Binky Felstead's Beauty Blog.. Hair Extension Care

Swish, swish, swish – no, it’s not the windscreen wipers on my celebrity limo (I wish!), it’s the sound of me swishing and swirling my fabulous new long and luscious hair extensions. They’re amazing! My hair is now so long, thick and bouncy, that I feel like Rapunzel. Any minute now I expect a handsome prince to come charging up and take me away to live happily ever after (today’s wish no.2!).

As I told you in last week’s blog, I wanted to look really special for the start of Made In Chelsea series 4, so I got all my girlfriends round to help me conjure up a hot make-up look for the launch party (listen, there are some seriously pretty girls on the show these days, so I’ve got to work hard to keep my spot on the MiC hot list!).

My mates were brilliant help with the make-up, but when it came to my hair, I decided I needed a bit of professional help so I called my expert chums at beauty website Escentual.com for advice. They hooked me up with the brilliant Mikey Kardashian. Mikey’s an awesome hair stylist and also an expert with hair extensions. We got together for an afternoon and by the end of the day, Mikey had magicked up this fabulous new do. After just three hours, my hair was amazingly long, it felt wonderfully thick and looked super-glossy. Mikey’s secret? Easilocks extensions! They turned my normal mid-length brunette hair into the sort of big, bouncy, luxurious locks you see sported by the likes of supermodel Miranda Kerr, actress Sofia Vergara and mega-stars like Beyoncé. We’re talking Hollywood hair!

Before Mikey gave me the Easilocks magic, I’d always fancied giving hair extensions a try, but was put off by the gluing or heat-bonding methods of fixing them in. Both those methods can totally ruin your natural hair as the extensions are hard to remove and can end up either pulling out whole clumps of hair or having to be cut out. I didn’t fancy the idea of bald patches, but Mikey reassured me that these extensions are kind to your locks and your scalp.

They’re made entirely of human hair so they look incredible, but more importantly they are applied using this clever clip-in bonding method which is quick, easy and doesn’t damage your own hair. You can see from the main photo how amazing they look, but if you check out the second photo you’ll also get an idea of how discreet the fixings are –they’re barely noticeable once they’re in, and they last just as long as other methods (though Easilocks recommends you don’t keep them in longer than three months, to really care for your hair).

Next up, I asked the hair experts at Escentual.com for advice about which haircare products I should use. First of all, they recommended investing in some really good tools, so I treated myself Mason Detangling Comb (to ensure I don’t tug too harshly at my hair when its wet) and a Michel Mercier Detangling Brush for Fine Hair – an amazing brush that has flexible bristles which are specially designed especially to manage delicate hair extensions. Next up, they suggested keep my locks looking pristine using gentle products that won’t leave my hair coated in chemicals, so I’ve been using Philip Kingsley No Scent No Colour Shampoo and Conditioner. They’re colour-free and fragrance-free and use only the mildest ingredients to gently clean and condition my locks. If you think I’m beginning to sound like a bit of a goody-two-shoes, don’t worry: I also splashed out on some Sexy Hair Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Intense Hold Hairspray to ensure my hair looked bigger and badder than ever on my big night!

After all that prep, party night finally came around. When I rocked up to the MiC launch, even though I didn’t really dress up, there was nothing casual about my beauty look. Thanks my sultry make-up and my Hollywood hair, I looked hot – hell, I looked Binkylicious!

ESCENTUAL DOs and DON’Ts for hair extensions

Naturally, I want my new do to last as long as possible, so I asked @MKardashian for his advice. He gave me this list of extensions dos and don’ts to follow:

DO
• Hold one hand to your scalp when detangling wet hair, so you don’t tug at the fixings.
• Always brush the ends first and work your way up.
• Brush your hair before washing.
• When washing your hair, work the shampoo through your hair down the length, rather than massaging it in a circular motion, as this will create less tangles.
• Condition from the ponytail downwards (ie not at the roots).
• Use leave in conditioner on the ends to keep the hair silky.
• Tie your hair in a loose side ponytail or side plait when sleeping to reduce tangling.

DON’T
• Go to bed with wet hair or leave your hair wet for a long period without detangling it.
• Condition the scalp with a heavy conditioner.
• Wash your hair upside down and avoid using a circular motion to shampoo the hair at your scalp.
• Never try to remove your extensions yourself – always ask a professional to do this delicate job.