Recently I received a couple of emails asking me about wigs. Questions along the lines of how do I pick a wig? What styles to look for? What do I like?
So, I figured that today, I would hone in on a couple of my favorite wigs and a few others.
Before we look at the wigs, here’s a look at my natural hair.
I gotta say, my natural hair has aged in not the greatest way. It has become dry and brittle and much has to do with all the years I’ve colored it. Not to mention the pulling either! I’m also too lazy to mousse it so that the curls will be more defined. Add to that, the bald spots are just too big these days to chance it by going out with my “natural” hair down. It’s easier to wear a wig.
After washing and conditioning my hair, I sprinkled Toppik on the now larger than ever bald spots. Toppik still manages to work like a charm. However, the one issue I have is that presently, my fingernails are bare. While I’m not working, I thought I would give my nails a break from the gels and acrylics and let them grow on their own. Toppik’s fibers tend to get all over the place and that means in my nails. This makes my natural nails look filthy. Just sayin’.
Back to the wigs.
I’ll start off by saying that Storm, by Model Model is my all-time, go-to, favorite wig. There’s a reason for this. I’ve mentioned this in past wig posts. I’m not a fan of an overdone hairstyle. I think those looks are great for special occasions and parties and holidays but for the everyday style, I like a low-maintenance understated look. Storm fits the bill.
Storm, by Model Model Hair. There is not one con about this wig. I LOVE this head of hair and it is as though it was made just for me and only for me. (But it wasn’t). The length. The density. The texture. The style. The best! I’ve been wearing this unit since June–almost 4 months and she is still in fine shape!
I’ve taken this baby on vacation to the South of France this past summer and wore the unit almost every day. Storm remained comfortable even in the hottest temperatures. Walking and touring all day and out to dinner in the evening—this unit never disappointed. And, managed to stay in pristine condition. I finally washed the unit after three straight weeks of wear and she cleaned up well.
Here I am on the terrace in Theoule-sur-Mer. OMG. Look how fake tanned I am–perfect with my fake hair. Right Storm?
In fact, the first Storm unit I purchased was way back in February and after a few washings and a ton of wear and tear, I disposed of it. Believe me, the $32.99 (sistawigs.com) that I spent was well worth it. When I had more hair, I would spend over $40.00 a week on a wash and blow dry. Need I say any more?
My current Storm is the one I took to France and is still aging very well. I’ve ever-so-slightly trimmed a few ends after washing and she is in no way ready for retirement.
As you can see, I’ve got backups in both 1, which is Jet Black and 1B, a lighter, more natural off-black.
Hmmmm. Perhaps I should pick up another Storm! Whatya think?
Now—the thing about this wig is the parting space. Within the realm of four inches apart, it can be parted either to the right, or to the middle, or to the left. Most wigs have a right-side part. I’ve always worn my natural hair with a left-side part.
And even though this wig is advertised as being middle-and left-side part friendly, she still needs a bit of training to get her to the left.
One of my new Storms. Before I cut the lace off. I’m training this one to have a left side part.
I cut the lace and am holding the part to the left with a bobby pin. After taking her off, placing her in the net and putting her back in the box, the bobby pin should work fine to help train the parting space.
Lace cut off and bobby pin in place, I haven’t’ even tweezed the part yet. But she’ll go back in the box with the bobby pin in.
Three more views of this beauty. (The wig–not me). I realize that I haven’t tweezed the part nor added powder but without any manipulation, the wig is so natural looking. The price ranges from the low thirties online up to $40.00 at a local beauty supply store. If there is one wig that you purchase–consider this!
Next favorite is Konis. Konis is by It’s A Wig. I think I have more wigs by this company than any other company. I think the brand’s wigs are very well constructed, they are comfortable as all get out and they fit well. The quality is superior.
Konis. From It’s A Wig. The color TT99J/550 a delightful melange of burgundy. It’s like a fine wine!!!
Konis is also a favorite because of the “unstyled” style!
I have this unit in two colors. In TT99J/550 which is an auburn/brown/burgundy and in 1B/30. 1B/30 is an off-black base with strands (and sometimes chunks) of light brown and golden brown interspersed throughout. It’s really become a favorite with me because as I am older, I’m finding that a bit of a lighter color is attractive and flattering.
