Thursday, July 29, 2010

Wig Review: Jacquelyn Blond Band Fall

Posted by Unknown at 11:47 AM 1 comments
This review is about a blond band fall manufactured by Jacquelyn Wigs which is based in New York.   Based on their website, they manufacture everything from Custom European Wigs to Synthetics and they also make integration pieces (Toppers, clip on ponytails, hat falls).  A lot of their styles pictured on the website look like they were photographed in the late 1980s or early 1990s, but they have added some newer styles as well.  Also, I couldn't find any wigs on their site with multi-directional skin top, so I am curious to know if they make them.  If you know anything about them please comment.

Thanks,
Chavi

I heard you had a terrible experience as a kallah before finding the wigs and falls you were happy with.  Would you care to elaborate on this?
I first bought a Yaffa on Ebay for my sheva brachot which was pretty but very tight on my head. I wound up selling it to someone else on Ebay about 2 months later and purchasing a Milano. That was a disaster for multiple reasons and I went a while without wearing any sheitel due to the trauma of it all.  I finally decided to buy a Shevy last year and invest the obscene amount of money that I knew it was going to cost because only spending that much money would force me to wear a wig!

I am so sorry to hear about your mishap.  I actually also bought a Yaffa on Ebay and a Milano when I first got married!... I’ll elaborate on it later.  I am glad that you finally feel comfortable and happy in the wigs you own now.  Let’s talk about one of your headband falls. What made you decide to purchase a Jacquelyn?  Where did you hear of the brand? 
It was purely by chance that I bought this fall. I happen to go into the store of a local Los Angeles sheitel macher last summer and saw that she was having a sale on long Jacquelyn falls and Galit Italia wigs. 

How many other sheitels did you try before deciding on it? 
The color of this fall immediately caught my eye so I gravitated right to it. I tried on a full Galit Italia wig just for fun but I wasn’t in the market for a full wig at the time.

What color is your Jacquelyn?
Dark Blonde with blonde highlights-I had cut the tag out since it was itching so I don’t have an exact color number.

Did you have a specialized wig cap size?
No-the one problem I had with this fall was that the cap was too large. I had to take it in to be fitted smaller. The sheitel macher sewed up a bit of material on the sides to make it conform better to my head.  The cap is my least favorite part of the fall. Although it was sewn to be tighter, it isn’t great. Since it is a fall and not a full wig it doesn’t bother me to wear it. Were it a full wig it would have been more uncomfortable.

Please describe the hair texture and quality.
The hair is silky and straight.  I am very happy with the hair quality and I receive many compliments on how my fall looks.  I have even washed the fall myself a few times and let the hair air dry and had no problem with knotting while wet.  I do prefer to have it professionally washed and styled though. 

Would you buy a Jacquelyn again?
I think I would go with a Tori or an Elka for my next wig but I do like this fall.  Since it was on sale, it was only $800.  I love my fall’s highlight pattern.  I had the fall cut elsewhere but am extremely happy with the cut. 

RATING:
Weight/comfort: B+
Hair Quality: A-
Skin top: N/A
Durability: B+
Appearance: A-
Cap Construction: B-

Overall: B+



Monday, July 26, 2010

Wig Review: SHEVY Wig (semi-custom) in Dirty Blond

Posted by Unknown at 10:42 AM 9 comments
I conducted an interview with a fellow dark blonde in Los Angeles on her stunning out-of-box (semi-custom) Shevy wig.  Shevys are best known for their customs that have been popular among kallahs (Jewish brides) for at least the last 5 years.  Please note that by semi-custom I refer to "high-end custom quality" but that Shevy Wigs manufactures for retail sale without a custom order.  The term semi-custom became most prevalent when wig companies decided to manufacture high quality wigs resembling their customs but to be available for immediate purchase. This is an 18 inch style number Shevy MB 17951. Enjoy the review!

