MIDLIFE CRISIS? I DON'T THINK SO.

Hello!

I've got to show you what I did last Friday! 

Anyone who has been here for any length of time knows I'm completely enamored with vivid hair color.  

I've wanted to get some done since the days of the bright red streaks trend of the early 2000s, but of course, I was too chicken to get it done. I loved it and thought it was cute, but except for Halloween, and the unfortunate purple dye job I gave myself on accident as a teenager (I swear to God I thought the box was for auburn dye) my hair has been about as normal as it could be. I mean, I did dabble in some blue-green and red temporary overdye, but my hair has been so dark that it wasn't that noticeable.

While I worked for the church, the pastor asked me if I would not get any kind of funky color, because he didn't think it was appropriate for me to do as the receptionist there, and even though that sucked, I agreed. Sometimes we do what we have to do, even when we don't want to do it.

However, since I've been going to a proper salon to get my hair cut, and since I've got a grown-up job at a non-religious company, I have a lot more freedom to do what I want to myself. Well, except maybe get a face tattoo, but A) I don't want one of those and B) I don't think I'd get fired for it or anything, but they wouldn't like it.

At any rate, the guy who cuts my hair (Tony) told me about some of the coloring things that I could do if I ever decided I wanted to actually take the plunge. I could start fairly subtle to see if I liked it, and if I did, I could do more later. Of course, I knew that, but I think it took someone who knows hair to tell me more about it, you know what I mean? 

I was literally at home, thinking I might book an appointment with Tony to try one of the really subtle color treatments he was telling me about, when I got on Instagram and saw that a stylist who had cut my hair a few years ago (one I still follow) was calling for a hair modeling volunteer to do some color work on. I'd only have to pay for the dye, and she would be able to use the pictures in her portfolio/social media. She'd added some photos, and those were NOT subtle colors she was wanting to use, but I thought, why not?

I volunteered.

Honestly, I thought someone else would have already jumped at the chance to get professional coloring done for a discount, but apparently this technique that she wanted to do is fairly new, and not a lot of people wanted to be a test subject for it, and she told me I could do it! Whee!!!

First off, I thought she was in Huntsville, but she wasn't. She was at the Wheelhouse Salon in Birmingham, which was not great, but it would be fine. I mean, driving in Birmingham is not something I'm good at, mainly because I don't know where anything is and there is a lot of traffic, and during a work day, it's nerve-wracking, but after almost having a thousand wrecks, I finally made it! My appointment was at 1:00 on Friday afternoon.

It took 7 hours. SEVEN HOURS, Y'all. I thought I was going to climb out of my skin. I knew it would take a while, but seven hours? Geez Louise. The stylist was busy the entire time, too. It took 3 hours to color the roots and ends, foil and bleach out my natural color, about an hour and a half to add on the color, and the rest of that time was washing it out, styling it, and taking pictures.

You know what, though? I effing love it. I love it so much I can't stand it!!!!

I let the stylist pick the colors she wanted to use, if you're wondering why it's mostly green, but I did get to choose whether or not we used warm or cool colors. Apparently, the style is supposed to look like a shaft of colored light lying across your hair, which I think it does. It also reminds me of an old LCD screen, or a mood ring. I think it's beautiful, and the stylist did a great job on it.

The photos were taken right after she was done coloring it, and she curled my hair, so the way I fix it everyday makes it look slightly more subtle, if neon green can be subtle. 

Of course, vivid color doesn't stay bright for always, but I'm doing my best to not wash it out too soon. So far, everyone who's seen it has really liked it, or at least they're lying to be about liking it if they don't! I don't really care if anyone else likes it or not, since it's my hair and I like it, and I've reached the "fuck it and fuck you" stage of life where I'm not as self-conscious as I used to be and realize that life is very short. Get the bright hair, wear the wild tie, or do the bad karaoke song, as long as you aren't hurting anyone. If anyone has a problem with my hair, then they are probably boring, think bottle blonde is daring, and need more whimsy in their life. 

I hope you find some whimsy of your own today!