A sit down with Oscar James - Emmy award celebrity hairstylist

Ten minutes. That's all the time I was given to interview Emmy award winning celebrity hairstylist Oscar James. That was all I needed anyway. When two people with a love for  hair and hair extensions  have a sit down, honey that 10 minutes stretches out like an elastic band!
And so it was.
I was wearing the heck out of my Janet collection Reagon lace wig - and not in a good way.  This is the second time I was wearing Reagon and I decided to keep its 18-20 inch length.
Let me tell you, between product buildup, the wind and rain that day, I looked as though I rode to see Oscar in the back of a pick up truck. I was a hot mess and I knew it !
To make bad matters worse when I sat down with the man they call the hair mastermind, he leaned in close , pulled out a twig from my wig, showed it to me and that charming smile never left his face!!
"Just like a shoemaker pays attention to the shoes of the people he meets, I pay attention to the hair," he told me.
james loves it when a woman can strut her confident stuff because her hair. Whenever he meets a woman he also has in mind what hairstyle would suit her best.
He told me I was hiding my face with my long wig and that a short layered cut would better complement my features - particularly my high cheekbones.
"You'd be surprised!" James said. "Try it and be confident with it."
The man who  is responsible for Nicki Minaj's fierce  new wig with the black roots and the platinum ends , has had a love affair with hair since he was in high school. It was while still at high school  that the South Carolina-raised James pursued beauty. He graduated with a diploma and got his  cosmetology licence.
 James  immediately started working at salons and  found himself in the right industry circles. A friend introduced him to former Miss America and singer, actress Vanessa Williams and the rest, as they say, is HIStory!
James has styled the hair of Iman, Halle Berry (for the 72nd Academy Awards), Beyonce and Tyra Banks. In fact it was James who appeared on the Banks' talk show when she did the big reveal of her real hair.
James' Nicki Minaj wig has been the buzz of hair blogs and magazines alike . He told one magazine that he never did a platinum blonde hair with "super dark roots. But that he was happy that he did."
James, like me, is a big fan of hair extensions - particularly wigs.
"Wigs are accessories," he said, adding that he much prefers them to hair weaves since they can easily be taken off and styled away from the wearers head.
James has a lot of wigs he's working on at the moment and would next work with Jennifer Hudson;  but he doesn't seem ready to put out a wig line just yet - as is the norm with hairstylists and celebrities.
"I'm having fun" he said.

                                                      Hair mastermind  Oscar James

                                                     The new look he gave to Nicki Minaj

                                   Here he is on Tyra Banks'  show when she revealed her real hair.   

How to rock a short hair weave

I always have to explain to my friends who don't know much about hair extensions that not every weave is detectable. Hair weaving has evolved from the days when you could spot the bumps created by weave tracks from a mile away.
Another thing I tell my non hair extension wearing friends,  is that ridiculously long hair  is NOT a  tell tale sign of a hair weave.
 For your information, the hair stores sell hair extensions as short as 8 inches!
I wanted to show you my 10-inch clip-in  install as an example of  just how natural  and undetectable a hair weave could look. The hair I used for this look is Sensationnel

                                                     My hair with the 10-inch clip ins  I made.

Sensationnel Premium Too hair

Premium Too Human Hair  in the number 4 colour to blend with my hair colour.
The  weave hair  was tangle free and easy to manage, perhaps given the length. I liked this hair too because it had that just-relaxed texture rather than a silky one.
I tend to rock my short  hair weaves on hot days, when I get tired of length  and when I don't feel like standing out in a crowd with  glamourous hair - like church! LOL.
My own hair is this length,  it's just  that the hair extensions have a more polished and sleek profile.

For Naturalistas - switch it up with a wig!