Konis at left in 1B/30 my new favorite hair color. I love the off-black with the light brown/dark golden highlights. Konis at right. TT99J/530. Maybe Bonaparte doesn’t care for this color because since it resembles a great burgundy, he can’t drink it!
Another look at Konis in 1B/30. Konis is a bit longer than Storm and isn’t as dense but is nonetheless a beautiful wig. The beauty of an unstyled style wig is versatility is key. This can be worn from day-into-night. From errands and to a luncheon with the girls. From work to after work.
Bonaparte isn’t a fan of TT99J but I love it. I think it’s a fun color that, when the light hits it a certain way, really looks very burgundy. And as someone who is conservative with hair colors, this is a momentous change! But a good one!
Next up is a bob. Juno. Another unit by It’s a Wig. I ordered this in TT99J/530 and the same wig in black. HairSoFly was having a sale back in May and the wigs were $9.99 each! A deal I simply could not pass up.
Juno. I love this bobbed style from It’s A Wig. It is an angled bob and shorter in the back–and that’s where the bobs get a bit high maintenance. They need to be combed back into shape a lot during the day. I’m lazy. And I have a nerve to say that because when I think of all the time and effort I put into wearing my natural hair in a bob–rollers, then drying the sections, then back into rollers then taking the rollers out then if I went outside and it was humid or raining…….
Now—here’s the thing with bobs. I love the style. I always have. My bio hair was styled in a bob for years. And having wavy/curly/frizzy/coarse hair, the struggle I had with the upkeep of this style was a challenge. The bobbed “do” only behaved during the coldest, driest days of the winter.
You would think a bobbed wig would prove to be the greatest solution for someone who loves a bobbed style but the natural hair doesn’t lend itself well to doing so. Well…yes. And no!
Yes, because it’s a thrill to finally be able to wear a bob and not have to worry about the humidity turning it either into a pyramid shape or just a mass of frizz. But, I personally find that with any bobbed wig I have worn, I am constantly combing it or fussing with it to get it to lay “just so”. It is a bit of a high-maintenance wig for me.
This is “Millie” by Bobbi Boss. I love the color–again 1B/30. I lucked out with this particular unit because the way it lays on my head is perfect. My other Millie doesn’t lay this nicely. This isn’t as angled as Juno but overall, I really like this one. This is a great “I’m running errands and will be out and about” wig!
And the other thing is that sometimes, no two wigs of the same style will lay the same way. Case in point with Bobbi Boss “Millie” wig. The unit I have in black just never seems to lay right on my head, but this unit in 1B/30 fits like a charm and looks like a charm.
Another view of Millie. I really like this one!
Bonaparte has been “hinting” to me that he would like to see me in more wavy/curly styles and a bit shorter in length. I love a straight wig—and he likes them a bit on the curly side.
This one is for Bonaparte. Texana by Freetress Equal. Big and bouncy. I love this for date night but it is too glamorous for everyday use. I’m training this one to veer off to a left-side part!
Another wig that I’m “training” for a left-side part is “Texana” by Freetress Equal. This unit that I’m training is my second Texana. My original unit is a right-side part and I love this wig for a date night. It is full and lush and very pretty. There’s a lot of hair on this baby. As an everyday wig, it’s a bit too glamorous for my taste but as a night out wig—it’s perfect.
Another view of Texana. I wore this on our recent date night to Spring Mill Cafe!
“Claudia” by Bobbi Boss is a wig that I’ve ordered at a good sale price but haven’t had the opportunity to wear yet. It’s a medium/long wig and is more on the silky side in texture. This’ll be a nice winter wig!
This is Claudia by Bobbi Boss. As you can see, I haven’t tweezed the part, and literally plopped her on my head for this post. This is where looking at video reviews helps. I saw this online and liked it. After watching TheHeartsandcake90 review on YouTube, I made the purchase and was happy I did. This will be a winter wig for me!
