From fat to bouffant in seconds

At the suggestion, we'll call it a request, almost a plea, of my dear friend Jeanie, I chose to try BumpIts for my first "As seen on TV" product. I have to admit, I was a little curious about how a small piece of plastic could add volume in seconds. A trip to my hairdresser a few weeks ago also had me questioning the product. Every small, black cart in the salon had a box of BumpIts shoved in the side basket. I asked if they actually worked and was answered by a wave of excited voices saying "They work Great!."

I set off around town in search of the BumpIt. I assumed I would be able to find them everywhere but found myself at CVS purchasing them. CVS must be the mecca of "As seen on TV" products. The shelves of about two aisles were cluttered with items stamped with the As seen logo. There were items I had never heard of nor seen before. Nonetheless, I purchased the BumpIts for $9.99. They come in three colors: blond, light brown and dark brown/black. It only took a second for me to grab an extra box for Jeanie. She should try them too I decided.

When I opened the box to inspect the contents, I found the BumpIts wrapped in pink tissue paper. It was like opening a little gift to myself. Inside where three yellowish plastic combs in the shape of an arch, a rat tail comb and instructions. I started my experimentation by washing my hair and giving myself a blow out. The photos in the instruction booklet showed women with straight hair so I thought I should match that for a proper first try of the product.

The first comb I grabbed was the middle sized one. I thought I would mimic a few styles in the booklet with it. Ignoring the fact that the booklet says you have to tease your hair first, I shoved it in between layers and FAIL! So, trying it their way the second time, I was met with some success. I tried a headband with it and really wasn't a fan of the way it looked. Maybe it was because the headband made my ears stick out more than Dumbo's. I couldn't blame the product for that. After taking the headband out, I tried to pin some hair back with bobby pins, SUCCESS! I mastered the big hair hump in all of a minute, something I had tried in the past for countless minutes and never got quite right. Perhaps this is how the women in college classrooms obtained their trendy hair early in the morning. It was the effortless, effort looking hair do. Now off to work to see what the world thinks of my very big hair.

My evening was filled with comment after comment about how well people, both co-workers and customers, liked my hair. Then there were the two people that completely called me out for having a BumpIt. The first was my 18 year old co-worker who innocently asked if I in fact had a BumpIt in my hair.

"Well yes. How could you tell?"

"It looks just like the girl in the commercial." Laugh, snicker, laugh.

The second time I was exposed was by a woman who most of us working thought was on some sort of drugs while she was shopping. She was chatty and appeared to have a lack of balance.

"Is that there one of them BumpIt things in your hair?"

"Yup, trying it out."

"Well ain't that something. I'm gonna have to try me one of those."

For the next few days, I tried the smallest comb. I was able to get my hair done and polished in a matter of seconds. The best part about the small comb-no one knew, asked or suspected it was a BumpIt. It may be my favorite.

The larger of the combs was just a little too much for me. It's too much volume just to wear on a daily basis and was a little more difficult to work with. I set it to the side and tried the medium comb again. This time I spent a half hour trying to get my hair just right. I wanted to leave it down for the day. It took several different attempts at finding the perfect amount of comb-over hair. You can't use a lot of hair in the BumpIts, so those of you with thin hair, looking for a

boost, this is the product for you. My hair didn't make it through the day worn down however. About an hour into my shift at work, the comb started to fall out and was visible in my hair. I tried to pin it in, but the pins made the arched comb all the more noticeable. I tried more hairspray but all it did was make my hair look icky. I have to say, the BumpIt did not stay secured on its own.

The final BumpIt test was on curly hair. It failed for the most part. It's hard to tease gel filled hair and get it to stay over a comb on your head, not to mention, a streak of puffy straight hair over curly hair is not cute.

Overall, I thought the BumpIt was great and will continue to use it. I loved that I couldn't feel it on my head because it's lightweight. With some practice, I am sure I can get the perfect style in seconds. It's great when you're in a hurry or have a last minute dinner date that you want to spruce up for. The BumpIt is perfect for that effortless hair that looks like it took hours.

Next: The blanket coat with sleeves.