MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Hair Art or Hair Horror

If you have ever taken the time to browse YouTube you know that you are likely to come across a little bit of everything. I often cruise Youtube watching makeup reviews, tutorials, hair tutorials, etc. Well this past weekend while on YouTube I came across a slew of videos by a hairstylist by the name of Seaborn. Now, I have heard of this stylist before on a hair board but didn't take the time to watch the videos. But on this particular day, I decided to check him out......and WOW!!!!!
Don't get me wrong, I am a "whatever floats your boat" type of girl, but at what point does creativity cross the line of being art to being just down right atrocious. After watching the videos, I will be the first to admin, Mr. Seaborn, is c-r-e-a-t-i-v-e and have skills, but really? However in the same token, it doesn't seem like he is hurting for clients. I have no judgement either way because as the old adage says "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", but I am asking you...would you behold any of these styles?

Product Spotlight

It can be so hard to find a really good product at a great price that works on both your hair and your hair extensions. Well not anymore. I picked up some Dove Instense Damage Shampoo and Conditioner after reading about it on hair forums and other beauty blogs I thought for $5....why not. Let me tell you this conditioner works! Not only did it make my hair super soft but my hair extensions were like brand new. On top of all that it smells good too, not overly frangrant but smells fresh and clean. You can pick it up pretty much anywhere, I purchased mine at WalMart. I read that it works for most hair types and probably works really well for hair that has been overly processed, heat damage etc. Try it and let me know what you think.

I'm Closing In.....

So I am finally taking the plunge and trying a closure. For those who are not familiar with a closure, it is a hairpiece that is sewn where your leave out would normally be, it closes off a full weave so to speak. I have been very hesitant to try one because of the concern that it wouldn't look realistic. Well I decided to take the plunge and just do it, who better to be a tester for my own product than myself....right? Since I have been wearing a straight weave, I have had to flatiron my hair and being that I am going 100% natural through weaving, I don't want my natural curl pattern to be destroyed by the constant heat I am subjecting it to. So stay tuned, I should have a new style, new closure and new look in about a week and half or so. Oh and did I forget to say a new color? Since I don't have to worry about damaging my own hair with hair color (since none will be left out) I am going to try something new. I want to go as light as I can go being a dark skin brown girl without looking C-R-A-Z-Y. What colors do you suggest? Here are a few of my fave brown girls doing color right (IMO).

Curls B Poppin'

I get alot of questions from customer purchasing curly hair and want suggestions on how to make their curls pop. From being on hair boards and stalking other hair blogs and watching You Tube videos, the sensation known as Plopping and or Plunking has come up as the solution to your curly hair woes. Curlies of all different textures and ethnicities seemed to have had success using this method. So it must be good right? Well....I tried it when I had my virgin curls and when done right, it had my curls poppin'! It gives the curls definition because it elimates...well drastically decrease the level of friziness. SO it is safe to say I am a believer!

The general idea is that after washing and conditioning your hair, you wrap your hair in a specific way and allow the curls to form until it is semi-dry . No touching, no manipulation. I don't really understand the magic of what is going on in that shirt, but I will say it worked for me and worked for the customers I have suggested it to. Here is a video from You Tube.

Terrible Terrible Terrible

I was planning on doing a write up about hair testing but now the slots are filled and I don't have anything to write about...I am terrible..LOL
But the good news is.....we will have other opportunities in the future so no worries.

To ensure you are well prepared for the next opportunity here is the deal on being a hair tester.

Hair Tester - a participant who is willing to install hair that has not yet been tested for quality and durability.The hair must be installed and worn in the time frame outlined by Hair Addict. The participant as apart of the agreement must provide feedback to Hair Addict that will be used to make decisions on the future of that product or product line. In exchange for the participation, the customer is being offered the product at a discount up to 50%. So it is a win-win for everyone!

The best way to find out about new opportunities is to join our mailing list. We send out an email blast when we are looking for hair testers, running a sale or anything we think you must know.

You can join the mailing list by going to www.hairaddictonline.com and putting in your email address (located on the menu bar on the left).

50% off

Check it out!
http://bit.ly/HairTester

Full write up coming Mañana!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

BELLA BLACK FRIDAY SALE

We are having a Sale!
Hair Addict is joining in on the Black Friday Fun! Starting Midnight EST (November 27) and lasting until 11 p.m. (November 29). Our Bella Collection will be marked 30% off and our Indian Collection will be marked 15% off! Get it while the getting is good.

