Tips for adding a pop color to your hair

Image via behindthechair.com

It was Dale Bozio who first turned me on to pink hair.  In college we used to experiment with dying our hair pink with kool aid!  It's been a long while since I've experimented with pink hair, and hair products have improved substantially.  I've been experimenting with adding a pop of pink to my hair. It still needs a little tweaking, but I'm having fun!  If you're thinking of adding a pop color to your hair, here's a couple of tips I'd like to share.

If your hair is already dyed with a permanent color, there's a couple things you'll want to consider.  Pop colors tend to be semi-permanent.  Freshly colored hair will be more porous and the semi-permanent dye will stay in your hair much longer. It won't actually wash out, but rather fade over time.  This is the look I was going for.

If you want the semi-permanent color to wash out quickly, postpone coloring your hair with permanent dye. For best results, have the color done by a professional.  However,these tips are for those of us with limited budgets, or who just like to do our own hair.

I used Garnier Fructis' new color styler in pink. I am still tweaking my technique, my hair isn't exactly like I want it yet. Garnier Fructis' semi permanent color doesn't have to be disposed of after each use, making it highly economical.  Here's a couple of supplies you will want to buy:

1.  Extra disposable gloves.  The box only comes with one pair and the dye is difficult to wash off your hands.

2.  Paint brushes.  The size will depend on the amount of hair you want to color.  For a dipping technique, use a larger brush.  For a streak, use a small one.  Trust me, it is not easy to apply a pop color with your fingers.  Save your fingers for all over color.

3.  Bobby pins.  It's easier to be more precise with the dye if pin back hair you don't want to dye.

4.  Be fearless and have fun!  Playing with your hair is the easiest way to change your look.  And the great thing is that it grows back.

Want to OD on some pink hair?  I'm your pusher. See my pink hair gallery at flickr here. See my pinterest board here.

I know I've been talking about hair a lot lately.  I'm going to change focus in my next post.  For the next week or so we will be talking about one of my favorite subjects - color!

Pink Hair Experiment

As you know, I've been obsessed with hair recently. I love talking about hair about as much as I love talking about color. Maybe I should have been a beautician.  Also, as you know, I recently got a hair cut. I cut off about ten inches. I love having my hair long, but the detangling of my hair became agonizing. Especially during the friggin' hot summer. I know, I know, I'm gonna piss some people off. But I like winter. I like rain.  I like gray skies. I know I'm a freak, and I do beat myself up over it. But hey, lately I'm giving myself a break. I'm just in the wrong environment. I should probably be in Iceland.  Hmmm.  Need to add that to my travel list.

Anyway, I love my hair long.  Worn it long almost my whole life.  But it was making me cry when I combed it out after washing. Seriously. It hurt that bad. A couple times I experimented with growing dreads. But not for me. I prefer soft, natural, ahem, platinum hair, just the way nature intended.

The cut felt great, the front was drastically longer, just like I wanted. (see previous post here). But here's the thing. I'm a lover of asymmetry. I even thought about having the right side longer than the left. The stylist wouldn't do it - bless her heart.  She said, this is a great starter cut. See where you go from here, and stay comfortable with who you are.  It's easier to cut more hair, if needed (and affordable since I was at Great Clips where this divine creature cuts my hair for $13, no lie.) I'd much rather go back to have more cut. The adding more on is the difficult part, lol.

So I did it.  It felt great and weightless, fluffy.  But I hated those pieces in front. Can't stand the hair in my face. Was really grateful I had enough hair to pull back in a scrunchy.  I had a short cut that I HATED once, so that's my rule. I must be able to pull my hair back.  But....like I said...those pieces in front.  I adore that cut when I see it on others.  I just don't like it on me.

One day looking in the  mirror, I cut them very precisely.  I am still a great lover of a super geometric extreme blunt cut  Younger friends tell me to get long layers. True, layers are better than they were when I was a kid. But...I think I hate them.  Yep.  I'm obsessive about my hair.  Have been since I was about three years old.  If I can work up the courage, I will share a couple of pics from my childhood.

