The Hair Chronicles! -A new look in a unknown world

It is has been exactly a month to the day since my last blog post.  In the time I been away from blogging, I have continued to work, got another cold, then allergies, and family visits. In addition, I have also got a new hair cut.  The story behind it is peppered with a variety of ups and downs.

As some of you may know, I began to grow out my Bettie bangs into an angled style. I started this process in August. Despite my initial hesitation to let go of my once-heralded look, I got the cut and felt great. I was ready for a change! However, this elation was soon eclipsed by the news that my stylist of one year, a stylist who was finally becoming accustomed to my hair, told me she was moving out of state in late September. I was sad. I am happy she is finding her bliss in her new home and new life, but damn it! My hair has needs! So, the quest to find a new stylist began.

In late September, I discovered a new salon in my area.  The website looked great and the vibe was hip, edgy.  I made my appointment for a stylist who seemed to have a good grasp of vintage styles.  On the day of my appointment, I was nervous (silly, I know) and excited. I arrived on time and after over 15 minute wait, I was sent back to get a root touch up and a couple of foils on my emerging blond highlight in my growing bangs.

After color, the stylist cut a section of hair behind my bangs. The overall look appeared to form a deep, wide triangle in my hairline. Because I wanted to grow out my bangs to do a "suicide roll" and/or a side-swept look, I needed a more dramatic bang line. The stylist also cut a couple of inches of my ends to help my wet sets shape better during home styling. Needless to say, I felt great. I found "vintage hair heaven" but alas, something was amiss in hair world and I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Upon the completion of my mystical hair experience, I made my way over to the reception desk to check out. Then I heard, "That will be $155.00 today, please." What? What now? $155.00 for a basic highlight foil in my bangs, a cut, and root-touch up? My old salon was $105!! How much is full color gonna cost?! Good lord. I walked out there feeling both magical and in shock. My  hair was "Breck Girl" glowing but my wallet was crying and shaking in a corner, like it was just mugged in Central Park circa 1977.

A couple of days later, I washed my hair and when I was combing it out after my shower, I noticed several places where my roots were not touched up at all. I have natural light auburn roots (level 7) and my color is blue black (level 1). The contrast was really evident. Not only was I overcharged, my roots were patchy and uneven. I was pissed.

In spite of the fact I want perfection (especially for that price), I am reasonable. I do not expect me and a new stylist to be "on the same page" the very first visit, but I at least expect my color to be done correctly. Needless to say, I will not be going back there.

But, this story may have a happy ending! One of my friends who blogs, is an amazing seamstress, talented knitter, loves vintage, adores makeup, and is an awesome fun gal, is actually a board certified stylist in the next state.  She is very knowledgeable with vintage hair and how to create the looks I seek.

Even though my hair is okay for now and I am without a stylist at the moment, I am able to do a couple of new looks, apres-Bettie bangs:

The first look is with my bangs rolled back and the second is as they are styled forward in a side-swept look. As the months progress, I cannot wait to see what new styles I can create!

So, do you have any hair "she-mergencies?"

New Hair Color!

This is me, with my allergy eyes and new hair color! 

I had the color (a dark brown) done by my amazing stylist of 5 years, Corry, last Thursday. I have been red with blond and just red (I go back and forth) for two years and I thought it was time to change things up! I have not been brunette since 2002. I have been pink, black, platinum blonde,  blonde with black underneath, and even purple! But I have to admit I have a preference for the dark shades of color!

So, what do you gals think?

And, what color of hair (or colors) have you been?

New Season, New Hair Color

Now that fall is in full-swing here in the DC area, it is time for changing my hair color. For most of spring and summer, my hair was red paired a bold platinum blond chunk. Part of me misses my blond but I love going 'all red' for fall and winter.

My stylist, Corry Kendall, colored my hair in a more golden, orange-based red. Last year in November (Election Day actually), I opted for a cooler, cherry-toned red. Having experienced several types of red shades, I prefer a more gold red. I think it looks better set against my pink-toned skin.  In my opinion, the pinkier, cooler reds bring out too much pink in my complexion.

