So, I was at the salon waiting for my appointment this afternoon when I decided to actually pick up and read a box of Jessica Simpson’s hairdo clip-in hair extensions.
I’m not a faux hair expert, but I can usually spot bad fake hair from a mile away. Well, Jessica and her hairdresser, Ken Paves, sure fooled me because this stuff looks — *gasp* — like real hair.
It comes in short, medium and long versions of either curly or straight hair.
I like having long hair, but I’d love to be able to switch between long and short at the drop of a hat. I thought about the bob I rocked last year and came *this close* to impulse buying the 15″ wavy extension, which doesn’t actually extend your hair but makes it shorter.
And then I saw the price: $90! Wow! Isn’t that a lot? I don’t know squat about fake hair, but $90 sure sounds expensive.
I decided not to buy it this time, but I came close! If the urge for short hair strikes again, I just may have to give Jessica’s hairdo a try.
What say you about clip-in hair? Hairdo or hair don’t?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Asta says
July 9th, 2008 at 10:35 pmHmm, $90 is a little steep for me. If I were really desperate to try a new style I might go for it, but I hate parting with my money! It had better be the highest quality hair ever for that price.
Mary says
July 9th, 2008 at 10:39 pmHi Karen!
This is my first time commenting here (the shyness has kept me from doing it before), but I’ve been reading the blog for quite some time… and I love it!
It’s too bad I can’t try half of what you write about, since I can’t find most of it here in Brasil, and what I can find is usually *way* too expensive (and I’m just a poor Uni student!). But that doesn’t mean I can’t apreciate the tips, so thanks anyway! LOL
I don’t even really have an opinion on the hair extensions, I just wanted to say that the short curly hair looked great on you! The darker color looked good, too. I may be completely biased, having short, curly (and dark!) hair myself, but it really looked lovely.
Have a great rest of the week! = ]
Mary
Ellery says
July 9th, 2008 at 10:55 pmthe prices are crazy, it isn’t even real hair. i was so close to buying some but i realized it was fake, or i could pay £295 for the real human hair version.
i’m way happier with my full head set of human hair which only cost £69.99, so i’d never in a billion years buy jessica’s.
sarahPUFFY! says
July 9th, 2008 at 11:27 pmUhm, I buy my extensions for $8.99 at the hair store, and clips for $2.99. Its cheaper to make your own goddamn clip ins instead of buying them. TRUST ME.
sarahPUFFY!s last blog post..Happy July 4th!
Karen B says
July 10th, 2008 at 12:48 am90$ is just too much money for just some hair for me. For less than that I can get my hair cut, coloured, brushed and an extra gloss mask on it… I’m a poor student after all..
But it does look kinda neat…
Karen Bs last blog post..Meh
Holly says
July 10th, 2008 at 5:25 amHi Karen,
I have actually been wearing clip in hair extenions for about 3 years now and I love them! I love having long hair but mine is refusing to grow and I hate the idea of having something glued or sewn into my hair so they work perfectly for me!
I have looked at the Jessica simpson ones but they feel like synthetic hair and I really wasnt impressed by the quality for the price they are! I wear human hair ones and use a lot more hair and it still doesnt cost me as much as the jessica simpson ones, i really think they are just charging for her name!
I would definately reconmend clip in extensions though particularly for a big night out or something special which you really want to glam up for although you may get adicted like me and end up never leaving the house without them haha!
Terre says
July 10th, 2008 at 6:08 amI love the bob on you Karen it looked really cute!! The way you wear it now looks really good too, I’m just always in awe when I see someone who can really work a bob (I would love to but don’t think it would work for me).
Dao says
July 10th, 2008 at 7:20 amI think my hair is around the length of your hair in the bob picture. You look totally cute with long or short hair. Anyways, the Jessica Simpson hair thing used to be on sale in HSN or QVC and nobody really bought them. They ended up having steep sales from $400 something to $300 something. What a sale, right? Especially for fake hair!
