This killer heat and my broken air-conditioning had something to do with it, I'm sure! Mostly I was just looking at it thinking I don't DO anything with all this hair, it has to go, now ! I'll try and get some pictures up this weekend....

mouse, I mailed off the hair to Locks for Love. It's weird to think somebody could be wearing my hair on their head

Well, I decided to go for it and am going to try and find a stylist who will do an inverted bob on my hair. When I say "try to find" I don't mean one that will do it just because I say so but one who thinks it will look OK on me and can actually understand me.

Is it too much to ask to want a stylist to speak and understand english? To understand face shapes and haircuts that fit the face you have and not just do what you ask? I have a hard time finding that around here (San Jose, CA) and I don't mean to be rude about it but I want someone who speaks English and that sounds terrible.

Here's a couple pics of my hair now. I had curled it so it looks shorter than it is but I think that if I cut it now in the inverted bob style it'll continue to grow and fill in that shape whereas right now it's just sort of hanging around looking ugly.

ETA: I made an appointment today to see a stylist to get my hair cut. I'm so excited I'm nervous. I'm not used to going some place and paying them more than $10 to do my hair - then again I usually don't care what my hair looks like but lately I do care and I think it's time.

I'll post pics when I get back tonight .. assuming I'm not too embarassed

And I did it .. pardon the awful pictures but I did get my hair cut today (surprisingly) and I'm very happy with the results. It's much neater looking and trimmed up. It'll grow into the shape I want as well.

Hi Taligator,
Your pics are cute! Nice haircut! I love it! I have had my hair very blonde for 20 years, and upon the slight suggestion of my attorney last Friday, I regrettably dyed it black over the weekend, (he is very conservative, and I have a major lawsuit going against my workplace for discrimination and hostile work environment for me and my 2 girlfriends 4 telling on my perverted, sexually harrasing boss...) I liked it (my hair, NOT the boss..........ick!) for one day, but it's just not me...........I callled my girlfriend who does my hair, in tears, this afternoon, trying to see if she can undo the horrid thing I have done to my hair.....no guarantees..............she will see me 2morrow nite. i am scared 2 death. if i cannot get this depressing color off, and back to my platinum blonde beloved color, i may just shave my head, and wear a wig for months....seriously....i hate how i look now, and cannot live with this!

Oh I'm sorry to hear about your hair (and your lawsuit)! Maybe you can get it down to a honey color initially after it's been stripped and that won't be as bad.

Keep us posted and thanks!

taligator, super cute cut, really compliments the shape of your face.

(((lawyergirl)))

I am used to drastically changing my hair every few months, but I decided to grow it out a few months ago. And I feel like I am stuck in a rut. I want long hair, I haven't grown it long since I was like 14, but I am craving change!!!! It's my natural red color w/ blonde streaks, I have been tossing around the idea of coloring the streaks bright red or orange, but I am hesitant b/c I am job hunting.

This has nothing to do with wearing hair specifically but .. I tried the Jonathan brand shampoon and conditioner this week .. OMG it was awful! I had such high hopes for it but it felt like rubbing honey into my hair and then trying to rinse was awful. My hair felt like a wet dog afterwards. I then put on the conditioner hoping it would ease out the knots and it did until I removed it and then I had to comb out the knots in my hair. It was insane. I've never had a shampoo/conditioner pair knot my hair up like that and then it felt like it was coated in something waxy after it was rinsed and dried. I'm really surprised ..

Anybody else used his products? I like his Dirt product but the shamp/conditioner had to get returned to the store. I'll stick with the Bumble and Bumble.

I am forever doomed to have crap hair. It has been decided by the Gods. I was probably a hair demon in a past life and then went bald and killed virgin peasant saints for their spun gold locks and this life is my punishment.

Gragh. Hairdressers.

taligator, i love your new 'do! low-maintenance yet chic is the best of all possible worlds!

(((punkerplus))) don't give up hope. the trick is finding the right stylist (which sometimes you have to pay $$$ for) and the right styling products. oh, and luck, of course. i'm finally thrilled with my mind-of-its-own hair, but it's certainly been an arduous journey.