There's been an increase in the number of women who are cutting off their relaxed hair and going back to their roots. We all know that I am a hair extension lover right? But  I do respect my sisters who are embracing their natural hair.
 Having gone natural before I know that it takes a lot of commitment. Natural hair is high maintenance hair and is not for the impatient!  But this is not a natural hair blog is it?
So now that you're wearing your cute natural hair you have ditched the wigs and hair weave pieces. Hold on. Who said you can't enjoy the best of both worlds???
In this video I am  at the  Glam Xpress hair store putting on the Evony half wig on natural hair wearer  Candace known for her popular No Fine Teeth Comb blog.
 Candace, who was recently featured in Essence Magazine for  her beautiful natural mane, was so much  fun to work with as I brought her into my world.
A true naturalista, Candace doesn't like wigs and weaves preferring to braid her natural hair.She was a good sport and laughed her way through the experiment. Tell me what you think of her final look.
  Wigs and even full weaves are great  for protecting your natural hair and for switching up your hairstyle when the occasion calls for it . Remember you  don't have to settle for the first wig that you see. The wig must look like you and feel like you before you make any purchase.
It is also  advisable that you put your natural hair in cornrows and cover with a stocking cap before putting on your wig so that it could lay flat.
Half wigs aren't supposed to be worn the way you see it in the video. It is supposed to be worn from the middle of your head so that you hair combs over it. I broke the rules a little since Evony is such a curly wig and covers the rim of the wig.  Lastly, be open to  differe

nt looks . Have fun, have fun and last but not least, have fun.

Making that wig yours!

Gosh, I know I haven't blogged in a minute. Time people,  time. Apart from working my 8 to 4 job , taking care of the fam and of course shopping for hair in between , I haven't had much  time to sit down and  blog. Better late than be a no-show right? So here is my earnest attempt at reviving my blog.
For the record,  it's not that  I haven't been thinking about you dolls.  Thanks for the support and comments you all have left. I really do appreciate feedback so keep it coming.
Right.
This blog, just as it is titled, is about making store-bought wigs your own.
You know  I always tell you that you don't  always have to wear your wigs as they come straight from the package.  Sometimes you may love the style of the wig but the hair might be too long. A lot of times, I have found, the hair is a crumpled mess in need of some TLC.
So here's what I do.
I try the wig on at the store and pay attention to what I like about it  (the colour, the curl pattern, how it makes me look)  rather than what I don't like about it.
I take the wig home, cut out the lace (who wears full wigs anymore?) and then I try it on again in front of my mirror.
 Every woman knows what she wants her own hair to  look like. When I am wearing curly wigs I tend to go for an Oprah like look rather than a long flowing  one. I save that  long look for straight hair wigs.
I take my scissors and bit by bit I take off the length of the hair - starting at the side near my ears.  If I cut the wig too short there I could always swing a layered look (trick of the trade honey).
When the hair is too bulky I borrow the shaver from my sons and I go into it to thin it out. Of course the thinning shears is the right tool for the job;  but for me the  razor works faster!!! Watch how you use this tool if you decide to try the razor. Remember if you thin out the wig's hair too much there's no turning back!
Don't take off your wig until you are completely satisfied with the way it looks and the wig starts to look more like you! Good luck!

Recently I got the Reagon Lace Front wig by Janet Collection. A little beauty,  she was in the colour 4/27 ( my colour) and curly. I just didn't like her length but I got it anyway because I saw the potential in her.  Here are the before and after photos of Reagon . Some of my friends think I look better with her long; but I am good with Reagon   short and Oprah-ish. Would love to hear your take on the cut folks.

Outre Duvessa Remi Venice Wave - A Review

Even before I actually had a pack of Duvessa Remi hair in my hands I read about it and saw video reviews of the hair. So when Glam Xpress owner Elizabeth John called me in to have the product reviewed  in this space I was really excited, given the You Tube hype. 

Duvessa is a product of Outre, a hair extension manufacturing brand that I have long associated with quality hair ever since I bought my first hair extension - an Outre Wet and Wavy - at 16 years old. 

I got the Duvessa Venice Wave in the colour of 1/30 which was a good blend for my 4/30 hair. Don't let the model's hair on the pack fool you, the waves are more relaxed  than what is shown on the package - thankfully. I chose to do a sew-in myself rather than make clip ins since I was using the hair for the first time. 

On the YouTube videos that featured Duvessa, the ladies who did tutorials and reviews wore two packs of the hair. I was concerned that one pack of hair would not be sufficient but then I remembered that hair extension rule of thumb -  the shorter the hair extension the more you get width. The women in the videos, by the way, wore 18 plus inches.

