The year of the wigs ... a look back

I didn't blog as often as I would have liked to; but 2015 will go down as the year when I switched from hair weaves to wigs.
Now hear me hunnies, I didn't go to my local BSS (Beauty Supply Store)  to buy these wigs, I actually started making  my own. This turned out to be such a win win for me -- I got to create and wear wigs that reflected my own personal style and my own hair got to breathe again.
I experimented a lot with my wigs and even transformed one of my old store-bought ones from straight to wavy - hey hair must never be boring!
I also made wigs for a few women who were drawn to mine. It's a different feeling to make wigs and see them enhance the beauty of other women. I have to tell you that it felt really good to put the completed wig in its clear plastic pouch and present it to customers in a stylish bag.  Women appreciate things like that.
One customer, who requested one of my custom wigs for her Christmas dinner , said she looked in the mirror and was in awe of the woman she saw staring back at her.
"I don't usually look this glamorous," she told me via WhatsApp. My friends were so surprised."
Two other customers were pleased to report that their  husbands were pleased with their new look with one joking that her husband didn't even realise it was a wig until she took it off.
From my own collection of wigs -- a modest five, I get to have different looks to match my many moods and evolving dress style.  The hair I use for my own wigs range from remi to blends (human and synthetic fibres) and human hair. You'd be surprised at the difference a wig makes to your appearance --whether the look you're going for is exotic, sophisticated, girlish, businesslike -- as the photos of my wigs show. And it really doesn't matter if the hair is synthetic or human - just maintain it as you would your own.
My latest wig , as in two days ago, was made using  the colour 4/27  (brown and strawberry blonde) in  Outre's First Lady hair extensions. I absolutely fell in love with this hair and its movement after a client bought it to have her wig done. Hers was a mix of  1b and 99j (black and dark wine).
The hair is light - even with two packs -  and is pre-bumped, giving the most gorgeous swoop bang.
It would be nice to tell me what you think of the First Lady hair extensions if you have tried it before.  Feedback is always welcome.
Have a happy and hair extension filled 2016 hunnies. Rock that hair like your own.

The latest addition to my wig collection - made using Outre First Lady hair extension 

I made this wig using Freetress Attrak hair . I really wanted some red hair . This didn't disappoint. 

I created this wig using Freetress Equal Jamaican Bundle Wave 

For this wig I used Beverly Johnson's Spanish Wave weave 

For this wig I used Sensationnel's LIVE Brazilian Keratin Remi Ombre. 

Vivica Fox Hair Collection's Cornrow Cap

A weave /wig cap with cornrows attached and called the Cornrow Cap  is what the Vivica Fox Hair Collection is teasing as a coming soon product. And hair weave wearers are understandably excited about it.
The cap, which was originally designed for Cancer patients,  is expected to also find favour among  weave-wearers with  alopecia (hair loss) and those with  very short hair

who still want a sew-in and I guess even those with a braiding challenge.
As a hair weave wearer I can tell you that I started doing my own sew-ins because of the too-tight cornrows put in by my former hairdresser for the tracks. The  last time she did my sew in ,  I left her salon with a massive headache (caused by the tight cornrows).
At least with this cap , wearers wouldn't have to worry about that! Best of all, the cap can either be sewn to a perimeter braid or taken off if the wearer only wants something temporary.
I am just a wee bit concerned about the spacing between each track; which some may find too close or not close enough! We will see.  I am also thinking about how secure this cap will be for the wearer who has no hair. No one wants to wear a cap that can slip off easily.
The Cornrow Cap also features braid patterns like the horseshoe and straight back which will make it easy to incorporate lace closures. The caps come in small, medium and large sizes for comfortable fit and should also impress those who are into interlocking and the popular crochet braids.
The Cornrow Cap is expected to be in stores in the next two months according to the Vivica Fox Hair Collection's Facebook page.  I can't wait to see how it will be received.