(((lawyergirl))) did your friend come to your rescue? i accidentally dyed my mother's hair the blackest black, and it took two visits to professional colorists to fix, but it's definitely fixable.

and by the way, your attorney is a sexist asshole for implying that if you're a blonde, you won't be taken seriously, or whatever. just my two cents. good luck with your hair and the lawsuit.

so.cannot.let.this.thread.die.

none of my hair products are working properly these days. and i'm combining "product cocktails" like crazy (teency amounts, not huge globs). but i've just realized - i haven't used the neutrogena anti-residue shampoo since forever, so maybe that's it. but i'm also tempted to splurge on my beloved keristase again. i pine for the consistent great style it gives my hair. shit's like crack for me.

i trimmed my own bangs. the first time since starting with the new stylist. i love her, she's beyond fab, but i don't think she cuts my bangs properly. they keep curling into a backwards "c" no matter how straight i blow them.

/end hair babbling.

Anybody heard of henna? It's a plant. When you get the right part of the plant and powder it, and combine it with something mildly acidic, it produces an orangey stain. If you put it in your hair, it'll turn red (as long as your hair isn't dark dark brown, or black). I'm sitting here with my hair saturated in it
I've always loved red hair, but I don't like the idea of putting damaging chemicals in my hair. And besides that, it's been my experience (in all the two times that I've dyed my hair red) is that it fades out QUICK. I learned about Henna on a hair forum where I'm a member, and many people simply love it. For most, it fades only a little, if any at all. It does NOT damage, but makes the hair stronger and sleeker.
I can't wait to see how this turns out

I wear it coloured and naturally curly!

Yay! It turned out fantastic!

blanche, condition, condition, condition! A good deep condition will work wonders on fried hair! Trust me I have been dyeing and bleaching for years.

has anyone tried any of the John Frieda Luminous Color Glazes? i just got my roots done, but in about two weeks, my highlights will look a lot less blonde, so i thought it'd give it a shot. as far as i can tell, it's not a dye. as a matter of fact, it sort of sounds just like the highlighting shampoo/cond that i already use ...?

also got my bob a bit more angled and sassier. i'm in love. le sigh.

Mando-I've been using the John Freida glazes ever since they came out. I really like them, they make my hair really glossy. Just keep the product away from any open wounds (on your scalp or otherwise) as the blonde one contains just enough bleach, color, or whatever it has to burn like hell. I would also suggest using the bottle the same way one would use a dye bottle rather than smearing the product in your hand and applying it like shampoo because the darker shades will stain your hands and the blonde one just leaves this weird film that feels icky.

*bump*

hey all! i'm seriously considering getting hair extentions, and would love to hear any stories/tips anyone has. I'd definitely go to hair police (i'm in minneapolis), as they have such a great reputation. I'm leaning toward pinch braids, because it seems like the least harmful technique. but, can you wear the hair up without seeing the braids? i suppose i should just schedule a consultation, but i just really want to hear about your experiences first. any help is much appreciated...thanks!

thanks much blanchedeveraux! i've decided not to do it after all, mainly for the exact reason you mention: maintenance. I'm really not the type of person to spend a lot of time on "getting ready". so it just doesn't seem like a good idea. i'll just have to grow it out the old fashioned way.

its probably already on here already, but im short on time so i will ask anyways

im going to a fancypants sort of cocktail party (totally not my scene) but its for a friend's birthday...so im pretty clueless on the whole how to look fo rthat thing...which includes not having any idea about how to do my horribly thick straight hair. i really wanna curl it but every time ive ever tried to do it it ends up looking like absolute crap! any tricks for getting the curl to stick?

i can't wait until i no longer need to look for a job and can b the little homemaker. because then i will be able to dye my hair lavender like i've been wanting to for the past three months. keeping my hair a light blonde color got old fast but i dont want to change it and have it suffer more bleach outs.

Toastybean, I don't know exactly where to look, but an old school setting lotion might help. I used to spritz on each strand before curling, and it worked like a charm. However, I'm not even sure where to look for setting lotion anymore.

Well ... I have my outfit entirely in place, my makeup strategized and experimented-with, and the jewelry is all chosen. Now I really need some ideas on how to flip my hair around for the Big Date when kog3100 comes home.

I'd like to put it up or partially up, but I don't want to throw craploads of hairspray at it to shellack it into place. Something like (and I hate "celeb citations" but this is a handy one) Angelina Jolie's hair with the shimmering backless number she just wore out a week or so ago on the Big Night out with Brad which has had the infotainment shows all breathless for too many days. See also: http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/...erd_nyjc107.jpg

My hair is very, very heavy, about mid-back at its longest point now, and it is aggressively straight. Right now, I am considering hot-rollering it for body (not curl; I can't hope for curl), stabbing it with a few invisible hairpins, then throwing this jewel in - the photo doesn't do it justice, actually: http://i2.ebayimg.com/04/i/07/46/58/b7_1.JPG

See, but that doesn't constitute much of a "plan", and this is one of those rare occasions when I don't want to leave the planning for my hair until I am dressed and waiting to hear the doorbell ring ...

