Pink Wannabe Turns Yellow

Remember that scene in Grease where Frenchie comes into prom looking like a "blonde pineapple"? I did that to myself yesterday.

First, you should know that unlike Frenchie, I am NOT a beauty school drop out! They actually granted me a license and once upon a time I was a professional hairstylist. I was pretty good at it, but I was very young and at that time I lacked the self confidence and personality(or so I thought) befitting a stylist.

Now, some of ya'll already know that I've had the whole turning 40 thing on my mind a lot lately. It's crazy, I know, but I've been worried about the way I look...I don't know what 40 is supposed to look like! I think of Edith Bunker for some reason when I hear 40. House dresses and roller set hair. I so don't want to be that. Anyway, I'm fighting the 40 frump by dressing a little better, working the makeup more often and I am finally back to exercising regularly and I'm back on WW. And I'm feeling better about the whole thing, really.

Still, I have been thinking/pondering/wondering about doing something drastic. One last hoo-ra before the big day. Like pink. Yes, pink. Pink highlights to be specific. I think I might be able to pull it off. But then I remember I'm turning 40 in 6 months and Pink Hair + 40 Year Old = Obvious Midlife Crisis in the eyes of everyone around me. But still, pink hair would be fun. Especially if I could look like this. and not like this:But, I'm not that brave. I just like to pretend that I'm cool. I'm not really.

So nothing drastic for me.

Still, my hair has been looking a little mousy as of late. My natural color is what my mom calls "dishwater blonde". Since Mom was a stylist for over 20 years, it was only natural that I started getting highlights in the sixth grade. Since then, my hair has been a number of colors: strawberry blonde, plain old blonde, WHITE blonde, light brown, light auburn, bright red(I have a scary photo of that somewhere), and once I turned it a pale purple-y grayish blonde by mistake. OH, and not too long ago I ended up w/yellow roots. Just the roots! Sheeeesh. Continue reading and you'll see that I NEVER LEARN.

I never go to a salon for color(someday I will splurge and do that). Nothing against it, I just don't have the well deserved 80+ bucks that it costs for salon quality color every 3 months, so home hair color it is. I figure I can handle it on my own...although I'm fairly certain it usually looks like a home hair color job.

Now, on to the yellow hair... Since I'm not brave enough for pink, I decided on red. A light auburn-y red to which I was going to add highlights. That's drastic, but not scary. I was in WalMart w/a box of red in my hand when I run into my best friend Trish. SHE tells me I should go blonde. "My favorite color on you is light streaky blonde" she says. OK, I haven't been light streaky blonde in a while! Let's do it! I get a frosting kit and go on my merry way.

I pulled it through a cap. Yes, I know that is SO 1980's but I can control it a little better that way. I put it on heavy, ya'll. And I took it off early. I KNOW that I should leave it on long enough for bleach to do it's thing and get past the yellow stage, I know! I know! I know! I did the same thing a month ago to my roots. BUT I have so many layers of color and damage on my hair that after an HOUR of bleach, I was afraid my hair would start falling out. So I did what I knew better than do and I rinsed my hair before it had completely processed. And it came out yellow.

In the light at home, I thought, "OK, I can get used to this, it's not THAT bad". Mark and I went shopping and I traipsed around the antique mall w/my yellow hair. Mark kept telling me it was yellow(gee thanks) but it wasn't until we were at our favorite Pizza place and I went into the bathroom that I realized just how bad it was!

Jump to Me on the phone:
"Uh, Mom"
"yes"
"I have yellow hair. What color can I put on it to pull it out?"
"Light or beige blonde."
"OK. Hey, they have champagne...how 'bout champange" I like the sound of that "Champagne Blonde". It sounds all sophisticated and grown up.
"Yeah, that'll work. Just remember to leave it on long enough!" My mom knows me well.

Once more, I slathered my head with chemicals...but left it on the full amount of time. It worked! Whew, thank goodness! A lighter blonde to correct the yellow would have given me more of what I was hoping for and the end result is not really all that drastic a change, but it is a change that I can live with. AND it is better than yellow!

Before. Mousy.After. Yellow. This is when I'm thinking. "I can get used to this".In case you are thinking "It's really not that yellow." Yeah, it was. This is what I discovered at the pizza place. See that look on my face. That is called "*&^%%^! I have yellow hair and I've been walking around like this ALL DAY! In PUBLIC!"And finally. Whew. No more color for me for a while. Until I'm brave enough for pink.