Chavi: How did you go about purchasing this Shevy?  Did you have to go to their NY showroom?
LA: No, I actually got it through a local sheitel macher (wig stylist and distributor).  She ordered 4 Shevys from New York from me and I got to try each of them on in her studio.  I selected this one from the bunch.

How much did you pay for this piece?

$2600

I noticed the wig has highlights.  Are those highlights from a mixture of natural virgin hair or color treatment?
The hair came from a mixture of natural virgin hairs but I recently had a few more highlights put in by somebody I really trust and I was very pleased with the result.

Do you wash it yourself or have it washed by a sheitel macher?

While some women wash their own wigs by themselves, I know better than to treat a $2600 wig with anything less than professional hands. In other words, no!:)


Do you think the skin top is really realistic?
Yes-the appearance of the skin top is the best on the market.
I especially like how flat the wig lays on top of your forehead!


Does it give you headaches? 
Surprisingly no


Does the cap fit you well, is it comfortable?  
This is by far the most comfortable cap I have ever worn. I have tried about 5 different brands and this cap is truly unique in its construction.


Shevy sometimes has a reputation of having hair that is prone to knotting.  Have you found this?
This is a tough question. I know that Shevy wigs have a reputation for knotting but I think that may occur when the wig is worn for an entire day which I have yet to do so I can’t comment. I can say that when it is worn for several hours/half a day I have not experienced knotting.


Would you order from them again?
In retrospect I think I paid too much but that has more to do with the fact that I am not a daily wig wearer (or at least as of this point). As far as prices for Shevys go, that is within the ballpark of what ladies pay but when I think of what else I could have gotten for that money I would not have done it again. For example, I hear wonderful things about Tori Wigs in New York which run about half the price of Shevys for excellent European hair quality. 
I have also heard praises of Tori Wigs and I hope to review some of their pieces soon.







RATING:
Weight/comfort: A
Hair Quality: A+
Skin top: A+
Durability: A
Appearance: A
Cap Construction: A
Overall: A

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Wig Styling Tools Online

Posted by Unknown at 2:21 PM 3 comments
Chavi,
Where can I get styling blocks and clamps online?
E

Dear E,
Here are some various options at different price points.
Canvas Wig Heads:

 Canvas Wig Head * 21-1/2" Head





Styling blocks or canvas heads are helpful because you can pin your wig securely to them.  Thy come in various sizes so you can buy one that is the proper size for your wig.  They resemble a head so that the style will look the same when you are wearing your wig after the styling is done.  Clamp head bases come in two varieties: a clamp that adjusts to fit on a table or counter and suction cup.  The suction cup model has a chance of coming loose, but will hold if installed properly.  It is important to have a tight fit so you can get the proper tension with the wig while blow drying.  T-Pins are used to secure the wigs onto the heads and they can also be used to place side bangs over when storing your wig so they are "trained" to be out of the face.  Please watch my video series on washing and setting a wig to see how to properly pin a wig to a head and utilize a styling block and clamp.

Wig Clamps:



Suction Clamp


T-Pins
Salon Care Steel Wig T-Pins

Blow Dryer for Human Hair Wigs

Posted by Unknown at 12:59 PM 0 comments
Dear Chavi,
I would like to purchase a new blow dryer for setting my sheitels.  Do you have any recommendations?
Thank you,
Jessica
Dear Jessica,
Throughout my single life I struggled with wavy frizzy hair that could only be straightened with a proper blow dry and perhaps occasional straightening with a flat iron.  Therefore, I spent a lot of time trying out various types of blow dryers.  I think it is important to have a "salon-grade" blow dryer.  They will make the appearance of the wig setting better overall, should minimize frizz, and are apparently less damaging.  I have noticed different outcomes of hair depending on the quality of the blow dryer.  The professional dryers have more wattage, hence more power and therefore a quicker and better set.
BaByliss PRO BAB2000 Professional Ceramix Xtreme 2000 Watt Hair Dryer
BaByliss PRO
I personally own the BaByliss PRO BAB2000 Professional Ceramix Xtreme 2000 Watt Hair Dryer which is one of the most reasonable at under $40.  There are obviously better blow dryers than this one, ranging upwards of $200, but I think in terms of buying one that is reasonable it does the job.  It has cool, warm and hot temperature settings and high, medium, and low air speeds so you can find the setting that you are most comfortable with.  Also, recently my mother treated me to a haircut at a salon and the cosmetologist had this BaByliss, the same one that I owned at home!  It made me feel great that I was using a blow dryer that professionals use.  My hair came out great, and then I covered it and went home =)  One of the downsides to this blow dryer is that its loudness and that the handle can get hot if you have it on too long, however neither of these "issues" have ever bothered me.  It is VERY powerful and hot.

