A quick thank-you to Haven

[gwendolyn]

Hi, sweetie!

I just wanted to thank you again for sharing all those details about the hair extensions you used on your wedding day. I have been looking into the options, and am getting very excited about the possibilities of having dream hair for my wedding days. I even spoke to J last night about it, thinking he was going to call me crazy, and he was 100% behind it and thought it was a great idea!

So now I am absolutely positively bouncing with excitement as at the very least, we''ll be able to afford to get the clip-in variety (which hopefully will be comfortable), and at best, will be able to get the kind you had for your wedding! J even hinted that maybe I could get some clip-in ones soon to test them out--wasn''t thinking I would get them quite this early, but I just love that he''s all for it.

Anyway, I am really very excited (in case you can''t tell?

) at the thought of having fuller hair, and never would''ve thought it was something I could realistically have if you hadn''t shared all you did. So, thank you, hon! I really appreciate it.

 

[kama_s]

Hey Gwen, I think I missed your thread on hair extensions, but seriously DO IT!!! My hair is just below my shoulders, but I wanted long, flowy curls on my wedding (silly me, chopped off 10inches+ last summer). So I just ended up going to a little hair kiosk in my neighboring mall and bought clip-on human hair extensions. They were AMAZING, and I loved my wedding day hair! I have zero regrets about it!

Just make sure you get the real human hair ones, the advantage with that is that you can use them several times again and you can treat it just like human hair, such as shampoo, condition, and even colour!

 

[Haven]

Aw, Gwennie, it''s my pleasure!

If you do buy the clip-ins, look out for deals. I bought both of my Jessica Simpson sets when they were 50% off, so they each cost about $50. Seriously, though, look for a reasonable stylist and get the glue-ins for your wedding day, they''re totally worth it!

I can''t wait to see pictures!!!!

 

[gwendolyn]

Oh, kama, it''s great you replied actually, because in case our budget doesn''t allow for me to get the glue-in kind like Haven had, the plan is to get the clip-in ones because I KNOW they are in budget (yay!!!), and I was wondering if they felt comfortable all day or if they hurt or felt weird or anything--or if anyone had to touch your head for any reason and notice that they were there? Not that I can really imagine that happening, but I tend to plan/worry for all scenarios.

So it is GREAT that you used them and are raving about your experience! Woohoo!!

Haven, seriously, reading about how happy you were with your extensions and then explaining so much about how to go about finding a stylist who will put them in (for less than a small fortune) and how much they should run me was exactly the push I needed to really think about doing them myself--for some reason, they seemed out of reach, like they were something only movie stars use, y''know? (Wow, that was probably the biggest run-on sentence of my life.

) It probably sounds silly, but it makes me happy. I will definitely do some research to make sure I get the best deal, as there''s no rush to buy (besides my own impatience, that is, hehe). Woohoo!

 

[kama_s]

Date: 8/9/2009 1:21:49 PM
Author: gwendolyn
Oh, kama, it''s great you replied actually, because in case our budget doesn''t allow for me to get the glue-in kind like Haven had, the plan is to get the clip-in ones because I KNOW they are in budget (yay!!!), and I was wondering if they felt comfortable all day or if they hurt or felt weird or anything--or if anyone had to touch your head for any reason and notice that they were there? Not that I can really imagine that happening, but I tend to plan/worry for all scenarios.

So it is GREAT that you used them and are raving about your experience! Woohoo!!

Absolutely comfortable! They aren''t heavy and they shouldn''t tug on your hair at all. Infact, surprisingly, I forgot I even had them on! I was initially concerned that they might slip off, especially if people keep giving me big bear hugs. But the key thing is to make sure the person putting them on you knows what they''re doing. You''ve got to tease your hair enough for them to stay on all day, and more so if you have fine hair (like me). But seriously: BEST. DECISION. EVER.

Can''t wait to see pics of yours!! You''re going to love it!

 

[gwendolyn]

Oh, whoops, should''ve proofread my last post, since I only bolded part of your name, kama.

