sweep it over oily areas to absorb shine. I can't wait to hear more on this, it's just a shame that it's released after Christmas!

How To Grow Long Hair Fast

I am such a sucker for long hair. When I was little I had hair down to my waist and then regrettably I got it chooped into a bob. :( Ever since I've been growing my hair and I've researched time and time again ways to encorouge my hair to grow faster.

 Avoid heat as much as possible! Heat damages your hair and will leave you with split ends. Split ends are an absolute ENEMY for growing your hair as the split end will carry on splitting up the hair shaft and eventually break off, leaving you with a short strand of hair. You need to keep your ends as healthy as possible!                                                          
    

Use a hair mask once or twice a week to keep ends full of moisture, which will help protect them from damage. My favourite mask is Moroccan Oil's 'Restorative Hair Mask'. It is on the pricier side but you only need a little bit as it is so hydrating. It also helps to restore hair! Another product I like to use from Moroccan Oil's line is their oil. I put this on once my hair is towel dry as it helps to lock in the moisture!

Supplements will help you get all the vitamins your hair needs to grow at its maximum rate. If your hair isnt getting the nutrients it needs to grow, it won't grow as fast! You can buy supplements specifically for hair so you can ensure you're getting all the vitamins you need for hair growth. You can buy these in most shops. 

Lastly, hair is at its most susceptible to damage when it's wet. Take EXTRA care when brushing, treat your hair like gold. This will help to minimise any damage caused. Ideally, you should wait till your hair is completely dry to brush it, but this is often not very convenient!

These tips will give your hair the optimum conditions for growth! Good luck :)

Autumn Trends - Wine Lips

As Autumn has officially started I thought I'd write a mini-series on Autumn make-up trends for this year! One of my favourite trends this season is wine coloured lips. I think they look so sophisticated and classy! 

This Autumn it's all about having matt stained lips. Use a matt lipstick and apply lightly to the lips to get a stained look, I recommend Mac's Retro Matte Lipstick in 'Fixed on Drama'. I'm pretty sure Mac brought this collection out BECAUSE of this trend as these lipsticks are perfect. I would still apply a nude lip liner to lock the colour in place and to perfect your lips! I'm planning on wearing my wine pout with neutral eyes to make the look pop. How will you be wearing yours?

Nano Bead Remy Hair Extensions Review

I've always been a lover of extensions. I was a clip in fanatic in my earlier teenage years and rarely went out without them. Now I'm a bit older I can afford to try other methods of hair extensions and my favourite method so far is nano beads!

Quick Overview

Benefits:

- Bond is so tiny that you can barely see them

- You can wear your hair up

- Hair is reusable

- Feels like your own hair

- Easy to take out

- Less damaging than other hair extension methods

Downsides:

- Fiddly to put in

- Time consuming to put in

- Can sometimes feel a bit uncomfortable when they're first put in

- Some slide out more commonly than other methods 

Application 

Nano bead hair extensions use tiny beads that are threaded through your own hair, which are then clamped around the hair extension to bond with your own hair. Because the beads are so small the process can be fiddly and takes a bit of time! My hair took about 4 hours. However, I do think the time is well invested as when a whole head is completed the bonds are so tiny that they are so hidden you can wear your hair up with out having to worry. (Make sure the beads match your root colour unless you're bleach blonde all over) Previously, when I've had a weave and micro beads, the method has been obvious therefore restricting how I could style my hair. I've included a picture of my bonds so you can see what they look like. :)

This is the bonds, as you can see the beads are tiny!

Maintenance

Washing the extensions has not been a problem for me. I typically wash my hair like I would if I didn't have the extensions in, however, I do spend a bit of extra time washing the product out as I have found that it can get 'stuck' in the hair underneath, leaving you with greasy roots full of product. Blow drying these extensions is a dream compared to micro beads. Micro beads have a silicone layer within the bead that is in contact with your hair, I found when blow-drying that this layer would melt, leaving a sticky substance in the hair, almost like glue. This was a major downside for me as I had to avoid blow drying my hair at the root.
 You will need to get these extensions 'moved up' after around 6-8 weeks as the extensions will grow with your hair and the bead will end up lower down than when they was first applied. This is a quick easy process and doesn't take anywhere near as long as the first installation. Normally maintenance takes about an hour. I would recommend taking a break from extensions however as your hair will start to become damaged if you have the extensions installed for too long. I normally have mine in for about 4 months and then have a month break. I then have them put back in! The same hair can be reused which I LOVE as it cuts the cost down majorly. Nano ring hair typically lasts a year! The only downside is that these extensions tend to fall out more commonly (this is normal with extensions that few will fall out, but slightly more fall out with this method). You can save the extensions that fall out and have them put back in during maintenance.