So. Ideas/suggestions, links to good hairdo sites, and instructions requested!

Grazie, bellas.

Sounds like a fine plan Maimy. I'd just suggest a backup plan as well.

When my hair was long (it too was heavy, but wavy, not straight, except for the one bit on the left over my ear *sigh*) I did stuff like that all the time. Make sure you havea LOT of hairpins - heavy hair likes to escape. Try wearing your hair all pinned up for a few days to see if it's going to flop about, or piss you off to no end.

My sister has similar hair (super thick and straight) and she was a big fan of the quiff-like thing. It worked well because of how thick her hair is. It really depends on the outfit and jewellery though, whereas pinned up goes with everything.

Currently my hair is slightly over-processed (stupid over-priced hairdresser up the road gave my super blonde bits from previously dyed dark hair and fried some bits) and suffering from regrowth. I'm also growing out my brief flirtation with a heavy fringe/bangs (earning me the nackname Velma, particularly since we watched Jay and Silent BobStrike Back...) which was great three year ago, but annoying and not particularly fitting now. So i've decided i'm growing it again.

Although I did realise why I need to change my hair style at least once a fortnight - my hair grows freaky fast so of course the fringe that worked a week ago isn't the same length now.

hi all -

I havent' been in this thread for awhile, but I just hopped in and saw the discussion about extensions...

I have had extensions on and off for the last few years (I have a couple friends who do them, so I'm lucky - I get to be their guinea pig for new techniques and stuff)

I have a friend who worked at Hair Police for awhile, and learned the pinch braid technique. Those were the first kind I had, she would put them in as streaks in my hair just to add to it. They work well, but if your hair grows fast like mine does, the braids start to show within a matter of a couple weeks. As far as showing when you pull your hair up, if you have a person who is really well versed at it, they'll just do like every other layer and when you pull your hair up, the un-pinch-braided layers will hide the pinch braids.

for the last 6 months, I had full-on, glued in, human hair extensions. I had a friend who was learning to do extensions and she did them for a HUGE discount per hour, and all I had to do was buy the hair. I went top of the line with the hair - it cost me damn near $250 just for the hair (and that was buying it at a supply house that sells to the industry) but it was worth every penny. I bought 18-inch long untreated human hair on 5 foot wefts. The technique my friend did is "adhesive based fusion" it involved taking small (really small!) sections of my hair, pulling it through little shield, laying a small bundle of the extension hair next to it, putting some adhesive on to fuse them together, then using a hot tool to melt the adhesive and fuse my hair and the extension hair together.

Here's a link where you can see the little sheild (the round plastic thing) that she used to pull the sections of my hair through to separate them in order to fuse the extension hair on them. to the left of that on the page is the hot tool that fuses the adhesive to the hair.
http://www.visionhairextensions.com/Accessories.htm

It took about 6 hours to do my whole head. Something you need to consider is not only should the person who does your extensions be good at them, but they, or another stylist in the salon should be well versed in how to cut your hair after the extensions are in to blend everything. That is the real secret in making them look real. They have to be layered into your own hair so they don't look "wiggy"

The girl who cut my hair is a total pro at cutting extensions - I went from about 2-inches-below-the-shoulders hair to hair that was about 3 inches below my bra strap, and you seriously could not tell that they were extensions. I had other hairdressers that i know just freaking out at how real they were.

I found that the glue kind were much better than any other kind I'd had. The glue she used had a lot of keratin in it (to replicate the hair) and while - yes, it does cause some damage, - the damage it did was remarkably small.

I was able to color my hair while I had them in, curl it, wash it, dry it, whatever - just like my own hair, with no problem. THe only thing you have to be careful of is to use specific products that are recommended by the extension person, as some ingredients in certain products can break down the glue quicker. Also, if you use a straightening iron, you need to be really careful you don't go over the areas where glue is.

to get them out is super easy, too. you could get them out yourself, but it's probably easier to have the stylist do it. They use acetone. it just dissolves the glue into a powder and they comb the extensions right out. Then a super condition of your hair and voila!