Glosslizard says
July 10th, 2008 at 8:19 amThat’s pretty expensive, I’d have to research the usability lifespan before I caved! But I am just a leetle bit tempted! See, I have kinda long hair (about to the shoulderblades in back) but when I put in into a ponytail it always looks really short! I fantasize about having one of those beautiful long ponytails that falls elegantly past my shoulders….
Elena says
July 10th, 2008 at 8:26 amHey Karen,
Congrats on rocking that short haircut back in the day! I had short hair maybe five or six years ago, but it was an experience so bad that I may not repeat it for another twenty or more. 🙂 I don’t think I could ever work with hair extensions, especially at ninety dollars. The idea of them coming apart in public is a bit too freaky for me… Plus, I’d rather put those ninety dollars towards some good styling products or (another) straightening iron.
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 1:57 pmHi Asta,
Yeah, I hear ya. I periodically crave short hair, but it’s so high maintenance so I probably won’t go back to it again. I dunno – if I get tempted to chop it off I can totally see myself spending the 90 bucks for a quick fix.
Hope you’re having a good day. 🙂
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 1:57 pmHi Mary,
It’s so good to meet you! I’m pretty outgoing now as an adult, but I used to be very shy, too, (and I still am in certain social situations) so I totally understand where you’re coming from. So thank you for taking the step and introducing yourself.
I’m so glad that you enjoy the site. I’m always happy to offer tips and help so lemme know if you every have any questions.
Your hair sounds cute! Is it hard to maintain? One of the reasons why I ended up growing mine out was because it took a lot of effort and product to get it to look nice. Long hair is actually easier for me to maintain (just throw it in a ponytail and go!).
Anyway, study hard and have a good weekend if I don’t talk to ya. 🙂
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pmHi Ellery,
Do you end up getting clip-ins?
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pmHi SarahPuffy,
Thanks for the budget tip! I dunno if I have the skills to make my own but it’s good to know there are cheaper options out there.
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pmHi Karen B.,
It does! It’s very instant gratification, which I think is why it appeals to me. But dang it’s pricy!
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pmHi Holly,
Oh wow! I really gotta look into those human hair ones. Is there a particular brand you like? I hope I can find it here.
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pmHi Terre,
Thanks. 🙂 A really great stylist did that cut; it just ended up being so high maintenance (my hair grows really fast), so I ended up growing it out. You should totally try doing a bob! You gotta find somebody who really gets your hair, though — otherwise it can very wrong very quickly (and I’ve had my share of bad haircuts, LOL).
How’s your day been?
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pmHi Dao,
Wow! Talk about pricy. I just never realized how much this stuff costs!
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pmHi Glosslizard,
I knew a girl who wore those to work all the time. She had a number of “falls” (that’s what she called em) and spent a pretty penny on her collection. They were very I Dream of Jeanie-esque and made her look like a completely different person! I think it would be totally fun to wear one of those long ponytails for a glamorous black tie event along with a backless dress. Oh la la! Get that hubby to take you to the Black and White Ball next year so that you can wear one. 🙂
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pmHi Elena,
Aww, thanks! What happened during your short hair experience? Did you have super short Halle Berry hair (I love her cut — I just don’t have the guts to pull it off) or was it just a pain to grow out?
Hope you’re having a good day so far!
Tiffany says
July 10th, 2008 at 2:02 pmI have to admit, I totally almost bought one of these, not because I need more length, but because I wanted wavy ones. I would totally rock the wavy bob one that you showed. But then when I found out the price, I had the same reaction as you. Seems waaaay overpriced!
Maybe it will go the way of her dessert line and end up on sale when they discontinue it 🙂
Holly says
July 10th, 2008 at 2:04 pmHi Karen,
I use a brand called ‘sleek’ a full set of the longest length cost about $60 but thats about 3 times the ammount of hair in the Jessica simpson packs! The good thing with them also is that the colour range is huge they have them in flat colours or highlighted ones so you can get a perfect match, even i dont have a problem matching my highlighted blonde hair with them!
The only thing i would say about clip in hair extensions though is that for them to look real you need to have relatively thick hair. I have seen girls with thin hair wearing them and it is really obvious that they are wearing extensions but lucky for me I have a lot of hair so nobody can ever tell im wearing extensions!