Top left is my hair before.

Styling

I actually have no bad words to say about styling nano beads. These extensions feel like my own hair and when I wear my hair up they are pretty much undetectable. This is a big selling point for me as when I had a weave and micro beads I become continually frustrated at trying to style my hair, especially with micro beads. I couldn't even wear my hair in a low ponytail without them showing! I can style these extensions anyway I like pretty much!

My Fake Tan Routine!

As winter rolls in, fake tan is becoming more and more of my best friend. I'm a typical English girl who LOVES a bit of a tan and there is no better way of achieving it than with fake tan, in my opinion!

I used to use sun beds, but I've slowly weaned myself off of them as I've become pro status at fake tan. I've sat and researched for hours about the best products, methods, etc. I can now proudly say I haven't had a sun bed in months! So lets get started...

What you'll need: 

• St Moriz Instant Mousse in 'Dark'
• Exfoliating Gloves
• Intensive Moisturiser
• Fake Tan Mitt
• Time!

Step 1

Firstly, it is important to exfoliate! Fake tan is best applied to a smooth surface as it is less unlikely to go patchy. Exfoliating beforehand also helps the tan to last longer as you've got rid of all them dead skin cells that are hanging around, which in turn also makes you look more radiant! I always think this look gorgeous when you've applied your fake tan and your freshly brown and radiant :) I use exfoliating gloves as you can really 'get in there' and I always feel I've removed the greatest amount of dead skin when using them. Some body scrubs I've used tend to be too soft and do not actually remove enough dead skin - the ones that do are often expensive! Most exfoliating gloves are around £1 and they last forever, too. 

Step 2

Next step is to give your skin some extra loving and moisturise! I use an intensive moisturiser as I usually find after having a good scrub in the shower that my skin can feel a little dry. Fake tan can also have a drying effect on your skin so its best to prepare! I use Body Shop's 'Body Butter Duo' as it is extra moisturising. It also has two sections, one for all over (Section 1) and then another for extra dry areas (Section 2). This is PERFECT for fake tanning as section 2 can be used on fake tan disaster zones such as knees and elbows. On these areas (and any individual extra dry areas you have) you need extra moisture as the fake tan will cling to these areas and go ultra orange. Your aim is to make the tan look natural as possible and these will be massive give-aways! After moisturising you want to leave the moisturiser to soak in, I normally moisturise the day before as I feel my skin cant cope with all the extra product been slapped on!

Step 3

Yay, it's tanning time! Before I say anything else, you must use some sort of applicator such as a mitt or gloves, otherwise your hands will stain and you will look utterly ridiculous! I prefer to use a mitt as they are reusable and applicate the tan smoothly. 

 I use 'St Moriz Instant Mousse' in 'Dark'. This fake tan is AMAZING, and at only £4.99, you are basically stealing this product. I will never ever pay a hefty price tag again for fake tan, this does everything you will ever need! It has a slight green tone to it which combats looking like a wotsit (haha), leaving a more natural toned tan. You can also easily layer this up, I sometimes apply up to 3 layers in one go. This product has a guide colour to it so you will feel slightly ridiculous while wearing this and it might look a little patchy, do not panic! This is normal, and once you wash it off you will be left behind with a lovely natural looking tan :) I apply it before I go to bed and then wash it off in the shower the next day, as it needs some time to develop. 

Step 4

The last step is maintaining your tan. There are a few important tips.

• Moisturise daily, this keeps your tan from going patchy.
• Do not apply multiple layers a few days apart if you want to avoid any patchiness - scrub it off and start again!
• If you want a darker colour then layer it up when first applying.
• After around 4 days, you will need to scrub it off and start the process again to avoid any flaking.

Upcoming Reviews

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