I had no regrets in doing extensions. I would have kept them in longer, except I do a lot of travelling, and it got tough to maintain them. You have to go in every couple of months and get any that are slipping a little replaced, things like that. You're inevitably going to lose some pieces here and there so those need to be replaced, too.

my biggest recommendation is that if you are going to go balls out and get them, save up and go completely top of the line. Find someone who is really reputable to do them and also buy your own hair. you can buy it online - there are bunches of places. That will help save some money. Get REAL human hair, and don't skimp! Synthetic will look like crap after the first washing or two, (I know, I've had it, and I wasn't being careless in the upkeep) And don't skimp on the quality of the real hair. if you look around online, you'll see that there are several different levels of real hair quality. Go top of the line. You won't regret it.

so that's about it. They're fun. I loved mine. They add great length and tons of thickness to your hair. I'll probably do it again at some point, but while I had mine in, my hair grew nearly 4 inches, so it's almost there anyway, length-wise!

hope this helps..

Ananke, I don't really have a plan ... that is why I was asking for one ...

Guess I'll keep bumping around on it myself.

what is the best way to fade hair color w/out going to the shop and having it chemically stripped?

I've finally comitted to stop coloring it and see what my true natural color might be after all these years.. one former stylist said dark auburn, which would be lovely, and my girlchild's hair is an amazing shade of deep dark almost chestnut-walnut w/ strikes of fire here and there.

I'm just so sick of the constant upkeep to it.. red fades and grows out uber quickly; mostly I've been lucky & people generally think it's just sun when it starts to show (so I'm staying pretty somewhat close in color apparently) but enough is enough.

was is dish soap someone had said once would work? or was that only in the case of a mistake right after it was diy at home?

i would just use crappy shampoos and hot water freckle to get it to fade a hell of a lot. this really depends on whether you have been using semi-permanent, henna, or permanent hair colors. henna and semi will fade to eventually reveal a color similar to your natural but permanent chemically alters the hair to be that color and even though permanent will fade it will just fade to a lighter version of that color.
hope i was helpful.

freckle -

neutrogena anti-residue shampoo, or really any clarifying shampoo, is great to pull stuff out and farde the hair a little faster. But Hiddenpoet is right, if you've used permanent hair color, it's only gonna fade to a lighter (or slightly different) version of what you have. You're stuck truly growing it out.

ps - dont' use the clarifying shampoo every day, it's too harsh on the hair, but once or twice a week is fine. It will make your normal shampoo work better, too, because it strips all the crap that builds up on your hair, off.

I bought Tresemme's Deep Cleansing shampoo bc it was the only one I could find at wal mart and didn't have the energy to drive to a sally's. - should I have also bought the conditioner too? (don't know as I saw one, but just thinking it anyway). and then bought a set of Suave Natural's shampoo/cond in aloe and waterlilly, bc they fit the bill of cheap and smell really good too.
is there anything else you can think of that might help w/ the process? I honestly can't remember what level of colorant I used, bc I generally hop around colors and brands, ever searching for the perfect copper penny that is no longer made by Loreal ( Avantage').

or should I just go for broke and make an appointment w/ a stylist (going to try another new one after the last bad cut w/ the woman I had such high hopes for) and let it be professionally stripped?
how damanging and harsh is that and what are my best odds for it working?

the mr wanted to know if my un-firey future hair might tone me down a bit, but I reminded him that I was a Blonde when we married and was I mellow then?

thankyou all so much for your input, you've been super uber helpful bc as much as I mess w/ my hair it's always very hellen kellerish leap of faith devil may care.

definitely invest in a conditioner freckle! it doesnt have to be the same brand / type as the shampoo you bought just make sure to condition. eventually you may wind up with straw hair.
as for getting it stripped i would'nt do it. it's moderate to heavy damage. just be paitient and lets your roots grow about one and a half / two inches. then you'll be certain about what your natural hair color is. and you'll know whether or not you love it or want to dye it.
everyone thinks i've tones it down with the blonde but i only kept it light in waiting for the day when i have enough money to order manic panic online. i really hate that. instead of assuming that i'm going to be a normal person which is impossible for me why don't other people you know, talk to me and find out if i'm toning it down. which i'm not. Manic Panic's mystic heather is on the way!

freckle - I agree with hiddenpoet. Stripping your hair will damage it so badly it's not worth it. I had red hair for over 10 years (dyed, various shades from natural-looking auburn to fire engine red and everything in between) and I can tell you that while red fades really quickly and requires nearly constant upkeep to keep it looking good, what's left of it sticks and sticks. The good thing is, it's really easy to either dye over or lighten. I'd say the same thing as hp. just let it grow and see what the natural color is, and then you might want to go to someone professional and have them match it. (then you can more easily find something over the counter that matches if you want to do it yourself from then on)
Just FYI, there are ways you can get your hair to grow a little faster - start taking fish oil, rather high doses (like 3000 mg a day, which is totally safe) or take pre-natal vitamins. Pre-natals make your hair grow like crazy, because they're really high in folic acid and iron.

