I used to go insane with people that would "market/network/advertise" over their facebook accounts/blogs/twitter etc but the time has come where I am going to be a hypocrite and I am going to spam the living shit out of my facebook, twitter, and blog accounts in hopes that I can help raise some awareness and get some huge support from everyone reading this. That being said I feel as though this cause is a lot more important than those selling youth juice or all of those other bullshit scams.
As many of you know, one of my best friends, Jon, was diagnosed with Choriocarcinoma only days before his 23rd birthday. This cancer is typically found in women and is related to the placenta, however, it can be found in men in the form of Testicular Choriocarcinoma. This disease typically effects men between the ages of 15-35 years old (yes that means you all you average aged men so get your balls checked!!!) and is an incredibly aggressive form of cancer. It spreads very rapidly to other organs in the body, quite often affecting the brain within months. In most cases it's already spread to major organs before it's even been diagnosed.
In February of 2009 Jon found a lump on his testicle and decided he would get it checked out. Only days after he had his ultrasound (before he even had the results back) he continued to suffer from a massive headache. He downed tylenol after tylenol in hopes to alleviate some of the pain but nothing helped. He climbed the stairs at his childhood home in Vanderhoof only to throw up all over the floor once he reached the top. He finally went to the hospital where they immediately sent him to Prince George for some scans while his family waited in hopes that whatever was happening would be something treatable.
After having the scans done it was concluded that he had a golf ball sized tumour located at the base of his brain on the occipital lobe. He was in so much pain that the hospital actually turned off all of the lights in hopes that it would help even a little. He was on so much morphine he could barely function so he sat in the dark waiting to be flown to Vancouver where he would have to undergo multiple surgeries, the final diagnosis of his cancer, chemotherapy, and the beginning of seemingly endless battle.
Within a matter of days (literally, less than a week) Jon had went from a state where he worried about possibly having testicular cancer, to being diagnosed with a testicular cancer that had spread to his brain. After numerous tests and scans it was found that he had four other tumours for a grand total of 5 brain tumours as well as cancer in his lungs, stomach, and even more importantly, his spine. The biggest concerns at this point were the brain tumours and the cancer in his spine.
They removed the golf ball sized tumour first and immediately started chemotherapy. Imagine the pain of going through brain surgery, and then starting on the worst treatment anyone could ever go through. Jon was told he wouldn't be able to throw up or his brain could hemorrhage and it could kill him. How do you not throw up when your body is being poisoned and the lining of your stomach is being depleted to nothing?
I saw Jon the night they started his chemo and it was just awful. It broke my heart in every way. I cried the whole way to the hospital not knowing what to expect. I got him this really gay teddy bear and a guitar magazine because I wasn't even sure what he'd already been going through. I had called all over the city to find out where he even was because the only information I was told was "man, Jon's in the hospital. He's got brain cancer." When I called VGH to ask for him they first told me he wasn't there. So I called back again a few minutes later because it didn't make sense to me that he wouldn't be there. Finally the lady came back on the phone to tell me, "I'm sorry, he has been discharged to the cancer clinic. If you would like to reach him you can the hospital at ***-***-****."
My heart sank. Up until that point I was so in shock and then all of a sudden everything I didn't want to believe had been confirmed. I didn't even ask his family if it was okay if I came, I just showed up not even knowing what the fuck was going on. I walked in and he was sitting up in bed with his family. He had staples all up the back of his head from the surgery and the nurse kept coming in to change IV bags and to check on him. Another nurse came in at one point in this heavy duty apron, kind of like the kind you wear when you get Xrays done, and she changed the bag on his IV line. More poison. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to hug him but I was afraid to even touch him because I didn't want to hurt him or squeeze him too hard. I didn't even know what to do so I did what I do best, made some awkward jokes, commented on what a sweet haircut he had and gave him a gentle hug.
I watched as the nurses came and went with more drugs. The stuff is so toxic that the nurses take extreme caution not to get it on their skin because it will eat through their skin and clothes. Yet here she is putting this shit in him. It just didn't seem to make sense. It really hits you on how serious it is when it takes something that poisonous to (hopefully) stop the spread of an even more poisonous disease.
