Wigs are the newest wave and we refuse to not swag surf until the board breaks. If it were up to me and not my bank account, I would have a room full of wigs named after my favorite celebrities. From Cardi B to Viola Davis, wigs have become a mainstay for boss women not only because of their convenience but also for their undeniable flair. If you want to try a new style or color, you can always rock a wig to try it out before making a permanent decision.
In the past few years, the negative connotation of wigs has been replaced with that of opulence and class. Back in the day, wearing a wig was seen as a way to go undercover or as a hair loss solution. While you can keep those on the list of pros of rocking a wig, they offer so much more in this day and age.
I used to find them profoundly intimidating before I learned more about them. Frontals, U-Parts, Glueless… you name it! I had the opportunity to embark on a new wig journey by trying a frontal wig for the very first time using XOXO Virgin Hair. Keep reading for the piping-hot tea.
The Brand: XOXO Virgin Hair
XOXO Virgin Hair
As the first hair brand to use Vietnamese hair, XOXO Virgin Hair is 100% pure, making the product free of synthetic fillers or chemicals. The brand proclaims that the hair is double drawn, ensuring clients full and thick installs and because the weft construction is durable, thin, flexible, and consistently constructed, there is minimal shedding. The website reads, "The quality of our hair appeals and caters to the discerning taste of both clients and hair stylists, as our hair can last up to 3-5 years or more with proper care, a wonderful investment to those who seek longevity and high performing hair."
Founder Stephanie Nolan launched XOXO Virgin Hair in 2014 after observing a lack of quality hair extensions when working on sets. Like the girl boss she is, she took matters into her own hands by creating her own brand. Stephanie's goal was to transform the hair extension experience through high-performing products. And don't get it twisted, her clientele includes the likes of Solange, Lizzo, Jackie Aina, Jordyn Woods, Normani and more.
Whether you need bundles, a HD film lace frontal or a custom wig, XOXO has you covered.
The Wig: Deep Wave Frontal Wig
Normani rocked a similar unit during her 2019 MTV VMA performance. The wig features a 13x6 Swiss Lace Parting with lasting curls and three wig combs and adjustable straps. It comes unstyled so that you have the freedom to create the look you desire. My mane consisted of 22/24/26 lengths, similar to Normani's VMA look.
My Review
This was my first frontal wig installation and it was a whole experience. The first order of business was to find a stylist Denver that could lay my wig like Beyonce's flowing locks. Although Denver is highly Caucasian, I had been eyeing this dope stylist named Tiarra Waldrup on Instagram for the task. She has worked her magic on the heads of bosses like Karen Civil so I knew I would be in good heads.
I booked my appointment and I immediately fell in love with Tiarra's holistic approach to hair as she talked through every single step of the process in an effort to make sure I was educated on the maintenance of a frontal wig. We talked about glue vs glueless, freeze spray, maintenance and so much more. One of the main reasons I wanted to be a part of the wig gang is because I have Seborrheic dermatitis, a common skin condition that mainly affects your scalp causing scaly patches, red skin and stubborn dandruff. This is also why I love a good protective style. Tiarra gave me a great shampoo and then braided me down. Next came the daunting part: applying the wig cap.
Confession: the stocking cap application almost took me out. I am what black folks call "tender-headed", so my pain tolerance is -50.
Tiarra did tell me that it would be tight because it helps to smooth and flatten my braids to create a natural appearance. She popped me under the dryer and then proceeded to apply the wig. The moment she put the wig on, I felt like a new woman and I hadn't even seen anything. Homegirl started styling me by plucking the lace to match my hairline and then she added some products to enhance the already fire curl patterns. She did comment about the color of the lace as it has a darker hue but it didn't end up needing any makeup or concealer. When completing the look, she told me she approved of this hair vendor because the quality of the hair was truly sensational. I left the salon swinging my inches like I was an extra in a Beyonce music video.
Over the next few days, I found the maintenance to be very easy. I would wake up, comb or brush out the hair and add some mousse if I wanted to define the curls more. I can't even lie — I am in love with this wig! It's gorgeous, beautiful, easy to maintain and has very little shedding. Best of all, it looks so natural. Everywhere I go, people shower me with compliments.
If you're looking for a way to switch it up with quality and style, XOXO Virgin Hair is an amazing option.
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Skylar sees things differently. At the time, she was shooting content on her iPhone. Temi came into the picture with a new perspective, an understanding of tech, and, eventually, a camera. “He doesn't give himself enough credit,” Skylar says. “He wasn't just my tripod. He wasn't just standing behind the camera and going ‘click.’ He was giving advice. He was giving me insight to how I could look at things from a different perspective. And I was like, 'Oh, he’s an artist.' I think it was maybe a heartbeat of that kind of energy of like, ‘Baby, can you take this picture?’ And it turned so quickly into, we're partners. We can work together in a way where we're advancing each other's creative thinking.”
