I’m in a quandary. Yes, I know… we all have to face these pressing issues from time to time: war in the Middle East; starving children in parts of Africa; and a what-to-do-with-my-hair dilemma. Yes, you heard me right… I can’t decide what to do about my hair.
I’m due for a haircut. Again! These appointments seem to come around awfully quickly, and now that I’ve started my 4 day working week, I’m looking for ways to cut my costs. You will recall that in my belt-tightening post I said that it was unlikely I could sacrifice my hair appointments, expensive though they are.
However… although I still adore my hairdresser (which I wrote about here), I just haven’t been happy with my hair of late. The colour’s never right; the cut’s not right. It just feels ‘blah’.
But… I’ve been here before. Frustrated with short hair and so I grow it. That results in me either: getting bored after a few months of horrid style-less hair and getting it chopped off; or growing it long and then wondering why the hell I did so (cos I wear it up all of the time anyway) and getting it all chopped off again. It’s a vicious cycle. (Although admittedly, does obviously give me something to occupy my mind from time to time!)
So… given I’m kinda bored with it, what’s next?
I’ve already confessed to being prone to imitation and in my Under the influence post, I admitted to copying translating the styles of a few fashion / acting icons of the day. I’ve even had hair-envy since, coveting Gwyneth Paltrow’s short cut from Sliding Doors and Carrie’s curly bob from Sex and the City.
And it was no different when I went to the hairdresser over a year ago (just after the Under the Influence post) and announced I wanted a haircut ‘like that actress in V‘. Having been a fan of Joss Whedon’s Firefly and Serenity, I of course knew the very-gorgeous Morena Baccarin by name, although I doubted my (then) hairdresser did. But the show (V) had been widely enough promoted that he knew who I was talking about and diligently cut away. While I loved the cut he gave me it was shorter than expected and when they coloured it, the result was beyond scary! (And I returned to my more expensive hairdresser).
So as I’m pondering ‘what next’ on the hair front I’ve been paying attention to those around me. And I’m thinking I like this ‘do’ below…
It’s the chick (aka Sarah Jones ) from the TV show Alcatraz, for those not in the know. The show’s probably not as well known as V, so I’m thinking I may need to send my hairdresser a hyperlink or print out a picture. I’m not usually a ‘sleek bob’ kinda gal, but this one has benefits. On the upside, I get to grow my hair – therefore paying for cuts less regularly; plus, if I’m feeling brave I can (in fact) break up with my hairdresser and trust someone else who is *ahem* cheaper, with this style. Of course on the downside, I have to live with style-less hair as my current cut grows out month after month. (Oh, and plus I may need to get my blog banner ‘me’ redrawn with longer hair!)
I cannot help, however, wondering how many hairdressers roll their eyes when customers (like me) walk in with a picture of some gorgeous starlet and pronounce that they want to look like THAT.
I mean, I do know that I’m not gonna look like the actual person in question and that the style may *ahem* not flatter me as much as Morena or Sarah (or Gwyneth, or Princess Diana etc) and indeed my hairdresser may try to deter me by telling me that Ms Alcatraz’s cut won’t suit my chubby face, but still… it’s kinda the ‘look’ I’m going for and surely we can adapt it once we get there?!
I may be wrong, but I’m fairly sure others do it; go to the salon with someone’s style in mind rather than pouring through those huge (and usually dreadful) hairdressers’ magazines hoping to find the cut or colour you’re incoherently trying to describe to the hairdresser.
Am I right in assuming others go to the hairdresser armed with photographs of the ‘do’ they want, or with someone in mind?
It can’t just be me. Surely?!
April 22, 2012
I just did the same thing. I’ve been various shades of blonde for eight years or so now, and am heartily sick of it. I consulted with my hairdresser and decided that I’d go darker and just a little shorter, in a “messy” style, which is easy for me to deal with in the mornings – thank GOD, because I’m so crap when it comes to styling hair.
So far, so good… 🙂
April 22, 2012
snap!
me too! I came home last Wed with darker hair in a great ‘scrunch & go’ style.
April 22, 2012
Must be the change of seasons….
April 22, 2012
Glad you’re enjoying the new ‘do’ Kerryn. I’m big on ease-of-style as well. I don’t even use a hairdryer and don’t ever want to. When my hair was long I did it up in a pigtail until it was mostly dry and then would take it out (it took HOURS to dry!). The thing I like most about my short hair is that I have to do nothing to it, other than wet it enough to stick it down!
April 22, 2012
Hiya!
Hair appointments are so exciting….. all the possibilities….
I do not go often with a collection of photos these days…. I used to. The obese control freak me used to think if she had the ‘perfect hair’ it would all be AOK… no one would see how obese I was. Totally in denial.
I went to the hairdresser last Wednesday after a long long time…. my hairdresser is also a very good friend, I have known him for over 15 years. I had nothing in mind.. only to ‘deal with’ the insane regrowth so that I didn’t “look like a bum” any more.
I handed over the reigns and left him to it….. it’s shorter and much much darker. I am definitely not blonde now.
I love it! He told me to get out there and “rock it!”, so I am!
It might not be forever… I have 4 weeks until the next appointment when I might say “Blonde me up baby!” and go blonder than ever…. but I do really love it. What I love even more is that I have been working so hard on mindset changes and confidence that I really am AOK with this drastic change as I know it does not define me… and it’s temporary if I want it to be.
