After my false start to wearing earlier this year
(See this thread for the full story - http://forum.toplace.com/showthread.php?tid=5137 ),
i have finally received my new piece from Toplace.

Topper Stats:
65% density, french lace with sfs front, blond front, medium wave.

I ordered the front blond so i could color it to match the rest of the piece and my own hair but not have the stress the knots with factory bleaching.

the color of the piece was a perfect match to my sample. I applied color to the front blond hairs and brushed it back a little into the rest of the piece so it blended well. unfortunately though, i think the color i was using was a bit too dark, and maybe i left it in too long.. cause the piece came out WAY darker than i expected. It was never going to blend with my natural hair like this, so i decided to color my growing hair the same color.
I'm so glad i did.. because the blend is so good, even i can't even see where the piece ends ad my hair starts!

I've been letting my natural hair grow a little out of control while i've been waiting for the piece to arrive. i've looked like i've needed a haircut for a while. I've decided not to cut any of my natural hair at all yet. sure the whole thing would look neater if i had the back and sides trimmed.. but i've already made quite a visual change with the darker color, i don't want to change the overall look of my hair too much more yet.

I've got a few days off work, but when i return, i have a feeling it's going to go quite smoothly. cause my hair is so much darker now than it usually is, all people will focus on will be the color of it.. not so much that the hairline is healthier looking... and i know the blend is good enough that nobody will notice that.

Take a look at the pics attached and let me know what you think.

Also worth mentioning: The hairline was really quite straight which i realized when i placed it on my head, was just not going to suit me... so i used a little Nair Cream in the hairline to give the illusion of recession, and it makes the hairline SO much more realistic on me. (see photo of template)