that deep cleansing shampoo is really amazing.
w/ consideration that my roots are showing at this point, the shampoo brought out all sorts of high & lowlights that had apparently been covered in residue from even the wee bit of mouse I have to use every day. right at this moment, my hair is almost Exactly the shade I am ever questing after (from 1/2 inch the roots down anyway). - isn't this just the way it goes?

and no, I won't chemically strip it. I started doing some searching online, and it is scary stuff.
sally's sells 2 products for it, but no. that my hair has generally always been so healthy & shiny (once I stopped torturing it in my teens and 20's trying to get it to curl, something it does now on its own were I not to blow it straight everyday- irony!) I won't risk.

I am however, greatly tempted to buy a shade of brown, somewhere between light and a slight reddish tint, just to get through the worst of it. growing that out is bound to be more natural looking? as several of you suggested, but,

... I think I'm just afraid to do it yet.

you don't realise, or at least to me, how much of my personality has been invested " in being the red head" and to switch is going to.. well, I don't know yet, but yet I feel I really NEED to make the change. maybe not for good, but at least for right now.

am I crazi to feel this way, even a little bit sad ?

Freckle, no - I think any big step is scary/emotional, and something so personal and longstanding as the hair you've loved for so long? But it can be exciting too, so I hope it comes out as GORGEOUS as we know you naturally are ...

Photos requested, of course!



Still trying to figure out what to do with my tresses for The Big Date when kog3100 comes home. I have about a week and a half to get on that stick.

freckle - I know how scary it can be also, and I can say, for me, when it came time to change, I just knew it and was like "OK, NOW!!"

I literally overnight went from bright red to deep brunette. Talk about a shock! But I love it and I haven't looked back. Sometimes when I see pictures of myself with red hair, I think "wow! that looks like a wig!" and the same friends who were begging me not to change my "signature" hair color now tell me how great dark brown hair is.

However, I would never suggest doing it until you really feel like "ok, fuck it, I'm doing it!" I think that was the secret to me being ok with it, because I was truly there.

maimy-

any progress in the decision for the Homecoming yet?
what are your close maybe's for styles?

thankyou all for understanding. being a redhead, like w/ anything, is as much a personality trait and attitude as it is a haircolor.
I got a scary look at the crown of my head today & the roots are deeper than 100year old oaks let me tell you... NOT a pretty sight so something needs to give and Quick if I'm to not look hideous from behind.

and yes, I know exactly that NOW moment for doing it.. I felt a zap of it in the haircolor isle the other day but didn't see what I was looking for (even tho I'm not exactly sure what that is yet).
I told the mr that he was coming home to a brunette tho, so I have given myself a sort of deadline w/ in the next 6 months at the outside but am hopeful to realistically do it w/in the next soonish weeks.

I had a vision today of long luscious riche' chocolately brown hair today.. worn straight and simple.
(which tends to be a problem for me bc I can't stand hair in my face or on my neck and I end up twistying it tightly up into a bun which breaks the hell out of my fine hair and gives me headaches, but I Digress..!!)

the point is, I'm starting to See It now.
am probably going to look at more colorants tomorrow!

angelle, yes, hair is Totally an Identity thing, as you can see by my most recent posts.
when I was really young and had super long hair, I was so shy I used to hide behind it and use it as a shield.
I think in some ways it helps us define who we are in terms of addressing the world-at-large.

I love that you are going to donate your hair- that rocks! and I also love that you have hair-goals to get where you want to be in the time you know won't overwhelm you.
I wish I could take prenatals to help me grow mine out, but they make me sick.

ok I bought some color!

after much debate in the store isle, juggling multiple boxes to compare... I chose Herbal Essences Bold 'N Brilliant color, in Almond Bliss (light brown) and I think I am going to do it tonight! it looks to be very faceted in terms of shading (like feria) so I am hoping that works well w/ my already dark fading auburn.