Despite thin state of my hair (due to stress), I am happy with my hair! Moreover, if I miss my blond, I can always bring it back next year! But for now, I will enjoy this 'red state of mind.'

The Most Amazing Blond/Highlight Shampoo Ever! Clairol Shimmer Lights!

Now that I have my beloved blond highlights back, I want to share with you all one of the best highlighting shampoos ever created: Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo in "Blonde/Silver!"  This "holy grail" shampoo has been a mainstay in my hair care arsenal since 2008. You can find this shampoo at Sally Beauty Supply stores, online at Sally Beauty's website, www.haircareusa.com, and www.ballbeauty.com. I know other places/sites should have it on stock as well. I buy the 16 ounce bottle at Sally Beauty for $8.49 USD. The shampoo also comes in a 4 ounce bottle as well as a 32 ounce size.

This Clairol Shampoo is intended for natural and highlighted blondes who want bright, platinum tones instead of yellow. The violet color cancels out any brassiness. Right now, I have quite a bit of yellow/warmth in the lower half of my hair. Over the next couple of salon visits, these tones will be bleached out. I would love to have my hair all platinum now but doing so would be very damaging! It is best to process hair slowly. Due to the presence of these yellowy sections, I use this shampoo to brighten the platinum tones and to help fade the warmth in my blond.

In fall 2008, my stylist, Corry, colored my hair black with platinum blond on top:
After my color was done, I used Pureology Hydrate Shampoo as well as Pantene's blonde shampoo. I washed my hair with the Pantene a few times a week to help brighten/maintain my blond but its results were lackluster. Moreover, the shampoo began to dry out my hair! I needed something that would help brighten as well as condition.

When I was in Aspen, Colorado for a 5 week business trip in November 2008, I visited Carl's Pharmacy with the hopes of finding a better replacement for the Pantene shampoo. As I browsed the shelves in the hair care section, I stumbled upon "Clairol Shimmer Lights Blond and Silver Shampoo." I bought a 16 ounce bottle for 11.00 USD (gotta love that resort ski town mark-up!).

After my gym workout the next day, I washed my hair with my new shampoo. The shampoo was a super bright violet pearl shimmer that had a light, pleasant clean-scented fragrance. It had a creamy, thick lather too. I rinsed my hair, applied conditioner, and rinsed in cool water.

As I towel-dried my hair, I could already see that my hair looked more platinum. I really noticed the difference when I blow-dried my hair! Wow! Most of the remaining yellow tones were pretty much gone!

Yesterday, I used the Shimmer Lights once again and I today notice that my blond looks brighter. The yellow tones are still there but they are not as glaring. My hair also feels soft too!

So, if you have blond hair and/or highlights that need brightening, then give Clairol Shimmer Lights Blonde and Silver Shampoo a try! If you also want blond conditioning, Clairol also makes a coordinating conditioner!

New (and Improved) Red Hair Color!

 

After voting yesterday, I went to see my stylist to update my hair color.  My previous color was a cooler-toned red. Like all reds, the color began to fade after a few weeks and in an effort to refresh it myself, I used a blend of Special Effects Devilish and Aveda Madder Root color shampoo. As I stated in a previous post, the end result was less than stellar. Actually, it was hideous! My hair, especially my once-blond highlights, turned a candy apple, pink based red! I did everything from dish soap, clarifying shampoo, to using VO5 Hot Oil treatments. I able to get rid of most of the pink myself and Corry covered the rest using a warm-based, golden red color.  I am really happy with the outcome!

 Here is a closer view of my hair:

 My skin is very pink-toned and the cool-based red made my skin look more ruddy. The warmer gold hue evens out my skintone nicely. So, anyone with cool tone skin (ie blue and pinks) should stick to warmer colors to balance their complexion.

Not only have I realized that I need to stick to warmer reds in the future, I also learned that I should not "take matters into my own hands" by applying incorrect color blends at home! I should have known that the once-blond sections of my hair (being the most porous) would soak up the pink tones in the Devilish red! However, if my hair was notpreviously highlighted, I would have been okay.

