Hair Extension Review: Luxy, Bellami, Euronext & Keratin (U-Tip)

 As I'm sure you all know by now I have many years of hair extension experience under my belt. I've tried quite a few brands of clip-ins over the past five years which I will be reviewing below as well as answering any questions you've all had about the keratin bonds/ U-tip I tried out for the past 10 months. I really wanted to share my experiences with different brands and types of extensions because I feel that knowing what to look for, what weight is best for your hair and how they will hold up over time is extremely important. In order to really benefit from any type of extension- caring for them properly is extremely important and will really make your investment worthwhile and after about five years I feel that I really have the system down to a science, or my own at least.

All hair extensions I review in this post were purchased with my own money and I am in no way, shape or form sponsored by any of these companies.

All of the information is based soley on my own experiences with each brand.

After days of research for a new clip-in brand to try, I came across Luxy.  As much as I love ordering anything online- I absolutely hate waiting for it to come in. 3-5 business days sometimes feels like a lifetime for me, especially when I'm waiting for new hair! I ordered these on a Thursday night & figured that I would receive them sometime the next week, little did I know they would be on my doorstep Saturday morning. Naturally, I opened them about a second later and evaluated the packaging. Typically extensions come in a clear plastic bag which is normal and .. average. I was pleasantly surprised to find these in a cute little red box and packaged beautifully.  Since I do have a background in graphic design- I appreciate great packaging, fonts and anything that's visually appealing because I know how much time and effort goes into it. As much as the standard and typical hair extension clear bag would have been just fine- this was a step above the rest and I really enjoyed it.

I chose to order their "chestnut" color because I had planned on coloring them- I just didn't know what color I would want by the time they came in. I did order a reddish color from a different company and when I wanted to lighten them- they turned up pink. I've purchased chestnut from other companies in the past and was able to lighten them into a gorgeous blonde which is another reason why I chose this color, you just never know what hair color you're going to want next week, ya know?

I'm always hesitant to order online without actually seeing the hair in person but what sold me with these is that they have a "tester" piece in the bottom of the box. You're allowed to take out ONLY that piece and inspect the quality and color, if you decide you don't like it you can still return it. But, like I said, you are only allowed to touch that ONE piece. If you open the top portion of the box, no exchanges or returns will be made. It's kind of scary! But, I think companies that sell clip-ins online are extremely smart for doing this and it's a feature I really liked about Luxy, so far.. A+

After carefully inspecting the sample for quality of everything from the clips to the sewing of the wefts to the tips of the hair, I decided they were perfect. I went with the 220g 20in set because after many years extension wearing I realized that anything over 200g is MORE than enough for my thin hair. I do tend to purchase sets with a bit more weight than I need because I don't have to use all of the pieces on an average day but I have them as an option if I need them. Or, If I feel that placing the clips in the same spot for too long is putting too much stress on a certain area- I switch them out to give that spot a break.

Another common problem with extensions is that the ends are very thin and straggly which needs a trim and if you really want 20in of hair- a trim is not something you want to have to do. These were thick all the way to the end but not too think to the point where they look fake. I would say they look naturally layered. Of course I do layer & angle my own extensions because my hair is only a bit past my shoulders, but for anyone who chooses not to, they would still look natural.

Overall, I would have to say that Luxy is by far my favorite set of clip-in extensions I've purchased thus far.  After coloring them with a violet black, they blend with my hair perfectly, since I haven't shot a post with them just yet, here's a bit of a preview.

POSITIVES 

plenty of weight & length options on their online store, there's definitely a set for everyone

fast shipping

packaging is beautiful and kept the extensions from tangling or getting any dents

no straggly or thin ends

took to the hair color I used perfectly and still felt brand new afterword

fairly priced for the quality of the set

NEGATIVES

none!

Like I've mentioned above, I have tried several other brands of clip in extensions but to save you from hours worth of reading I've narrowed it down to two brands that are most common in the hair extension world.

EURONEXT

I'm sure you've all seen this brand hanging up in Sally's for an extremely fair price. These extensions are generally pretty thick in the beginning and will definitely hold up their end of the bargain through several coloring jobs. I've even bleached a set more than two times and they didn't completely disintegrate which is always a plus. They are some of the most inexpensive extensions I've purchased which is probably why they don't last as long as others. After a few months I always notice a large amount of thinning and that the ends are a lot more dry than they should be which results in another trim (I say another because the ends are on the thin side when you first get them so a trim is always necessary). They do not come in weight options so- the standard will either work for you or you'll have to buy another pack to accommodate for your thick hair which actually ends up being quite expensive. 