Anyway, will you just look at that fabulous creature Zanna Roberts Rossi in this pic from Under the Gunn, Season One?  I mean look how fab her hair is.  Although that is deceptive. It's simple, but not easy. That took a stylist who had to blow it out, tease it and iron it and gosh knows how much product. But it's freaking gorgeous.  I am a lover of geometry.  She'd look great with a pink streak in her hair.

And okay, can I just mention those bitchin' shoes she's wearing.  I need them. Badly. If you know the designer, please leave a comment.

I wanna be Zanna when I grow up.  Look at that hair, look at that style. And when you hear her accent, well forget about it.  Working for Marie Claire, Zanna has to remain at the forefront of fashion, and she does it with ease. These vests are gonna be big this fall and winter. They're warm and allow for mobility. I want a gray one. I'd wear it with gray long johns, large clunky bracelet and rain boots.  I shit you not. I love wet weather, and I want to be stylish as well as comfortable.  Sorry I digress. Image via DuJour (warning!  highly addicting site)

Anyhoo...Zanna would like great with a pink streak.  I've worn pink hair in college, we actually died our hair with kool aid, and I was in love with Dale Bozio's style.  I had a corporate job so haven't played with pink hair in many years, and I've been itching to.  Wouldn't you know?  Garnier Fructis has a new line of pop colors?

Not a sponsored post

And reasonably priced too!  What's cool is that you don't have to dispose of it after each use, so it's very economical.  My hair was freshly colored with my favorite L'oreal dimensional color (see previous post here).


DAY ONE

oh dear. wish i had done a streak rather than a dip. the product feels stiff and the rest of my hair is so luxuriously soft. needs some tweaking. put it in a bun to go out.

DAY TWO

pink towels and pink hair, lol!  a little improved on the softness.  put the number three conditioner that comes with the L'oreal hair color on the pink and kept it in all night. was able to wash it and get a fine tooth comb through it. a miracle! felt much softer and like the fading. experimenting with hot ironing the front and leaving back messy.  can't wait to see how it grows out. i'm an expert at growing my hair out.

In my next post I'll have some tips for adding pop colors in your hair.  If you have insomnia, you can follow my pink hair experiment at instagram and/or twitter @margiemax....or not... because I may write about it more...or not....haven't decided if I am unplugging or not, lol. Just taking it day by day.

Today was a good day to stay in the A/C and play with pink hair.  What about you dear, readers? What are you doing this long weekend?

Girl Crush: Meg Ryan

Still obsessing about hair, this edition of Girl Crush is dedicated to Meg Ryan. Lately, I can't get enough of her films. I recently watched Hanging Up (2000), Proof of Life (2000) and Kate & Leopold (2001).  The girl sports some funky hair dos.  And she pulls them off, no matter what length, short or long.

I love everything about her, from her casual wardrobe to her Betty Davis walk. Mostly, though, I love how she embraces fine blond hair, which is often tussled and downright messy. Her beauty has a carefree and comfortable feel that I find inspirational, making her my current muse. I think my next hair cut maybe this last one.

Google images.

New Hair, New Glasses!

Okay, so it was way overdue - I needed a new pair of glasses. Can you believe it had been ten years since my last new pair?  Luckily over sized plastic frames are back in style.  I never really liked the small wire frames I wore.  I wasn't really sure about wearing frames that are so dark.  These are blue, and I wish they were a lighter blue, but I do love them.  Believe it or not they are bifocals!  Gosh, my first pair of bifocals. But you can't tell. It's great to be able to see again!

In honor of my new glasses I decided to cut my hair. I love my hair long, but I needed a change.  And detangling had gotten to be such a trial. Honestly, I would cry when I combed my hair it hurt so bad.

So, I went to the stylist. I told her today was "New glasses, new hair day."  She squealed with delight, "I love new glasses, new hair day!" she said.

