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For nearly a year my list of beauty related things I wanted to try included extensions. The urge to buy them would come in waves. I would desperately ‘need’ them and spend hours researching then completely forget about them for a bit. My research was never really conclusive. Good extensions usually aren’t cheap and there are more than a few overly influenced looking reviews out there floating around the internet.

I finally decided to just go for it, and purchase a set a few month back so I thought I would give a little insight into what I bought, how to dye them to match your hair, and share what they look like…

I purchased these 16″ clip in extensions in bleach blonde. It was important to me to purchase human hair so that I could style, wash, and most importantly, dye the extensions. This set came with six pieces which was more than enough for me. Honestly, what you need will be based on how thick your hair is and what you’re looking to acheive with the extensions. My hair is thin, and I wasn’t looking to add length – just volume. I actually very rarely wear all six pieces at once. It feels a little too over the top for me – too thick, too obvious.

How to dye your hair extensions –

Dyeing the hair was actually a huge reason I was so nervous about purchasing extensions. Come to find out, I definitely over thought this step. Since I purchased bleach blonde hair, all that needed to be done was for me to apply dye. I used Punky Colour in Alpine Green, the same color I use in my real hair. I simply ran it through the extensions with gloved hands and then set them down on a plastic bag for about an hour or so before rinsing with cold water. I let them air dry then they were ready to use.

One thing to consider when purchasing and dyeing extensions is the fact your hair color fades with each wash and you most likely won’t be washing your extensions even a fraction of the number of times. I’ve embraced the fact that my hair color is an ever-changing thing and I love all the different colors and tones my hair is at any given time. I think hair looks more natural, I mean as natural as green hair can be, when there are different levels of color going on. The fact that my extensions are always a slightly different color than my hair is actually desirable. I think this post perfectly illustrates how my extensions look in my hair as it changes color over time.

How to style your extensions –

There are a ton of videos on how to put in your clip on extensions so I won’t be covering that. (Honestly, just google it! So many youtubers cover this I couldn’t pick a favorite.) I do, however, want to mention that I put the extensions in while my hair is still straight. That way everything gets curled together giving me a more natural look.

Before styling I make sure to spritz them, along with my real hair, with a heat protecting spray. Since they are made of real hair they will get damaged if you aren’t protecting them.

left – with extensions / right – without — main hair color is Punky Spring Green

I was having trouble capturing a before and after photo that I felt accurately showed the difference of just my natural hair vs extensions. Of course, I could have shot some TV style comparisons where I look super gross and run down in the before and incredibly glamorous in the after but that isn’t what this is about. Think of hair extensions like make up, it’s fun to play with but not actually necessary. My hair is just fine without them but wearing extensions is a fun little change of pace. The difference isn’t wildly different but just enough to make you feel fab!

left – without extensions / right – with

the following photos in this post all include extensions.

I’m definitely no extension expert but in my short time experimenting I feel like I’ve learned a lot. By all means, if you have any questions, I’d be happy to try and answer!
xoxo

✨ You can find hair dye tips and guides in my hair master post. ✨