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 2:05 pmHi Tiffany,
OMG! I’m glad to know I’m not the only one! I will keep a look out for sales — if I find one I’ll let you know. It would be awesome if they went on a deep discount like those Dessert products were on Sephora a few years back. 🙂
sarahPUFFY! says
July 10th, 2008 at 3:45 pmAll you need is super glue [don’t even need thread really, don’t really see why people suggest that]. Glue clips to hair and bam, insta-clip.
sarahPUFFY!s last blog post..UGHHH fuck the 4th of July.
Terre says
July 10th, 2008 at 5:49 pmHey Karen,
I totally know what you mean about bad hair cuts.. I’ve spent the past 5 months growing one out, and it’s finally starting to look a bit better! My hair is tricky because it’s wavy in the back and straight in the front.
I would try a bob if it would look as good on me as it did on you, maybe one of these days I’ll go for it.
My day has been pretty good, went to the beach for a bit. How about yours?
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 5:52 pmHi Sarah,
Well I’ll be damned. One of these days when I’m feeling crafty I might just have to give that a go.
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 5:54 pmHi Terre,
Ohhh, so you feel my pain. My hair is dual textured, too — wavy on the top and stick straight underneath! I bet you’ve got many interesting hair stories up your sleeve. 🙂
The beach sounds like fun. Do you have warm water that you can actually swim in and stuff? Today my day was okay. I had a hard time getting going in the morning, but the evening is looking up. I just came back from a killer run and then I’m off to the movies.
Miss QQ says
July 10th, 2008 at 6:18 pmYes I brought my comb, finally! Thanks Karen. Ooh I look forward to seeing your new hairstyle. I cut off my long hair last December and have been sporting a bob since then. I can’t decide if I want it long or short. Hope I can get some inspiration soon.
I wish my hair grows fast, so I could cut my hair short every year and grow it out. Then I can have half a year with long hair and the other half short. It grows so slowly that I’m bored LOL. But I’m lazy to clip on fake hair so I wouldn’t get them.
Elena says
July 10th, 2008 at 6:24 pmHey Karen,
I am having a good day, thank you! I just survived midterms and dodged an in-class presentation. 🙂 Hope yours is good, too!
I could never pull-off the Halle Berry haircut, I don’t have her awesome features to make it work. My haircut at the time was just too short and layered for my super thick, curly hair and my family didn’t allow me to use products (I was young and living back home then 🙂 ). Also, it takes forever for my hair to grow out, so I have to think more than twice before making alterations.
You should try the Halle cut if you’re game for it! You have the features to pull it off. Maybe try one of those online make-over tools though, beforehand to make sure you’re fully comfortable, cause it’s a pretty big step. 🙂
Also, I forgot to hit submit, so this comment has been in my computer for three hours already, lol.
Mary says
July 10th, 2008 at 7:04 pmHi Karen,
Well, I’m still quite shy, but I’m slowly coming out of my shell… I’m glad I finally around to commenting here, though.
You know, until 2005 I had really long hair, like all the way down to my hips. And it was a nightmare, because my hair is really curly, so it was always tangled and dry… Then one day I went crazy and cut everything off (but not on my own!), about two inches in the back, if that, and bangs down to my chin. And it was the best thing I ever did, because not only it looked so much better on me, but now that it’s down to my shoulders again my hair looks a lot healthier, the curls are much more defined, and it’s SO much easier to maintain. Even the volume doesn’t scare me anymore. Compared to what it was before, it’s not hard at all. With a good shampoo, conditioner and leave in product, I’m good to go. I don’t even blow dry it or anything. I leave the fancy stuff for special ocasions.
Well, if my hair looked half as good as yours, I might have kept it long. And I think people should go for what feels right at that particular time in their lives, you know. So maybe one day you’ll go back to the bob, maybe not. But your hair looks great both ways!
Sorry for the rambling!
