For when 100% Virgin isn’t in the budget.
Listen, spending hundreds (maybe even thousands) of dollars on bundles may not always be in the budget. We get it. That being said, you should still be able to look and feel your best no matter how much you can afford to spend. Sometimes, all you need are the right techniques and products to make your affordably priced pieces look like a million bucks.
Image @kalbarbie
So, if you can only spare enough to buy synthetic or human blend extensions right now, it’s all good! There are methods that will make your hair appear to be higher quality and, well, expensive.
Here’s what you need to do:
1. FILL THEM OUT: Lower cost extensions for african american hair tend to be on the thin side, so our first tip is to always buy an extra pack or two to achieve a fuller look. For straight looks, opt for longer hair, as those packs come a bit fuller. Cut it in layers to your desired length.
2. MAKE THEM MOVE: Budget extensions lack movement. If you want your hair to look expensive, it needs to move when you move and blow freely in the wind. Start by cleansing the hair with an ultra-clarifying, sulfate-free shampoo, preferably one infused with the highest grade of tea tree oil. One of the many benefits of tea tree oil is that it gently breaks down product buildup and debris. This breakdown is crucial to enhancing your look — you have to get rid of the factory finish if you want the hair to move like it’s premium.
Fresh Kept Secret, a shampoo by Heat Free Hair, is a great option for breaking down any chemicals the factory applied to make the hair shiny. It uses oil-infusion technology to blend the highest grade of tea tree oil into the formula, cleansing your hair of all of the stuff that doesn’t serve your look. It will leave the hair feeling clean without stripping and drying it out.
After you’ve thoroughly washed and clarified the hair, moisturize it with a hydrating conditioner. For the ultimate hydration, option for a shampoo infused with the highest grade of argan oil, as it really brings the moisture without leaving your extensions feeling weighed down and greasy. It’ll soften the hair, making it easier to detangle and style.
My favorite conditioner is New Condition: it’s infused with the highest quality of argan oil and leaves my hair feeling so soft. It’s super lightweight, and makes the detangling and styling processes an absolute breeze.
Once the hair has been shampooed and conditioned, the stiffness should be gone and it should move like it’s made of money.
3. PICK THE PERFECT PRODUCTS: What you style your hair with is everything. You need products that are made to help the hair last and prevent it from looking greasy. Affordably priced extensions can be offensively shiny, so to achieve a higher quality look, you need to keep that shine to a minimum.
When it comes to hair extensions care, no matter the price range, stay away from using the heavy creams and butter you’d use on your natural hair. Because your wigs and weaves are not growing from your scalp, they do not have the same porosity that your real hair does. Therefore, they sit on the hair, unabsorbed, creating unmanageable tangling, matting, shedding, and greasiness — all of which will make your lower priced extensions look even less premium than you’d care for.
Instead, you should gravitate towards styling products with ingredients like aloe vera juice and jojoba oil. Aloe vera juice is the ultimate daily hydrator: it draws in and harbors moisture in your hair, preventing it from becoming dull and dry. It’s lightweight enough to keep your hair from tangling, but moisturizing enough to produce the movement and healthy sheen that you’re looking for.
Jojoba oil is another daily moisturizer that should be added into your care routine. It keeps your extensions soft and prevents it from shedding, tangling, and matting. When you're looking for your everyday styling and hydrating products, it’s imperative that you choose some that are infused with the purest quality of this amazing oil.
If you’re in the market for a hair care routine that will improve the look of your extensions, the products in the Perfect Extensions Kits are all infused with the ingredients you should be incorporating into your daily styling process.
For straight looks, Primestyle and Straight Shooter, two lightweight products that are included in each kit for straight hair delivering a healthy look that moves. Through a special oil-infusion technology, they’re formulated with the highest quality oils to bring a healthy sheen that will make them look premium.
For wavy and curly hair, Curl Whipped, the lightweight mousse that comes in each wavy and curly kit, will be your hair’s best friend. It defines curls without weighing them down and leaving them with that crunchy, stiff finish we all despise. Primestyle, the 3-in-1 style perfecter that’s also included in the kit, keeps the hair soft while also providing a healthy, luxe sheen. Each of those products is infused with the oils that will give your hair the quality you’re searching for.
For kinky curly textures, Coil Up, P.E.K.'s moisturizing curl and coil definer, tames frizz and accentuates your naturally beautiful and tight ringlets. Curlfix, the refreshing and detangling leave-in spray, keeps your hair hydrated and soft. Both of these products, included in the kits for kinky curly textures, are packed with aloe vera juice to keep your curls and coils hydrated, protected from dullness and dryness, and tangle free. While you may not have spent hundreds on your look, the daily use of these aloe vera juice infused products will have you looking like you did.
If you can’t afford to spend premium money on extensions right now, that’s fine! P.E.K. is here to help you look expensive until the day comes that you’re ready to upgrade.
