The beauty of you is how you wear who you are. – Timothy Egart
After so many of you have reached out about my latest hairstyle, I am super happy to have a place that will provide you with everything you need to know. This hairstyle is currently on repeat for me. Why?
It’s just so easy.
It feels like me.
It’s of great quality.
I take breaks for a couple weeks here and there to let my hair down (literally) and run my hands through my scalp (great for stimulating growth on a daily basis, btw!). But I quickly miss it afterwards for the easy lifestyle it provides that I fully take advantage of. However, there are a few things I don’t like about it and if you keep reading, you’ll find out why.
THE BACKSTORY
I’ve been told that I received my first perm at the age of 3. This truly speaks to the frustration and limited access to information my family must have had at the time. I was born with my crown, a very thick afro of unruly hair that I had to learn to take care of on my own in adulthood. After being natural for two years straight, I evolved so much that going back to bone straight sew-ins no longer felt like an option for me. I had fully walked away from perms, blowouts and embraced my 4C natural hair. The journey wasn’t easy though.
I dealt with the feelings of ugliness, less than and belittlement that I really had to work through. However I felt that day, I never covered her up in that time period. Overtime, my hair grew and grew to new lengths I had never experienced before. It was healthy and for the first time ever, I was frequently asked about my regimen. However, after having a baby, I started to slack off on the daily maintenance it required. My hair, like a plant, told me it was unhappy and started to break and weaken. I needed a protective style that met me where I was. I played around with some styles until I landed here, having most of my needs met.
THE HAIR
This is a u-part wig from Heat Free Hair. I’ve known about HFH for years and had always wanted to try their products but the price point to entry was a big barrier I carried mentally. There were countless opportunities where I could have purchased but did not see it as the investment that truly it is. In reality, by spending less upfront, I was actually spending more because the products did not last. I purchased this hair in March 2022 and as I write this, it is the end of August and with some tweaks, it’s still holding on strong.
When purchasing, I opted for the “For Koils” Empress U-Part Wig in a size medium cap (20”-22”). However, if you want this exact look and this look only, keep reading through the end because I recommend a different unit that will make life easier.
I selected this style for the ability to wear it curly or straight. I figured I could justify the price point with the flexibility of having options. I believed I could replicate that curl pattern with my natural hair for easy blending (the confidence I had only because of the time I spent being natural). I purchased a medium because it is better for your wig to be too large and adjust it than for it to be too small. Looking back now, my head is a better fit for a small. Please don’t be like me, please take the time to measure the circumference of your head, haha! The color of the wig ships in its natural state which is this beautiful brown, more brown than it is black.
I decided to purchase the hair for a spontaneous work-related trip and opted for the unit the same week of my flight. In order to give myself enough time, I spent the extra $50 to overnight the hair. The entire online experience was simple, streamlined and efficient. I ended up receiving my hair right on time.
THE APPLICATION
I often take this hair to my favorite hairstylist for the application. After prepping my hair for install, we usually decide what kind of parting I’d have and she’ll quickly part it for the leave out. The wig can be worn as a center part or a side-part, a versatility I love for the breaks it can provide my leave outs. I like to leave minimal edges out because I want to reduce any chance of breakage with as little maintenance and manipulation as possible. She cornrows the remaining hair and blows out the wig’s curls straight. The first time we did this, we were impressed with how it performed. The For Koils wig blown straight truly resembles my natural hair straightened. I have yet to take a straightener to this hair in this state to see how straight it can get but I am interested in testing that out.
This is when we could really see just how brown the hair is. My natural hair looked darker against it. Not enough for us to dye it right away but noticeable if you know what to look for. I decided to live with it and see how I feel about it over time. A few months into having it, I decided I wanted a better blend. We dip-dyed the wig and now it blends undetectably. After blow drying, she uses the clips of the wig to attach it. The clips are placed in areas that cater more towards a side part than a center part, which I’m not a fan of. She curls it with a wand, leaving a little hair at the end straight. We also did a little cutting to the hair to customize it to the shape of my face.
Is this an install you can do on your own? Yes, it is possible if you’re skilled in that. My struggle is getting neat, flat and spacey cornrows underneath the wig to help avoid bulkiness while still having easy scalp access. But isn’t it nice to sit in a chair and have someone else pamper you a bit?
