Secret Extensions Review: Additional Observations
Secret Extensions Info
I first participated in an evaluation of Secret Extensions in April 2014, which it was a new product. In that evaluation, two female testers tried out two different shades of Secret Extensions and a review was published based on their initial thoughts on the product.
Obvious disclaimer: Being a bald male, I did not try the product myself.
The domain secretextensions.com has been registered several times over the years and used for various products. It wasn’t until about January 2014 until the product we know as Secret Extensions could be found at this domain. Around that time, a YouTube channel was also created and the ubiquitous commercial featuring Daisy Fuentes was posted. Thus, it is safe to say that this product has only existed since about the beginning of 2014. The domain comprasecretextensions.com has been used in marketing on Spanish-language television.
On the official website, as of January 2016, the product costs about $52 when shipping is included. This breaks down to $39.99 for the extensions, $6.99 shipping for the first set and $4.99 for the set set. I finally saw Secret Extensions for sale in a local store in March 2015 for a price of $39.99. All shades were not initially available locally, however. It’s not uncommon to see expensive, real-hair extensions cost hundreds (or more) at a wig shop, so $47 is not unreasonable – as long as they look good. And thus we have the most important question: Do Secret Extensions look good and live up to the hype?
I finally spotted Secret Extensions at a Kmart in March 2015.
Online Reviews of Secret Extensions
Our review over at wafflesatnoon.com was one of the first to evaluate the product, thus my testers were not influenced by opinions and reviews posted elsewhere online afterward. Commenters on wafflesatnoon and other review sites complained of slow shipping, especially those early comments in April and early May 2014. The number of complaints regarding slow shipping have since disappeared, so eventually the powers behind Secret Extensions finally caught up with the backlog of orders and shipping delays are no longer be a problem for most customers. Plus, they are readily available for purchase in stores, which eliminates shipping costs and delays.
Readers may be interested in several additional user comments posted to the Wafflesatnoon Lockerdome page.
A note on the return policy
One feature which we did not highlight fully in the original review was that of the return policy, which states: You can exchange or refund your order within 30 days as long as it has not been worn or removed from its clear package. It stands to reason that most customers will remove it from the packaging before deciding whether or not they want to keep it. I don’t return products I’ve purchased for evaluation, even if I find them completely useless after one use (GripGo comes to mind), but the average consumer may be put off by such a stiff policy.
That said, as someone who has accompanied women to wig shops for extensions here in Las Vegas, such a return policy is not outside the norm for this type of item. Most of the wig and beauty shops I’ve visited carry an All Sales Final policy for extensions due to the personal nature of the product.
Although an all sales final policy may seem acceptable in person, it may not bode well to customers who purchased Secret Extensions online, and then waited for two months or more – only to find that they were not satisfied with the product.
Several commenters have said that they placed Secret Extensions for sale on Ebay after deciding they did not want to keep the product but could not return it.
Follow-Up Review
The two testers who evaluated the product found it to be an acceptable product, although not necessarily a replacement for more expensive real-hair extensions. After the initial tests, I asked them continue using the product and report back to me with additional observations after 8 weeks. Below are some of their thoughts after two months.
- Curling. Styling Secret Extensions can be problematic. My testers told me that these extensions don’t curl like real hair. If you have curly hair, this could be something to consider. I’m not sure you could create tight curls with Secret Extensions.
- Brushing. Take extra care when brushing Secret Extensions. The company recommends using a soft bristle flat brush and NOT brushing while wet. Aggressive brushing can lead to strands coming out. If you brush it while wearing it, place your hand on the band to prevent pulling strands out. The band isn’t particularly strong, so you don’t want to stretch or break it.
- Volume. Depending on your hair thickness, it may take multiple sets of Secret Extensions in order to achieve the volume seen in the commercials. One of my testers has very thin hair and felt that one set was sufficient.
- Quality. This is another subjective concern. In reading online comments and talking to my two testers, it seems that opinions vary regarding how real Secret Extensions look. From what I have been able to ascertain is that this is affected by personal experience with extensions, and the shade of the wearer’s hair. Those who have used expensive extensions made from real hair may have a better eye for quality, and may see Secret Extensions as “fake” looking. The shade of the extensions also seems to be a factor, with some shades looking more realistic than others. Very light and very dark extensions may be less realistic looking than other shades.
- Color. This is something we touched on in our initial review, and again is something that is subjective and unique to each user. If you have ever purchased extensions from a beauty store, you’re probably accustomed to a wide selection of colors, including streaked hair styles. The colors available from Secret Extensions are not as broad as you would find in a specialty store, and it looks as though they chose the most common hair shades to offer. If you have streaked or a non-standard hair color, color matching may be problematic.
A question I have been asked several times is if Secret Extensions is available in stores. As of this writing, it is now available in stores, found in the As Seen on TV section.
Bottom Line
Due to the strict return policy, and the inability to match the product with your own hair until after you’ve already purchased it, Secret Extensions could be seen as a gamble when purchasing online. Reviews are bound to be mixed, as those who get a good color or style match are bound to be satisfied, while those who are unhappy with the product may feel frustrated by the lengthy shipping process and strict return policy.
Secret Extension’s biggest downfalls are easily remedied by seeking it out in a local store and taking a closer look before purchasing.
If you’ve used Secret Extensions, drop me a comment below with your opinion of the product.
Originally published June 2014
Revised January 15, 2016
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