Reubin,
GREAT video.
I have always sighted you and your results as the ultimate in what can be achieved!
Its inspirational.

Great job Reubin. Funny, I always imagined you would have a Spanish accent, like Riccardo Montalban LOL.

I have to say, I think it is wrong to bill this as a video for newbies (except as evidence of what can be achieved). It is really better suited to 6- or 12-month wearers who want to up their game and show more hairline. You should re-entitle it "Hairline Masterclass".

Incidentally, are you no longer using the island lace units?

Rich

jorn, thanks, I think I will be out of the video business for a while this one took a real long time for me. The coloring I do is nothing fancy, I just put a thin layer of Body Shop Clay (Ionic) on a styrofoam head, t-pin the uncut lace (meaning it is new and has not been trimmed) to the styrofoam head so that the front knots are "submerged" - some have posted they use vaseline but I hate any oil on lace - and I just comb in the color.

I streak it in the back of the piece so that it is not all one color. Plus after a little time since the fronts came in blond they tend to lighten faster than the rest of the piece - a good thing.

If I have a 1/16" blond roots all the more better.

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Thanks LTB - any tape can be used but the 3 mil up front I find is vital. If another company makes that tape (other than Walker) I do not know about it.

The 3MIL tape is essentially glue that you can contour with a pair of scissors - it's glue on a paper strip.

The back side and support tape should not be shiny - unless your density is 70% or more, than you don't have to worry.

Bluliner tape is awesome in water but gets really gummy on me after a short time. Plus I don't swim in really rough water so the regular attachment for me is "ocean ready"

Tape is shinier than glue so be careful with those thin densities on the back and sides (front 3mil not a problem).

Pay attention to the sides and back to ensure the tape can't be seen through the piece. I have had this happen on light densities or where I have the sides and back really, really short.

Lastly it's blond fronts, staggered hairline (this might be automatic) comb back ventilation. The rest of the piece is color 1B (dark brown)

Hi Reubin

Didn´t you handpaint the front with a small brush? Is it only the very front? How long do you leave it in in the front? thx.

Baldrich - I order all 3: all SFS, all French and I-Lace Islands (with SFS or French).

As far as a video for newbies, I can see your point. John asked me to show my attachment in order to help newbies.

So I think that if a newbie is able to see someone do all of this right in front of their eyes it says "it will be doable by me too" - perhaps not over night.

Also I decided NOT to dumb down the video and to a simple attachment with one type of tape and edit out what might seem complicated. Reason being is that "more is better".

Noobs and advanced wearers who just get one little tip, well it's worth it. No one is obligated to do it exactly as I do - I don't even do it exactly as I do it

I was born and raised in the US and the voice on the video is mine but heavily adulterated - the pitch is shifted way higher and was bounced back and forth a few times and compressed to muddy it up - so if one does lower the pitch it still does not sound like me.

I thought the voice sounded "funny" so I kept it there.

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jorn - no I comb it in with a comb. I stay away from the knots.

I squirt it on the front part of the teeth - a little strip and comb it in. Holding the styrofoam head (it's the half head that HD sells) upside down - so I am combing in the color with a top down motion, the hair is hanging as if the were attached to someone hanging by their feet.

I leave it in for whatever time is says on the box.

If there is a little extra blond that I may have missed after they rinse and get somewhat dried I will do a quick touch up with the remaining color - but just with the piece lace side up - I don't stick it back on the styrofoam if there is just a pinch of blond I missed on one of the sides.

I also color my real hair at the same time - after I get the pieces colored - I do 3 at a time. I put vaseline on my ears and just in front of the side burns and side hair (beforehand of course) so that my skin does not get colored/stained.

Thanks Reubin!

newbie questions.

Why did he put a dart in the system. Wouldn't it be already designed to his head shape?

Have you done other videos?

BDMAN,

The piece does not really need darts - especially if one is attaching with glue on the head - but - I do have a curvy head and I stick TAPE ON THE PIECE - THE FRONT HAIRLINE OF THE PIECE - FIRST. So, the tape as I put it on the hairline of the piece "molds/freezes" the curve of the piece without my head being involved, hence the darts work a little better for me.

If you glue or put tape on your head first (I have never done the latter) and you attach a lace piece that has no tape already on it, one is able to attach while molding and stretching and tacking down the piece and as it is being applied - the piece/base curving to the contour of the head as it is being attached.

This cannot totally be the case with tape going on the piece first as that tape "freezes" the curve somewhat. If you are lucky the curve you have as you apply the tape matches you head and all is good. I find this works better for me with the darts - for the main reason is that my bald area is long and wide.

I hope that helps. I have not done any other videos. A good thing!

Thanks Reubin,

That helps. Too bad you don't enjoy making videos, you were quite good. Newbies like myself could learn a lot.

Why the ILace Island and not full ILace?