Hair

Growing Out My Grays: Chapter 3

April 23rd, 2019 by Karen 30 Comments

salt and pepper hair april 2019 — Six months in

Next week, I’ll officially be six months into “The Journey to Grow Out My Grays,” and let me tell you…it’s been hard! It’s been even tougher than growing out my brows, which is sort of counter-intuitive, right? Because I’m not actually doing anything… The hair is doing all the work. I’m just living my life, but dang if it hasn’t been a test of will and a test of my mental state.

Ah, man!

The Journey to Grow Out My Grays

Growing Out My Grays: Chapter 1
Growing Out My Grays: Chapter 2
Frivolous Friday Chit Chat: Growing Out Gray Hair, J. Lo Makin’ Me Want to Go to Pilates Every Day, and Blending Boot Camp
Is There a Graceful Way to Go Gray?

Yet again, I came *this close* to dying my hair, because, to be honest, I’m still not loving it… I don’t want to say that I “hate” it, because there are definitely some aspects that I like, like the freedom from not feeling like I have to go get my roots done every few weeks, and not always feeling like my hair is in a transitional state. I like feeling that my hair just is what it is, you know? This is the color, this is what it looks like now, and I don’t have to maintain it. I don’t have to spend the money, time or effort making it into something it isn’t.

That’s been liberating…

But there are other things I still… I really, really don’t want to say “hate,” because it’s such a strong word, and this is my body. I don’t want to hate anything about my body. Plus, hair is just the frosting, right? It’s just the outside stuff. I tell Connor this all the time: “It’s what’s in your heart that matters. What’s inside determines your worth.”

I know these things are true.

But then I see myself in the mirror, and the person looking back at me doesn’t look like the person I grew up with. I’ve cried more than a few times over the past few weeks. It’s hard for me to say that, but it’s true. Because I really am not loving how I look with salt and pepper hair.

Connor and I took this selfie at an Easter egg hunt last weekend, and I’m almost full-on gray now.

At this point, I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to keep doing this experiment. At the start, I told myself that I was gonna go at least six months… I may try for eight, or I may walk into a rand-o salon this afternoon and walk out with pink hair! It could go either way.

What have I learned so far? Well, some of the best advice I’ve gotten was from a friend who grew out her grays last year, and she said, “I oil the crap outta my hair.”

You know what? That has been really helpful, especially since my hair has gotten progressively coarser as I’ve gone more gray.

The more oil I work into it (I do it when my hair is damp, right after I get out of the shower), the better off I am. My hair feels less crunchy, the grays are less unruly, and they’re generally better behaved.

Also, and I don’t know if this is considered kosher, but it’s been helping me out, sooo…when I do my hair, and I’m doing my best to tame the flyaways, if there are any rogue hairs that simply refuse to bend to my will, I freakin’ pluck them out, man!
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Budget Beauty for $10 or Less: Hask Hair Masks

April 11th, 2019 by Karen 24 Comments

Hooray for budget beauty! In this new series, we talk about sweet finds you can get for $10 or less.

You guys! I’m sitting here running my fingers through my hair thinking, “All this softness for $1.99. ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE PENNIES,” because last night I did a Hask hair mask. They have a few different versions, and I used the Coconut Oil one. Now my hair feels silky soft, but not in the way that feels like your hair is coated in sedimentary layers of silicone… The tangles and knots are gone, and the obnoxious white ramen noodle flyaways in my hairline — which normally stick up at every unfortunate angle you can imagine — are relatively tame and smooth and lying in one direction (SAY WHAT?!).

Inactive ingredients
Aqua/Water/Eau, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Quaternium-18, Gardenia Taitensis (Monoi) Flower Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Vaccinium Myrtillus (Bilberry) Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Panthenyl Hydroxypropyl Steardimonium Chloride, Isopropyl Palmitate, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Silk Amino Acids, Sodium Pca, Tetrasodium Edta, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Chlorphenesin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum/Fragrance

If your hair is feeling dry and/or in need of some serious TLC, all you need is 10 minutes and a generous coating of this thick conditioner. I’ve got a lot of’ mane at the moment (Side note: Please talk me out of chopping it all off into a bob because I’m THIS CLOSE.), and I get about three uses from each package. If you buy them at Target, they’re $1.99 a pack (a little more expensive at Ulta: $2.99).

Maaaaaan. If Hask sold this by the gallon, I’d spring for one, for sure. It’s also cruelty-free and doesn’t have any sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, alcohol or artificial colors.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Just Like Jason Momoa, I Love Scrunchies!

March 1st, 2019 by Karen 8 Comments

I don’t simply have one scrunchie on my desk right now. I have two! — and yet despite this, I totally get why they have a bad rap, because if you grew up in the ’80s, there’s a good chance you rocked a scrunchie, and you probably rocked it hard.

Then the ’90s came along, though, and everyone became too cool for scrunchies. They turned into a big joke in the hair world, like “Ewww! She’s wearing a scrunchie.”

But you know what? I’ve never forsaken the scrunchie. The scrunchie and I have been ride or die since day one, and the evidence is currently on my desk, on my wrist, and in my hair.