Have a great weekend, too!
sarahPUFFY! says
July 10th, 2008 at 8:41 pmMhm! I still have to make mine…all I need are the clips [if you have a Sally’s Beauty Supply nearby…then they’re there!], and…well, now some fresh weave. Heh. Good luck, xx.
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 10:00 pmHi Miss QQ,
🙂 Glad you remembered it. I do stuff like that all the time (especially with lipsticks and glosses, for some weird reason), and swear it’ll be months before I find the item again!
Wow, that cut in December must’ve been liberating. Did you feel lighter after you chopped it off? I’m sure you’ll find inspiration soon! When I was at the salon yesterday I flipped through one of those hair magazines and found so many cute, edgy cuts that I liked (but could never get away with). Maybe if you go to the bookstore and look through one you’ll find something you like.
Anyway, hope you’re having a good day. We’re almost to Friday…
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 10:00 pmHi Elena,
Congrats on both finishing your tests and dodging the presentation! I hope you’ve got something fun or relaxing to reward yourself with tonight.
OH, girl. I have been there, done that – bad layered cuts plus curly hair plus no product is indeed a recipe for disaster. I think it’s like a right of passage for curly/wavy haired girls to have some sort of bad hair horror story, LOL. BTW, what products do you like for your curly hair? I’m always looking for new stuff to try…
I would totally do the Halle cut if I lived in a place that was warm all year long and if my hair didn’t grow so quickly. Those shorts cuts are really high maintenance! I had a friend who had it and while it looked stunning on her, she had to go to the salon every three weeks to keep it up.
Anyhoo, have a good evening! 🙂 Friday is just around the corner, WOOT!
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 10:01 pmHi Mary,
Okay, so I know what that crazy feeling is like when it comes to wanting to chop ones hair off NOW! I’ve done it several times, coincidentally most of them happened after major life shifts!
Ahhh, isn’t air drying a curly haired gals best friend? Giving up heat styling changes everything. Your hair sounds really pretty, and I bet it’s in really good condition now that you found a method that works for you. BTW, What products are your faves? My hair drawer is bursting with gel and I feel the need to add more to it, LOL.
Karen says
July 10th, 2008 at 10:01 pmThanks SarahPuffy,
I have a Sally’s a few minutes away! When I go I end up spending hours in there though… it’s both a blessing and a curse.
Mj says
July 11th, 2008 at 4:00 amA couple of years ago, I did get professional hair extensions which ran maybe $600? Maybe closer to $800-$1000 (Depending on the length, mine was bra length.), I really cant recall, but for two reasons.
One, I was getting married, and fairly soon.
Two, approx. a year before my actual wedding date, I permped my hair and boyy did it turn awful! I tried just growing the perm out, but I ended up cutting it to above shoulder length and got some sort of asian straightening perm (Which made my hair TOO flat) to just get the rest out and have a smoother finish. A couple of months before my wedding date and my hair still hasn’t grown as much as I hoped it would, so I began looking ONLINE for a near by beauty shop that did extensions.
I studied every form of hair extensions before stepping into the door of Phat Hair near SDSU, CA (phathair.com). These hair extensions were to last for as long as year without having to purchase new ones (depending on how well you took care of it that is) with prof. maintenance (Flat rate of $250 for full head). Not to mention that it was real people’s hair.
BTW, this was called Advance Locks & Shrink Links. The outcome was beautiful! She matched your hair so perfectly. In order to get a better understanding you would need to visit the site of how well she means to “blend”. Well I kept the hair for as long as I could without maintenance, which may have been up to 2-3 months.
Overall, the people at the wedding couldn’t even tell it was extensions, and I had my full head of hair back for a couple of months!
Oh and just recently, I ran into the Jessica Simpson extensions, and wasn’t too fond of it. Plus, it was $10 more then at your store. I fear the moment where someone was to rip it off your head out of anger and the embarrassment!
Here are a couple of photos, but the length of the hair doesn’t show too well :T (http://www.flickr.com/photos/_rnj/sets/72157605913872200/)
Glosslizard says
July 11th, 2008 at 10:09 amNow that’s a great idea! 🙂 Black and White, here we come!