The Price of Vanity....
Happy Friday everyone!! Can you believe that it's the weekend again? I really can't.
So, yesterday I had a really funny little episode that I thought I'd share with you...I hope it makes you laugh, as it did me (in the end.....!)
A few days ago, I just felt....drab is the only word for it. I looked in the mirror and a middle-aged woman looked back at me...baggy neck, wrinkled eyes, greying at the temples (not just the temples either, if I'm honest....) ugh. I just felt OLD & frumpy. Silly, so silly & vain I know. But these days happen. So as well as a facial at bathtime, I thought it would be a good idea (!) to lighten & brighten my hair - a quick way of changing my appearance for the better I thought. It was mousey & boring. I bought a colour...extra light beige blonde I think it was. I've always been blondish, so I knew it would look ok. Well, it didn't look terrible...but I just didn't like it. It was too...mmm...golden for me. I hate my hair to have a brassy tint, and I felt that it did. Even though many people said that they liked it - and even more people didn't even notice a difference, I just felt it was wrong. So yesterday I tried to lighten it some more...BIG mistake, huge...looked even worse. So I asked Esther's advice - she has a beautiful pearly platinum crop, so a good person to ask. Use a pre-lightener to strip out the colour, she said....follow with a toner to take out the yellow.
So I dashed down to the shop, looked through the multitude of boxes and found a good make of pre-lightener & a toner, plus some very expensive shampoo to maintain the colour when it was done (with ultra violet somethings & lavender extracts....it was bright purple, but I wasn't scared, oh no! I was going to look faaaaabulous!)
Did everything it said on all the packets...honestly! And I ended up seeing this staring back at me from the mirror:
So, yesterday I had a really funny little episode that I thought I'd share with you...I hope it makes you laugh, as it did me (in the end.....!)
A few days ago, I just felt....drab is the only word for it. I looked in the mirror and a middle-aged woman looked back at me...baggy neck, wrinkled eyes, greying at the temples (not just the temples either, if I'm honest....) ugh. I just felt OLD & frumpy. Silly, so silly & vain I know. But these days happen. So as well as a facial at bathtime, I thought it would be a good idea (!) to lighten & brighten my hair - a quick way of changing my appearance for the better I thought. It was mousey & boring. I bought a colour...extra light beige blonde I think it was. I've always been blondish, so I knew it would look ok. Well, it didn't look terrible...but I just didn't like it. It was too...mmm...golden for me. I hate my hair to have a brassy tint, and I felt that it did. Even though many people said that they liked it - and even more people didn't even notice a difference, I just felt it was wrong. So yesterday I tried to lighten it some more...BIG mistake, huge...looked even worse. So I asked Esther's advice - she has a beautiful pearly platinum crop, so a good person to ask. Use a pre-lightener to strip out the colour, she said....follow with a toner to take out the yellow.
So I dashed down to the shop, looked through the multitude of boxes and found a good make of pre-lightener & a toner, plus some very expensive shampoo to maintain the colour when it was done (with ultra violet somethings & lavender extracts....it was bright purple, but I wasn't scared, oh no! I was going to look faaaaabulous!)
Did everything it said on all the packets...honestly! And I ended up seeing this staring back at me from the mirror:
And it actually looks better in the photograph. Really. I looked like a daffodil or as though I had a young chick nesting on my head.
There was nothing for it but to tie a scarf over my head (thank goodness the hair is short...!) and RUN back to the shop, praying that no one I knew saw me. I got to the store in 4 minutes. Chose 'light brown'. Paid (ignoring the smirks from the checkout girl who was about 17 with gorgeous silky hair....) and ran back (I have to pass Paul's office on the way, luckily no one was looking out of the window or I'd have a divorce petition this morning!) bumping into my brother-in-law on the way! I never see him in out town, ever. Of all the times on all the days. So I had to explain (quickly) while he doubled over laughing and trying to pull the scarf from my poor chicklike head....
Managed to get away, home & applied the new colour, so now I look like this:
Which is, of course, exactly the way I looked yesterday, before I started all the nonsense. Ok, the grey has gone (for a while).
The price of vanity? About £50. To end up looking exactly the same as if I'd saved the money.
Lesson learned. Until next time.....
Enjoy your weekend, and remember - you're beautiful just the way you are, I promise! xox
I love your new-and-improved hair!! So pretty! :)
ReplyDeleteI really liked the blonde! you look lovely either way of course. love always xxx
ReplyDeleteWomen are quite hard on their appearance. I always wondered what was the big deal about dyeing hair. It usually end up looking aritficial. Okay, so Marilyn Monroe became a sex symbol and a star when she became blonde,as a brunette she was apparently unremarkable, but that's an exception. Usually, a woman looks better "au naturel".
ReplyDeleteOh, that make me laugh out loud! I know days like that, but since my hair started going all silver, I've stopped coloring it, which was a relief. I'm having days right now where I just am feeling frumpy and sort of blah. I think it's the end of winter feeling... Love your new hair!! Love, Silke
ReplyDeleteP.S. I didn't even think the blonde version looked bad at all...
Oh Rachel, I know EXACTLY how you felt. I had gorgeous, shiny, long hair, almost to my elbow, and for some reason decided it was just to ordinary and boring. (where do we get these ideas?) I decided to go to a very trendy salon, the most expensive in Vienna, and told the guy I wanted a new look.
ReplyDeleteI CRIED when he was finished. My hair was ORANGE and the cut was something out of a high fashion magazine with cleopatra bangs cut thick and straight accross my forehead. I bought brown hair dye the next morning went to my usual hairstylist as soon as possible, fibbing that I had been in Germany and needed a haircut while I was there. Now my hair is finally getting long again.
Well, that was my story of pain! ;-)
I think you looks lovely now....maybe you needed to go through all of that to be reminded that you really look perfect just the way you are!
XOXO
Hi Rachel..i think you look adorable...been reading your blog this morning..haven't been in blogland in FOREVER...not since Buddy died.
ReplyDeletestill in a horrible mood...coming on one month.
so sad and lonely......but i smiled when i saw your little alice....what a sweetie...
sending love,
kary
Hi Rachel and Alice....
ReplyDeleteOh man, this just about did me in. There were days I wondered how I could even go on.March passed in a haze. I don't even remember it. What a heartache and loss. Buddy is all I think about every minute of every day. I just miss him SO MUCH. He was our entire life. John and I are just heartsick.
I know I can never replace my sweet loving Buddy....but I know I can't live without a dog. Just too quiet and lonely...our dog means everything to us. I know you understand. Some people don't.
I can't wait to get little Teddy...John is already calling him little Teddy Bear. Our little bear! :- )
Thanks Rachel for stopping by and leaving such kind words. It means alot to me. You're a dear.
Sending my love to you and your darling, sweet Alice,
Kary
xxx
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely BEAUTIFUL! My goodness, what we do to ourselves! I'll share a story sometime of what I did to myself---horrid!
Love and Hugs,
Joann