I left the hospital a complete disaster. In fact, I spent my Valentines Day curled up on the couch crying while Dario tried to help by bringing over "Horton Hears A Who" and endlessly hugging me. I still couldn't thank him enough for doing that because it honestly helped immensely.
Jon's treatment continued for a couple months. 5 days of chemo, 16 days of rest, for 5 cycles. All the while he went through a couple more surgeries to remove the other tumours in his brain (all except one which is too dangerous to remove.) He had quite a few Grand Mal Seizures (the worst ones you can have) that would be so intense he actually dislocated his shoulder, twice; all thanks to the brain tumours and surgeries.
In May 2009 he was discharged from the hospital, bald, aged, sick, 50lbs lighter, and with a bottle of Dilantin that he had mixed with smarties to control his seizures. Still, there was no for sure answer as to whether or not he could be cured, nor did the doctors even have a clue of how to go about treatment. With the cancer now in his spine it makes him an extremely rare case, being one of the only people with this kind of cancer in the world. There is no set regiment of treatment, it's all trial and error, and unfortunately the "error" ends up being death.
I spent as much time as I could with him over the Christmas holidays, sleeping side by side and pretty much not letting go. It was around this time that he had been told that his cancer was terminal, that it was now about "treating" and not "curing" the disease. He woke up one night just drenched in sweat. I had him change into a clean sweater and within half an hour he had soaked through that one as well. Between the headaches and the nightmares he rarely sleeps, not to mention he feels like he is wasting his time when he sleeps.
There's been so many things that he's said to me that bring tears to my eyes every time they come to mind. While most people plan the next 25+ years of their lives, he's planning the next day of his. While most of us don't write wills until we are well into our 40's or 50's, he's written his and openly talked about his funeral at 24. While we worry about going to the doctors to diagnose a cold or flu like H1N1, he worries about whether or not his next appointment will involve more scans and more spinal taps. While most people ask me to play them a song on guitar, he asks me if I will play for him at his funeral.While we all wish that we get to grow old with someone and watch our children grow, his only wish is that he'll live to see his 25th birthday. He once told me he would feel like a failure if he died before he was 25. It's still all unfathomable to me.
So when I say that this cause is important to me, it honestly means so much to me I can't even begin to describe it. We all know someone that's been affected by some sort of cancer, and unfortunately not everyone that's been diagnosed with cancer can say that they've beat it. I want to see a cure be found, and I know these things take time but I'm hoping that with enough help it can be found sooner rather than later.
So, on August 19th we are having a fundraiser at AXIS on West Georgia and Thurlow right here in Vancouver. From 11am to 5:30pm the stylists will all be dressed up in lingerie cutting hair, and all the proceeds that are made will be donated to help find a cure. The charity we are specifically donating to this year is Childrens Brain Cancer Research. After the cut-a-thon we will be moving the party down to AXIS on West Pender and Broughton Street, (literally a 5 minute walk away) where there will be a live auction, drinks, and a lingerie show. The night is being hosted by Todd Hancock from CFOX radio. There's a lot of artwork being auctioned off, as well as trips to Whistler, and other great things donated from businesses/people in the city. Admission is free so feel free to come on down with your friends and make a night of it. We'll be serving beer and wine and you can even dress up if you want to!
I will be booking hair appointments for those who would be interested from 11am to 5:30pm. You get a great haircut for a great price ($30 for men, $35 for women) and it all goes to charity. If anyone has 50% off cards you won't be able to use them this time around unfortunately, but I ensure you that you can use them the next time you come and see me and it will be honoured.
If you would be interested in coming in for a haircut please feel free to either comment via my blog, email me at marlee.mcconnell@gmail.com, or you can call AXIS on West Pender at 604-609-3535 to book your appointment. I would love to book in anyone that's interested, even if I have no idea who you are. Please, don't be shy and come down for the day/night. It means the world to me. Even Jon is hoping to attend and (if he doesn't chicken shit out of it ;) ...) will possibly be doing an interview for CFOX before the auction starts.
Come show your support guys. Our goal this year is $35,000.00 and if this event is big enough this year it is possible that next year it will become a branded fundraiser that will raise enough money to donate to multiple charities.
