Had to share a before and after. What a crazy 10 minute transformation, huh? 
One of the most frequent questions I get on Instagram is about my hair. I’ve done a few posts on my hair extensions in the past, but I realized I haven’t shared a full blog post on the brand I’ve been using for the past year. Since it’s my favorite (by far), I thought I’d share more about it and answer some of your FAQs. I’ve been wearing clip-in hair extensions for about 7 years. I’ve tried everything from the ones at Sally Beauty Supply to Bellami and my current ones – which are by Beauty Works. Each brand was a step up from the next, but Beauty Works has honestly been the best and looked the most natural. The hair is the highest quality and the colors are super easy to match with your own hair. I do get my hair balayaged to match – I see Alexa Rae at Haus Salon in Minneapolis.
Which Set Do I Wear?
I’ve been wearing the 22″ Double Set in the color ‘Mocha Melt‘ by Beauty Works. If you are interested in purchasing, use code “Maria10” for 10% off.
How Often Do You Need To Replace Them?
I just got a new set 6 months after getting my first set. You probably don’t need to replace them that often, but I take a curling iron to mine daily and I’ve taken them in pools and the ocean so I definitely wasn’t easy with them. I was starting to see more split ends pop up and I’m a little crazy with split ends (I’ll often cut them off as soon as I see them). I would say in general you’d want to replace them annually.
How Often Do You Wash Them?
I probably go too long before washing which can be bad because they may not be getting enough conditioning. I go about 2-3 weeks before washing mine depending on how much product I’m using. If I spray product in them, I’ll wash them more frequently, but you can usually tell when they need to be washed. They recommend washing them every 2-3 times per week.
Can You Dye Them?
Yes, you can dye these extensions, but you probably don’t need to. The balayaged sets, in particular, are super easy to match to your own hair.
Do You Have To Cut Them?
I have gotten the extensions cut to blend in with my own hair, but with my latest set I opted not to cut them for a while because I love the length. You don’t have to cut them, but it does make them look a little more natural if you do. I would get them cut a professional salon if you opt to cut them. They’re too expensive to mess up!
Why Clip-Ins?
Personally, I’ve only ever worn clip-in extensions. I have naturally fine hair and when I lived in LA, my stylists always said I wasn’t a great candidate for bonded extensions because my hair wasn’t super strong and it could lead to breakage or hair loss. Since those stylists were all celebrity stylists and had tons of clients with extensions, I trusted their insights. I’ve heard mixed reviews since then and I actually do want to try out tape-ins and bonded at some point just so I can have a full picture on what’s best for me. I do love clip-ins because they’re super easy to apply (they take about 10 minutes to put in), they hold their curl pretty well (I just touch them up daily, but don’t have to curl my full head of hair) and lastly, they are relatively inexpensive. The only downside to clip-ins is that you take them out at night so if you don’t clip them in first thing in the morning, you might feel naked without them. I’m not going to lie, I would love to go to bed and wake up with mermaid hair.
Here’s How I Apply & Curl My Extensions
I first section my hair off by pulling it up right above my ear line.My extension set comes with two 3-clip wefts, two 4-clip wefts and 2 single-clip wefts (I don’t use these ones though). I create a part which is where I’ll clip in the first 3-clip weft. I then let a little more hair down (maybe another inch wide) and clip in the next weft and so on.
After the 3-clip weft, I use the two 4-clip wefts and end with the other 3-clip weft. The picture on the left is with one 3-clip weft in and the picture on the right is with the 4-clip weft added in. 
Here’s with three wefts in (the 3-clip and both 4-clips).
Before clipping in the last 3-clip weft I backcomb my hair and spray dry shampoo or texturizing spray at the roots to add body at the crown of my head. This is my favorite dry shampoo.
Here’s with all four wefts clipped in (the 3-clip, two 4-clips and the last 3-clip). 
I always use this affordable curling iron. I flip it upside down and use it like a curling wand. The grip always seems to be better than a curling wand and the curls are tighter and last longer, in my opinion.
xo, Maria
Outfit Details
Willow + Clay White Cardigan Sweater (wearing an XS)
White Lace Cami
Medallion Necklace
Levi’s Jeans (wearing a 24)
Christian Louboutin White Heels (also love these)
Gucci Belt Double G Belt (wearing a size 70)
Hot Tools Curling Iron
Dior Addict Lipstick (in color ‘Underground’)
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