On a whim and on a sale price, I ordered this unit. “Feather Flip 4” from Isis Collection Red Carpet wigs. This is very va-va-voom. Should the occasion arise that Bonaparte and I are invited to any Holiday parties, I will be wearing this unit. It’s a bit long and I’m thinking of going to a salon to have it trimmed because I do like it a lot. But after butchering one of my wigs, I’m not going to take the chance on butchering another one! My hair cutting skills aren’t!
Feather Flip 4 from Isis Collection. Bonaparte likes this one. Actually, he loves it but suggested cutting a couple of inches off. I won’t attempt that one! This is way too va-va-voom for me. I’ll wear this at Christmas and if we go to any Holiday Parties!
Here’s another view. It’s very late 1970’s Charlie’s Angel’s looking! Nuthin’ wrong with that!
When you are looking for a wig remember to keep a few things in mind.
- Try to stick with what is in your comfort zone. Don’t go for any offbeat styles or any colors that you are unsure of. As you become more and more familiar with wearing fake hair, then you can experiment with style and color. But at the beginning stages, I would suggest being more comfortable.
- Stick with a style or “un” style that you like. Remember—if you start wearing wigs to work, you do not want a wig that is high maintenance. You want a wig that you can put on your head and forget about. That’s why I am all about the underdone look in wigs.
- Study the types of textures. Take a good look at your natural hair. Is it coarse or silky? If you have coarse or wiry hair, I’m telling you African-American wigs are your best bet. European-American wig companies, in my opinion, have more silky-Barbie doll-like textures and are overly shiny. In addition, the pricing is far more expensive.
Doesn’t matter though what your preference is because it comes down to what makes you comfortable.
My online wig stores of choice are: Divatress.com; Glamourtress.com; HairSoFlyShop.com; Sistawigs.com and Elevatestyles.com
Other online wig stores: Voguewigs.com; Cysterwigs.com; Wigs.com
(as an added treat, if you go to the Wigs.com site and search for the Brie wig by Vivica Fox, you can go to the reviews and weed through them. I wrote a review back in 2015 when I was a complete newbie to the world of wigs. I got a kick out of the review because I’ve learned so much since then!)
Hey. Did you ever wake up and realize that you aren’t having a good “looking good” day? Let me tell you something. I woke up with allergy-ridden puffy eyes. It didn’t help that I ate a ton of hidden salt over the weekend in the form of Kalamata olives either.
Anyway, the weather affects my face. Call me crazy, but it does. Does it affect your face?
That said, I was thrilled to open a nice box of goodies that my friends at Skin Actives. I was sent some products that I haven’t yet used and I will be using and reviewing.
I’m excited to try these products that my friends at Skin Actives sent me to review!
As you all know, when I review a skincare product, I give it a good two to three-week window of time to see if the product will work its magic.
I’ll be reviewing this Bright-I Cream.…..
Dream Cream, Desert Salt Scrub, Skin Brightening Cream (which I can’t wait to put on my age spots), and the Desert Salt Scrub (there is a caveat that the Desert Salt Scrub isn’t made for the face–but I used it on my face last night and my face felt sooooooo good!)
The Lip Care Kit is another one that I’m looking extremely forward to using because my lips are so dry…
A very unflattering photo of my mouth–but see how dry my mouth is? I can’t wait for the Lip Kit to work magic!
Hmmmmm.hmmmmm. This will be but to good use!
The Sun Set is another set that I’m going to take very seriously. Just because summer is about to end doesn’t mean we stop protecting our faces from the sun. Nuh uh!!!
I would think this is also great for protection against the extremes in weather during Winter sports activities!
Skin Actives is one of the two skin care companies I’ve worked with in the past. And I’m happy to be working with this company again because if I didn’t like the products, I wouldn’t be writing about them. And one of my HG products is the Skin Actives Collagen Serum. I’m almost down to the bottom of yet, another bottle!
I purchased this bottle of Collagen Serum a while ago and am almost finished. I apply this every day and I love it. Since using it on a regular basis over a year ago, there is an absolute improvement.
So, stay tuned because a review will be in the not-so-distant future.
Hope you all had a great weekend. Ours was relaxing and I’ll be attending a website class tomorrow. I’m excited and will let you know how it went!