Sedu Revolution TGR 3600 Hair DryerIf money is no issue then I would get the Sedu Revolution Pro Tourmaline Ionic TGR 4000i Hair Dryer which is much quieter and has many heat levels and choice to blow dry with ions or without ions.  It will dry your hair or wig faster and is advertised to reduce frizz.  I have not tried it myself but it has received raving reviews from both customers and magazines. It looks fabulous, but it is over $150...
Also, before attempting to blow dry your wig, please refer to my video on blow drying a wig straight to make sure that you do not damage your wig when drying:  Blowdrying a Wig Straight

Best of luck,
Chavi

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Dear Chavi: Summer Frizz... HELP!!!

Posted by Unknown at 3:32 PM 3 comments
I am having problem with 2 of my sheitls lately.I cant get them straight!My hair stylist says she cant get them flat and straight like I like, I called my s.m. who told me she has been habing problems and reciveing calls lately from other customers having the same problem. The hair is untreated and natural, and has no chemicals in it, so apparently the humidity of the summer is creating these problems. Does this make sense? Is it happening to you? Could I have over styled them and they will never be the same again?Help!
I have owned my sheitls for just over a year now and have washed 1 about 6 times and the other 2x. Could I have ruined the wig by doing so/ they r both pouffy now,and can't be bothered to wear them.Should I wait till the end of summer and then rewash and style.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Best,
NP
NP,
Usually a wash and set won't ruin a wig.  What kind of wigs are they?  Did you wash them yourself?  Do you live in a humid climate? 
Thanks,
Chavi

virgin russian hair.  I send them to my stylist. Its been very humid and muggy. More so then usual is 6 times a year too much? I got nervous bc my stylist told me she can't get it stick straight. I called my s.m and she told me she has been having the same issues with her hair(the wigs)and had to bring a de-humidifier into her show room. My shetils are made by a lady named yonit. She uses only virgin unprocessed hair. 

6 times a year is not too much.  I know women who get their sheitels washed monthly.
I think the problem here is absolutely the weather and the humidity.  I wouldn't worry.  Did the hair look stick straight when you first bought it?

It was straighter, but i think b/c it was not as hot as it is right now...All my sheitl from the lady i bought are pouffy now, the only one that isnt is a processed one from another company...I will retry again in late aug to wash it again.  Thanks so much! -NP
I would purchase some Biosilk Silk Therapy Serum.  This stuff is amazing.  A little goes a LONG way.  It is great for de-frizzing.  All you do is put a pea-sized drop in your palm, rub it with your hands and spread evenly over the sheitel.  I would avoid the root area.  You can also then brush and comb through to evenly distribute.  If you use too much the hair can end up oily.  It helps smooth fly-aways down.  I used to use it on my natural wavy/curly hair and it worked wonders whether air dried curly or blow dried straight.  Keep in mind that VIRGIN unprocessed hair is going to react to humidity the same way as the hair that grows on our heads does.  Using salon-grade products as directed will not damage your sheitel and can provide the look you desire. 

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Question: What kind of curling iron should I use?

Posted by Unknown at 2:44 PM 0 comments
Hi Chavi,
What kind of curling iron do you recommend to curl a human hair sheitl?

