Hair Plumage!

Recently there's been a lot of talk about feather hair extensions. Yes, feathers in your hair.
Celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Nicole Richie, Hilary Duff, Steven Tyler etc etc have been seen wearing plumage in their hair.

The concept is relatively simple and you can do it at home instead of spending serious moolah just to let some hair stylist shove them in your hair. Of course, if you are not coordinated or can't reach your head (don't ask...i'm sure a few people have some problems lol) you can buy a kit and get a friend to do it for you or fork out some cash to let a professional do it. I recommend buying the feather that are treated as i'm sure those that are not will burn when you try to curl or straighten them or the dye used will run. Your choice.

It's very in-keeping with this season's bohemian chic return. A bit hippie/earth child if you please.

Normally it consists of 6 or 7 very long, thin, TREATED feathers (so that you can wash, curl, straighten etc) being attached to a small group of hair near the scalp. The idea is to attach it under a bit of hair so it just peaks out from under like a little surprise. They come in bright colours, traditional/natural looking feathers as well as regular plumes (not long and skinny like the others). They last 1-4 months depending on the wearer.

Personally I find they look best closer to the front of the head on ONE side, with a clump of only 5 or 6 of them (the skinny long ones that is). Some people but a whole big bunch or put it all around their head in random spots but that's a bit over bearing.

People have also put these on their pets! I wouldn't but some do. It doesn't at all hurt you or the animal and is attached in the same way as you would attach them to your hair. Still, I wouldn't do it because your pet already has lots of fur all over anyway :s

HOW TO/ DIY:

You need:

• A Micro Link (kind of like a large crimping bead for your hair and otherwise commonly found wit hair extensions) 
• Feathers
• A bobby pin/small hair pin (if you buy a kit they come with a hook/threader)
• Pliers

1. First part the hair where you want to place it and take a very very small section of hair small enough to fit through the micro link with a tiny bit of space left.
2. Taking the bobby pin slide it through that section so that it is now in the open loop of the bobby pin.
3. Make sure that you do this close to the scalp as trying to move the bobby pin up closer to the scalp may cause the hair to bunch up.
4. Taking the micro link, slide it over both ends of the bobby pin and pull the bobby pin right through the micro link until all the hair comes through (all this time making sure to hold it very close to your scalp). This enables you to thread your hair into the micro link.
5. Push the ends of the feathers through leaving a only the tiniest bit of the ends hanging out to ensure when you clamp the micro link that the feather stays.
6. Finally, take your plyers and crimp/clamp down on the micro link to secure.

VOILA!
 
To remove just take your pliers and clamp in the opposite direction.




Some places that sell kits and feathers for such use are:

Birchbox (US customers only): http://www.birchbox.com/shop/fine-featherheads-feather-hair-extensions

Condition Culture (Feather locks): http://www.conditionculture.com/featherlocks

Fine Feather Heads (Birchbox sources their own from here): http://www.finefeatherheads.com/


xoxo