How To Choose A Virgin Hair Vendor

Hey Y'all!

It seems like everybody and their mother has jumped on the virgin hair selling bandwagon. It has become easier to get a wholesale connection, set up a "flashy" website, and set up shop. It's safe to say that the Virgin Hair Market is almost over-saturated with "newbies" jumping in because they see $$$$. They don't see quality. They purchase sub-par lower grade hair (yes hair is rated by grade) from wholesale vendors overseas tie a cute bow on it and sell it you.

I wanted to share some lessons and tips that I have picked up over the years.

1.~ If something is too good to be true, then it probably is. Let that be your be your guide.

2.~ When looking at a vendors website check for spelling and grammatical errors. I'm not trying to knock anybody's hustle but if you have a lot of spelling errors and your sentence structure barely makes any sense on your website, you won't see a dime from me.
I came across a new vendors site last week and they copied and pasted from a more repetubale vendor's site. How did I notice? The copycat forgot to remove the other vendors name. FAIL.

3.~  Do NOT rely solely on the opinion of Bloggers, Vloggers and YouTube Guru's! If you see a "new vendor that's hot" on the YouTube review circuit, proceed with caution. Especially if the all the reviews popped up around the same time. Vendors know that if they send hair to YT Guru's and Bloggers that it's a great FREE marketing tool.

4.~Do use these outlets as part of your research. Take the reviews with a grain of salt. Remember they received the product for free. It's almost human nature to really love something that didn't cost you a dime.  It's happened to me before, I wont name the vendor b/c they don't exist anymore. They sent me hair to review and I loved it! It was free, pretty in the package soft to touch did what I expected and then a few weeks later it turned into rabid llama hair. I never posted that review because I wanted to wait and see how to hair behaved before I posted anything , within that short period of time the company was gone. I'll bet 8oz of  24" Virgin Malaysian hair that the vendor changed it's name and re-opened shop under a new name. I have personally seen vendors be "exposed" in hair extension forums for using friends to post video reviews on YouTube. Of course reviews of that nature will be biased lies.

5.~ I've found most of the woman in the Bloggesphere and YT World to be friendly and reply to these types of inquires. I also find that sending a private message or email elicits a more honest opinion (asks how they feel about the hair after a few washes, four weeks later, ask if they re-used the hair or plan to re-use it, ask if they would purchase with their own money. If you do see a review on a vendor your considering purchasing from send the reviewer an email and ask how they feel about the hair after a period of time (ex. after a few washes, four weeks later, ask if they re-used the hair or plan to re-use it, ask if they would purchase with their own money). I've found most of the woman in the Bloggesphere and YT World to be friendly and reply to these types of inquires. I also find that sending a private message or email elicits a more honest opinion.

6.~ Always check out the longevity of the vendor. If it's not clear on their website, contact them. You can even check the registration date of their website/domain. Be your own detective.

7.~ If the vendor has a free website keep it moving.

http://www.XXXXXX.weebly.com/ <-- Seriously? This vendor doesn't care enough to own their own domain? That's a bad business move in my opinion.

(This is a screen clip from a "new vendor")

8~ Contact the vendor prior to purchasing from them. Test out their customer service. How do they handle inquires?  Do they have a phone number? Do they return calls in a timely manner? Do they only provide customer service via email? Are you comfortable with that?

9~ What is their return/exchange policy? READ it before you make an transaction.

10~ Research, Research, and Research some more.
Check the Better Business Bureau
Ripoff Reports

Black Hair Media has a wealth of vendor related information in the Weaves & Extensions Forums and Weaves & Extensions Forums (Newbies).  Tip: Google the vendor name and BHM (ex: ABC Haircompany, BHM)



 

*Disclaimer* Yes, I am affiliated with Black Hair Media as a Blogger but I was all over there website and all up in the forums long before this opportunity came about.You can also see that I've mentioned the site and forums in previous posts before becoming a part of their blogging network.

 

11.~ Do not make your decision based on price alone. I did that once and I regret that purchase. I should of stuck with my previous more reputable vendor, but I got caught up in the bandwagon effect. I have some left over in my stash and it's clearly labelled DO NOT USE! It looked great for about a month then it swelled, matted, tangled and died. R.I.P.  I am willing to pay a little bit more to a vendor that has longevity, a stable reputation and good customer service.