When it comes to working with human hair sheitels we should try to treat them as well as possible.  Therefore, it is worth it to spend the extra money to invest in professional styling tools, rather than just buying the cheapest curling iron on sale at CVS.  I recommend the

BABYLISS PRO Nano Titanium Spring 1" Curling Iron (Model: BABNT100S)
This irons use titanium and ceramic barrel technology that provides smooth, easy curling control. The results are shiny, frizz free curls and waves. Available in four barrel sizes.





far-infrared heat penetrates hair quickly, heats hair evenly from the inside-out, curls hair in a fraction of the time with superior results and with far less damage.  They are pricier but work faster and have better results that traditional curling irons that penetrate hair from the outside-in, exposing hair to moisture loss and damage.
Good Luck,
Chavi

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Dear Chavi: My Poor Freeda

Posted by Unknown at 3:55 PM 2 comments
DISCLAIMER:  Every wig is different, and every sheitel macher has sold amazing, good, fair and bad pieces.  Every sheitel company has produced amazing, good, fair and bad pieces.  Unfortunately buying a sheitel requires mazal (luck).  Every woman will probably end up with at least wig that she is unhappy with in her lifetime.  None of my posts are intended as loshon hora towards a company or sheitel macher, rather just to discuss problems people have had with particular pieces.  Mentioning the brands are necessary in order to provide context into price and reputation of each individual wig. 
Dear Chavi,
When I was a kallah 8 yrs ago, and as a clueless BT, I was persuaded to buy 2 custom Freedas (a full and a band) for a small fortune. I never loved them, simply because I never ended up with a style that felt comfortable for me til a couple years ago when, the hair and hairline of the full sheitel were already way too thin. There was  a hole in the cap, too, and the hair was really oxidized, even after being dyed twice over the years. But the hair on both sheitels was still amazing, just thinner, after all those years. Silky, natural, gorgeous hair. But with a cut that was more "me" I knew what to look for when getting a new one.
I think most kallahs have this problem with their first sheitels.  It is hard to get used to ourselves in a wiggy style, as opposed to how our hair looked before marriage.  It looks like you spent a lot of money but they lasted for a long time.  You must have worn them a lot if you ended up with a hole in the cap!  Was that from washing or from general wear?  Have you considered adding more hair into the full sheitel and repairing the cap and maybe getting it cut?  You wore your two kallah sheitels for 6 years!!! and the fall still looks good??  That is INCREDIBLE
So, for my second attempt at buying a sheitel, I went back to the Freeda warehouse, no sheitel macher this time, and thought I would just get a precut.  I got the Riva Long in a medium brown. I tried to get one that had as little red as possible. Oxidation is a problem with Freedas. It has some natural highlights in it - I never dyed it. Who knows how much they processed it though before i got it. Also, I think it dries straight but I've never washed it myself. I never noticed any texture or frizzing problems til now. I don't need a special size, but i wanted the Freeda quality. I got a great sheitel. Hooray for me....then got a cool cut. A couple inches below the chin, angled bob with the front a bit longer than the back. Kind of modern looking. The problem? It's only been washed a few times over the past year and a half since I really only wear it 4 times a month but I just noticed that it is full of split ends and the actual ends feel a bit rough. My 8 yr old band fall has better looking hair at this point. The split ends go all the way up the locks.
When did you first notice the split ends?  How was it cut?  If it was cut with a blade on the ends instead of scissors it can cause split ends to form faster. 
1. I just moved and tried out a new sheitel macher, who is a friend so i would feel bad of accusing her of anything - but did she do something unintentionally? Was she too rough on the sheitel?
Do you think it is possible that maybe she just isn't a very good sheitel macher?  If you noticed in my videos, my sheitel macher pointed out that an improper blow dry can make the hair look frizzy and appear to have split ends which could be minimized if set well.  How many times has she washed it?  When did the problem start?
2. The climate here is hot and humid - is that making the split ends show? The band fall looks totally fine but maybe b/c it hasn't been outside in this weather is why it looks better. But i think it started to look like this in NY; i honestly was so stressed and busy about moving i just wasn't paying attention. But at a wedding I wore it to in November, it definitely didn't have this issue...
The humidity could be causing the frizz to show. 
3. Is my sheitel a lemon? Is it slowly getting "straw" hair? No $1700 Freeda should look like this after a year and a half!
As I stated above, every brand produces good and bad pieces.  Afterall, it is a sewn item and there can be defect.  MAYBE the current condition is a combination of how the sheitel was cut, how it is being washed, the weather and back luck?  I agree it seems like a lot of money spent if the piece is actually headed towards an early retirement after a year and a half.
I could call Freeda but it's not like they could fix one small part of the wig. The whole thing has split ends. They're not going to replace it at this point, so long after the sale and after 2 sheitel machers have handled it. The color and cut and fit still look great so people still think it looks nice but when you look up close you see all the split ends and when i run my hand up the hair, against the grain so to speak, they feel so rough. What do i do??? And I'm no longer in NY so I can't go to them in person....
It doesn't hurt to ask.  I mean, they can say no, they may not do anything, but maybe some good will come of it.  Maybe they can sell you a new one at cost or something or half off.  Again, maybe it just needs to be set with a certain hair product to make it look sleeker. I used to put hair serum on my naturally wavy/frizzy hair.
I'm really upset over this. I hate sheitel shopping, I hate the expense and I was so happy to have something i liked wearing after all these years. If I spent so much on a sheitel that's not gonna last more than 2 years, I'm tempted to buy a cheap one next.