SO, YOU BUY ON LINE…………….do you buy by SIZE?SMALL,MEDIUM, LARGE………..XX
The wigs are all constructed in cap size with moveable elastic straps. It’s a one size fits all kind of thing. XOXOXOXOXO!!!!
Love this post but I/We still have a question…how do you work the hairline on the wig to look so natural…this may be hard to write to explain…hope you can, because it seems to be the hairline that makes the wig look like you’re wearing a wig. In your photos, I would never have guessed that your are wearing wigs. Thanks Catherine. Oh…one more thing…do you wear the wig cap? The wig salon said my daughter didn’t need to wear the wig cap…I’m not sure what the cap really does. Thanks. 🙂
Hey Jeanne. No. I don’t wear a wig cap. I find them cumbersome. I put my hair in a low pony and pin it up or I put it in two braids Swiss Miss style and pin them up. I do wear a velvet wig grip that I purchased for six bucks and you can get them on Amazon. It’s basically a velvet headband but the velvet grips the wig so it won’t slip. To get the hairline to look as natural as possible I cut the lace as close as possible to the wig’s hairline (I buy lace or lace front wigs only). Then if the parting space is too thin, I take a tweezer and tweeze a wider part.
Then I take powder to match my skintone and go over the parting space with the powder which I apply with a very thin brush.
When I put the wig on, I will match the part of the wig with my natural part. There is always a slight line of demarcation and I dot that line with foundation and then blend it into my own skin. To keep the wig from “lifting” (this happens with soft lace), I’ll take “Got 2 B Glued” and dab a bit at the end of my hairline. That wig ain’t going nowhere!!
It sounds like a process-but it really isn’t. It takes less than five minutes to do my “hair” each day!!! Hope this helps!!!! XOXOXOXOXO!!!!
I really enjoyed that read – I learnt so much. Y’know when I finally grew out the hair dye and got a short hair cut my hair suddenly began to behave impeccably – that would be 53 years of waiting for it to play nice. I wouldnt say my hair is perfect, but we seem to have finally made peace – and I think a lot of it comes down to no longer fighting it and just growing into your own skin (or hair in our case). I dont care how we come by our hair – self grown, bought – whatever, it basically is just that – finding what works for you and you are looking amazing. People who havent had hair issues dont necessarily understand how much our identity and self worth are bound up in our hair, going short and white has really been a learning curve – people treat me differently, but I also behave differently – there is nowhere to hide when your hair basically glows in the dark! I am no longer Missus Mousey-hair. There is a thing about finally inhabiting our space and not apologising for being – you look amazing and so sorted, and I love all the sharing and the sisterhood you are building. Big Hugs
Hi Juliet!! OMG. You are so correct! Making peace with your hair. I love that!!!! I’m making peace with the hair I buy. I’ve pretty-much made peace with the fact that I destroyed my hair mostly with the pulling and picking because I will never get it back. And I’ve moved onward to wigs. But it’s true, unless people haven’t gone through these issues, they will never understand it! What is great about wigs is that you CAN find a style to fit YOU and your personality. Thank you tons Juliet. I’m really happy you enjoyed this post!! XOXOXOXOXO!!!!
Hi Catherine,
I love your posts on wigs. I wear eye glasses as you do. Is there anything special to consider when purchasing a wig to accommodate the glasses? Thank you! !!!!
Hi June. Some women have slight issues with glasses hitting the ear tabs. I’ve never had an issue and don’t even take the eyeglasses into consideration when I’m getting a wig. I think it comes down to personal preference!!!!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXO!!!!
Great blog Sis. I love reading your reviews and you are so cute😁
Thanks Sissy!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this wig post!!!!! XXOXOXOXO!!!!
I am wearing collagen under eye patches as we speak, it has been one of those days.
I am a blonde, so all my wigs are red and black (I am a natural blonde, I am not dying my hair when I want a change, so wigs it is). I do wear a wig cap under mine, but mostly because I still have a lot of hair to fit under those wigs (sorry), and to be honest, I would rather wash a wig cap than a wig. I love following your wig journey because I see so many cool styles thanks to you!
Hi Q. I love a red wig. Back in the day I went through a redhead stage and loved my hair red!! Wow. You bring up a good point about wig caps being easier to wash then a wig!! I’m glad that you are enjoying following my wig journey. Yeah. I like a lot of styles, but they are a bit similar!!! XXOXOXOXO!!!!
