Does fluorescent lighting lie?

When Spoiled Pretty reported T.J. Maxx had Jessica Simpson Hairdo clip-in hair extensions for a fraction of the cost, I immediately made my way to the mall.  Alas, in a cruel twist of fate, they had virtually every color in the world…except mine.  But, as I walked out of the store, dejected, I ran smack into a kiosk selling generic clip-in extensions.  And they looked just as good as the Jessica Simpson ones!

Or so I thought.

After snapping my new 15-inch, synthetic bouncy waves in place, I strolled up to my husband waiting outside and preened.  I ever-so-slyly walked in front of him – just to see if he’d notice my new do, thinking I’d pull one over on him.  Instead, to my horror, he uttered, “Why does your hair at the bottom look so dark…and shiny…and fake?”

What???

Looks different in outdoor lighting?  

Was this a case of color-bait-and-switch — like when you buy the perfect shade of nude lipstick at the department store, only to realize that your lips look cotton-candy pink when you step outdoors?  Or was this just my husband being ultra-particular?

Like any good (and crazy) beauty sleuth, I decided to find out…by asking 100 strangers if they could tell my hair was fake.

After prepping my purchase with hairspray to dull that “shiny” look, I grabbed Kristin, marched into the middle of Boston’s “tourist central,” and had her stop poor, unsuspecting pedestrians to “ask a question about my friend’s hair.”

After the final tally, I felt vindicated.  Only 11 people out of 100 said they could tell I was wearing clip-in extensions – and honestly, I think it was less than that, since Kristin was pressing them pretty hard (she wanted people to say “yes”).  But even so, I’m comfortable with one in 10 odds.

Judge for yourself!  And let me know in the comments below — would you wear clip-in extensions if no one would notice?