There are a limited number of appointments so if I'm all booked up ask to see if any other stylists have open appointments. If everyone is booked up and you still want to donate, or you would like to donate but are unable to attend the actual event on the day of you can donate at any of the AXIS locations (West Georgia, Pender, and Sinclair Centre.) If you're interested in the artwork that is being auctioned off you can personally view it at AXIS on Pender and there is an auction book there as well where you can bid on it if you can't make it to the event.
Tax receipts will be given for all donations over $20.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
I'm Doing It For The Thrill
It's a Friday night and I'm at home, by myself. Or wait... It's Saturday. Fuck I don't even know what day of the week it is anymore.
Today was an incredibly insane day. So was yesterday. I will tell you about what was yesterday because there was one client that was absolutely hilarious. Basically this guy showed up ripped out of his tree. He admitted to me that he'd just finished smoking a huge bowl before he came to get his haircut (after already having slept through his earlier appointment that day... which he paid for as well because he felt bad for no-showing. Awe!) After he told me "I need you to cut off this fucking jew-fro," he sat there showing me pictures of his naked girlfriend on his phone, talked about fighting the whole time and drunk escapades then proceeded to go off about how he thought one of the other stylists was really hot. As I took him to the sink to rinse out his hair after having cut it he was still going off about the other stylist and looks at me and says "Wanna tag team her with me?" What do you even say to that?! I just started to laugh and made an awkward "haha yeahhhhh... NOT" kind of comment. Then when I finished the appointment I went to hand him some of my cards so if he knew anyone he could hand them out, to which he replied "You know, I like you and I will come back and see you, but I'm not going to take those because I'll either lose them, or I'll just use them to cut up blow."
I'm sorry, what?! I still can't get over how ridiculous the whole thing was. It made my whole day though because he was beyond entertaining for sure. You don't even realize how interesting/entertaining/different people can be until you start working in the service industry. Hairdressing is definitely different than most service industry jobs though since you're directly one on one with a person for an hour or more.
I once spent an hour cutting a guys hair and we pretty much quoted movies the whole time. The phrase "I teabagged your fucking drumset" kept us entertained for quite some time. I pretty much love clients like that because everyone knows how I love dirty jokes, movie quotes, and funny stories.
I'm really excited about how fast my clientele is building. I am hoping to do a photoshoot with Alicia soon to start building a portfolio/website. I will be looking for hair models so if anyone's interested let me know so that when I do things like this I have a list of people to choose from!
I can't wait to get up north to go visit my friends little guy. They named him Merrik Kenneth Berry. He is the sweetest.
Today was an incredibly insane day. So was yesterday. I will tell you about what was yesterday because there was one client that was absolutely hilarious. Basically this guy showed up ripped out of his tree. He admitted to me that he'd just finished smoking a huge bowl before he came to get his haircut (after already having slept through his earlier appointment that day... which he paid for as well because he felt bad for no-showing. Awe!) After he told me "I need you to cut off this fucking jew-fro," he sat there showing me pictures of his naked girlfriend on his phone, talked about fighting the whole time and drunk escapades then proceeded to go off about how he thought one of the other stylists was really hot. As I took him to the sink to rinse out his hair after having cut it he was still going off about the other stylist and looks at me and says "Wanna tag team her with me?" What do you even say to that?! I just started to laugh and made an awkward "haha yeahhhhh... NOT" kind of comment. Then when I finished the appointment I went to hand him some of my cards so if he knew anyone he could hand them out, to which he replied "You know, I like you and I will come back and see you, but I'm not going to take those because I'll either lose them, or I'll just use them to cut up blow."
I'm sorry, what?! I still can't get over how ridiculous the whole thing was. It made my whole day though because he was beyond entertaining for sure. You don't even realize how interesting/entertaining/different people can be until you start working in the service industry. Hairdressing is definitely different than most service industry jobs though since you're directly one on one with a person for an hour or more.
I once spent an hour cutting a guys hair and we pretty much quoted movies the whole time. The phrase "I teabagged your fucking drumset" kept us entertained for quite some time. I pretty much love clients like that because everyone knows how I love dirty jokes, movie quotes, and funny stories.
I'm really excited about how fast my clientele is building. I am hoping to do a photoshoot with Alicia soon to start building a portfolio/website. I will be looking for hair models so if anyone's interested let me know so that when I do things like this I have a list of people to choose from!
