Yipee!!  I love looking at your hair pics.  The hair is beautiful, the accessories are beautiful!  Thank you for sharing.

Here are hairtoy pictures I promised:



My Maximas clips. The sizes shown are large and medium. The brown clip is 3-tone mocha (Ficcare has also other brown 3-tone clips). Black clip is the fakkare I bought this week. Looks just like a real Ficcare in the picture, but IRL the difference is easy to tell.



Here are mamacat hairsticks I ordered last fall. I haven't used them often, but in some situations like traveling they are a must have.



Finally, the interesting nameless clips. I bought the golden one earlier, the three others are from my yesterday's Helsinki visit. The photo is a bit weird- the colors are not as neon-ish bright IRL.



A side view of the clip. Top part is very similar to my fakkare Maximas, the big downside is like some futuristic comb. You can't really tell from these photos, but between the U-shape on down side, the clip has four thin, shorter spikes like a comb.

Very nice!  Hairtoys are always good!!  I went crazy and am now waiting for 4 more pairs of LL hairsticks,Stainless Steel sticks from Ron Quattro,a hairpin from Emily and ketylo sticks!!!  WooHoo this is fun!!!!

Money invested in hairtoys is money well invested, I say.

Today, my new LL hairsticks arrived. I'm still not feeling well, so the timing was (once again) perfect. I had ordered two pairs: Lemonade Pink SpiralStix, which is an incredibly cheerful pair. Combination of rose crystals and pretty yellow is just perfect for warm time of the year. Pretty Pastels DuetStix is a pair I've drooled for a while, and I felt so lucky when I finally was able to buy it. Cute, funky, delicious...once again Rapunzel has done amazing work.

Hair: Good. Right now I'm wearing in a bun secured with one of my new clips. I'm still figuring out how to use them. Everything still indicates though, that these clips will show their best qualities when my hair gets longer.

Galadriel;
You have a beautiful collection of hair toys!  You really did cash in on Mamacat's special orders, didn't you?  I picked up a couple of pair then as well and love them in my hair. 

With all your LL sticks, we need a picture of that collection too!

Just a quick picture update from middle of carnivals of May Day.

Here are some pictures of my French twist variations. Changing technique slightly has made doing French twists possible, but they're not lasting (and the results aren't always neat...) Need to continue practicing...


French Twist with a red Taiwan clip.


French Twist with France Luxe comb. This produces neat results most constantly, and the comb is very comfortable...until it slides out of my hair.


Ignore the stray strand- this picture is historical because this is the first time ever I managed to make a secure French twist with a hair fork (from Blondiesturn).


French twist with large red 3-tone Maximas clip. This used to be one of my favorite styles- now making smooth French twists with a Ficcare is quite challenging.


Health: I'm feeling better both physically and mentally, and am ready to move 100`% back to diet tomorrow. In spite of May Day, I didn't break my habit of starting the week at gym.  Motivation is good once again, and I know this week will be better than the last.

the pics are beautiful.  Nice job on the hair!   How did you do it??

Thanks for compliments! I followed instructions from Madeleine's webpage . Now that my hair is longer, I need to fold it carefully in order to make a smooth lump that fits inside the "seam". It is also difficult to make the "pouch" just the right size. I'm still very much in learning stage...now if only I could figure out how to make my twists last...

And here's update on my haircare routine:

WASHING: I wash my hair twice a week, on Wednesdays and on Saturdays. I use Chagrin Valley shampoo bars (favorites Lavender Spice and Summer Sunshine) followed with a mild ACV rinse. I shampoo once, just the scalp and never the length. Every now and then I may use one of Chagrin Valley's soaps for my ends, but usually they get just suds& water. After shampooing, rinse and apply ACV rinse, then rinse some more. Finish with cool water rinse, comb gently and dry with Aquis microfiber towel. This washing method is very simple and quick.
CONDITIONING:No regular after wash conditioning. Oil with jojoba after wash, once hair is dried. Deep condition about twice a month, usually with Snowy's Deep Moisture Treatment or Winter Hair Food (protein treatment). I do my deep treatments on Saturdays, when we go to sauna, in order to benefit from the heat.
DETANGLING: Combing when taking a style down, which happens at least in the morning and in the evening. My favorite comb is still the wooden BodyShop comb, but usually I detangle with whichever of my combs happens to be closest.
TRIMMING: I do S&D:s whenever I remember. Lately I have had very few splits. This year, I plan to trim my hair 4 times. T does the trimming- he is super gentle and precise. I am experimenting to find the best trimming schedule. In 2005, I trimmed only twice, which was too seldom.
VITAMINS: Multivitamin+ acerola-silica-biotin .
DAYTIME STYLES: Contained styles, knot bun variations are probably most common. I also like segmented ponytails. I wear my hair down very seldom.
NIGHTTIME STYLES: Most often a braid or segmented ponytail. Seldom a sleep cap. I have recently discovered that satin scrunchies are great for night styles.
PROTECTION: Because my hair is fine and fragile, I am very protective about it. In sauna, I wrap a towel around my head. In winter, if temperature is below freezing point, I wear a headcover of some kind. I normally wear my hair up. When I'm doing something messy, I wear a scarf bun (a bun covered with a bandana scarf folded into a bun cover), and when I cook, I wear a special headcovering that also protects food from my hairs. I also protect my head from hot sun. All in all, I wear some type of hair protecting head covering often, and have grown to like them.
I have also bought swimming caps that I plan to try soon.
FAVORITE TOYS: Longlocks hairsticks, of course! Now that the spring has come, I've been playing with colorful elastics and ribbons a bit, as well as interesting clips (Taiwan clips & Ficcares).
HOW I FEEL ABOUT MY HAIR RIGHT NOW: I'm happy with it- it seems to get better and better all the time (this must have something to do with growing, I think). Splits have become rare- all the pampering and protection is paying off! I'm still growing my hair, but I'm not in such a hurry with it as I was before. My hair is already nice and people refer to it as "long".