Advice?
Cheap sheitels seem like an option.  You have a darker hair color so you may be happier paying less money.  Also, you are wearing a shorter bob style which would only cost about $500 in a cheaper brand.  When we pay over $1500 we expect our sheitels to last at least 3 years, so I understand your concern.  However, a cheap sheitel might only last one year or less.  I really hope that the Freeda customer service comes through.  

Another thing to consider: sheitels lasting 8 years is unheard of these days.  I only know a few people in that boat and they had really expensive custom sheitels ($3500-4000).  You should consider yourself lucky that your fall and kallah sheitel lasted for 8 years.  Maybe they aren't making them as well as they used to.  Or.. you could have just been unlucky with your purchase.  I would love to hear what happens and if styling products can help hold the style better.  Another comment: longer sheitels have more room to be trimmed after split ends form, whereas shorter styles like your bob do not have much wiggle room in case the ends do become broken.  


And don't worry, the sheitel doesn't look that bad in the pics you sent....
Regards,
Chavi

Guest Post by West Ender Rebbetzin

Posted by Unknown at 10:58 AM 0 comments
My friend and fellow blogger, West Ender Rebbetzin wanted to write a post about her new "pony sheitel".  The post was originally on her blog and is re-pasted below with some extra pics of the cap!

A Sheitel Story by West Ender Rebbetzin

I have a pretty sweet Yaffa sheitel that is made from high-end “virgin” European hair (i.e. never treated, dyed, or processed).  It was marketed as a “semi-custom” / “out-of-the-box custom”, which I’m pretty sure is just a buzzword in wig marketing because there’s nothing custom about the cap or hair of this wig-- it's just a very well-made wig that was cut out of the box.   A true custom sheitel is for women with large or hard-to-fit heads, or other special needs.  

I paid a lot for this semi-custom business, but in the end was unhappy with the cut.  I didn’t find it particularly youthful or flattering, and the front layers were shorted than I would have liked.  

I wasn’t sure what to do.  I looked into reselling it, but there’s practically no market for used wigs, and it’s not hard to understand why.  When you can get a really awesome-looking Milano for $400-$600, why would you pay even $300 for a used wig?  Like a car, apparently, a wig loses its resale value as soon as you wear it out of the shop.  So, I was reluctant to give up the tangible asset, a very fine wig, for $300 or even less.
Then I started thinking about what my next sheitel purchase might be, when the time came to get a new one.  I looked around at what style of wigs I liked on other young women, and I was charmed by the pony sheitels. 