Moreover, I discovered that a beauty store in my local mall that still has a few Artec Color shampoos and conditioners in stock! The Artec line was discontinued a while back so I was pleased as punch I that was able to find a big bottle of both the Ginger Root shampoo and conditioner! The Ginger Root is a PERFECT match for my hair color! I use it twice a week to maintain color intensity.

I did not get my hair cut yesterday. I had been getting regular trims (every 6 weeks) to upgrade my Middy (Baby, Middy, Middy Plus, etc) and now my longest length is 6 inches, the sides are 5 inches, and the length by the ears is 4 inches. When I get my hair retouched in December, I will get a trim to maintain my Middy while it grows out. I would love to have enough length to do a ponytail on lazy days.

 

The Hair Horrors-A Cautious Tale from an Impetuous Color Addict!

On the 30th of September, I had my hair color done by my amazing stylist, Corry. He colored over my platinum blond streak and he adorned my formerly-light auburn stresses with a rich red tone. My hair was amazingly intense and bright on the first day and like most red hair colors, the lush crimson hue began to fade quickly.  After many years of experience with 'bottle color,' I expect color loss. It is an inescapable 'side effect' of having artificially tinted hair.

Being the impatient girl I am, last Monday I decided in my "not-so-infinite-wisdom" to re-freshen my color with a blend of Special Effects Devilish and Artec Color Depositing shampoo in Red Clover.  I wet my hair, applied my mix, and let it sit in my hair for 30 minutes. I then rinsed it out and put on my Paul Mitchell Super Strong Conditioner. I rinsed again and then towel-dried. After applying a dollop of Paul Mitchell Styling Glaze and then blow-drying, I was APPALLED at the color! While the majority of my hair had a nice, cool red tone to it like before, the once-blond sections were BRIGHT RED PINK! NO! NO! NO! The porous state of the blond parts caused more color to be pulled in and the result looks so bad. I feel like such a dummy! What on earth was I thinking?!

I have been using Artec Color Deposit in Ginger Root (a warm golden auburn) to try to cover the reddish pink but it only helps a tiny bit! I have also been using Head and Shoulders (since it's known to take out color) but my hair has only faded slightly. Like poor Janet Leigh pictured above, I feel like screaming! I did this to myself and my stylist is going love it (sarcasm) for sure.

So, does anyone know if there is something I can do to further fade the red-pink from once-highlighted hair? I would like to get most of it out so I can have semi-permanent color put over it when I have my next appointment in 2 weeks.

Trying to Keep My Red Hair From Fading!

Here I am this past Saturday, wearing an H&M vintage-inspired button-up (camp) shirt. I am also wearing rolled jeans and saddle shoes. I was about to head out to Whole Foods for some goodies. My stylist Corry, changed my hair color to a deep, true red two weeks ago. Even though it is still bright, I can already tell the color is starting to fade.

Red is THE most difficult color to maintain. In order to better preserve the intensity of my red, I use sulfate-free shampoo along with Aveda's Madder Root shampoo and conditioner. I used to use Artec's color depositing line but they got bought out by L'Oreal Professional and now the entire collection has been discontinued. I especially loved the Cherry Bark and Red Clover! These two color depositing shampoos did wonders for maintaining shades of intense red.  I recently tried to google for online stores that carry the Artec line and I found a few but they were charging up to 49.00 USD for an 8 ounce bottle! I used to pay 11.00 USD when it was available in mass. Talk about crazy! I hate it when products that actually work get discontinued!

The Aveda color line is okay. I know that without it, my red would be less vibrant. However, unlike the Artec that slowly intensified/ripened color, the Aveda seems to wash out each time I shower. I feel like I need to use it daily. The Aveda shampoo is a bit drying and I cannot use the color conditioner every day because it can cause build-up. Basically, my hair feels coated and looks dull.

I use color-safe and color shampoo but my hair is still fading. I know that washing (i.e. water) is *the* main culprit of color fade. Color loss is going to happen and "thems the breaks" when it comes to having dyed hair. I also try to cut back on weekly washings. I use dry shampoos and hair scarves on days I do not shampoo in the shower.

So, for those gals out there that color their hair, what methods and/or products do you rely on for maintaining brightness and intensity?