kiss me, i kind of look irish

I’m a little late with the announcement, but I have big news.  Estie is not the only soulless copperhead in our house anymore.  That's right - I have joined the ginger club.  On purpose!  Bold move, I know.  But I figured I should probably stand in solidarity with my freaky little baby since she’s too small to even know what’s coming, much less defend herself, when Kick a Ginger Day rolls around (it's real - Google it).  Besides, fake gingers have all the fun – I get the perks (brightens my skin, brings out my eyes, attracts Irish men) without the pitfalls (full-body freckles, sun-poisoning, orange pubes).  Plus I’m not a real ginger, so I still get to go to heaven.  The only downside is the maintenance – red hair fades really fast.  And once the oomph is gone it’s usually a pretty sad shade of blech.  That’s why I’m taking really good care of my new color with a few simple techniques, which I will share with you in case you ever decide to join the carrot crusade:

1.   I don’t wash my hair very often.  At all.  Like, twice a week - if that.  Before anybody gets all “ewww,” I will tell you, my hair is naturally very dry and doesn’t even begin to look dirty until like the fifth day.  (I’ll be honest with you though, I only washed my hair this often even before it was red.) 

2.   When I do wash my hair, I only use cold water, since heat causes color to fade faster.  You can do this by leaning over your kitchen sink or the side of your tub, but I prefer to be a weirdo and do it during my regular shower.  It’s not as uncomfortable as it sounds, though - I have one of those shower head extension hose thingies, and I lean forward with my head upside down so that the cold water doesn’t touch my naked nudity.  Then I pin my hair up to let the conditioner do its thing while I bathe/shave my legs (sometimes) under hot water before rinsing my hair again with cold.  It’s a little tedious, but it gets the job done.  *It’s also important to remember that hot tools also contribute to the breakdown of your color – but I usually ignore this and blow dry/curl/flat iron the shit out of mine anyway.

3.   I use the right products.  This is a no-brainer, I know, but I’ll just tell you which ones work for me:

·     Kerastase.  Kerastase, Kerastase, Kerastase.  It’s just the best hair care line out there in my opinion. It’s expensive - and I will tell you that we only have it in the house when we can afford it - but it’s so worth it, especially if you stretch it the way I do (I am still using freebies I got when I worked at a Kerastase salon two years ago).  Their products totally transformed my hair.  I use the  Bain Miroir shampoo and Chroma Reflect Milk conditioner, followed by their Chroma Thermique heat protectant leave-in treatment.  My hair is super soft and shiny, but not weighed-down.  Amahhzing.

·     To supplement my sporadic washings I use this awesome red Hair Powder (which is actually a spray) from Bumble and Bumble, which does several wonderful things at once: first, it’s like a dry shampoo, so it soaks up oil and keeps my hair from looking yucky or flat; second, it gives my hair grip, texture and volume, which helps me achieve the messy/piecey look I like; lastly, it’s red, so it masks any regrowth and buys me time between colorings.  It’s an all-around awesome buy and well worth the price.  It comes in all colors, too, so even regular-headed people can use it.  *A word of advice: it does tend to transfer if rubbed against fabric.  So watch your clothes, and use a dark pillow-case that you can wash if you need to.

4.   I protect my hair from the sun, since UV rays fade color.  The filters in color-safe products offer some protection, but you should still create a physical barrier between your hair and the sun if you plan to be outside for long periods of time. (Scarf, parasol, sombrero, etc.)  I make it really easy on myself by staying indoors at all times.  Hey, it’s winter. Plus, I have an actual real ginger baby - I'm pretty sure they combust in direct sunlight.  Or maybe their eyes just get really squinty, but still.  Why risk it?

c'mere, collin farrell!

fresh from the salon

i think it brings out my eyes, no?

(or maybe it's the scarf)