I hope this tips are useful to you as a guide when searching for a dependable and reputable Virgin Hair Vendor. If any "vets" are reading this post. How do you research vendors?

XoXo

Kendall

Young Fabulous & Female

Hey Y'all

I had the honor to attend an awesome event that took place at the W Hotel in Buckhead Atlanta last Tuesday. The event was hosted by The Root and sponsored by Target, called "The Beauty of Success".

The Root hosted a panel, moderated by Jacque Reid journalist and on-air personality, Beverly Bond, founder of BET’s Black Girls Rock,  Terri Vaughn, actress; Meet the Browns, The Steve Harvey Show, and a host of other television shows and movie roles.  Tracey Ferguson, editor in chief of Jones Magazine; Donna Byrd, publisher of The Root.  Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George, SWV singer and author.(Cheryl Gamble "CoCo" and Leanne Lyons "Lelee from SWV , also participated in the panel).

The evening was a celebration of prominent, young and female women, the panel dicussed topics such as "What are the secrets to developing both inner and outer beauty?" "What challenges do successful black women face as they shape their careers and images?" "How does one find a mentor or become one? " "What must we do to increase the ranks of the young, fabulous and female within our community?"  The panel also opened the floor to audience questions as well.

I was invited as "Media" and Idid my best to be a good "journalist"... I took pages of notes  and tons of pictures and tweeted live along with the event (#youngfabandfemale). I almost didn't attend the event. When I recived the press release and invitation to attend as "press/media", I thought that I was being punked or that the PR Company contacted the wrong blogger... I mean I'm "Just A Girl". Will I fit in with these people? Am I pretty enough? Will I wear the right clothes, shoes?

I forced myself to go, something in my head said "if you don't go you will regret it", so I called my bestie and she said that she go with me. I took my defeatist attitude and looked in the mirror and said I deserve to go, I deserve this opportunity. Being a professional job hunter really takes a toll on yourself esteem. I find myself feeling like I don't deserve to do anything or go anywhere because I don't have a full-time job. I dropped my attitude, found a cocktail dress in my closet slapped my Spanxx on at went..

[caption id="attachment_615" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Salomon, Clemons, George, Lyons, Bond, Ferguson, Vaughn, Reid (Photo Credit:Jason Chunn)"][/caption]

I'm so glad that I went. I can sit here a type up dialouge of the entire event it's all in my notebook.. Instead I want to share some quotes and words that stuck with me and hopefully while reading them some may resonate or strike emotions within you..

"Inner beauty is what makes you fabulous".

"Self-esteem is a work in progress, water it and watch it grow."

"A man with a dream & no plan is a man with a wish".

"Learn to deal with the no's".

"When you pray ask God to make it OBVIOUS."

"When you see someone doing something you like, support it".

"Man's rejection is God's protection".

"You don't need to be in charge of something to make a difference".

"Remain humble and remember where you started".

"When we are all propelling each other, we all rise to the top."

Here are some photos from the event; click to enlarge.

[gallery link="file"]

I ran into Ms. Bombchell there! She reminds me how short I am. She's like Kimora Lee tall and I'm Snooki short >_<

The second best part of the evening were the gift bags!!! The bags were so cute, I would of been more than happy with just the bag.

Each gift bag had inside a $25 Target Gift Card, a really nice black Target Notebook, Target Pen (and it's a good pen, I'm a weirdo when it comes to pens and this one is a keeper), & a full sized tub of Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding.

Ignore my Press/Media Pass... I'm obsessed with it for some reason. I hung it on my fridge. It's kinda inspirating and looking at it reminds me to stay focused on my goals.

*A short video clip I took of Terri Vaughn telling us what makes her fabulous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_rQvWyBNvg

 

 

What makes you fabulous? Leave a comment and tell me :)

XoXo

Kendall

Smokey Eye Addiction

Hey Y'all...

Hi, my name is Kendall and I have an addiction (admitting the problem is the first step..) I am addicted to smokey eyes... It's bad y'all. Give me a color and I will smoke it out, any color seriously.

