Alva by Noriko

Of all the hairstyles I have had over the years, this is the one that makes me feel most like myself, in a timeless, ageless way. I have wavy hair and all my life have tried to achieve a bob and bangs just like this, with mixed success. In college, I managed it and again about 15 years later. Then my biohair stopped cooperating and I was living in a hotter, more humid climate.

My very first wig was a Scorpio (by Revlon then, now by Rene of Paris). It was a great style, extremely comfortable and very inexpensive as an experiment. I was so encouraged by that experience, that it set me on the road to wigs. I gave away that first Scorpio because it was very very shiny, a standard cap, and the color was almost black with no dimension. I cycled back and almost got another one in a different color this month, but then saw reviews of Alva and decided Alva had all the same good qualities and fewer drawbacks. I am so happy with this choice.

First off, this is Coffee Latte, a color I had always wanted to try. I did want it in Coffe Latte-R, but it wasn't available and I reasoned that the shadows at the hairline would almost look like rooting and took a chance. This is a lighter color than my (shoulder length, now, and not so gorgeous) biohair but it works for me anyway. I love having the dimension you see here in my pictures in my car, with the skylight providing some soft, filtered, natural illumination. In real life, this color is full of shadings and variations. It's simply…