I think pony sheitels are “the new fall”—I see tons of young marrieds wearing them, they are often sold cheap (“kallah special-- buy 1 European wig, get a pony for free!”) They are advertised heavily in frum as as a great alternative to a fall when you want a casual sheitel.  A pony has even more advantages over a fall, because it’s quite cool for the summer to have the hair off your neck.

A Milano pony sheitel sells for about $500, but it occurred to me that possibly, just possibly, I could bring my Yaffa wig to my sheitel macher and see if it could be converted into a pony!  I did, and indeed, to “convert” a wig into a pony involves an investment of a whopping $5-$10 to have a wide comb sewn in at the nape of the neck.  This extra comb anchors the wig at the bottom, which gives a more realistic appearance that the hair is growing out of your head when pulled upwards into a ponytail.

Here is what my new pony looks like!  It’s been SO cool and breezy and fun to wear for the summer.   In my humble opinion, I think the hair at the neck looks quite natural when pulled upwards into a pony.  I left the original side bangs as they were; the front layers that are too short to fit into the pony, I clip back with one snappy clip each. I am quite happy with how this turned out!





A few last words about picking a brand of sheitel:

Yaffa isn’t generally considered one of the “better” or “higher-end” sheitel brands.  I think they are better known for their cheaper lines of wigs, like human/synthetic blends.  But as my sheitel macher told me: “a wig is always mazal,” meaning you never know when you’ll get a winner or a lemon, since they’re hand-made and hair sometimes misbehaves.  

I won with this particular Yaffa sheitel.  Despite being unhappy with the cut, it is a gorgeous and beautifully made wig.  The virgin hair is silky in a much richer, more natural way than my sheitel made from processed hair from South America.  The woman who does my wash and sets has said that my Yaffa is a “very nice piece”, and she sees a lot of sheitels!  So don’t be too afraid to go with a brand that isn’t the hottest in sheitels these days.  My Yaffa rules, and I have friends with Shevys (the most high-end brand that I know of in Brooklyn) that are losing hair after just a few months.

Have an awesomely wiggy week, ladies!


 *****

Thank you for that awesome post.  Considering the wig was not cut originally as a pony I think it looks great!  Those long side bangs really make it look natural.  I do not even notice that the front layers are being clipped back.  Also, usually pony sheitels have the hair near the back of the neck sewn upwards so it makes a more natural pony, but I think yours works just fine.  This is a great example of working with a wig you already own instead of giving up, trying to resell and taking a gamble with something new.  I think we can all learn from her example.

Not a very large skin top, which makes it even more suitable as a pony wig.  The comb they sewed in at the bottom looks excellent and allows the pony tail to be made properly.

Friday, July 9, 2010

How to get curls to hold longer

Posted by Unknown at 8:38 AM 0 comments
Dear Chavi,
What product should I use to keep my curls from falling out when I set my wig?
Thanks,
R

Dear R,

TRESemme European Tres Two Hair Spray, Extra Hold , Climate Control Formula 11 oz (311 g)My sheitel macher recommends Tresemme Hairspray for setting curls.  The best part about her recommendation is that Tresemme is a very affordable hairspray.  When applying, don't spray too much, it can cause hair to become sticky and clumpy. Each hair texture requires a different amount of product to keep it curly, and some will not hold curl no matter how much hair product you put in it.  Also, do not spray the hairspray before curling with the curling iron...

Best of luck,
Chavi

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Wig Review: Custom Brown Allegria Sheitel

Posted by Unknown at 4:19 PM 5 comments
I interviewed my friend to find out more about her custom Allegria wig.  Her shaitel is a medium brown color.  My questions will be bold, her answers in black, and my comments in purple.
 