THE QUALITY + MAINTENANCE
Simply put, this is a high-grade wig. It takes heat very well and curls quickly. The unit is very full in volume, I must say. So full that it’s hard not to make mention. Fuller than any other wig I have purchased, which pleased me in case it was prone to shedding. Which by the way, I don’t experience much of! Like…little to none, for the first time ever. It blends well with 4-type hair when straightened and 3-type hair in its natural curl pattern. Personally, I don’t like the natural curl pattern on me as much, so I always end up blow drying it straight after it is washed.
When I am chilling around the house, I don’t like to wear the wig for my own comfort. This helps to keep the wand curls in longer. And if I need to go out, I just clip the hair back on, shuffle it a bit and I’m out the door. The best wand curls on this wig are always same day. It doesn’t age well overtime and I usually find myself reaching for the wand again by day 2/3. I like to place the wig on a wig stand or something elevated at night to help it maintain its quality and shape. In the morning, I revive the hair a bit with a serum. After a month of using the hair, I did purchase the company’s Perfect Extensions Kit to help with maintenance and dullness.
THE CONS
BLENDING
This con is avoidable but a reality for my situation. Since I’ve tested out their product, I now have a better understanding of my preferences and needs. If you want my exact look and this look only, skip the whole blow drying process and try their Blow Out hair instead. I have blown out an electric outlet in my home by trying to get this curly hair straight (it wasn’t just the hair though, I was overworking that outlet honestly). It takes some time to get it to the point to wand curl it like I do. If I ever purchase again, this would be the hair for me.
Because this hair has its own natural state that differs from mine, I am back to avoiding the rain and highly humid conditions. If the hair curls up and I wasn’t ready for it, I would transform into something crazy very quickly.
MAINTENANCE
Like many wigs and weaves, be wary about the hair around the neck. This area tends to settle the heat from the back of your neck, often getting twisted and knotted, clumping together. You really have to work this area through before washing. It also makes it uncomfortable to wear for a long period of time and in hot weather.
The hair can get dull-looking overtime too, losing its new hair sheen. This prompted me to purchase their Perfect Extensions Kit to help remedy this. Because there’s so much hair in the wig, it requires a lot of product, like deep conditioner. The kit is only sold as a kit, although some of the products are of weekly/bi-weekly use and others could be used every day. You will run out of some of the products faster, facing you with the choice of purchasing more of what you don’t need. I also believe there are products on the market that will do the same thing, if not better. You would just have to do the work to find them if you aren’t already in the know.
You can’t brush through the hair without losing the curl. Perhaps this isn’t an issue with their Blow Out collection but it is for the one I own. Because the wand curls on the hair don’t last as long, giving you a bushier and wilder curl, I find myself trying to avoid touching it as much as possible. I end up applying more heat to it than I desire to.
CLIPS
The clips at the top of the u-part are sewn a little too far back which can cause the hair to peak up at the edges – annoying but adjustable with a needle and thread. Also, because their clips are sewn in places that cater to a side part and I prefer wearing my hair in the center, the clips can feel noticeable when applying but you do get used to it. My stylist and I removed their clips and replaced them with beauty store finds so that we can achieve a flatter, flawless look. However, the beauty store’s clips are of lesser quality, more uncomfortable and are reshaping over time. The search continues…
THE HEAT
This is a wig, which is very much like a hat. It gets hot under there, which makes you want to rip it off at times and let the air hit your scalp under certain climates. However, it is starting to get colder here in the MidWest and I am sure my feelings about this will change with the weather.
CREATORS
If a brand has a product that I absolutely love, I do my best to work with that company in offering something for my audience: everyone wins. After being contacted numerous times about this hair, my manager and I collected screenshots of the inquiries and presented ourselves to HFH for a possible alignment in partnership. I’ll keep the details short. About 3 months later, we had no certainty of their interest and received a budget rate far less than my norm which could rub the wrong way with improper delivery.
Unfortunately, I have no code or offering for you at this time and will not profit from this post as a creator. This is simply me being transparent and completely honest with you since many of you have shown interest.
Overall, if you are looking to invest in high quality hair you would be in good hands with this unit. With some tweaks and adjustments, you could find a lot of satisfaction with this hair over a long period of time.
