PHL goes International!
Going to Asia for the first time had us excited, nervous, apprehensive, but mostly motivated, determined and hopeful.
It would be a complete falsification to pretend the whole trip was smooth sailing, the language barrier was intense, and we literally managed to stray half a mile away from our hotel the first night we decided to go out, with no clue whatsoever how to return, and no one that could understand a single word we said to help us return back! Set the scene: Two young black women wandering around a quietening town in Asia; no telephone connection or data, no basic understanding of the local language, panicked and exhausted.
We ended up wandering into what (we still can’t decide) was either a hostel or public bathing house, attempting to communicate through a ludicrously inaccurate app translator. The whole staff team rushed over to our aid; but to be completely honest, we stood there simply trying to understand one another for at least 10 minutes before making any progress. Imagine us standing there desperate – they standing opposite completely confused.
They were incredibly eager to help though, which we were so grateful for, and the whole ordeal was most definitely the most hilarious moment of the trip.
By now, we’re pretty sure it’s common knowledge that the ‘Brazilian, Peruvian, Malaysian’ etc. labels are really just a farce, and that absolutely no one in Brazil is cutting their hair to sell for extensions, but shockingly, certain vendors still tried to sell to use under these false pretences! Presumably they thought we hadn’t done our research but somehow managed to spend hundreds and take not one or two, but three flights across the globe to get to the middle of Asia with no real knowledge or understanding of our trade? Again – Hilarious.
Aside from a few funny moments like those, the trip was actually culturally and educationally enriching. We learned about all the different countries that hair is sourced from (mainly India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma and China,) and visited several factories where we learned how the hair is sorted, weighed, measured and wefted. We learned about the different processes and techniques used to create each specific curl pattern, how hair is bleached from black to the blondest blonde, and how to properly spot quality hair.
We are extremely grateful for all the experiences we had and the memories we made on the trip. The food was amazing, the people were hospitable, and our knowledge of extensions has well and truly elevated. We now know every single detail of the journey each strand of hair takes (all the way from a young lady’s head in India, to a factory to be processed and cleaned, to be installed as a wig on Davina’s head in London!) Who knew so much went in to choosing the right vendors and extensions?
It was an intense week, and we spent several hours in several meetings to ensure that we returned with nothing but the best quality extensions for the very best prices. We’ve gone above and beyond to do all the groundwork of negotiating, sampling, and (rigorous) testing to make shopping for extensions that much easier for you. No more having to worry about lustre, shedding, tangling, and overall longevity! You can trust that we’ve got you sorted.