Look, if scrunchies are good enough for Jason Momoa, they’re good enough for the general population. Props to him for matching his scrunchie with his outfit like I did in sixth grade circa 1987, but please, Jason Momoa, if you’re reading this, I DID IT FIRST. ? *hair flip*

I’ve always loved scrunchies because they don’t leave that funny dent in your hair after you’ve had them in for a while, unlike your standard issue elastics. They don’t pull your hair out or give you headaches, either!

YOU CAN ALSO GET THEM TO MATCH YOUR OUTFIT. Mostly, I just think they’re really cute. I love that they’re floofy and look like ruffles. Um, sure, they aren’t terribly effective if you’re running or jumping. There’s no chance in hades that a scrunchie will stay in my hair if I’m working out or doing anything vigorously, but other than that, I’m 100% TEAM PRO SCRUNCHIE, always and forever. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Growing Out My Grays: Chapter 2

February 19th, 2019 by Karen 30 Comments

karen gray hair four months — FYI, Salt-N-Pepa’s here.

It has been four months since the last time I dyed my hair, and I believe that I’ve reached the point when almost everyone who grows out their grays says that they want to attack something. Or someone. In other words, the point when it gets really hard.

Last week I came *this* close to booking a last-minute color appointment. Multiple times.

The biggest challenge has been figuring out what to do about my hairline, because I have a lot of gray there, and the hairs are ever-so-slightly coarser, and therefore more unruly, than the darker hairs.

Back when I was dying my hair and would find an errant gray shooting for the stars and striking out on its own, I’d just pluck it…but now I’m like, “What’s the point? It’s just gonna grow back anyway.”

Now, though, those errant hairs are also FOUR INCHES LONG. Honestly, it’s just so comical. I spend half the time laughing at myself and the other half wrangling the grays into place (a.k.a. getting my hair to look like I’m not being electrocuted). I wonder if I’m ever gonna feel good about my hair again…

Oh, and last night I barely averted hair disaster after watching a couple YouTube tutorials on how to cut your own bangs. I was standing in my bathroom with the scissors against my bangs, all set to CHOP-CHOP-CHOP. It was all happening in slow motion, too. Thankfully, I had just enough sense left to stop before it was too late. Slowly, I set down the scissors and backed away from the mirror.

MAH HAIR. IT’S DRIVING ME CRAZY.

On the bright side, I really like not having to dye my hair anymore. That part is liberating, but the growing out part is mostly just a pain in the @ass.

Here’s something weird: Depending on which way I part the front of my hair, I either see a ton of gray or very little. Like, if I pull my hair back into a ponytail, I can really see the salt and pepper coming through. Same if I do a deep side part. But if I part my hair down the middle, or just slightly off center, I barely see any.
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Product Spotlight: Oribe Free Styler Flexible Hold Working Hairspray

January 22nd, 2019 by Karen 12 Comments

I don’t love cowlicks, but cowlicks love me. [Insert crying-face emojis right here ???.] My cowlick situation was almost mildly tolerable before I started growing out my grays, but now it’s next level orange alert!!!

It’s the texture of the gray hairs, man. They’re wirier than my non-gray hairs, and the short, stubby pieces stick out, especially the hairs right smack dab in the middle of my hairline and in the center of my part.

If I leave them be, I look like I’m being mildly electrocuted… Hence Oribe Free Styler Working Hairspray.

Expensive as it is [$42 for a 9-oz. bottle, OMG!], I love this stuff. I’ve been into it ever since I sprayed about half a can on my bangs for the victory rolls I did for Halloween. The rolls stayed put and weren’t crunchy, and you know me when it comes to crunchy hair (not a fan). When I took my hair down that night before bed, even after ALL that hairspray, I was able to run a brush through it without any flakes or tugging.

Which is rad.

What takes this stuff from “nice” to “must-have” for me is how well it handles crazy cowlicks and those stubs of wayward gray hair. It tames them easily, and I use it daily now as part of my routine. I like that my hair can still move around with it and doesn’t look lacquered into place like a helmet.

It freezes your hair in place but doesn’t make it stiff. Your hair also won’t look too shiny and “done,” thanks to the satin finish, which I also like.

Here’s how I work it: When I’m done curling or braiding or whatever I’m doing on any given day, I almost always have a crown or crazy cowlicks sticking out along my hairline and in my part, so I spray a fine layer of Free Styler directly on top, then finesse them down with a fine-toothed comb from Sally Beauty.

If there are any wayward bits left standing, I’ll repeat the process until I’ve coaxed everything into place.
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Kristin Ess Has a Line of Hair Styling Tools at Target, and It Includes Something for Cray-Cray Cowlicks

December 18th, 2018 by Karen 18 Comments

kristin ess hair appliances — Dear Kristin Ess, you are speaking my language with all that white and rose gold.

Dude. Target on the weekends before Christmas is freakin’ Battle Royale, especially if you park your booty in the middle of the aisle to take some pics of these hair styling tools from Kristin Ess.

(No joke, I was almost run over at least three times.)