I can't wait to get up north to go visit my friends little guy. They named him Merrik Kenneth Berry. He is the sweetest.
See... The sweetest!
Oh my Lanta I want to cuddle the shit out of that baby. I might actually steal him because how could you not fall in love with that little face? Man I love when other people have cute babies that I can temporarily soak up so my biological clock stops screaming "MAKE BABIES, MAKE BABIES!!" for a few minutes. No actually I'm totally lying. I don't get the baby urge anymore. I love them, but by no means would I want one anytime soon. A) that would require a boyfriend/husband, and B) that would require way too much responsibility that I am not yet remotely close to being ready for. Yeeeeeep. I shall be a career focused woman for quite some time.
I can't handle it. He breaks my heart already. Le Sigh.
Maybe I should eat dinner now that it's 10pm and all I've eaten all day is a 6inch sammich and a couple cookies. This is why I'm getting fat. Because I do shit like this, fuck my life I need to find a way to eat more regularly, but I can't eat throughout the day at work soooo I'm hooped. Yay for fat people? No?
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Babies, Bills, and Booze... They Go Hand In Hand Right?
Dammit how annoying. My internet has been down for a week. A WEEK! Do you know how many things I do on the internet outside of social networking? Me neither. But it turns out there's a lot of things I do online that I never thought about before. IE: Finding guitar tabs, paying bills, and then obviously social networking things like emails, facebook, blogs, and twitter.
I've actually been managing alright without the social networking but it just so happened that the internet shut down right around my usual bill paying time. Thanks Shaw for being assholes. Get your shit together.
I got my internet up and running just in time to find out that one of my best friends in the whole world had her baby today at 12:15pm! Baby Berry was born weighing 7lbs 10oz, and I know she told me the length but I was on speakerphone so I didn't quite hear it. I was also too busy crying. They still haven't settled on a name yet but they are pretty sure it will be Maric/Meric (not sure about the spelling on that one.) I'm pretty sure he's got to be the cutest scrunchiest wrinkliest baby boy ever but I'm biased of course.
This is the first time in a long time where someone I'm very close with has had a baby so it's really exciting. I get to play Aunty which is going to be so much fun. I'm going to plan a trip up North in the next month hopefully so I can get a chance to meet the guy. Work pending obviously but I don't think it will be an issue seeing as how one girl who's been there for less than I have been took 2 weeks off to work at the Calgary Stampede. Pretty sure I could take a day or two off to go meet meet the little guy.
I was going to be "a motherfucking adult" today and pay my bills and "clean ALL the things" (as Hyperbole And A Half would say) but due to baby being born and my internet finally working I've now procrastinated immensely. I have managed to do two loads of laundry but that's it. Whoopsies. This is the only time that not having two days off in a row sucks, there's no time for procrastination anymore. I have one day to get shit done, then it's back to work, then one more day to finish getting shit done or to enjoy it. It always seems like I have stuff to do on my days off. Damn errands.
I basically have an hour and a half to get some cleaning done before the roommate comes home and I have to cut his hair. Then after all of that I am now meeting up with Lisa so there goes my day for cleaning. I guess I can still get quite a lot accomplished in an hour and a half if I just get on it. I won't be able to do any of it on Thursday because I have date night planned with the infamous Alicia. We only ever seem to see eachother over hair related appointments these days so I think we're finally planning on hitting up Lolita's for a few drinks. We've both never been and we hear so much about this place it's ridiculous.
It's been a crazy week but thankfully this week away from the internet has been beneficial in quite a few ways. I've finally sat down and got some goals in place for managing and paying off school debt. My goal is to be debt free by January 31st, 2011. Yay!
Actually now that I think about it I've been quite proactive these days and my responsibility level has mostly been on the up and up. That being said Saturday night I did have a falling out with vodka and indians yet again. Someone please tell me why vodka now makes me a cunt when I'm drunk? I should actually research allergic reactions because man do I get sick on the vodka and it'll literally be from next to nothing. I can have a shot or two of vodka and pay for it dearly the next day. Where as if I get loaded off beer I'm fine. I don't get it. I actually purposely avoid vodka at all costs these days, but it just so happened that someone ordered rounds of shots and I drank them because well, it's free shots. You'd be an idiot to be like "no, no thanks."