Beverly Johnson Spanish Wave Weave - Another homemade wig story

I love that my friends know and appreciate my  hair extension passion  and indulge me once in a while. This past week, a colleague brought me a pack of hair which she had in a  barrel at her home. Her sister sent her the hair four years ago and she discovered it while looking for a purse. The hair was still in its original package and my friend , who has natural hair , was happy to pass it on to me, since she has no plans whatsoever to try hair extensions.
I was game. Four year old hair? This I got to see.
When I pulled the hair out of its pack, the smell was like brand new weave extensions. Ohhhkaaaay, it certainly passed the fresh hair test.
 I took the hair home , washed it and had to decide whether I wanted to do a sew-in weave or a wig. You know by now that I am resting my hair from the traction caused by sew in weaves, so my decision to make a wig didn't take me too long. Then again I am really getting addicted to making my own wigs. The major problem though is that I fall in love with them so much that I wish I could wear them all - AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!
Seriously though, the Beverly Johnson Spanish Wave Weave hair reminded me a lot of Remy hair. It was soft, full and had a natural look.
I got together my tools - dome cap, needle, thread, mannequin , the hair and I started on my sew-in wig. Three hours later - and with just that one pack , I was finished. To close off the wig I used a hair closure that  I bought for another wig which worked well to cover the space left by the lack of hair at the top (two packs would have been ideal... if I bought it).
Since the hair was ten inches long, I choose not to cut it. I used the razor on the closure hair in order for it to blend with the Spanish wave.
I have been wearing the hair for three days and I love that the Spanish Wave is low maintenance and still soft. I  use a wig brush on it sometimes but basically combing through with my fingers is all it needs.
I have not used products on this hair just yet since I want to see how well it performs without it.  Experience has taught me that less is more when it comes to putting product in hair extensions.
In the US the price of the Beverly Johnson Spanish Wave Weave ranges from $23 to $60 depending on the length and the vendors.
If you want an easy-breezy,  very low-maintenance hair, give this one a try. As for me, I think I  just discovered another favourite wig!

The finished look 

Getting ready .... Dome cap, mannequin (that's another wig I made and blogged about recently ), the pack of Beverly Johnson Spanish Wave weave hair,  needle and thread. 

The pack of Spanish Wave Weave 

New wig - Big, curly, handmade

Hey lovelies. I know that it has been a while. I promise you that I have a good excuse. The last time I posted in this space I told you that I was resting my own hair  from the  hair weaves. I have to tell you  that the  rest - from the traction of the braids in my usual sew ins - has  done my real hair well. It is not only healthy but thick! Still I love my extensions, as you well know. I have been spending my time away from you making wigs!
Thankfully my mummy is also a hair extension diva so she has been blessing me with a lot of hair goodies to work with, like this beauty I am sharing with you today. When the hair came it was pretty but I was unsure about the small tight curls. In fact that was the only reason I left the hair in the bag so long before I finally got the urge to make it into a wig.
I used about one bundle to make this wig - it's a little I now, but over the years I have learned two things - tight curls can transform into big curly hair and spacing between tracks is important!
I used a dome cap and again I chose to do a sew in of the hair rather than stick it- which I know is easier but, well,  force of habit.
It took me about two to three hours to create the look I wanted and after I put it on I shaped it using the hair shaping razor. The result was exactly as I envisioned; and that's what I love about making my own wigs. The colour of this wig is a 4 /27 and , as you can see, once I took the wig brush to it - it was fire! The volume is amazing .
What do you think of this look? Be sure to let me know.

One wig - Three different looks

When I first bought the Freetress Human Hair wig Kay, I was so in love. Short, with a swoop bang,  asymmetrical and long at either side, this was my perfect go to wig for when I don't want to fuss about hair or make-up but still maintain some level of cute.
After a few washes, Kay really changed on a sister. The form it had when I just bought it, was lost and it just looked like a raggedy old wig. What's a girl to do? Throw it out ? Depends on the girl. I know that this girl don't waste hair!!!
I pulled that bad girl from my bag of wigs and decided to give her a fresh start. I sewed in  four rows of curly hair weave pieces and left the bang intact and voila , a new wig was born.
Weeks later I had second thoughts about my newly created wig. Whenever I washed it , got  poofy like those tired 80s jherri curl hair weaves that I hate so much.
Again I was faced with the decision to either toss it or upcycle it. I chose the latter.
I got down in my hair bag again and found a pack of Milky Way Weave Master Yaky weave in the colour 1b/350 (copper and black for the newcomers).  I bought that hair on sale that I never got to use it... until now.
I took my time and removed ALL the hair on the Kay wig, since an old wig cap is the best to work on for a great fit. I put the now "bald" wig cap on my mannequin head and did a complete sew in- using the beehive sew in technique.
The result was amazing. I loved it so much that I wore it to church service this morning.
To think this was a wig that was about to be tossed! See what you can do with a little imagination, and of course, a love for hair extensions !  One wig- Three different looks .

Top Left , Original wig Kay, Bottom left,  Kay with curly tracks sewn in, Right , Kay transformed. 