Are the clip-ins really able to be put in securely if you do it yourself, or do you need a stylist? I am not sure yet, but may be doing my own make-up and hair for the weddings, and would maybe be putting in the clips myself (again, if we can''t afford a stylist to put in the glue-ins). Do you think I''d be able to do it myself? My hair is both extremely fine (can''t grow past my shoulder blades because it''s so fine it breaks) and thin, which is why I love love love the idea of the extensions, but also want to be able to do them myself if possible, to save money and so I get the most use out of them.

 

[kama_s]

Hmm....this one's tricky. I know people who put on their extensions themselves when they're heading out with their girlfriends, so it's definitely do-able. I think I just don't have the patience to spend time with my hair, the whole ordeal frustrates me. I tried once to insert them myself, but it wasn't done properly at all, so the clips were quite obvious and they kept sliding out. And it sounds like your hair is even finer than mine, which means it would need to be teased like mad to stay on. I'd suggest trying to put them yourself at home, and if you are able to do it then it's fantastic. But I'm thinking you might end up needing someone to put them on you on the wedding day(s).

Glue-ins are much much more expensive. They run upwards of 1K, from what I've heard. You can get nice extensions for around 150$ or cheaper, and if you can try to find a hair stylist to put it on for you for around 50$ then it would still be relatively reasonble.

Do you know anyone who has extensions at home right now? Or could you try to fnd a store that sells open extensions? It might be worth a try to check them out and see how easily you can insert them before you buy.

 

[gwendolyn]

Yeah, I figured it wasn't *quite* as easy as they make it look in the 'how to' video (part your hair, clip the clips, and you're done!).

Oh well, better I know now, and honestly, I don't mind putting in a bit of work if it means it'll possibly be the most amazing my hair has ever looked. PLUS, J is such a sweetheart that if I asked him to tease my hair for me and then put in the clips, he would probably learn how (after asking me what it meant to tease hair, hehe

).

Plus, the hair extensions that look the most promising (and in budget) aren't really all that crazy expensive--they're actually the same price as this absolutely fantastic armchair that I got over the weekend at a charity shop--just £30! (Sorry, that was totally random, but I'm still over the moon with how good a deal this chair was! But anyway...

) So even if they are more work than I had hoped, or if they need to be redone halfway through the day or whatever (neither wedding is going to be regimented time-wise, so if I do need to adjust them, it wouldn't be the end of the world), it's no biggie.

 

[Haven]

Gwennie--I put the clip-ins in myself, they really aren''t that difficult.
There are about six clips, and the instructions that came with mine were great. It''s really important that you tease the hair where the clips will go in, especially if you have fine hair, and make sure that they are snug once they''re in.

It took me a couple tries at first, but they really aren''t that hard to use at all. Once you have them you''ll see.

 

[gwendolyn]

Yay! Glad to hear that you didn''t really have trouble with yours, Haven hon. Can''t wait to get some and try them out!

 

[kama_s]

Aww, how sweet of J! I think you can definitely do it with J''s help. Lots of teasing and hair spray required.

My extensions were a set of 6 actually. Two strands had 4 clips each and four strands had 3 clips each. The two big ones with the 4 clips went at the back of my head, one on the crown of my head and the other right beneath it. Two of the 3 clip strands went on each side, again, one below the other. I needed these many extensions to have a layered look, which you would need if your natural hair is shorter than your extensions.

Practice makes perfect! Can''t wait till you get them and try them out at home! Make sure you try putting them on a few times before the wedding, so it''s second nature on the day of. You''ll LOVE them!

 

[gwendolyn]

*bump*

Just wanted to tell you guys something sort of amusing. We went up to see J''s family last week for a few days, and decided to tell J''s mom about the possibility of hair extensions. J''s mom says she''s against weddings because they''re a waste of money, so I made sure that I told her that they''d probably be the clip-in kind that cost about as much as a decent haircut. She got excited (she loves getting her hair done and insisted that I get my hair done at her salon on ''the big day''), and said that I should join her on her salon visit for a consultation on how much her salon''s hair extensions would cost.

From what Haven had said in the other thread about the extortion-like prices salons charge, I knew they would almost definitely be very pricey, so I tried to warn her that it would probably be way out of budget. She insisted it wouldn''t be more than £100 and that if it''s that much, she''ll pay half so that I can have the most amazing wedding hair (she''s very sweet

). The estimate? Just shy of £400. Her response: "Oh, that''s....interesting."