Although I have moved on from this brand, I still have a ton of sets boxed up & labeled in case I run into any sort of hair emergency and need some reinforcement.. or in case someone I know needs a set for a special occasion, it never hurts to have some extra hair even if it's not the best of the best. I would say this brand is ideal for anyone that is looking to have a set of extensions to wear here and there, not to style and wear every single day. I also would recommend spending a few extra dollars on a set with more weight if you have medium - thick hair so that you don't have to spend twice the money on a second set so that they blend properly. If you are just starting off with clip in extensions this is a great brand to play around with and get used to rather than placing a brand with more weight on your hair, it's definitely a weird experience to get used to!

the picture on the left is when the extensions were fairly new and still quite thick, on the right they have been colored several times and the thinning is noticeable

POSITIVES

inexpensive

will hold up through several coloring processes
light weight and will blend naturally with thin hair

NEGATIVES

ends are thin and require a trim before wearing

not exactly "long lasting"

BELLAMI

I honestly wish that I could sit here and tell you that I had an amazing experience with these extensions just as many other bloggers and YouTubers have, but unfortunately I did not. Almost all of my favorite beauty bloggers wore and vouched for these extensions so there was no other option for me at that point. I had very red hair at the time and when I went on to their site I was unsure if their red would match or if I should buy a lighter brown and color them myself. So, rather than gambling with an expensive purchase, I emailed their customer service with a few pictures of myself and was told that their red would work perfectly. I placed my order & waited patiently for my new extensions. Almost two weeks later they were finally in my possession and I was extremely disappointed to open them and find that the red was completely different than mine. Although this was only a very minor bump in the road, it was fixable and I colored them to match my hair with ease. 

After coloring these extensions I noticed a huge amount of shedding, much worse than I had ever experienced. After wearing them a few times they also started to get knotted with each other and my hair to the point that I couldn't even brush them while they were clipped into my hair. Mind you, I was only working in an office at the time so there should have been no reason for these to tangle the way they did. Since any small movement was causing a large amount of knotting, I would try to comb them throughout the day. When I would shower and wash my own hair I would find that my own hair was breaking more than it ever has due to the amount of stress these extensions were putting on it.  After I realized that this issue was never going to stop or let up I emailed their customer service and let them know of the problem I was having. Although they were extremely nice, their only advice or help was to inform me that I was only having this problem because I colored them. Since I had paid a lot more money for these extensions than my Euronext (which I've colored frequently) I did not believe that one simple coloring process was the cause of this knotting. On top of that, each of the beauty bloggers that wore and promoted these extensions mentioned that they colored theirs and did not mention any of these issues.

Months later I decided to switch from my red hair to an ombre so that I wouldn't have to color them anymore. I went to my hair dresser and asked her to color my extensions as well as my hair so that everything would come out perfectly. My hair of course came out just so but unfortunately my extensions came out bright pink instead of blonde. After that we tried several other methods to get them to a blonde color but had absolutely 0 luck. I was extremely disappointed that I could not get an expensive brand of extensions to lighten but had multiple success stories with an inexpensive brand. After giving up on lightening these I ran to Sally's and purchased a set of Euronext, lightened them myself and had an ombre. While researching for my most recent brand of extensions I came across a lot of reviews on Bellami that did not agree with any of the blogger's opinions that I based my purchase off of. 

I'm hoping that this experience was just one in a million and that other's haven't had to experience this after spending a large amount of money. I'm not opposed to giving them a second chance in hopes that I just had bad luck and received a batch that wasn't up to par.

I don't have an arsenal of pictures wearing these extensions like I do with the rest, but I did wear them to an event where their thickness was much appreciated but unfortunately they did not hold a curl as well as I would have hoped. 

POSITIVES

friendly customer service

hair has a lot of weight which causes it to blend with thicker hair

full from top to bottom, cutting off any straggly ends is unnecessary

NEGATIVES

extreme knotting that causes stress on your real hair
"vibrant red" is not exactly a vibrant red
cost more than most extensions and don't last as long after coloring

KERATIN / U-TIP

now that I've summed up my clip in extension history in a few paragraphs I took the time to compline all of your other hair extension questions about my keratin bonds. It took me quite some time to finally take the plunge and get them, but after having them for about ten months or so I feel that I finally have enough experience with them to answer any and all questions you guys have been asking me. Like I mentioned before, I haven't been ignoring anyone's questions on my ask.fm or any other platforms I've been saving them all for one post so that they're all in once place.

Overall I would say that I had a really positive experience with my keratin or U-Tip extensions. From start to finish my hair dresser knew exactly what I wanted and offered a lot of advice on how to care for them, of course I followed her direction and had no noticeable damage to my own hair. I had two full sets put into my head and each lasted around five months.