Bobbi Boss Bonela wig - DIY project

Hey all. How's it going today? Remember that Bobbi Boss Bonela Brazilian hair I blogged about not too long ago? Well it is now in a wig. No, not from Bobbi Boss; but my own hands.
I took down my weave last weekend and decided to treat my own hair for a minute . You know I always stress the importance of taking care of your own hair, no matter how super cute that weave hair might be.
 I have observed a lot of young ladies with too-long weaves and when the wind blows, no hairline. Ladies that's not right at all. Your first hair love should be the one growing from your own head and not the one you buy at the store!
Okay so back to my wig.
 In order to treat my hair I knew that I had to wig it . A weave wouldn't allow me the access I needed to get to my own hair as often as I wanted.
You know how much I love that Bonela hair. Even after a few washes, it still rocks. I bought the Magic DIY wig cap at my beauty supply store  and,

using the same hair and a closure , created this wig that you see . I love her!!! I have learned so much from my last wig experience. Check back a few blogs for the wig I called Essiba.
Unlike this wig, Essiba featured bangs and I had to make my own closure in the middle. I didn't wear her much because I bought the wrong wig cap and it kept slipping off my head.
Thankfully,  this cap is thick and  fits, not tight   on my head.
I know that most DIY wig makers are using hot glue to get their hair on to the wig caps,  but  for this wig I chose to do a  complete sew in. It was time consuming but so worth it! Now I just

 have to find a name for her. Essiba reloaded,  perhaps?

Bobbi Boss Bonela Unprocessed Brazilian Nautral hair - a review

Hey ladies , and  my readers who are guys. It's about that time again. Today I want to share with you some new hair I got to review from the One Stop Beauty Essentials store out of San Fernando, Trinidad.

The hair is Bobbi Boss Bonela Brazilian Unprocessed Natural hair.

To be honest this was my first time using a Bobbi Boss weave extension, although I have worn wigs from the line.

Before installing this hair , I watched some of the reviews on You Tube to get a feel of what wearers thought of it.

I will say this: no hair extension is perfect, they mimic real hair and except you buy hair from donors, you are really expecting too much if you can't live with some shedding and tangling. To hear weave extension wearers talk about hair bunching  up at the back and matted weaves is my pet peeve!

What are you doing to prevent that though ? Especially those who overload their weaves with product. Okay so that's another blog in the making right there! Back to the regularly scheduled program of the review. Lol.

I got two packs of twelve inches in the natural colour of dark brown. When I unboxed the hair I was amazed at how soft it was to the touch. I immediately washed it , a move I know a lot of wearers skip because they have had an experience of hair going bad right out of the box!

But you know me, by now, always one to take the hair risk ( I am awesome at bad hair comebacks) and so I conditioned the extensions before letting them air dry.

I must have installed this hair three times before settling on what I now wear. I am a perfectionist - didn't you notice?

In its first incarnation, my install was done with all my hair braided and covered with a wig cap. I then did a sew in with a closure.

I wasn't happy with the way things turned out so , eight hours later I did another sew in, this time without the wig cap, more leave out of my own hair and the tracks doubled.

I am pleased with the way the hair looks and feels, even after washing it.

 After two weeks of wear, I can already tell the “personality” of this hair extension (yes thereis such a thing) - go easy on the products and try not to fuss over it too much! I have also found that brushing the hair makes it even more beautiful.

It's also a good idea to trim the ends often. You will know when, you won't be able to miss them.

This hair can also be permed, coloured and bleached . The package contains a mini booklet  with useful tips on all three treatments and the general hair care of Bonela.

Crystal Mc Pherson - wig creator

Hey ladies. How is it going? Well today I wanted to share with you the work of an amazing hairstylist from Trinidad and Tobago who not only does some banging weaves but some awesome wigs.
I must admit that when I first saw the wig work of Crystal Mc Pherson I was so impressed. The wearer actually had to tell me it was a wig!
Crystal told me that her entry into the beauty world was a natural one since both her mother, now deceased, and her sister were both hairdressers.
Crystal's satisfaction comes when she sees the mood of her clients lifted just after one of her weave installs or hairstyles.
When she started out, she was best known for her braids but in 2010 she got into wig making as a way to up the ante.
“I worked in a monotonous environment  and wanted something to make me stand out, " she said.
Her first wig was a 10 to 12 inch U part wig which she made for herself.
“I always test my ideas on myself first. That way I know where I need to improve."
A wig usually takes this talented lady two to three hours to create. She is a stickler for detail and everything has to be in right order - the wig cap she chooses, the hair, the closure and the style.
Crystal is also a colourist who treats hair like a canvas when she takes out her colour box. Think reds, purples, blues and greens and the mixing  of all of the above! This woman is hardly colour shy.
Crystal's clients love her work. Her approach to each wig or weave install  is much like a partnership with each client.
There are those who bring her photos of their favourite styles from beauty magazines and then there are those who absolutely trust her to come up with a wig or weave style.
Right now Crystal is playing around with some Peruvian virgin hair, she told us , and of course she always experiments   with her own hair first.
If you are visiting Trinidad soon or you already live in the country and want your own Crystal hair experience,  check her out at Crystal's Touch, 73 Eastern Main Road, Barataria. Crystal is also on Facebook and Instagram. Here are samples of her work.