I have to tell you.. there were So many choices..and out of habit I was always drawn to the reddy browns, something I was determined to get away from.

wish me luck!

i've been taking prenatals for a couple of years, and the best advice i can give is take them with food...on an empty stomach it's a lot of iron to handle, and that tends to be what makes people nauseous. so says my doctor, anyway.

it was the iron that made me horribly sick when I tried taking them when I was preg w/ frecklette, and I've sinse had the same reaction to any multi-vit's w/ iron in them as well, food or no. still, if you can stomach them, I think they're a great idea for women regardless bc personally my diet is awful.

== processing the color right now==
I know I'm not allergic, but why do I always get so itchy when I'm doing this?
20 minutes til rinse!

ok so it's brown now; tonal w/ lots of reddy gold lites to it...
frecklette looked at it and LAUGHED, bc she said it still looked red to her, but I don't see it.

.. I don't know What to think yet.. it's such a shock.

*delurk*

Will taking prenatal vitamins make for more rapid hair growth everywhere? Am I going to end up battling major mustache here?

(laughs at the thought of roommate discovering prenatal vitamin bottle in cupboard, as I'm so anti-having-childrens at the moment)

ok, I just put a Before picture, next to a newly snapped After picture and my neighbor, who just saw it today, is right: there is Not Much Difference.

.....I think I am deflated now.

she said while yes there is some change, it looks like what it probably naturally looks like w/out any brightener on it. which I suppose is good bc hey- it looks more like what I was born with maybe (except that my mother has recently informed me that I was born a BLONDE. - how could she keep this from me all these years?) and if it looks that natural then my goal has been met, or at least til we see if it grows out from here w/out the color changing noticibly.

all this hair thought has exhausted me (!) but I do, as the day goes on, find myself liking the new color more and more. it brings a glowy paleness to my skin and bluennnes my eyes that seemed to be lacking before.

thankyou all for your help and advice.

(Freckle, no confirmation but I will post an announcement as soon as I know ... I dunno, somewhere visible but where it won't be too intrusive ... Thank you for asking, though!)

Have printed out a squillion articles and how-to's on everything from Edwardian twists to more modern, soft hairpin-ups. I'm zeroing in on the non-strategy strategy, which will basically be: Wash, dry, hot-rollers, flop it around until I am satisfied ... May work in some crossing over of strands for decorative detail, but kind of cold on bitty little twists, which seem to have enchanted one too many editors of sites I have looked into. *Pleh*

ok so after a few days of it now I'm not feeling it.

I was, or started to, but then I saw several redhead's on tv and my heart just literally cried out as it recognized one of it's own kind, completely of its own accord.
why oh why oh why wasn't I born w/ the color my soul claims on the outside?

so, I don't know. am going to give it some more time yet, mostly bc I am lazi and don't want to go thru the whole searching for Another New Color ordeal.. and then if I can find one I like, I will buy much amounts of it to attempt to maintain the facade more affectively this time. (of course I always say this and never do but trully, once they discontinued the best color and brand, I've been lost ever sinse.)

siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh


well mamiy?!? what was your final call and how did it turn out?
( I hope you are quiet from here bc you & knor107 are busy reunioning!! )

(Freckle, thank you ... sadly, no, no reunionizing as yet. I never have gotten around to playing with my hair, either; too much humidity and too many distractions. And I'll say this: I dig knor107 very much, but she might not like me quite as much as all that. Heh. kog3100 on the other hand, it is to be hoped, feels a certain attraction ...)

*Wink!*

I probably should finally do the hair thing tonight, though. I'm in for the day after a fender-bender (all human participants are fine), and might need something to do after finally picking up and cleaning around this Filthy Pigsty of a house of mine ... Will post after playing, if I hit on good ideas.

Okay, so played with my hair last night. I am one of those women on whom a French twist is ghastly, because I have so much hair the sheer volume of the hump a twist creates is really unnerving. I did the hot roller thing and jabbed pins at it in different directions, and finally came up with something very, very simple. The same volume/length of hair that makes a twist so bad makes this pretty cute - and no hairspray to speak of, and only two pins. Rock. Also - perfectly simple:

1) Hot rollers
2) Twist as if for a chignon, but only rotate the twist of hair once around
3) Secure the end of the twist with one large pin on either side, so the remaining several inches of curls fall over the bun
4) Very lightly arrange a couple of loose pieces, and sweep bangs to one side; barely spray into place
5) Lovely citrine hair jewelry

Voila!



NOW all I need is an actual reason to do this dressing-up thing. *Harumph*

I've become a scarf junkie lately. I pull up all the hair into a simple clip and then wind a scarf around my head like a headband (vertically, not around the forehead) with the bangs peeking out. It's very cute, and cute is not a word I usually use to describe myself.