Embrace your inner unicorn

 

Theme for the day

Long time readers of this blog, or people who actually know me in person, will know that when I get bored or frustrated with life, dramatic change is generally my thing ;).  That being said, dramatic change is a lot harder when one has to consider one's husband and is taking place the midst of a global pandemic.  So what I *really* wanted to do, like finding a job in Spain so I can learn and apply Spanish, is not actually feasible at this time.  Said husband is enrolled in school and can't just pick up and move, and well, global pandemic -- nobody can just pick up and move.  Lol and realistically, even if I could, there are few places with as low numbers as Canada atm, so I'd probably just prefer to stay here.

I *am* going to be doing my MBA, so that will likely take up most of my time, but that hasn't started yet and because I know it's going to take much of my time, I'm disinclined to find a new hobby to amuse myself.  So....  Other options...

The photo that started it all

Back about when the pandemic started I saw this (or a photo very similar) and absolutely loved it.  And my hair is super long these days, so why not...   Well, firstly, job interviews.  *sigh*. I work in just about the most traditional industry ever and I very much want to find a more challenging job (sooner than later). Which means interviews.  And while hair colour should not play a role in people's decision making...  People are human, and it just might.   So I didn't seriously consider following up on it.   And then pandemic -- everything closed and I couldn't follow up on it even if I wanted to.

But then things started to open up again and I realized A - the job market is dead, so odds of many interviews are slim.  AND, B - due to pandemic work-from-home conditions, even if I do manage to get an interview, it will be via video conference and thus I could tie my hair back and have it be very not-obvious that it was dramatically coloured.  Win.

So off I go on my quest.  Call my favourite salon and get "that's stunning, but we don't do that here."   Second choice salon, similar answer.   Insert sad Lauren here :(.  

Fail.  So I ask Kennedy, who almost always has fun coloured hair, if she has any suggestions and she did!  Win :).  And one of them was in Oakville - extra win.   Less than 10 mins from my house.   I scroll that shop's Facebook and see ALL the colours.  lol and admittedly many are not to my taste, but many are gorgeous.  Sweet.  

Contact the shop (Beloved Hair Studio) and they say yes absolutely they can do it, but it will depend on my hair and they need to see me first.  So we arrange for a free consult and in I go.  To sad news -- there's no way they can do it on my hair.  Too much red for the colour to be accurate and too fine to bleach to the degree required to get rid of all the red.  Sad. 

But, I had plan B.   lol I had screen shotted (is that a word?) the images on their site I liked best that were not just variations of red (don't get me wrong, I *loved* some of those, but the idea was change), and asked if any of those were possible.   And Yes!  Woohoo!  Most were.  The general rule seemed to be no blue -- but turquoise might be okay...  hmmmm that's fine, I like turquoise.

So price discussed (yeah birthday money from Mum and Dad! ;) and appointment booked for...  I think it was about 3 weeks out.   Book the time off work and wait.

And wait.

But life's busy so it wasn't toooooo bad a wait.  

Although getting through a particularly aggravating morning at work the day of the appointment was definitely a challenge.   But I made it.

I was told that due to covid they couldn't serve food or drinks so make sure I bring something as it would be 4-6 hours.

The shop was small but super-cute, spotless, and very bright.  We had a quick chat about what we were going to do and then headed downstairs to the basement.  Underground but somehow still very bright and cheery.

One wall of the downstairs

I was the only client due to covid restrictions so felt very spoiled :).  And a little like hanging out a girlfriend's place for the afternoon.  A girlfriend who happens to be *very* skilled with hair dye and colours ;). And whom I'd only met once before for the consult.

So decision time; we chatted about what I wanted to happen (dark purple on top, blending purple/pink the rest, and - in a perfect world, with a subtle turquoise flip that you could only really see if my was pulled forward.  This last piece I saw in one of her pics online and fell in love with).   

We had a brief discussion about how to do the top colour - to bleach or not to bleach.  Since I'm lazy about getting it dyed and mostly broke, I asked her not to bleach the top so that when it grows out it'll be less obvious -- and in her words "you won't be a slave to your colour".  lol

Good to go.  Started with the dark purple dye and then bleaching where the rest would go (and was interesting to watch the meshing of the two so she'd get a good transition).   She had an apprentice working with her so I got to learn more about the process than I otherwise would (apprentice for me was just doing washing / cleanup type work but she is getting hands on practice with other people apparently.  At one point she left to do a trim on somebody upstairs -- that was the only other client all day ).

Okay so...  Poor apprentice had to get my now very chemicaled and not conditioned hair knot free...   That was a challenge and I give her credit for her patience.  But eventually we ended up with dark purple on top, bleached on bottom.

Right - so it turns out my hair *really* wants to be red

Yeah - I was expecting the bleach to have no colour.   And even the stylist acknowledged she expected it to have a lot less than that.  But she warned me that doing it again or using a stronger remover would destroy my hair.   Ah well.

So she brings me over the colour pallet she wants to use.   I loved the purple, was meh on the pink -- I really wanted brighter, it was drifting just a little too pastel for me, and - she had a turquoise!  Win.   She assured me the pink would be bright - it was on a white paper towel so not showing quite accurately, and warned me the turquoise was a maybe.   She said it *should* work, and if it didn't, would be an easy fix, so worth a try.

Okay - well hire a pro and then trust them to do their job right?  Let's play this game.   ALL the colours went on and then we got to sit and wait while they did their thing.  Sok - I had both my phone and a kindle, the world is good.

Then time for the rinse and reveal ;).  Down side -- colour requires *cold* water only.   Brrrrrr.  Possibly the least fun rinse ever -- although credit to them, they were good about keeping it off my skull as much as possible.   

And of course while it's wet, you can't really tell the colour.   And the turquoise was hidden from my sight.  As the stylist was doing her thing, I was pretty happy with what I could see but still not sure...  There were two stations across from one another -- and at one point I was surprised that the apprentice had another client cause I hadn't seen anyone come in.  Until I realized - wait!  That's me!  lol I legitimately didn't realize the hair I'd been admiring was mine ;).  So that was my first real indication that I was really going to be happy.

Anyways - she finished up and added some curl (lol those who've ever seen me try to get my hair to hold shape will appreciate more than half was gone by the time I got home, but one lone curl lasted all night!) and I got to see the finished product.  I really had no idea I could be so excited about my hair.  lol such a silly thing, but two days later I still grin any time I catch sight of it, or it drifts in front of my eyes.   The turquoise worked, and exactly as I'd hoped -- it's super subtle and only shows if it's pulled forward, or at the bottom of my pony tail.   AND on the super plus side - should I actually manage to have a job interview any time soon, pulling it back hides all the colour and, just looks like it's black.   Win.

Before and After

I wanted a change.  I expected it would be well done and it would amuse me; I didn't expect to absolutely LOVE it.  But I do.  I very much do.

Before and After 2

Lol Chris just asked me if I was writing all about how we're a studious household these days.   Nope.  Priorities.  While I am excited to do my MBA, I've been through many many years of school - that's not new.  I've never had exciting coloured hair before ;).  

I'm not usually one for selfies, but I feel in this case it's justified ;)