I say grab those photos of all the styles you love, that you almost don’t dare to have and GO FOR IT!!
You are gorgeous and you can rock any style you want. Believe it!
xx Ange
(PS I expect pics to be tweeted to me, k?)
April 22, 2012
I’ve been a brunette a couple of times too Ange – though in those days stripping it back to blonde when you wanted a change was quite painful. The first time (after being brunette for a few years) I was getting fitted for new glasses and the woman was telling me how much this pair suited my chocolate-brown hair. I told her I was going blonde and she was horrified, “How do you know if it will suit you?” she asked. I had to explain that I’d actually been blonde for over 20yrs before going brown!!!
My biggest problem is that I get bored during the growing process which is why I quite often get it cut off before it gets there. I can’t recall before I got the Morena cut, but my hair must have been quite long as I was contemplating a Scarlett Johansen long bob. When I told him to take it all off, I still remember the hairdresser asking me again and again if I was sure (he used the clippers for part of it)… because I’ve had so many different styles I’m pretty zen about it – though I did freak when it was too short to foil and they did an all-over colour which was almost yellow. I vaguely recall there being tears in the salon (but only because THEY were panicking and had to do so many bleaches – which hurt – that I got sores all over my head!!!)
Glad you’re loving your brunette do. And like I said to Kerryn, I’m big on the no-fuss styles so scrunch and go sounds good. Years ago I did a Meg Ryan thing (yes, more actresses I’ve copied!) when she had that endy-sticking-out hair… but I had to use a bloody straightener and product to get the ‘endy’ look. WAY too hard and I gave up in no time!
April 23, 2012
Why not give the Sarah Jones a try? If you can put up with the growing out, I think that would help re budget too!
April 23, 2012
Definitely Nikki – it’s only the growing out that will be challenging…. Grrr….
April 23, 2012
I think Morena’s hair colour would look great on you! Maybe a warm brown instead of a blue based/ash brown. And definitely take pics into the hairdresser. I do it all the time!!!
April 23, 2012
Mel, I’ve had chocolate brown hair before (don’t think I can attach a photo in this space)… and liked that brown hair can look shiny – whereas blonde rarely does. I think I will take the photo with me!
April 26, 2012
Hi Deb! Well, this comment isn’t probably going to help you at all. Terrible saying that, but true. I’m just going to say that I know that I could never look as good as you do in that super short hair cut you currently have. It’s not a flattering cut at all for me, and for most people. A person who wears it has to have a good head shape, like you do, which is not me.–at all! I think the slightly longer cut above is cute and definitely more forgiving of every beauty flaw (and there are a lot!) I have. I’ve never seen it on you, but generally it’s easier, even kinder, for most faces to wear.
🙂 Marion
April 26, 2012
Thanks Marion… I think the colour will be easier to manage. My hair’s currently too short to ‘foil’ so the hairdresser puts an all-over colour in and some foils at the top, but the colour’s just a bit blah.
Having said that SHORT HAIR IS THE BEST – in terms of having to do nothing to it!
Deb
April 27, 2012
I love that new ‘do’. If I could get away with that, I would. Unfortunately, it would look a lot more boofy on me. On you though… oh yes!
April 27, 2012
Allison, I ‘like’ to think so… but it could be one of those instances where the idea is better than the end result. While Sarah’s hair looks fairly straightforward I BET there are on-set hairdressers available for endless primping and ‘sleeking’!!!
Thanks for visiting! (Am a follower of your blog – albeit a lurker!)
Deb
April 27, 2012
Having known many a hairdresser, including my sister, DO take a pic. They actually like it. As long as we are aware we will not come out 5 kilos lighter, a foot taller, with a Golden Globe nomination. But we MAY be able to have the hair, IF our hair cooperates 🙂
April 27, 2012
What, no GG nomination!?!? I’m aghast! Hee hee.
Thanks for the reinforcement re the pic. (I didn’t think I was THAT strange!)
Deb
April 27, 2012
I don’t, but I’m certainly not most people! I go to the hairdresser twice a year. If that. I’ve got naturally curly hair so I keep it LOOOOONG so the curls all out to a point where they are actually manageable and just tie it up 99% of the time. Or use my straightener. I can’t remember life before the straightener!
But if I saw a cut I wanted, I’d take a pic in. Visiting from FYBF.
April 27, 2012
Thanks for visiting Emily! I envy you only having to go to the hairdresser twice a year as I’ve had to go every 5-6 weeks with my short hair (and it’s not cheap!). When I had long hair I wore it up all of the time too and eventually wondered why I bothered keeping it long as I never wore it out!
Isn’t it funny that those with curly hair want straight hair and vice versa!!!
Deb
May 4, 2012
Deb, I have a friend looking to get her hair cut short. I stumbled upon your tale, and I’ve gotta tell you: You have great hair, but I think that it’s too short on you. You say you grow it out, but then chop again, then repeat cycle. I think that you’d be a real hottie with long or longer hair, but it will take patience. The layers from the top will make it look much thinner on the bottom than it actually is, for a while. If you want to stay short, I think that the pics you presented would look good on you. At least a couple inches longer on top. All the best!
May 4, 2012
Hi Rob and thanks for your comment and advice. I’ve made an appt with my old hairdresser for a colour, but told her I’m growing it – so hopefully I will be sufficiently patient over coming months to do just that!
Deb