I guess it's time I should get back on the "get shit done" wagon. Time to do some dishes and finish my laundry. The next place I move into is going to have a dishwasher. I despise handwashing dishes.
Oh... and I'll be joining a gym again. It turns out when you only get to eat one or two meals in a day your metabolism really goes for a shit. Thankfully Lisa's metabolism is going for a shit as well so I'll have a work out buddy so there won't be any excuses to not work out. We also see eachother 3-4 times a week as it is anyways so instead of hanging out and drinking or eating like we normally would, we'll do something proactive. Le sigh. Just wait till the vericose veins start from being on my feet all day. Have you ever looked at a hairdressers legs after they've been doing it for 15-20 years? It's disgusting. I'm actually terrified.
I've actually been managing alright without the social networking but it just so happened that the internet shut down right around my usual bill paying time. Thanks Shaw for being assholes. Get your shit together.
I got my internet up and running just in time to find out that one of my best friends in the whole world had her baby today at 12:15pm! Baby Berry was born weighing 7lbs 10oz, and I know she told me the length but I was on speakerphone so I didn't quite hear it. I was also too busy crying. They still haven't settled on a name yet but they are pretty sure it will be Maric/Meric (not sure about the spelling on that one.) I'm pretty sure he's got to be the cutest scrunchiest wrinkliest baby boy ever but I'm biased of course.
This is the first time in a long time where someone I'm very close with has had a baby so it's really exciting. I get to play Aunty which is going to be so much fun. I'm going to plan a trip up North in the next month hopefully so I can get a chance to meet the guy. Work pending obviously but I don't think it will be an issue seeing as how one girl who's been there for less than I have been took 2 weeks off to work at the Calgary Stampede. Pretty sure I could take a day or two off to go meet meet the little guy.
I was going to be "a motherfucking adult" today and pay my bills and "clean ALL the things" (as Hyperbole And A Half would say) but due to baby being born and my internet finally working I've now procrastinated immensely. I have managed to do two loads of laundry but that's it. Whoopsies. This is the only time that not having two days off in a row sucks, there's no time for procrastination anymore. I have one day to get shit done, then it's back to work, then one more day to finish getting shit done or to enjoy it. It always seems like I have stuff to do on my days off. Damn errands.
I basically have an hour and a half to get some cleaning done before the roommate comes home and I have to cut his hair. Then after all of that I am now meeting up with Lisa so there goes my day for cleaning. I guess I can still get quite a lot accomplished in an hour and a half if I just get on it. I won't be able to do any of it on Thursday because I have date night planned with the infamous Alicia. We only ever seem to see eachother over hair related appointments these days so I think we're finally planning on hitting up Lolita's for a few drinks. We've both never been and we hear so much about this place it's ridiculous.
It's been a crazy week but thankfully this week away from the internet has been beneficial in quite a few ways. I've finally sat down and got some goals in place for managing and paying off school debt. My goal is to be debt free by January 31st, 2011. Yay!
Actually now that I think about it I've been quite proactive these days and my responsibility level has mostly been on the up and up. That being said Saturday night I did have a falling out with vodka and indians yet again. Someone please tell me why vodka now makes me a cunt when I'm drunk? I should actually research allergic reactions because man do I get sick on the vodka and it'll literally be from next to nothing. I can have a shot or two of vodka and pay for it dearly the next day. Where as if I get loaded off beer I'm fine. I don't get it. I actually purposely avoid vodka at all costs these days, but it just so happened that someone ordered rounds of shots and I drank them because well, it's free shots. You'd be an idiot to be like "no, no thanks."
I guess it's time I should get back on the "get shit done" wagon. Time to do some dishes and finish my laundry. The next place I move into is going to have a dishwasher. I despise handwashing dishes.
Oh... and I'll be joining a gym again. It turns out when you only get to eat one or two meals in a day your metabolism really goes for a shit. Thankfully Lisa's metabolism is going for a shit as well so I'll have a work out buddy so there won't be any excuses to not work out. We also see eachother 3-4 times a week as it is anyways so instead of hanging out and drinking or eating like we normally would, we'll do something proactive. Le sigh. Just wait till the vericose veins start from being on my feet all day. Have you ever looked at a hairdressers legs after they've been doing it for 15-20 years? It's disgusting. I'm actually terrified.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
It's Getting Hot In Hurrrr....