The line is from Lauren Conrad’s hair gal, and some of the products are available at Tar-ghay now. I’ve tried a few of them so far, and overall…I think they’re OK.

I do like how these look, though, with the white and pale rose gold accents. It’s very T3-esque. The products range from $50 to $100, which is on the high side for Target.

The line includes a hair dryer, a few different curling irons, a flat iron and a very intriguing thingamabob for roots.

It’s the Texture Taming Root Control Iron, and it’s $55. In concept, it sounds like *the* answer to all my crazy hair woes…

“Ever wonder how to control all those baby hairs/edges that are too short to make it into your flat iron? Or those curly roots you can’t quite get to? That’s what this is for! It’s called a root control iron and it changes EVERYTHING. You can effortlessly smooth hairs around your hairline, or at the nape of your neck, and easily tame frizz, cowlicks, and unruly bangs by directing them with this comb/iron hybrid.”

— kristinesshair.com

And here’s a video of Kristin herself using the tool…

Texture Taming Root Control from Kristin Ess on Vimeo.

Um…WANT. My cowlicks and baby hairs have gone next level cray since I started growing out my grays, and unless I douse myself in hairspray, they stand up every which way, and I look like I’m walking around with a current of electricity pulsing through me all day, every day.

Have you tried this? The reviews on the Target site make it sound hit or miss, so I’m not sure if I’m going to take the plunge…but MAN I REALLY WANT TO.

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November 2018 Favorites

December 10th, 2018 by Karen 19 Comments

Because it’s cold, I’m already getting nostalgic for November! Here are some things I loved the heck out of last month…

1. Onomie Boosting Lip + Cheek Sticks ($30 each)

These are super sheer compared to some other creams products out there, like the MAC Cream Colour Bases, but don’t walk away just yet. I don’t really use them when I’m gonna be taking pics for MBB, because they’re too subtle for photography, but for regular life, like when I’m wearing the most minimal of minimal makeup (a recurring theme when you live with a demanding tabby and a toddler), they’re B-O-M-B. They add just enough color to cheeks and lips to liven things up so I don’t look totally dead, ha ha.

I blend concealer under my eyes and skip the tinted moisturizer/foundation completely, then plop on a coat of mascara, and dab and blend one of these tints on my cheeks and lips.

It’s a very Megan Markle makeup look, and I’m into it.

Comes in six shades. I wear the Berry the most.

2. Juno & Co Microfiber Velvet Sponge ($6 each, or four for $20)

You can use this soft and squishy makeup blending sponge wet or dry to apply or set foundation, powder and/or concealer. The surface of the sponge feels velvety, similar to velvet fabric, which makes a big difference in the finished look. It’s a more airbrushed and polished look than you get with the beautyblender-y makeup sponges out there.

3. R+Co Television Perfect Hair Shampoo and Conditioner ($30 each)

You know when your hair feels coated, weighed down and heavy? UGH, I hate that feeling. It’s like living with a family of filthy forest animals on your head 24/7. Anyway, with this shampoo and conditioner, you can completely avoid that issue. They’re for smoothing, moisturizing *and* volume, and they’re made for all hair types, from fine to thick and wavy like mine, and everything in between. When I use this set, my hair is what I call, “light and fluffy.” My only wish is that they came in bigger bottles!

The scent is lovely, too. I detect lavender, pineapple, tangerines and warm, white musk.

4. R+Co Waterfall Moisture + Shine Lotion ($29)

Again for the girls and guys who like hair that isn’t coated with a thick layer of goo. (R+Co is good at that.) This intense leave-in conditioner and frizz-fighter is just as moisturizing as their High Dive Moisture + Shine Cream (don’t even ask me how many bottles of that I’ve gone through), but it retains more volume in your strands, so it flattens the hair less than High Dive.

Both are brilliant, but if you have long or medium-length hair, and you’re all about floofy marshmallow volume, this is the one you’ll want, especially if you like violets, oranges and caramel, which is how it smells.

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Growing Out My Grays: Chapter 1

November 29th, 2018 by Karen 25 Comments

I actually did my hair! It’s only been, oh…two weeks! The impetus very likely has something to do with our guests leaving. We had family staying with us for the past couple weeks, but they’ve gone now, and you know how it is when you’re sharing your space with other people, even people you love. It can be a delicate dance. I need some alone time in order to function (somewhat) normally.

So this morning I did my hair for the first time in forever, and I noticed the grays starting to peek through. That’s when it hit me — I’M REALLY DOING THIS. Here I am, one month since the last time I colored my hair at home using demi-permanent color.

gray hair one month after coloring — Hey, gray!

I bought all of this hair coloring stuff from Sally Beauty two months ago, thinking that I’d eventually grow to love coloring my own hair…

I imagined myself being able to do it on my own whenever I wanted to and saving money.

At least that was the idea.

In reality, I was in tears after the last time! You’re gonna think I’m such a big baby, but there was dye all over the bathroom and the tub, and my hair turned out a little too dark (like shoe polish). It didn’t look quite right, and the first thing El Hub said when he saw me was, “Boy…it’s REALLY dark.”

That pushed me over the edge.

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