Catherine I think you are becoming such an expert on wearing wigs that you should consider getting you own line of wigs! Start crowd funding and go for it! I would consider wearing a pony tail if I could get a good recommendation from you. I have the gray thing going on. Keep up the great reviews.
Hi Pam! I don’t think that would ever happen, but I’m going to price webcams because I’m thinking of starting a youtube channel to do wig reviews!!!! We’ll see what transpires from this!!! XXOXOXO!!!!
This is a catch-up post. So thrilled that you are now Madame Bonaparte. You and Bonaparte looked very elegant in your French outfits and your wedding supper looked superb and straight out of Madam Bovary although your marriage will be far more successful. I really enjoyed your story on how you and Bonaparte met and the French film test. My confession is that I enjoy French films, would never wear runners/gym shoes in public but dislike Renoir. Moonrise Kingdom is one of my very favourite films and love the scene on the beach and all the music in the film. My daughter did Noah’s Fludde (Benjamin Britain at school.) You are a great cook and I haven’t made pastry for years and admire your skill – the lemon tart looks so delicious. Such a lovely surprise to get a “hamper” from France. I’m keen to try your foundation recommendations as I have not bought a foundation for years. I think I need to start wearing one properly. However, I cannot believe you shaved your face. I had no idea there was such a thing. I would have joined Bonaparte in the trauma ward with a bottle of Tylenol and bourbon if I’d been in the house. As you know I am so shocked to hear that you have lost your job and would bet a lot of money that the staff are missing you for not only your great office skills but having your sense of humour and fun and provision of homemade cookies etc. On the music front Richard and I have tickets to Steely Dan for October and we were so shocked at the death of Walter Becker. We both love SD and Can’t Buy a Thrill has to be one of the greatest debut albums. Dirty Work is my favourite track. The concert has not been cancelled so maybe they will get Jeff “Skunk” Baxter to play. The Weezer song was a huge hit in Australia on the alternative radio station (JJJ). And nothing beats a Queen song sung by Freddie.
Hi Yvonne! Whoa. You got SD tickets? I’m wondering if Michael McDonald will end up back with SD (he played with them for a moment). Dirty Work is one of the greatest songs of all time. Everything about it is perfection. Yeah. I’m suddenly jobless. Again. I’m teetering on fear and hope and I know that some days will be better than others but today isn’t so great. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. I’m looking forward to finding out what days in November you will be in my neck of the woods!!! XOXOXOXO!!!!
Oh my hat, if it was Michael McDonald that would be a dream. We so wanted to see the Doobie Brothers but they played here at a venue that you need a car – or a lift. The other concert we missed due to the venue was Steve Miller Band. Richard saw Randy Newman last night – he has seen him a lot – and enjoyed the concert but not the venue. Tickets were $100 which is fine but not reserved seat (which is not fine for the price) – just a barn with unreserved seating. You are so optimistic and I’m always amazed at how much you fit in the day. You will get a job.
Wow this is such a great post, so informative. I feel like I’ve been to a formal wig class, if there is such a thing, and every single one of them looks great on you. You definitely know what you’re doing and really should do a YouTube channel on wigs, makeup and even clothing for ladies and who are 50+. I haven’t seen anyone else who is as candid and concerned about these things as you are Catherine, and your sense of humor just puts you over the top. I’m so sorry to hear about the job loss, but this really could be a window of opportunity. I think you could be a YouTube star even if you just read the contents of your blog to us. It’s high time that someone over 25 gets a crack at a lifestyle YouTube channel, and you’re just the gal to do it!!!
Thanks so much Margaret!!! We ordered a webcam and I’m going to give it a go with the YouTube thing. We’ll see what happens. LOL!!!
Hi Catherine. Great post. I have moved into the world of hair toppers. It covers up my spots and blends with my own curly crazy hair. What did you read about commercial deodorant?
Hi Laurie. I just read that the aluminum isn’t good for your skin and I’m trying to be good!! XOXOXOXO!!!!
OMG…I love the Texana & Claudia on u!!!