Can you believe this year is already almost over! I don’t know about you, but I feel like I have SERIOUSLY lived in 2021 --- through the pandemic that never seems to end, a long-waited dream destination wedding, and a move with my husband to a new country and a new life. This year has been scary, crazy, hard, and exciting, and I for one am ready to celebrate the wins, reflect on the lessons and ring in 2022 in style!

This will be my first New Year’s partying in a new country, and I can’t wait to kick it off in Beirut. We have plans that I’m crazy excited about, so if you don’t follow me on Instagram, make sure you do so you don’t miss the fun! But for now, I am working on the last-minute details of my look, and the major piece of that puzzle is the hair!

I have mostly been wearing wigs, weaves, and braids since I moved to Lebanon, but I wanted to mix it up and try something new. I have experimented off and on with clip in hair extensions but always had trouble finding a good texture match and blending them in. But when Perfect Locks approached me, I decided to give them a try, and I have to say I’m hooked! Perfect Locks is a premium hair company specializing in top quality hair extensions of all types – wigs, weft bundles for weaves, and clip in or tape in extensions. All their products begin with premium quality 100% Authentic Virgin Indian Remy Hair that is ethically sourced and goes through a rigorous process from assembly to coloring. They sent me a package of their Relaxed Straight Lace Clip in Extensions for review and I had so much fun playing with them.

Here are 5 things I learned about styling clip in hair extensions that you need to know!

5 Things to Know About Clip In Hair Extensions!

Make sure you find the perfect match for your hair.

Clip ins look way more natural than lace front wigs or closure weaves, but only if they blend with your hair! Since you clip the pieces in between layers of your natural hair, if they don’t match color and texture, it’s not going to work! Perfect Locks has a lot of different color and texture options to choose from, and they can also help you texture match your hair if you send them a picture. I chose Relaxed Straight since it seemed the closest match to what my natural hair looked like when it was blown out and flat ironed. Even though all the colors and textures look beautiful, don’t be tempted! If it doesn’t match your natural hair, they will not blend. If you want to experiment with different colors and textures, stick to wigs or full head weaves so you won’t have to worry about blending color and texture.

You can customize your clip ins to get your dream look.

Clip ins are versatile, and part of the styling process should be making them work for you! You can play with the placement of each clip in for a different look, have them cut for a length you love or to create layers, or even get them customize the color. You can do that yourself or take them to a salon and have them professionally colored or highlighted. The possibilities are endless.

If DIY styling isn’t your thing, you can have a pro install them

I have played with clip ins before and found them so challenging to work with! Granted that set was not a great texture match for me so it just looked crazy. But clip in extensions have to be installed and also styled, flat ironed, or curled to get the final look. Even if you find your perfect match, you may want to get some help with installation and styling, especially if you aren’t big on DIY styling. Last time I was at a hair salon I saw a woman getting beautifully custom colored clip in extensions and they were installed flawlessly! I think for when I’m wearing them for a special occasion, like New Year’s Eve, I’ll enlist a pro, just to make sure everything looks perfectly naturally.

You can use as much or as little as you want

You might be tempted to use every single clip in that comes in your set, but you don’t have to! My Perfect Locks set included 7 pieces so you can customize the installation for the best placement. It gives you the option to add them all over for lots of volume, or just a little bit for some extra length. If you overdo it you will risk losing the smooth, natural look so be sure to keep that in mind.

Clip ins can also work for updos

Did you know that you can use clip ins for updos and other styles? In addition to adding pieces for length, you can clip them in to add volume or height to your updos. The trick is to clip them in upside down against the roots, so the hair is facing up instead of down. Then just continue pulling your hair up into the style you want! Clip ins are known for being versatile so have fun with them!

Have you tried clip in extensions? Be sure to check out Perfect Locks and stay tuned for my New Year’s Eve look! And thanks again to the Perfect Locks team for gifting me my set of clip in hair extensions!