The pair often says they’re two sides of the same coin. Skylar is an Aquarius. She attended art school, paints, and loves poetry. She’s more than happy to let the couple’s management firm and agency, Kensington Grey, handle their admin work. And, she loves to sleep in. Temi, on the other hand, wakes up early. He’s a Virgo. He loves a to-do list and regularly checks in on the couple’s brand partnerships spreadsheet to make sure everything is on track.
Because his storytelling was steeped in his love of technology, he didn’t always think of himself as a creative person. “Where I [am] the dreamer who wants to pluck things out of the sky and spend all day with my head in the clouds, Temi [is] so good at grounding me and helping me figure out how to make things make sense on paper. We just work together in such a complimentary way,” Skylar says.
It’s been more than six years since Brooklyn-based couple Temi and Skylar started dating, and nearly four since they cemented their working relationship. On TikTok and Instagram, the couple’s travel, fashion, and home content regularly rack up hundreds of thousands of views. They’ve worked with brands such as Coach, Aesop, Away, and Liquid IV, bringing their vibrant perspectives to every campaign they execute. Still, nearly two years since both Temi and Skylar committed to full-time content creation and creative directing, the couple says their romantic connection remains their priority.
“We told each other we would much rather go back to full-time jobs and preserve our relationship than to be full-time freelancers, barely getting a night's rest [and] barely kissing each other because we're so busy shooting,” Skylar says.
Working from home can make it hard to separate work from personal life for any entrepreneur. It can be even more challenging when your business partner is also your lover. Temi and Skylar had already used couples therapy as a tool to help them effectively communicate with one another. When they ran into challenges while working together, their therapist helped them set physical boundaries to help combat the issues.
"We told each other we would much rather go back to full-time jobs and preserve our relationship than to be full-time freelancers, barely getting a night's rest [and] barely kissing each other because we're so busy shooting."
“It actually took us doing very specific physical things to create boundaries between work and play in our relationship,” Skylar says. “So, for instance, we will only have conversations about work when we're out of bed or we're at the table or in the office. Initially, when we started, we had to light a candle to say that, 'Okay, this is a space where we're connecting, we’re not talking about work.' We needed really hard boundaries at the top. And then it became a little bit more organic.”
The boundaries have been crucial to implement, especially because the couple began working together so naturally. When the pair first met, Skylar was NY-based a social strategist for BuzzFeed and was using content creation to drive business to her lingerie company. She was shooting her own content. Temi was working for Microsoft in D.C. He’d recently traded in his DJing equipment for a camera. “I've always loved taking pictures,” he says. “Even when I was a kid, my African mother would wake me up at 3:00 a.m. [during a] party, and be like, 'Come take the family picture.'”
Growing up, Temi says he watched his parents support each other and be the true definition of partners. He knew he wanted the same for his own relationship. But, the couple also wanted to make sure they were being financially responsible. The pair didn’t quit their traditional jobs until they’d saved up two years' worth of their cost of living. And, Temi received his Master of Business Administration from New York University with the knowledge that it could either help him advance in his corporate career or be applicable to his business with Skylar.
Temi and SkylarCj Hart @hartbreakToday, they say their working relationship is more of a “quiet dance.” They still implement some of the boundaries they learned in therapy, but they also lean into their natural strengths and deep love for one another. When we speak, Temi has planned a date for the couple to see Princess Mononoke in 4K IMAX and added it to their Notion so they can factor it into their busy schedules. “I fully plan to date for the rest of my life,” he says.
Skylar says the couple doesn’t just wait for date nights to check in with one another, though. This often happens in the mornings, after Temi has made her peppermint tea and poured himself a cup of coffee. When they ask each other how they slept, she says, it’s not just a “nicety.” It’s a genuine question meant to foster connection.
“A lot of it happens during the day in the midst of work. We'll stop and we'll hug. Or we’ll slow dance in the kitchen,” she says. “Sometimes it's hard to set a whole date night when you have 7,000 things going on. So, we must grasp these moments and check in when we can. And I think it's become so organic to us that I actually didn't even realize how often we do it. But all day long, we're like, 'Are you good? I felt like your energy shifted,' because we're best friends, we just know. We just feel it happen.”
What’s better than being in love? Building wealth while doing it. Watch Making Cents here for real stories of couples who make money moves together.
Featured image by Cj Hart @hartbreak