I got an email announcement from one of my favorite makeup lines Urban Decay. They've been on a roll this week. The Black Palette is HERE... I want this palette like now, asap!!! My mind is telling me NO you don't need it, now pay your bills. I hate when my mind is the boss of me :(

I wrote a post earlier this week about the Naked Palette. My main reason is because it's full of Urban Decay duplicates that I already own. The Black Palette is new to me, no dupes!!! I checked my Ammo Palettes and Book of Shadows II to confirm.  My only wish is that Oil Slick would of been included because it's one of my favorite colors, and I'm hitting some serious pan on it. :(

 

[caption id="attachment_583" align="aligncenter" width="125" caption="*Click to enlarge"][/caption]

 

The palette contains: 1 Travel-size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (black), Travel-size Eyeshadow Primer Potion: Eden (matte nude) & Six Eyeshadows: Black Dog (richest matte black), Barracuda (black with silver sparkly shift), Jet (black with purple sparkly shift), Sabbath (black with blue sparkly shift), Cobra (black with golden sparkly shift), Libertine (black with emerald sparkly shift).

It will be availble in stores soon but is availible on Urban Decay's website. It's retailing for $36.00.

I can't get it right now :( but I do plan on adding it to my collection soon. Will you be adding this palette to your collection? What are your thoughts on it?

XoXo

Kendall

How To Reuse Your False Eye Lashes

Hey Y'all

I wanted to do a quick tutorial on re-using false eyelashes. In most cases false lashes are re-usable if you take care of them.

They wont last for ever but with certain brands such as NYX, MAC, Darkness & Shisem can be used up to possibly five times.

Step 1~ Remove your false lashes and set them aside. I'll be honest. After a late night out sometimes I have to force myself to wash my face. I wash remove my lashes, and deal with cleaning them the next day.

These are the Ardell Lashes that I wore last Saturday..

Step 2~ Take some makeup remover (Ponds Cold Cream works too) and a cotton round and gently remove the mascara and glue residue. I prefer cotton rounds because the cotton fibers don't end up sticking to the lashes. I also add a little baby oil or even EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) to the mix. The oil breaks down the glue.

That's the mascara and glue residue... Eww

Step 3~ Gently rinse in water to remove the makeup remover and oil. All clean.. Not 100% but reusable. I got all the of the mascara and liquid liner off as well as most of the adhesive.  Set them aside and let them dry..

Step 4~ Place them back in the case that they came in to store them. This will help them retain their shape.

That's it. Super easy!! Times are hard and lot of us don't have extra money to spend. I'm all about saving a buck when I can. I wore these lashes again for an event that I attended last night. I retired these lashes after last night. I love Ardell lashes but the spine is quite flimsy so I only expect wear them two or maybe three times.

XoXo

Kendall

My Wefts Are Sealed... How to Seal Your Wefted Hair Extensions

Hey Y'all!!!

I wanted to do a short tutorial on how to seal your wefts. Its a very simple process that can extend the life span of your hair extensions by reinforcing the weft (making it stronger) and eliminate excessive shedding. It will still shed a little maybe a few little hairs in a brush.

Until I'm proven wrong ALL HAIR SHEDS! Milky Way Hair, Unicorn Hair, Cheap Hair, Expensive Hair, Horse Hair Llama hair, Barbie Hair, My Little Pony Hair, Bougie Girl Hair...

The better quality the hair the less it tends to sheds (and that statement can vary because there are so many vendors). I've found that quality vendors tend to make stronger wefts for the most part and there's less of an excessive shedding issue.

~What You Will Need~

Time (at least 1hr), Wefted Hair Extensions, Sealer, Application Bottle (if needed, some sealants come in a tube and the hole is too big), Rubbing Alcohol, something to protect your surface and lay the hair on (towels, mannequin head, cardboard, table or an ironing board.)

Step 1~ Purchase your desired fabric sealant.  You can find fabric sealant in any craft store, Wal-Mart or you can purchase sealant from some hair vendors.

If your looking in the craft store look for or ask for Fray Block or Fray Check etc. If you ask for Hair Weft Sealer you will probably get the side eye.

I use Dritz Fray Check, which I purchased at Micheal's or Jo-Ann's (can't remember). Some hair vendors sell their own brand of sealant which your can order from their website. Dritz costs about $2 for two small bottles that came together in one package. I have only used Dritz Fray Check. I'm not stuck on that brand & I'm open to try new things but I've had success with it. I've heard good things about Aleens Fray Check some Hair vendor branded ones as well.