Wow that was a horrible joke for a title.
I've decided to do a bit of a post on haircolor. Anyone that knows me knows that I'm an addict when it comes to changing my hair. Only recently have I become a little more brave with the cut that I do where as usually I just play around with the colour. Given that I have literally been almost every colour there is to be, I feel justified in my approach on this topic. I don't like to toot my own horn either but I find I'm really good with picking colours that work for people... either that or I've just been lucky so far? Who knows...
There's a lot of people that go from light to dark, then back light again. This usually comes with the season change because it's just not cool to have bleach blonde hair if you don't have a tan to go with it... But what happened to having fun with your hair colour? So many people are SO afraid of doing something different. Sometimes it's because of a budget issue. There's a lot of people that just don't have that kind of money to spend on the maintenance of their colour and that is perfectly understandable but majority are just afraid of change in general.
I find that changing the colour of your hair is like getting a new wardrobe. All of a sudden you look entirely different even though you're wearing the same thing. I would like to know WHY people are so terrified of this change though. What is it about changing the colour of your hair that scares people?
Typically natural hair is boring and mousey. That isn't always the case as I know quite a lot of people with beautiful natural shades (Cough Danielle and Alicia, cough,) but if you've ever noticed those "beautiful" shades always belong to someone who's either naturally very blonde, very dark, or red.
I'm finding as I play around with colour that there are numerous factors into making that colour work for me. The most important factors I've run into so far are: Skintone, makeup, eyebrow colour, wardrobe, and personality. I think personality is the most obvious of them all. If you are a meek, quiet, shy person then don't go with a haircolor that will draw a lot of attention to you. I'm pretty sure the reasons are obvious on that one.
Skintone is also the main contributing factor to choosing the right haircolour. What I do for myself if I'm questioning a colour is I take the colour swatch and I hold it up on my forehead as if it's bangs. Works everytime. It sounds absolutely ridiculous and the colour going on your head isn't going to turn out exactly like the swatch (it will be in the same colour tone and level) but it will give you a good idea of whether or not that works with your skin.
Now, I would say the next most important factor is EYEBROWS. Match your eyebrows to your hair and you're golden assuming you've done the first two steps. The colour doesn't necessarily have to be the same, but just the depth of colour (aka the lightness or darkness of your eyebrows and hair) needs to be close. The tone can vary but try to get something in a close range.
Makeup is also incredibly important. I'm pale and while I had my dark brown/black hair I would play around with a lot of pinks to warm up my skin a bit so that I didn't look too much like death. Now I'm ginger-kid orange/red and I'm back to using bronzers and peach tone blushes. I'll also have x'd out my pink lipstick and will be going back to a brick red should I choose to wear lipstick. As for eyeshadows, I'll be wearing my browns again, as well as greens and purples (although lately I've just been wearing shimmery peachy/beige/champagne shadows with black liquid liners anyway.) I feel as though the cheek colour has been the most crucial in making my hair "match" with my skin. Consider the colour wheel while making cosmetic choices. It'll be your best friend by far!
Last but not least, wardrobe. I love to wear colours but I also own a lot of neutrals. I had red hair in the fall which was painful for me at times because I was obsessed with the colour blue and I didn't like how my hair clashed with what I was wearing. It literally knocked out about 30% of what I could wear! So if you do change the colour of your hair frequently take that into consideration while shopping. Ask yourself "what do I plan on doing with my hair in the next few months? Will this suit the colour I want to be? What other colours would this shirt go well with?" It's the same as if you're picking out a shirt to wear with other stuff you have at home. "Hmm this shirt could work really well with that one skirt that I have, but that's probably it."
It all seems rather obvious but there's a lot of people that ask me "how do you look good in every colour of hair?!" ... Trust me, it's all pre-meditated and a lot of effort goes into it. It gets easier as you do it more and more, but I definitely think a lot about other things before changing my colour.