Does the cap fit you well, is it comfortable? 
The cap is too small on me. They charged me $200 (!) to get an XL cap, which was a bit of a ripoff. I happen to have a massive head and a ton of hair, but they did measure my head before ordering the cap for me and I always felt like the cap was still too small. This causes two problems for me. Number one, it gives me really bad headaches when worn for a long time. Number two, the wig always slips back on my head so a little bit of my hairline actually shows.
I wonder if they actually checked the measurements of an XL cap and whether your head is bigger than XL or if they made a mistake when placing the order. 

Does it give you headaches?  
Yes!

Does the hair knot?  
Almost never. It's really stunning hair. It sometimes knots a bit behind my neck, but not enough to really be an issue, and overall the hair is really smooth and natural feeling.
That is amazing news.  Its hard to find good hair on a sheitel nowadays...

Do you think the skin top is really realistic? 
Ya the skin top is okay, I've seen better, but it's pretty realistic.

Have you ever washed it yourself?   If so, what was the hair like when wet?  Did it knot? 
I've washed the sheitel myself many times and it dries really nicely. It dries straight, not curly and is really easy to blow dry.
Sounds like it really is very high quality hair.

What kind of hair was advertised to you?  Do you feel it was worth the price you paid?  
When I bought my sheitel, they talked to me a lot about how good the quality of their hair is and how the hair is treated minimally so it's as natural as possible. I really felt like it was quality hair and I got my money's worth.
Based on my research, I think you are right about this one.  Sounds like you got amazing hair.

Was the wig custom or pre-made? 
I'm a complete ignoramus when it comes to sheitels, but I'm pretty sure it was custom made. I chose out the color, length, and size and waited a few weeks till it came in.
Sounds like a custom, still doesn't explain why the cap is too small...

Did you order it from Allegria directly or a sheitel macher? 
Sheitel macher.

Did Allegria succeed in making the wig the way you ordered it? 
I was pretty happy with it.
If not, what would you have wanted to be done differently? 
I wasn't so happy with the color. I had been warned that Allegria often has too much red in their sheitels and I felt that was the case with my sheitel. My sister also has an Allegria and had a similar issue. Her sheitel looks great, but it has a reddish tint (not from oxidization, it's always been that way) and she has absolutely no red in her real hair color! They do a good job of blending the different colors in the sheitel, but for some reason I often see that Allegria sheitels have random redness to them, and on people that naturally have no red in their hair. This is before the sheitel even oxidizes in the sun, and the "red issue" seems to just get worse as the sheitel gets older.
Reddish browns are not rare, unfortunately.  Maybe the hair they have access to is redder than your natural hair.  Its possible that your hair is ash toned and they use warm-toned hair.  I think there is a smaller supply of ashy brown hair available in the world.

How much did you pay?  
The sheitel was $1900 but she charged me $2100 to get an XL cap, which I felt was a complete ripoff. But overall the price matched the value of the sheitel. 
That's really not expensive considering it was a custom wig, however I wish the cap had been large enough for you.  I wonder why they would charge $200 extra for an XL cap if presumably every wig is made to order... MAYBE because it requires more materials, but not $200 more materials...
How long did it take to be ready?
It took about 6 weeks for the sheitel to come in, but that's pretty standard in far away out of town unheard of places like Toronto, because the sheitel was sent in from NY.
Yeah Toronto is exotic and waaaay OOT

How was the Allegria customer service?
The customer service was okay, not great. They're not so professional, but the woman who runs the store really seems to know her stuff when it comes to sheitels and I felt like I trusted her opinion and expertise. 

Would you order from them again?
I would order from them because I felt their prices very reasonable for the value of the sheitel. I would hesitate though for a number of reasons:
  • Their stylist really was not very good, I wasn't so happy with how she cut the sheitel. She really didn't know what she was doing. When I paid for the shaitel, a haircut was included, and I felt a little cheated that they didn't even have a decent stylist to cut it for me. When I bought the sheitel they almost encouraged me to get it cut elsewhere, so it seems like they're aware that she's not great.
  • I don't think it's fair to be charged an extra $200 to get an XL cap. XL is not such a crazy size, and besides, it's a CUSTOM sheitel, which means custom made to fit my hair color, length, and yes, size of my head. I am certain it does not cost the manufacturer $200 to make a cap an inch larger. On top of that, the XL cap did not even fit my head properly and I still get headaches from wearing my sheitel.
  • The reddish streaks in the sheitel bother me a little, because it makes it look less natural for me. 
RATING:
Weight/comfort: B- (it really is a decently comfortable shaytel, the reason I'm giving it such a bad rating is because the cap never fit my head properly, I have a huge head, and despite paying extra money to get a bigger cap, it was always too small.)
Hair Quality: A+
Skin top: A
Durability: A
Appearance: A
Cap Construction: B
Overall: A-