So here I am with new hair and new glasses!  I went with the Jenny McCarthy cut, longer in front, but not so stacked in the back. Still thinking of doing a pink stripe.

Here's a side view.  I love it, but I may have to cute the front, it's kinda getting on my nerves. Right now it has to be blown dry and then flat ironed. I'm a low maintenance kind of girl. My stylist and I have an agreement, better for the hair to be too long - you can always cut more. I hate when it's too short.  Any way, I love the new look and combing doesn't hurt any more!  Hooray!

Cutting your hair is an easy way to change your look and your attitude. I with we could change our features so easily. I really want a nose job. If there are any plastic surgeons out there who would like to operate for free, please contact me. We can run a feature on my blog!

Hair!

I'm obsessed with hair. I should have been a hair dresser. I love long hair, I've worn my hair long most of my life except for a stint during my corporate days when I wore a bob. After the big hair days, I gave my poor tender head a break from all the abuse and cut my over-processed hair into a bob and stopped with the perming, teasing and spraying. I wore the bob for many years, and wore every variation of it. Bangs and no bangs. Prefer no bangs.  If you want to grow your hair long, the bob is the perfect place to start.

Anyway, it had been over five years since I had been to a salon. Poverty forced me to cut my own hair. But now it's time for a change. Detangling my hair has gotten to be a hardship. I actually cry when I detangle my hair - it hurts.  And don't tell me about magical detangling solutions. I've tried them all, and they don't work. Not for me anyway.

I started craving something more sporty. More carefree and bouncy. The key for me is low maintenance.

Remember this gorgeous model from my previous post? I see this hair cut a lot, and like it on other people, but it's not for me. Honestly I never want a cut short enough that the back of my neck needs shaved. I remember one time when I went for a trim and heard the electric clipper being turned on.  The horror! And then when I felt it on the back of my neck - well, I never went back to that stylist again and there were lots of tears.  The good news about hair is, it does grow back.  Anyway, I love the color of this model's hair. I wish I could achieve a beautiful gray blonde, but I think it would be high maintenance.

Here are some sporty looks I like.  I really love Kaley Cuoco's new swingy 'do.

I'm still really loving Jenny McCarthy's 'do.  This was the influence for my new hair cut. Gosh, I wish the stylist could make me this beautiful. I might even dye my hair red.  Hmm.  So many choices.

My New Year's Resolution: Just Be.

This post is kind of late.  I can't believe January is almost over.  Seems like it was Christmas yesterday. I usually don't make New Year's resolutions, because I seldom keep them and why set myself up for failure. This year I read so many resolutions friends made on Facebook, and I was touched by all the good intentions. But....what if you don't have to be better, smarter or prettier....what if you are perfect just the way you are? In fact, isn't all that striving causing suffering and disappointment?

So this year, I made the resolution.  To just Be.  I'm going to Be who I am.  And try to accept that I am perfect the way I am.  And you are perfect too.  You are perfect just the way you are.

Urban Outfitters must have been reading my mind when they made this pillow.

Since I get a lot of requests for pictures of me, here's one my sister-in-law took around Christmas.  I am modeling the fabulous beaded purse I got at the Salvation Army for $2.00.

Here's a selfie I took in the bathroom. Selfies are hard aren't they?  I receive a lot of criticism for wearing my hair long.  I am told by various "experts" that "older" women are not supposed to wear their hair long.  I say quit using the word older, and wear your hair however you feel most comfortable.  I've tried various lengths, and am most comfortable in long hair.  So I'm going to Be comfortable.

Can you imagine anyone telling the sublimely beautiful Eveline Hall that older women shouldn't wear their hair long?  Being a woman is fun.  I enjoy girly things.  And I am going to Be who I am.

Silvery eyeshadow is my favorite at the moment.  This gorgeous look by Cover Girl.  But you don't need makeup to be a fabulous woman.  Again, the key is to Be who you are.  Remember this essay, entitled "You Don't Have to Be Pretty?"  I think it should be required reading for all women.  And I wish I'd written it. (See previous post where I first mentioned this essay.)

