Greetings, goblins and ghouls! Your Prince has arrived. We’re here to talk about one of my favorite topics: wigs.
Wig styling is a magical art given to me by my senpais, and I’m here to teach you how to style wigs with one of my favorites: her name is Rachel.
Rachel was for a genderbent Raas al-Ghul cosplay so I had to go from this:
To this:
How did I do it?
Well, first I decided on what I was going for. This version of the Demon’s Head was going to be a bit of a momager so I went to my local beauty supply store. The internet is a wonderful place and pretty much any cut and color you need of a wig, you can find it.
I chose a black rooted brown wig because that would look realistic and if I had to turn Raas al-Ghul into Kris Jenner, it would be with a brown rooted bob.
Knowing your vision will always help as you go on your wig journey.
Next up was styling.
I used a strip of colored hair and attached it to the bang for Rachel to mimic the look of Raas al-Ghul’s hair and I curled it using a flat iron.
I have two flat irons: one for wigs and one for my human hair. Do you need two? No. Does it help? Yes.
If your wig has a little too much shine, dry shampoo will make it look a little less like it’s fresh from the bag.
Is the wig a good start but not all the way there? Cutting a wig takes practice because if you mess it, you mess up but just keep the image of the character you have in mind and close by and snip mindfully. Need to dye the wig? You can dye synthetic hair but it usually involves a bathtub and a ritual. Dyeing wigs can be as simple as a dip dye or can be an entire affair just depending on how much color you need on the wig.
Need hair that defies gravity? Lots of brushing with a rounded brush and hairspray will aid you in your journey. Avoid using gel as it doesn’t do much for synthetic hair.
As a person of color, I always have to be careful with wig colors. As you can see, I love being a blonde but that means that not all blondes look good on me. So sure, while the hair color may not be as accurate, I am willing to sacrifice a little bit of accuracy for the sake of not looking like a Missy Elliot knock-off. Knowing your skin tone can take a while but typically, your makeup counter consultant can help. Also just plain trial and error. I figured out over the years that platinum is better while more straw yellows make me look a bit dusty. But that meant I wore many straw yellow wigs and looked like a hot hot mess.
The same goes for cut and shape of a wig. I have a very round face so anything that frames my face is much more flattering than hair that’s pulled back too tight or is a blunt bang. Again, that takes practice and knowing face shapes, but you’ll get the hang of it. I believe in you.
Now that your wig looks like you imagined, get yourself a wig head. I have one: her name is Kennedy Davenport. Wig mounts keep your wigs safe and in place. And they’re great for scaring guests who round a dark corner in your home too quickly only to meat the haunted face of Ornacia in the kitchen.
Now, here are some tips for when your wig is done and you’re ready to wear it! Get a wig cap. Wig caps protect your real hair from the wig and please know wigs get hot. I keep a fan on me to keep me cool but just brace yourself: wigs get hot. But remember, beauty is pain. Once your wig is on, give it a good brush with a paddle brush and smooth your edges with hair spray. If you’re using a lace front (cool, I’ll send you my Venmo if you have cash to spare), trim and snip your lace and blend your hair line in with a concealer or foundation of your choice.
When you’re finished with you wig, back on the wig head it goes on back into a wig back if you’re short on storage: just keep it dry and safe from vermin, small children, negative thoughts and ghosts.
A good wig can bring a whole look together. A good wig can make you feel the fullest of fantasies. I love wigs and I absolutely understand how scary wig work can be.
I hope this was helpful! I can’t wait to see what you can do with your wigs.