I'm excited to have red hair again for the summer! It's a fun change. I also love that I can walk down the street and rarely run into someone with the same haircolor. I'm not the most fashionable person on the planet but I like that my hair makes me stand out a bit.
I've decided to do a bit of a post on haircolor. Anyone that knows me knows that I'm an addict when it comes to changing my hair. Only recently have I become a little more brave with the cut that I do where as usually I just play around with the colour. Given that I have literally been almost every colour there is to be, I feel justified in my approach on this topic. I don't like to toot my own horn either but I find I'm really good with picking colours that work for people... either that or I've just been lucky so far? Who knows...
There's a lot of people that go from light to dark, then back light again. This usually comes with the season change because it's just not cool to have bleach blonde hair if you don't have a tan to go with it... But what happened to having fun with your hair colour? So many people are SO afraid of doing something different. Sometimes it's because of a budget issue. There's a lot of people that just don't have that kind of money to spend on the maintenance of their colour and that is perfectly understandable but majority are just afraid of change in general.
I find that changing the colour of your hair is like getting a new wardrobe. All of a sudden you look entirely different even though you're wearing the same thing. I would like to know WHY people are so terrified of this change though. What is it about changing the colour of your hair that scares people?
Typically natural hair is boring and mousey. That isn't always the case as I know quite a lot of people with beautiful natural shades (Cough Danielle and Alicia, cough,) but if you've ever noticed those "beautiful" shades always belong to someone who's either naturally very blonde, very dark, or red.
I'm finding as I play around with colour that there are numerous factors into making that colour work for me. The most important factors I've run into so far are: Skintone, makeup, eyebrow colour, wardrobe, and personality. I think personality is the most obvious of them all. If you are a meek, quiet, shy person then don't go with a haircolor that will draw a lot of attention to you. I'm pretty sure the reasons are obvious on that one.
Skintone is also the main contributing factor to choosing the right haircolour. What I do for myself if I'm questioning a colour is I take the colour swatch and I hold it up on my forehead as if it's bangs. Works everytime. It sounds absolutely ridiculous and the colour going on your head isn't going to turn out exactly like the swatch (it will be in the same colour tone and level) but it will give you a good idea of whether or not that works with your skin.
Now, I would say the next most important factor is EYEBROWS. Match your eyebrows to your hair and you're golden assuming you've done the first two steps. The colour doesn't necessarily have to be the same, but just the depth of colour (aka the lightness or darkness of your eyebrows and hair) needs to be close. The tone can vary but try to get something in a close range.
Makeup is also incredibly important. I'm pale and while I had my dark brown/black hair I would play around with a lot of pinks to warm up my skin a bit so that I didn't look too much like death. Now I'm ginger-kid orange/red and I'm back to using bronzers and peach tone blushes. I'll also have x'd out my pink lipstick and will be going back to a brick red should I choose to wear lipstick. As for eyeshadows, I'll be wearing my browns again, as well as greens and purples (although lately I've just been wearing shimmery peachy/beige/champagne shadows with black liquid liners anyway.) I feel as though the cheek colour has been the most crucial in making my hair "match" with my skin. Consider the colour wheel while making cosmetic choices. It'll be your best friend by far!
Last but not least, wardrobe. I love to wear colours but I also own a lot of neutrals. I had red hair in the fall which was painful for me at times because I was obsessed with the colour blue and I didn't like how my hair clashed with what I was wearing. It literally knocked out about 30% of what I could wear! So if you do change the colour of your hair frequently take that into consideration while shopping. Ask yourself "what do I plan on doing with my hair in the next few months? Will this suit the colour I want to be? What other colours would this shirt go well with?" It's the same as if you're picking out a shirt to wear with other stuff you have at home. "Hmm this shirt could work really well with that one skirt that I have, but that's probably it."
It all seems rather obvious but there's a lot of people that ask me "how do you look good in every colour of hair?!" ... Trust me, it's all pre-meditated and a lot of effort goes into it. It gets easier as you do it more and more, but I definitely think a lot about other things before changing my colour.
I'm excited to have red hair again for the summer! It's a fun change. I also love that I can walk down the street and rarely run into someone with the same haircolor. I'm not the most fashionable person on the planet but I like that my hair makes me stand out a bit.
Monday, July 5, 2010
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
-Thomas Paine
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