Okay, here's a sad truth. Everyone's been bullied. And everyone bullies. The question is not whether you are bullying, but how you are bullying. You want bullying to stop, then stop bullying. And just let people be.  We all want the same thing, so Be and let Be.

You are not lost, you are perfect.  You don't have to find yourself.  Just Be yourself.

Be where you're supposed to Be. Be on Time and let God do the rest. Be who you are.

That is my New Year's resolution. I am going to Be. What does that mean?  It means I am going to endeavor to live authentically and Be who I am, without apology. More importantly (and more difficult), I am asking for God's help in loving who I am, without striving, comparing, coveting.  Just as I am. I am asking God for his help with greater tolerance. I want to allow others to Be who they are with unconditional love and non-judgment.

This year I'm going to just Be.  And maybe, just maybe, we are all perfect they way we are.  Wouldn't it be a relief to set down the striving for a while and enjoy just being?

Saturday Night: Gettin' Girly

I'm so excited.... and I just can't hide it!  I'm going to a fab party in Cleveland tonight!  Woo hoo!  It's been a long time since I've been in my home town.  I'm homesick!  Remember Mazi?  The fabulous dude who let me tour his beautiful pad?  Well, it's his 50th birthday!  And we are gonna celebrate 50 years of fab-u-lous-ness!

I am hoping to meet artists that Mazi turned me onto.  Namely, Kevin Busta and Halim Ina.

It's been a long while since I've gotten all dolled up.  I've been considering my clothes, makeup and hair all week.  I really wanted to get all Nicki with it.  As you know, she's the shizzz.  Can't get enough Nicki? That's a coincidence.  Neither can I.  Check out my Nicki Pinterest Board.

This pic made me wanna cut my hair and dye it green.  My girl Haley says, no better get a wig.  Good thinking.  Any way, I love the makeup so much I tried it last night.  I can pull off a pink lip.  Fail.  Nicki is so much cuter than I am.  And she has professional stylists too, I guess.

I spent a ton of time on my hair this week.  I had a large tangle like you've never seen.  I thought I was either gonna have to cut it or go with dreads.  Took hours to get it out.

I thought about this cut.  Doesn't she look fab?  Nothing like a cute girly-girl in a comfy outfit.  That hair is not as easy as it looks, though.  it's dyed.  A lot, see no roots.  It's blow dried, it's straighted and it's teased. Great look, but too much maintenance for me.

Hmm.  I'd love to do something like this.  Luckily I talked with a girl at Sally Beauty Supply who had a hot pink dip.  She told me it's more trouble than it's worth.  It got all over her clothes, and all over her neck and shoulders cuz she sweats.  Uh oh.  What to do?  I do have some pink extensions.  Maybe I'll put those in.

I settled for this hair color.  It's close to my natural color, and provides great dimensional color and doesn't turn out too yellow, like many blonde dyes do.  It also makes my hair so soft!  An added bonus.

Wanted to add a little youthful pizzazz, so bought this temporary comb in color from Sally Beauty Supply. Glad I didn't go with the hot pink.  What a mess.  Cute on my hair, but all over my neck and shoulders. Yuk. Also the hair won't dry.  But I just did a small piece underneath so it's all good.  But won't be buying this again.  It's crap.

Smoothed this on my hair before using the straight iron.  Fab!  Hair feels so soft.  And dig the bottle.

Got some of this for after the party.  Wanna look fab in the morning.  Will let you know.

Think I'm gonna go with makeup inspired by this look.  Love the pink.  Wish I was this skilled with liner.  Love the fuchsia lips, but prefer a matte lipstick.

Wish I had this pink velveteen from Lime Crime.  Gotta keep a watch on the site, it's not available yet.  I'm sure it will sell out the second it gets in.

Settled for Wet and Wild 967 Dollhouse Pink.  Love it.

Nails are periwinkle by China Glaze.

Hope to have some glamour shots for you later!  Hope you are doing something fabulous as well!  xo