How To Make Your Cheap Halloween Wig Look Amazing (2024)
For those of us who spend months — or possibly even the full calendar year — planning for Halloween, costume details are imperative. Seriously, a transformation just shy of turning into the subject of your costume is the only acceptable form for the diehard Halloween fans out there.
That said, one dead giveaway that you are, indeed, in costume is your wig. Unless you go all out with extensions or a real-human-hair wig (which can run you up to the quadruple digits), a synthetic hairpiece will have to do. But just because it's affordable doesn't mean it needs to look that way — just follow these tips to make even the cheapest wig look amazing.
For guidance, we talked to Priscilla Valles and David Lopez — two pros behind some of the best extensions in Hollywood — about how to keep our Halloween hair looking 100%, even if it was a budget buy.
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Most wigs come with an unnatural sheen — no matter if it's natural hair or synthetic. Add dry shampoo or hair powder to take the shine down. Wigs often make extremely obvious and distinct parts. You can tweeze out random hairs around the part to soften it and seem softer and more natural.
Another pro trick to make a wig look more realistic is to pluck the part. "Take some tweezers and pluck along the part like you're plucking your eyebrows. You want to make the space look wider, otherwise it looks super wiggy," says Lopez. He likes to pluck his wigs on a styrofoam head to avoid ripping out the lace.
One simple way to defrizz a synthetic wig is to wash it. It's a simple and effective way to add some much-needed moisture to remove fly-aways and restore some of its bounce. Sometimes the wig is just dirty.
Using hairspray made for human hair can actually destroy the synthetic fiber and ruin your wig! The good news is that there is hairspray that is designed for synthetic hair that works just as good as its counterpart!
“An effective method that I use to remove shine from a synthetic wig is to apply talc powder or a baby powder. I sometimes find this a bit messy as powder sometimes goes everywhere. But I find by using a spare makeup brush or wig brush to apply the powder can make the process a lot easier.
“So many women think they can use heat on synthetic wigs, and you cannot,” warns Spence. “The easiest way to straighten or to add curls to a synthetic wig would be to blow dry the hair at a medium temperature or use rollers overnight. That is your safest bet.”
Whatever your desired wig style, you want to ensure your look goes the distance. The best way to achieve just that is with a good quality hairspray. Yet standard hairspray products won't do if you sport a synthetic wig. Wig hairsprays are designed to be different.
Condition: Empty the basin and fill it with fresh water. Add a capful of conditioner to the water and dunk the wig, gently swishing it through the water. Dry: Blot the wig with a towel and place it on a wig stand or towel to air dry. Don't use heat on a synthetic wig.
To restore synthetic hair when knotted, you should pick up specialised wig shampoo and conditioner. Then, place the wig in lukewarm water and wash with your wig care products. Carefully rub your hands over the wig while it's in the water to soften the knots.
How to Fix a Synthetic Wig. Combine equal parts water and fabric softener in a spray bottle, and spritz your wig until it's damp. Let your wig dry completely on a coat stand. Then, use a paddle brush to remove knots and help the hair on your wig look smooth.
Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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