                                             
Crystal Mc Person - hairstylist wearing one of her wig creations.

Short on time? Weave a Wig - Bobbi Boss

It's a wig and a weave. Confused yet? Weave a wig by Bobbi Boss is my latest hair crush ladies. She is a full wig that can be sewn on to a braid along your hair's perimeter. The wig has combs at the back front and sides for secure fit and a netted fringe which can be cut off after you sew the wig on.
The hair on Weave a Wig is a blended - which is to say its human and synthetic and can be heat styled.
The wig comes in four different looks and I like that you get the full-head-of-hair look without having to put multiple tracks in.
Fifteen minutes is all it takes to install this wig. Other features include a part which can be left as is or cut along  to allow for a leave out of your hair to blend with the wig - just like a U part install.
Bobbi Boss Wig a Weave was launched in Trinidad and Tobago two weeks ago by the One Stop Beauty Essentials in San Fernando. I recommend it for those of you who want to install your own hair at home and for those who want to look put together in minutes. Here are some photos and a video for you. https://youtu.be/4BB6fhbor3g

Freetress Equal Attrak 4 pcs - a hair review

I am no fan of synthetic hair- I guess you  all know that by now. Not even the fibers that take heat. But there was something about the Freetress Attrak 4 pcs hair - Brazilian that really appealed to me.
This hair has the look of a Brazilian Remy without the high Remy price tag. One pack has four different lengths 12, 14, 16, 18  to give the wearer  a layered look.
When I asked the girl at the beauty supply store for a feel of the hair , I knew that despite my synthetic hair prejudice , I had to try it. The affordable price was also helpful in my decision making.
I know of women who have used more than the one pack of hair (some up to four packs)  but the lone pack was good enough for me in the colour 4 /30.

The pack also came with a closure piece, which I didn't use since I left my hairline out.
My only disappointment was how thin the tracks were. Still, there is always a way around a challenge. All I did was to double up the tracks.
The different lengths all helped in giving this install a natural look. And I loved that the end result was so full and beautiful.
I wore this hair for close to a month and went easy on the hair products- a little Argan oil was all. Remember shiny is a tell-tale sign of synthetic hair!
I  also found Freetress Equal Attrak easy to manage. At night I did two  two-strand twists and tied the hair with a scarf. I won't recommend sleeping on all that hair when its loose.
The curl pattern on the hair changes up a bit by week four,  but is still workable. I saw video reviewers talking about the ends of the hair becoming dry, thankfully I had no such problem. I guess that with any hair extension, it's all about how you treat the hair. Do keep your wig brush handy for windy hair-tangly days ; but don't be afraid to give this hair a try.

No Hair Extension Day

Happy New year hunnies. Yeah I know I am late ! Forgive me. Well I have been up to a lot with my hair. I really had fun with a little colour and I tried the much talked about Freetress Attrak 4 piece hair. Look out for a blog on that very soon. Today though, I had to tell you about my No hair extension day. Yes ladies. I truly recommend that once in a while. Hair weaves enhance our look, take us from drab to  ermahgerd fabulous, but there is nothing better than showing your own hair some really big love when u get the chance. Last night I shampooed and deep conditioned my hair. This morning I put a moisturizer in and just massaged my scalp.
For the rest of the day I will just allow my own hair to soak up the sun and feel the wind go through it.  It helps too that the hair smells yummy. Do I feel naked without my extensions? I sure do! Don't  you as well? Funny isn't it ?
Not sure what I am going to do with my hair next. Honestly I am thinking of the ten inch 1b 33 (black and wine color) that are in my hair bag. I haven't worn those yet. I might try some clip ins with those; or a wig. Choices. Choices. Today though , the real hair gets all the love. Hey feel free to send me pics of your No hair extensions day . ☺