My braid pattern for my sew in was all back (think Leroy from Fame) with just my bang left out. I chose that braid pattern because it gives a flatter look ie minus the lumps and bumps. I was pleasantly surprised that (a) there was still a lot of hair left back when I got to the middle of my head) and (b) the volume of the hair. Now I am a known weave wearer but I HATE when my hair weave is too full - to each her own I guess.

The length of Duvessa was good for me and it was soft to the touch with some shedding. I should just add here that shedding is inevitable with all human hair- some just shed a little more than others. I strongly recommend finger combing this hair rather than using a comb or a brush to cut down on the shedding.

Since she is human hair, Duvessa can also be flat ironed - but I am loving these waves too much to go that way right now. 

Straight out of the pack Duvessa's waves are bundled together, nothing that some good finger combing can't fix. If you're thinking of buying the hair make sure that you blend it well with your own hair. My hair is not naturally wavy that's why I left out only a small amount of my own hair to achieve a seamless look.

If big hair is more your style, by all means buy yourself two packs.

For my Trinidadian fans, Duvessa retails at Glam Xpress , Shop #18 , Francis Plaza, Main Street, Chaguanas. You can also  find them on Facebook. 

Photo shows me wearing my Duvessa Remi Venice Wave from Glam Xpress. 

Hollywood 10 minute sew-in

I wear a lot of my home-made clip-in hair extensions now but long before I started doing my own hair I used to sit for hours at the salon  getting my sew- in done. I would never forget the lengthy routine - the washing of the weave hair, then the washing of my hair and the drying of both. The too-tight cornrows and then the  needle-pulling-thread action to attach the hair extension  meant at least three hours - four if you count cutting , layering and styling and a week of non-stop head tension.
It's for this reason a lot of women choose to glue or clip in extensions rather than get a sew-in done. I continue to be amazed by the creative ways manufacturers are catering to the needs of hair extension wearers. A good example of such is the  Hollywood 10  minute sew-in.
Designed initially for Hollywood celebrities, the 10-minute sew-in  has the look of a  sew-in with the convenience and coverage of a wig. Since the unit does not involve tracks,  it can be washed once it is installed in the hair and wearers would have more access to their own hair.
Much like an ordinary sew-in, the 10 minute sew-in requires wearers to braid their own hair before the unit is attached.  Wefts on this unit are at the front, the top, sides and at back. Your own hair can be left out at the top and blended with the hair extension.
Although it is said that the extensions take 10 minutes to put on, users have said it takes more like 30 minutes. Still, a track by track sew-in takes a lot more time. The unit comes in Malaysian Virgin hair in straight, curly and wavy which are sold by the oz. For the wearer the use of the high end hair  means that it  can be reused.

Soon enough the unit will be available using Malaysian Remy hair. Units featuring non-Malaysian Remy hair will soon hit the market to  make the 10 minute sew-in more accessible to hair-extension wearing women.

Celebs Elise Neal and Sherri Shepherd launch hair extension lines

I am really encouraged by the debut of hair extension lines by actresses Elise Neal and Sherri Shepherd. The Newlywed Game hostess ,Shepherd  became the face of Luxhair Now for Aderans Hair Goods in July. The collection features synthetic wigs and hair extensions.
Shepherd has always celebrated hair extensions and has reportedly worn wigs since she was a girl. Her twelve piece collection will retail for $69 to $99 US and come in eighteen different colours.
 Next month Neal will debut Hollywood Belle, a line of extensions by California Lace Wigs and Weaves. The collection will tie into Neal's sitcom titled Belles.
Neal, who has been wearing extensions for the last 15 years, said she always wanted to do a line of weave hair products  because she is well aware that women always want to switch up their looks.
Neal's Hollywood Belle will be made up of 100 % unprocessed virgin Malysian hair. The Ombre graduation style will be the first release from the brand and will sell from $185 US to $225 US.
Neal told Essence Magazine that hair should be an extension of a mood and a feeling. "I don't think hair represents who you are, but you can use it as an accent."
Neal joins a long list of female celebrities who have hair extension lines out including Vivica Fox, Beverly Johnson, Lisa Raye and Angela Simmons.

Here's a look at some of the hair extensions Elise Neal has worn over the years.