The Hair Experiment: Day Hat

Materials & Methods:

Hat.


Makes me look like:

Hat.


Conclusions:

Hat.

The Hair Experiment: Day 4

Materials & Methods:

Same as Day 1, parted on the opposite side. Eyes closed because I'm looking directly into the sun. Eyeshadow from Abigail's Christmas present.

It's just like:

Looking in a mirror.


Conclusions:

I thought that maybe the hairdresser had cut it so it would look better parted on the left, because when he started he said, "So you part it here" (indicating this side) despite the fact that I had come in with it parted on the right, the same as I always do, ever since I realized the folly of parting it down the middle. So I thought I'd give it a try. However, it seems that either I or my hair is resisting the change, and the part has migrated center-ward, giving me the ever-desirable peaked-head effect.

Here, I try to drive it back:

The Hair Experiment: Day 3

Materials & Methods:

Dried straight, pulled back with clips and Amrita Singh headband.


Results:

Generally positive, does emphasize the fact that my head is more square than not.


Makes me look like:

Princess Sparkle


Conclusions:

Anything that sends me on twenty minutes of looking at eighties toys can't be all bad. Anyone else remember Sweet Secrets?

The Hair Experiment: Day 2

Contrary to what the guy at Peets said this morning, I don't think this is going well.



Materials & Methods:

Rubbed a small amount of Bumble&Bumble curl cream on my hands and scrunched it through my hair while drying on the low setting.


Results:

Not so much with the curls. Could generously be called "wavy."


Makes me look like:

Debbie Gibson after a three-day bender.


Conclusions:

Might settle down to looking a bit better, once the post-drying craziness wears off. Might not.

The Hair Experiment: Day 1

If you read yesterday's post, you are aware that I am not happy with my new haircut (for those with an allergy to clicking through, I will summarize: I got a new haircut, and I am not happy with it). But that was yesterday. And today, when I got up at nine-thirty and staggered past the mirror on my way to a restorative bowl of cereal, I realized: I really don't like my haircut.

But am I dismayed? Discouraged? Hopeless? Yes. But I have to do something with it until it grows out, so I thought I'd do an experiment and run through the options. Yesterday's photo, no styling at all, will serve as the control.

Therefore, I give you, Day 1:



Materials & Methods:

Sprayed with Bumble&Bumble thickening spray, blow-dried using a small round brush.

Results:

More body, not flipping out at odd angles (see unstyled control).

Makes me look like:

A member of Duran Duran.

Conclusions:

Could be worse. Could be A Flock of Seagulls.

New Year, New Hair

And, to tell the truth, I'm not very happy about it. Although, on the upside, it will probably end up saving me a lot of money.

Allow me to explain.

I've been going to the same, ruinously expensive, hairstylist for several years now. I like it because he does some sort of fancy coloring process that takes about three minutes for highlights, instead of the usual half-hour of noxious chemicals, and I've always gotten a good haircut, even if he does tend to overstyle it. For the last couple of years it's been a little trickier to arrange my appointments, because the salon is in Berkeley and I am now in San Mateo, but those facts and fear of the new kept me loyal.

But this week I was off from work and, since I was headed East anyway for a party, I decided to combine the trip and made an appointment for the afternoon on New Years Eve. Feeling like something different, I suggested a shorter cut, maybe just to the top of the jawline, with some short layers around the face. The stylist nodded, played with my hair a bit, and said a few things in stylist-ese that I agreed to because that's what I do. Besides, I trusted his judgement, right?

Well.



There is a problem. The problem is that I have had this hairstyle once before, for the entire duration of 2001, when I was growing my hair out from the extremely short style I had had all the way through high school and college. It was a transitional period, and it was not my best time ever, looks-wise. And now I have paid a large amount of money to have it reproduced. You can imagine how I feel about this.

Now, it is possible that I may be wrong, that it is only my associations with the look that are making me dislike it and I will be able to style it so that it looks, in some way, stylish. And it will, of course, grow out, which I am seriously looking forward to.

And when it does, one thing is for damn sure: I am not taking it back to that place.