Review of Baby Toys for Infants 0-3 months

Posted by Unknown at 9:53 AM 3 comments
Part of becoming a new mother is sorting out which baby products are essential and which are just marketed well.  I will discuss the various toys and electronics we have for our baby and which I found to be useful.

My baby's favorite toy seems to be Jaques the Peacock, which is made by Lamaze.  We hung this in our baby's gym and our baby seemed to notice it even from 2 weeks old.  She started hitting it around 8 weeks old and still loves staring at it.  I like that the back has black and white swirly patterns on each feather and a bright read tail feather.  On the front side is every bright color you could imagine.  It is a very captivating toy for a young one. We bring it along in the car seat and the stroller and when visiting our parents we hung it on the Pack N Play and she seemed happy to see something familiar.

Fisher-Price Rainforest Melodies & Lights Deluxe GymAs for a baby gym, we got the Rainforest Melodies and Lights Deluxe Gym and I am so happy with it.  It plays music and can be configured to on or rattle mode (only turning on if the frame is pulled by the baby).  When on it flashes lights which my baby loves to look at.  I think the hanging attachments that come with it are really great.  One of them is a mirror and my baby would stare at herself in that mirror starting even in her second week of life.  It is a pricey mat, Toys R Us sells it for $69.99, but Amazon sells it for $49.54 which makes it comparable to other company's mats. 

Fisher Price Soothe N Play Bouncer - Woodland AnimalsIn terms of electronic seats, we have both the Fisher Price My Little Lamb Cradle 'n Swing and the Fisher Price Woodlands Bouncer.  Thus far, my baby does not really like the bouncer, I think she was too light to really make it bounce.  The vibrating was nice but it didn't calm her as much as I expected.  Every baby is different though, and maybe some babies really respond to a bouncer chair.  I really like our swing because it is both a cradle and a swing.  It has been great for calming our baby when she is in a fussy mood.  There is a built in mobile, but she doesn't even look at it, she has looked at the mirror though.  The swing is really cute though because it makes the baby look like he/she has lamb ears.  It has provided hours of quality entertainment and allows me to get things done around the house.  We received it as a gift but I think it is worth the money, however I'm sure a cheaper swing would be just as good.  One more comment on the woodlands bouncer: my friend who has a fear of squirrels is really freaked out by it, so get a different pattern if you are afraid of rodents :)  I believe both the swing and the bouncer are only good until 25 pounds and have to be discontinued if your baby can roll over.

Some other things people gave us as gifts: Fisher-Price Go Baby Go 1-2-3 Crawl Along Snail, Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes, Playskool Lullaby Gloworm Girl,  The crawl along can be used for tummy time, it plays music whenever its bumped, or it can actually roll.  My baby seems to like it.  The Baby Einstein toy was useful in the car because it plays music and flashes lights which gives the babies something to look at.  The lullaby glowworm lights up and plays music.  My baby seemed pretty captivated by the glowing face.  None of these are essential, but it was nice to receive them as gifts.

I saw two 4 month old babies recently with Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether, Brown/ White
which is a $25 dollar teething toy.  Apparently it is all the rage.  My baby is not chewing on things yet so I have not purchased it.  The babies I observed seemed to really like it, but I wonder if it is really worth over $20 for one toy.  I would appreciate comments from owners on its necessity. 
Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether, Brown/ White

 

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