ARE KERATIN BONDS EXPENSIVE?

yes, they are definitely expensive but if you care for them properly they will be worth every penny. before you get them you will have to have a consultation with your hair dresser to determine the price. I have thin hair so I didn't need too many bonds, someone with thicker hair would definitely require more hair which would lead to a higher price.

HOW LONG DO THEY TAKE TO PUT IN?

quite a bit of time! I believe each time I got mine put in it was about 4 hours, it goes by quicker than you think

HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THEM?

I believe that answer will be different for everyone depending on how fast your hair grows and how well you maintain them. Each of my sets lasted about 5 months!

HOW DO YOU SLEEP WITH THEM?

you really don't notice them at all but it is extremely important to keep your hair in a loose braid while sleeping to avoid tangling them. I preferred a loose french braid so that I could wake up with waves all over and not have to worry about touching my hair too much.

DOES IT GET ANNOYING THAT YOU CAN'T TAKE THEM OUT?

that was definitely something I was worried about after having the luxury of taking my clip-ins out to sleep but you really do not notice them at all. I can't say that there was ever a time I wanted to rip them out but toward the end you can start to feel that they get a bit more tangled toward the root so the extra brushing is a bit annoying

HOW DO YOU BRUSH YOUR HAIR WITH THE BONDS?

there is only one brush you can use with them, it's designed to slide right over the bonds without ripping them out. It definitely feels weird at first to brush right through them and hear the noise of the teeth hitting the bonds but it feels good at the same time. It's equivalent to someone scratching your head for you! I believe brushing them is one of the most important factors in taking care of them because if you don't brush over the bonds your new growth will tangle into them and create a huge knot.... no one wants to have to get their bonds CUT out, right?

IS IT HARD TO STYLE THEM?

not at all, you can style them just as you would your own hair and they hold a curl much better, too! You just have to be careful not to get your hot tools too close to the bond to keep it from melting.

DO THEY HURT YOUR HEAD?

I didn't experience much pain with them, they were just a bit sore for a few days after getting them put in which made a ponytail a bit uncomfortable so I avoided that hair style all together. I have heard that some people get headaches while they're being put in and for about a week after, I suppose I didn't feel that pain because I was used to wearing clip ins every day. 

DO THEY DAMAGE YOUR HAIR?

personally I did not experience much damage, my hair was much longer after getting them taken out but I did have to cut a lot of length because it was razored to blend into the extensions. I made sure to care for them exactly as my hair dresser instructed me to and had a really positive experience with them. I have heard a few horror stories where the bonds were so knotted that they had to be cut out leaving them with only a small bit of hair left. I was NOT going to let that happen to me!

CAN YOU COLOR THEM WHILE THEY'RE IN YOUR HAIR?

absolutely! I was nervous about it at first so I went to my hair dresser and they were completely find afterward. When I needed a touch up I did my roots myself and colored the bottoms myself when I wanted to get rid of my ombre

WHAT IS KERATIN?

it's a protein!

IS IT OKAY TO SWIM WITH THEM?

chlorine & salt water aren't exactly great for the hair or bonds, but I think anything in moderation is okay. When I did I would try to rinse them off soon after or use a leave in conditioner. 

DO THEY FALL OUT?

great question, they sure do slip out. It's normal for them to slip out over time, for some reason I didn't lose to many until the very end. It was always kind of funny when I would run my fingers through my hair while I was in public or with friends and one would slip out. Of course, everyone knows I have extensions so it was never embarrassing, just funny. I mean, how could you not laugh??

HOW DO YOU TAKE THEM OUT?

my hair dresser used an acetone solution on them and rubbed them between her fingers, the solution broke down the bond and they slid right out. Of course I was a bit worried about putting acetone in my hair but I only had to do it twice and it was really only used on the bond so I didn't notice any damage from it. 

WOULD YOU EVER GET THEM AGAIN?

I would definitely consider it, as of right now I'm giving my hair a bit of a break because I don't want to end up being completely reliant on them, especially because they're very expensive. 

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THEM FOR EVERYONE?

I think that's for your hair dresser to decide, not everyones hair is strong enough for them. From my experience I wouldn't recommend spending the money on them if you don't have the time to care for them the right way or if you're very low maintenance with your hair. They require a whole lot of love and if you're not ready for the commitment I would say to try out a set of clip ins first.

of course all of my opinions and advice are based on my own personal experience with each of these brands and types of hair extensions. I am in no way any sort of hair professional and I strongly suggest talking with your own hair dresser before coloring your hair or determining which types of extensions are for you!

If you are interested in your own set of keratin bonds please e-mail me (corimblack@gmail.com) or contact me personally & I will give your my hair dressers information!

XO