Step 2~If your doing this to new hair or even used hair make sure the hair is dry. I prefer to wash and condition the hair prior to sealing. The order is up to you as long as the weft dry when you apply the sealant.

Step 3~ Find your workspace. If you select a sealant with a strong smell choose a workplace that's well ventilated. Do this someplace where your know no one will touch it or move it while it's drying. I like to lay my tracks down on a towel on the floor.

Step 4~ Place the sealant on the tracks. Run it along the length of the weft, applying it directly to the weft .

I like to lay my tracks down on a towel on the floor. To save space and not have a whole interstate highway system of hair tracks lying around, I lay down my first bundle towards to the top of the towel seal, then place another towel down then lay the next track.

*If you squeeze to hard or drip use the alcohol to clean up the excess before the product dries. Do a practice row on a paper towel, old magazine page first to get an idea of how much comes out of the tip you you know how much to apply and how hard to squeeze the bottle.  If your sealant comes in a large tipped applicator try pouring into something smaller to lessen the chances of the sealant spilling or dripping on the hair.

Step 5~ Let it dry.The drying time will depend on what brand/type of  sealant you use. Most "dry" quickly but it don't "cure" immediately. Do NOT WET OR WASH the hair for 24 hrs. or for up to five days depending on the sealant you choose to use.  Be sure to READ the instructions on the bottle or package.

Step 6~ Once it's dry to the touch or your satisfaction flip over and do the other side of the track of you want. I've done this about 4 times and have only sealed one side of the track and have been satisfied with that result. I know some ladies who prefer to do both sides. I know some ladies that double seal. So do what's best for you.

Once completely dry it should be clear. If your heavy handed with your sealant you may look a little white or you may see a clear whitish residue. If your install is good NO ONE SHOULD SEE YOUR TRACKS... EVER... <- - - Word to Britney Spears!

XoXo

Kendall

Easy Smokey Black Eye FOTN

Hi Y'all!!

I wanted to share a quick and easy Black Smokey Eye look. I was headed to Aurum Lounge in Mid-town Atlanta for my friends birthday Party and I was in the mood for a smokey black eye look. I've been quite obsessed with the black smokey this winter. It's become one of my go to looks.

Step #1 ~ Prep & Prime your eye. I used Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

Step #2 ~ Apply a black base on your eyelid and bring it slightly above your crease. I used MAC's Blacktrack Paint Pot. I also like to use NYX Jumbo Pencil in Black Bean for this type of look. Don't worry if its not perfect, that's what blending, makeup wipes and Q Tips are for.

Step #3~ Apply a Black Eye Shadow in your crease and blend it out and up. I used Urban Decay's Oil Slick (Black with silver glitter). I also applied my highlight color MAC Woodwinked on the brow bone.

Step #4~ Press a black shadow onto your lid. I used Too Faced Black Suede.

Step #5 ~Apply lashes (if your in the mood). I also lined my waterline and lower lash line using Urban Decays 24/7 Pencil Liner in Zero. I used Ardell Lashes #106 -Black.

*The flash washed out the color a bit and makes it appear more silver than black...

Step #6~Fix your brows. Blend out any harsh lines. Clean up any glitter fallout (Oil Sick is quite glittery). Line your upper lash line with a black liner. I used NYX Liquid liner in Jet Black.

Step #7 ~ Finish your face! I like to apply my foundation etc. after I finish my eyes especially when I'm using dark colors or shadows with a lot of fallout so when I'm done with my eyes I can clean it up and not ruin my foundation etc.

I don't know why my mouth is open in this pic :(

Cheesy fake smile shot!

I look a bit frightened in this shot..

When we were walking back to the parking garage we noticed that Jimmy John's was giving away Free Smells?? WTF??

XoXo

Kendall

Let's Be Neutral & Naked

Hi Y'all!

I received an email from Urban Decay announcing that their infamous Naked Palette is available again for purchase on their website and will soon be available in stores! I thought I'd share because I know a lot of people who are trying to get their hands on this palette.

