A review of Paula Young's Jaclyn Smith Brigitte Wig and Tips for How to Put On A Wig

Everyone now and then I am queried about reviewing something that it totally out of my experience and my confort zone.  One such product, is wigs.  I have good hair, for the most part, and on the worst hair day, I still haven't had the urge to cover it up with a wig.  But plenty of people regularly wear wigs for a variety of reasons.  Orthodox women wear wigs as a part of their religious observance.  Others wear wigs because their own hair has thinned or fallen out.  Some wear wigs because their own hair is just impossible to manage, and a wig gives them a "good hair day" every day.  Some people wear wigs to try on a new style without committing to it, permanently.  And, lots of people choose to wear a wig because wigs are just plain fun!  When you put on a wig, especially one that is radically different in color, style, texture and length than your own hair, you can feel like you're taking on a new personna.  For the time you are wearing the wig, you can be someone else!

So when I was approached to "Brigitte" wig, one of  Paula Young’s wigs from the Jaclyn Smith Collection, I decided to try it.  This was my first experience trying on "new hair" and it didn't go completely smoothly, but that's why I've included to some about how to put on a wig, for anyone who would like to try one, but doesn't have any experience with them.

The first thing I realized, when the Brigitte wig arrived, is that it shattered one of the main misconceptions I had about wigs,  which was that most wigs are by nature, short and boring, like "helmet hair." Indeed, there are a lot of short styles, but I had no idea how many different types of wigs and hair extensions there are out there! The Jaclyn Smith wigs and hair pieces tend to be shoulder length or longer. The Brigitte is a long, sleek, modern style that can literally revitalize your look.

The Brigitte wig from the Jaclyn Smith collection

 As you can see from the photo, the Bridgette (in blonde in the photo) is, made of light synthetic fibers, with modern, piecy ends, and some  long, flirty bangs. As you can see from the photo, you can wear this as-is for work, but you could also add some sparkling hair jewelry for a special evening event. The wig specs are as follows:  Size: Average.  Length: Front 9 3⁄4", Top 4 1⁄4"-15 1⁄2", Crown & Back 15 1⁄2", Sides 10 3⁄4", Nape 12 1⁄2" .  I have a small-ish head, and the wig fit fine, although I'd secure it with pins or a headbands (see how to wear a wig, below).  It's about 5.4 ounces.  The Brigitte has a suggested retail price of $99.00 and comes in the following colors: Champagne (102S8), Mocha Cream (15S4), Raisin Glaze (2730S4), Sandalwood (234S8), Terracotta (29S4), Apricot Frost (B613/14), Auburn Sugar (B33/24), Caramelized Brown (B8/27), Coffee Latte (B12/28), Expresso (B6/11), Iced Mocha (B10/26), Mochaccino (B13/16), 12/23HS8

Alison Blackman - this is my real hair

I wasn't quite sure what color would match my own, so I guessed on "Terracotta (29S4)," which turned out to be a relatively close match to my own hair color. Personally, if I was going to get a wig for fun, and not because I had a hair issue, I'd get one in yellow, or pink, or blue, like Lady GaGa or Nikki Minaj.  To my surprise, however, the Brigitte wig actually looked a lot like my own hair too, except it was slightly shorter, and had some bangs. The "hair" was slicker and shinier than my real hair, but on a day when my hair is full of frizz, the Jaclyn Smith Brigitte wig would look way better than the real thing. 

It was relatively easy to wear the wig, once I got my hair wrapped and prepped for it. It was fun to try something new, too.  But I didn't really know how to wear one, and had some difficulties at first. I searched around for expert advice online, and encapsulated their wisdom into the tips, below.  If you are a wig wearer and have any to add, let me thank you in advance for putting them in the comments section (in green at the bottom of this post). 

Here's How to Wear a Wig:




1:  Find a wig (this seems obvious, but if you can try it on first, you'll know if the cap fits correctly, if it's scratchy, and so forth. If you buy online, this won't be possible, but sites like Paula Young do have a return policy.


2.  Flatten your real hair close to your head.  If you have hair, especially long hair, you really need to pin it up as close to your head as possible. If your hair is super long, you're going to have to wrap it carefully, securing it with hairpins, or you'll get a wierd bump in the wig where your hair is coiled up. 


3.  Give your wig an anchor.  If you want something to anchor the wig into, and keep the look smooth, do as the drag queens do, and cover your real hair with something like a piece of pantyhose or a tight fitting hair net. My sources tell me this is optional, but I've seen so many actors and actresses getting prepped for a wig with that pantyhose cap, they must know it's a good idea.


4.  Know Where the Front is.  When you look at your wig, be sure you know where the front is. That may sound simple, but I got it wrong and though the part was sideways, the first time I tried to put it on.  Shake the wig out first, so you can see where the bangs and/or part really are.

5:  Put the wig on your head!  gently place the wig on top of your hair/head and gently move it around to place it properly.


6:  Secure the wig.  Some people use bobby pins through the wig into their own hair (and that pantyhose cap).  Others secure it with a head band, or scarf, or hair clips, or other ornaments that will keep the wig in place.


7:  Style Your Wig:  You can cut another shape into a wig if it's long enough, but only if it's real, human hair, would I attempt to use heat styling tools.  If you really want a different style in your wig, either get another wig, or take yours to a pro, or use remove-able clips and hair jewelry to make it look "fresh." 

8:  Put your wig to sleep. Remove your wig when the day is done.  Your head and hair need to breathe, and besides, who wants to wear a headful of pins on a wig, to bed?

9. Take care of your wig.  Even it it's a dimestore find, take care of it if you want to continue wearing it.  Wigs can get easily tangled.  Put your wig on on a foam head or stand, or at least gently place it in a box or plastic bag where it won't get tangled, dirty and impossible to fix.

the lovely Jaclyn Smith in her Charlies Angels days

About Jaclyn Smith Wigs: Unless you've lived in a cave for the past couple of decades, you know that actress Jaclyn Smith is best known for her role as Kelly Garrett in Charlies Angels on television.  But more recently, Jaclyn was the hostess of Bravo's weekly competitive reality show competition called "Shear Genius." She is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful women in the world. She's put her name on clothing and fragrance, and decided that she also wanted to use her knowledge of hair fashion to make wigs that women could afford and feel good about. Since her movie roles often called for her to wear wigs and hair enhancements, she partnered with Paula Young wigs. Paula Young has been in operation for more than 30 years as a leading retailer of wigs, hair pieces and fashion add-ons.


Copyright ©Alison Blackman Dunham. All rights reserved. The Advice Sisters is a registered United States trademark. No content may be used or copied without written permission. If you want to use my work, please obtain it legally. For more information, Email Me.  You can show your interest and support by subscribing, leaving comments on my posts,  and by following me on Facebook and Twitter  (@advicesisters).  You can also read and subscribe to my National Luxury Lifestyles Column  and NY Cosmetics column on the Examiner.com.   

*I use provided samples for most of my reviews. Learn more in the "A Note About Compensation" section of the Advice Sisters What Works Beauty, Cosmetics and Fashion Review column

 I LOVE YOUR COMMENTS!  Please leave your comments on my posts. You can find the "comments" section (in green) at the bottom of each post next to: "Posted by Alison"  If Comments has a (0) next to it, I would especially appreciate yours being the first! Thanks in advance for interacting with me.