Check out our first email promotion regarding our sale.
PROMO

Taming those Edges

I don't care what I do, flat iron, brush, tie down, gel down, pomade or hairspray, my edges never lay down and I mean NEVER. Well what do you know, during my weekly Wendy Williams watching party, she interviewed Tamala Jones (who I love by the way). During the interview, in classic Wendy Williams' fashion she asked about Tamala's hair and Tamala dished the goods; she talked about having a few "pieces" added for fullness and when Wendy asked about her smooth edges she dished about a product call Tancho stick. She said its the age "behind the scenes" and on movie and television sets; used by celebrity stylists. Well before she could finish her sentence I was googling trying to find out more about this product. Wellllll..... surprisingly its very affordable (under $20) and has been touted as a natural product that can tame even the most "unruly" hair. Hmmm...has my edges met it's match? We shall see in 7-10business days. It's available several places on the Internet, Google Tancho Stick
and you should be able to find it.

I Love my Cotton Candy Hair

I came across a link to this book today while browsing the Internet. Don't the title just make you smile? I have a little niecy poo who has the tightest curliest hair, so pretty and so soft and I think this would be the cutest book for her.
I think one of the biggest misconception about women who wear weaves is that they don’t like their natural hair. Well,underneath all that I got going on top of my head is a my own little cotton candy crown that I love. Well anywho, if you are looking for a gift for your cotton candy angel, you may want to check out this book.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0578029499/ref=cm_cd_asin_lnk

Quick Fix...D.I.Y Clip-Ins

Clip-ins is the Hair Addict's solution to a quick fix. Sometimes a girl just want to add a little length or maybe a little fullness for that extra "POW YOW". Well weaving it up for one night isn't practical and bonding a piece here and there probably isn't the best solution either.
Well.....what is a girl to do?
Clip It In!, now if you don't know what a clip-in is, let me tell ya. Clip-in is a piece of wefted hair with small hair combs sewn at each end of the weft. All you do is part your hair, pop the comb, slide it in and clip it closed. That's it!
Normally it only takes a few seconds per track and the good thing is you can add as many or as little as you like and at the end of the night, pop them right out.

Below is full instructions on how you can make your own with Hair Addict hair.

What you need
-4 oz. of Hair Addict Hair (we are gonna be honest, any hair should do, but of course you should use ours :))
- small wig/toupee clips (the smaller the better)
- sewing needle or weaving needle and thread

Directions
Thread your needle...set aside
Take your bundle of hair, unravel and measure out the desired width of the track and cut.
Take a wig clip, lay it flat on the weft with the comb part facing out
Take needle and thread and sew clip to weft through small holes on wig clip.
Repeat for other end and or add clip in the middle for additional security (optional)
Repeat per desired number of wefts/tracks.



Easy enough...right

S.I.B. Hair

I have been such a bad blogger. Traveling all last week left very little time to blog, but I'm back. So this weekend I was catching up on my DVRed Wendy Williams show episdodes. (Sidenote: It's so funny because I used to not like Wendy Williams but my BFF secretly set the recorder to record her show everyday and now I can't get enough of Auntie Wendy. LOL )
Well anyway, I was catching up and caught the episode with the legendary Diahann Caroll. Ms. Carroll dished with Wendy about her roles and the life of being a diva. I cracked up when Wendy asked her about her hair and Ms. Carroll told Wendy that her hair was S.I.B. hair...."something I bought" hair. Get it Ms. Carroll. I thought to myself, now that is what I am talking about. So next time someone ask you if that is your hair, you can say....yes this is my S.I.B. hair. Here is the clip of Ms. Carroll in her short, sassy, S.I.B 'do.

Holiday Hair

Good Morning!! I am up bright and early this morning waiting on furniture to be delivered and while I could be using this time to do a myriad of things, I am doing nothing but day dreaming about the holidays. Oh the holidays; the parties, the food, the giving, and most importantly holiday hair. The festiveness of the season just make you want to get fabulous and bring it...so what style will you be rocking? Here is just one of my many possibilities.

She Bangs.....I am feeling bangs for the holiday. Something different, I can't remember the last time I had some. I came across a recent photo shoot of Tameka Raymond via http://www.theybf.com/ and I must say I am feeling all types of fever over this simple style.

When it comes to this time of year, the great part about a simple style is you can get away with an over the top party dress.And for my party dress I am feeling sequin. Now, when I was younger I used to detest anything with sequin, but I must say I feel it making a comeback. I am feeling this dress because it has a sexy feel to it with the sheer back and the fitting silhouette has a modern feel to it. You walk in and wow...and you turn around its owwww...LOL..... WDYT?

*Pictures: ASOS, THEYBF.COM

Caring for the Hair Under There

Many women (and men...no judgement zone here) think that when you get a weave you don't have to worry about your natural hair (meaning hair growing out your scalp). As if wearing a weave is some vacation from the care of your own hair. Well, I am here to say......not so!
Building on my post yesterday (Weave 101), I wanted to discuss the importance of caring for the hair down there, and by down there I mean the hair neatly braided under your tracks.
I know we all pride ourselves on our flawless installs, installs so flat and natural it looks like its growing out of our scalps. But the truth of the matter is, it isn't. Weave is designed to be temporary and at some point we have to take it out. And when you take it out, your goal should be having the hair that really is growing out your scalp as healthy if not healthier and stronger than when you put your weave. Which is the reason you have to be sure to take care of the hair under there. Here are the basics to maintain healthy hair under your weave or like the title says:

Caring for your hair under there
1) Don't wear out your welcome - Have you ever had a guest come to visit and stay wayyyy to long. Well your hair will feel the same way about your weave. You should not leave a weave installed for more than 2-3 months with out reinstalling. Leaving for longer than recommended can leave your natural hair extremely tangled, matted and knotted up. You can end up with matted patches resembling dread locks. Combing it out will be difficult and will cause unnecessary damage to your hair

2) So Fresh and So Clean ...Clean - A healthy scalp promotes healthy hair. So it goes with out saying that you have to wash your hair often and regular. Shampooing your hair once a week but no less than every other week is highly recommended. You can apply the shampoo under the tracks, in between your braids and use your fingers to massage into your scalp. Don't be scared...you hair will not fall out by you massaging your scalp, get in there and get that scalp clean. After your hair is fresh and clean make sure you follow up with a good moisturizing conditioner. Your hair still needs moisture to keep from drying out and being brittle under your weave. You want to maintain strong healthy strands under there. ***Make sure your rinse, rinse, rinse to make sure you don't have any buildup. (I'll cover clarifying in a future post)

3) The Jumpoff and After Party - Although this is the last step, its actually the first step and the last step all rolled in one. Before installing a weave, you want to make sure your hair is in the best condition possible. A good conditioning treatment is highly recommended. When getting yor install you need to make sure that your stylist don't put too much tension on the hair when braiding which will cause excessive tension on the scalp and potential breakage.
After taking down your weave, you want to take the same steps. Your stylist should be able to advise you on conditioning or additional treatments you may need (i.e. protein, moisturizing etc.)


This is the very basics.....but stay tuned!

Be sure to visit our FAQ's at www.hairaddictonline.com for a few other helpful tips.

How to Care for you Weave 101

Hey my fellow Hair Addicts or Soon to Be Hair Addicts, I receive a number of questions on how to care for your hair post purchase so I thought I would blog a little bit about it. To all the veterans of this dear ole hair game, feel free to add your tips and additional knowledge in the comments section.
One of the most misconceptions about wearing hair extensions/weave is that it requires no maintenance. While in my opinion hair extensions can be low maintenance it is by no means NO maintenance. This post is meant to give you the basics on how to care for your hair extensions. (By caring for you hair, your hair will last longer which means you will be able to reuse time and time again. That after all is the beauty of purchasing good quality Indian Remy hair).

1,2,3's to Maintaining your Hair

1. Watch what you wash with - It is suggested that you wash your hair at least once a week but what you wash it with is equally if not more important. Using a sulfate-free shampoo is highly recommended. Sulfates are harsh chemicals that overtime strip the hair and can cause it to become dull and lifeless over time.

2. Your next step is your best step - High quality hair extensions require a good moisturizing conditioner. Conditioner will ensure that the hair remains soft and moisturized. Deep conditioning ever so often is recommended

3. Beat the Heat - Make sure when heat styling you always use a heat protecting product prior to heat styling. Another way of beating the heat is allowing your hair to air dry, not only is it best for your hair, it will allow you to be versatile by wearing the hair in its natural texture. You should try not to use high heat everyday, as opposed to curling your hair daily, try rolling, or pin curling your hair at night before going to sleep.

These are just the absolute basics that should get you started to maintaining a healthy stash of hair that you can use time and time again.

Be sure to check our more tips and FAQ's @ www.hairaddictonline.com

IN 1...2....3...Let's GO!

I am so excited about the launch of HairAddictOnline.com. It has been a long time coming and finally its here. Sharing my love of hair with the world is a dream come true. I can remember when I started my quest for a "celebrity weave". That was the best way I could describe it. Hair that moved with ease, hair that flowed on the red carpet, curls that looked so natural, giving the appearance that it was growing right out the starlet's scalp.
It took many failed trips to the beauty supply store; purchasing yaki this and curly that, only to end up with a matted ball after two weeks in Florida's humidity. Well the search was on... and that search brought me to the holy grail of hair....Virgin Indian Remy! Virgin..What?
Yes!,that was my question among many others. The more questions I had, the more research I did, and the more I learned the more I wanted to know. Through my own quest for the perfect weave, I came across others looking for the same thing. A break from their everyday look, some rest for their own tired locks, and a quality product that didn't alarm a siren to the world...WEAVE, WEAVE, BAD WEAVE. It was from there I started the journey to share what I know, to share what I love. It's with that same heart I want to use this blog to not only keep you updated on what's going on with HairAddictOnline.com or to keep you updated on our products, sales etc. (although I will :) ). I want to use this as a forum to express the Hair Addict behind the brand, the love for hair, people, fashion, the world, the community and all the many facets that make up this Hair Addict. You will learn I am not my hair, but my hair is an extension of who I am. Ever changing!

R. Marie