I'm a big fan of Urban Decay's espcially their 24/7 Pencil Eyeliners and their eyeshadows. Although the NAKED palette is beautiful and is perfect for someone looking for a nuetral palette, I think I may end up passing on it for now. I already have a a lot of these colors between my Book of Shadows II Palette Ammo Palette and single shadows in my collection. Off the top of my head I counted 7 colors that I already have.

When I really looked into it it would only make sense for me to purchase this palette for "collection" reasons or for backups of colors I really like and honestly I own a lot of eye-shadows and I could probably dupe many of the colors from other brands especially from my Two Faced Neutral Eye Kit (which I love and is slightly cheaper than the UD Naked Palette.

The Naked Palette has also increased in price a bit because instead of getting a 24/7 liner eyeliner pencil they threw in their Good Karma Brush. It's retailing for $48 which is a good deal if you take the price of single shadows, Primer Potion and the brush into account.

Eyeshadows Included~Virgin (nude satin), Sin (champagne shimmer), Naked (buff matte), Sidecar (beige sparkle), Buck (brown matte), Half Baked (bronze), Smog (golden brown shimmer), Darkhorse (bronze-plum shimmer), Toasted (taupe-bronze), Hustle (mocha shimmer), Creep (near-black metallic), Gunmetal (dark grey metallic).

Travel-size Eyeshadow Primer Potion: Original formula and Good Karma Eyeshadow Brush.

Even though I originally wanted this palette I'm glad that I took a step back and really thought about it. I have seen the palette and its great and I would recommend it to someone looking for a high quality neutral palette or to some looking to build their stash. I do wish that Urban Decay would come out with more great colors and stop recycling and remixing existing ones into new palettes.  >_<

XoXo

Kendall

Bloglovin' Test Post

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Product Review: Cantu Shea Butter No Drip Hair & Scalp Oil

Hi Y'all!! I got a new product that I wanted to share with you guys.

Cantu Shea Butter's No Drip Hair & Scalp Oil..

My hair tends to get very dry during the winter months. I cannot express how important it is to take care of your natural hair if your wearing a weave or extensions. If you are wearing a "protective style" don't neglect what's underneath!

I recently self-installed, translation I did my own weave/extensions. No I didn't document the process. I will probably never do it again. To the self installers out there BLESS YOUR HEARTS!!! It's not for me. All the braiding, and sewing for hours... My arms were burning my fingers got numb.. Every fiber of my body hurt. I got tired of staring at myself in the mirror. I was isolated from society for like a day and a half. Overall it looks good and will tide me over until I get to see a professional.

Anywho, back to the product review. I purchased this product because I was getting the "Day #2 Itches". My natural hair gets randomly itchy after a new install. I refuse to "pat my weave", I personally think its tacky when done in public.

Cantu Shea Butter- No Drip Hair & Scalp Oil Claims the following on their website.

Cantu® No Drip Nourishing Hair & Scalp Oil is made with pure shea oil, tea tree oil and jojoba oil to replace vital oil in your hair leaving it stronger and healthier with a natural shine while conditioning your scalp.

Cantu® No Drip Nourishing Hair & Scalp Oil is for daily use on any type of hair, wet or dry.

Cantu® Shea Butter “No Drip” Hair & Scalp Oil helps…

• moisturize dry brittle hair with deep penetrating oil & emollients


• form a thermal barrier to prevent dryness and split ends


• protect hair against heat and sun damage

I found the packaging of this product perfect!!! Since it comes in a nozzle type bottle, it is easy to get the product under your extensions to your natural hair easily. The "No Drip" formula is perfect and makes application less messy.

I also use it on my leave out (natural hair left out to cover the tracks), edges and on the back of my hair where I left some hair out. I find it easier to squeeze a bit, like a pea sized amount  (a little goes a long way) on my fingers.

Please don't use this product directly on your extensions if you wear them. They will look like  greasy H.A.M. (Hot A$$ Mess), and you will have to wash it out. Although I have used a little bit on my ends.

I've been using this product for over a week and I really like it.

Pros:

• Very affordable. I found it in Wal-Mart for $6


• Good for various hair types


• No mess due to the no drip formula

Cons:

• The product tends to separate a little in the bottle and since it's thick you can't shake it.


• It's very easy to squeeze out a lot of product due to the consistency and you might get a little more than expected.

Rating: Out of 5 ♥'s I give this product-♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

XoXo,

Kendall