I thought today I’d share a few more favorite things that I have come across. I’ve added the Amazon links to each item, embedded in the name, so in theory the shopping page will open in another page for your convenience. This is a hair related group, for the first time.
First up, is Schwarzkopf Keratin Color Anti-Age Hair Color Cream in Intense Cocoa. This brand is a little more pricey than I used to go for, but I gave it a try once because I wanted a dark brown to cover up the white hairs cropping up and get rid of the color I had last played with that was too light. Anyway, I was incredibly impressed with how soft this made my hair, the gorgeous tones when the light catches it, and it doesn’t smell or feel harsh to me at all (and y’all know how sensitive I am!). They have a variety of colors and even another variety of dye, but I love the Keratin version.
Next, I’ve really been considering highlights or a bit of balayage to help give my pixie cut some definition and dimension. It tends to blend really well once it is dry and becomes a helmet of hair instead of being able to see the strands I played with to get some umph. I decided to give hair chalk a try, so I can play with some colors without worrying like I’m going through a midlife crisis if we have to meet the social worker on short notice. *laugh* It took me a little learning curve of a few minutes, because I had watched the wrong tutorial which was for the stick chalks and not the powder compacts, so I had to change up what I expected to do. *facepalm* Anyway, Splat has always had some outrageously tempting hair colors and I haven’t been able to try them because my hair won’t survive the bleach needed for the vivid colors. Splat came out with really easy chalks though in a variety of colors and you can control the intensity, location, and you can even layer the coloring (although I haven’t tried that yet). I first tried out Sun Kissed (gold) upon my aunt’s recommendation, which I would never have dared to do before in fear of looking jaundiced, but it turned out great! Next I will be trying out the Sugar Plum color. They may be near the same cost as a cheap hair dye (which I stopped buying as I got older and my hair became a little more delicate), but they last several rounds (especially for shorter hair), they wash right out that day, and you can change things up any which way you want. Lighter hair like blonde will show all of the pastels, but it’s nigh on impossible to show with really dark hair (especially with the intense cocoa as the base; by the way, it’s totally okay to use this chalk a day or two after you dye your hair as long as your hair is in good condition, even!). If you have a chronic illness that you have to take medicine for, then you probably know that dye tends to do some interesting things in your hair that might not happen when your friend uses the same product. My hair dresser once told me it’s because the strand itself is affected by illnesses and medications, so some products cling more (I’m talking about you temporary wash out dye!) and some products barely last a few hours (I’m looking at you, Splat Washables – btw, NEVER use a Washables on a hot day when you’re going to get sweaty. I was unfortunately using a red tone and looked like I had a head wound when I started to sweat under my hair and it dribbled out!). This chalk has low commitment, is easy to apply (although it gets everywhere while applying since it’s powdery, so be prepared for that), and you just use hairspray to make it “set”.
As you can tell, I started to enjoy myself after a few strokes and got a little heavy handed. It sure gave my cut some dimension though and helped to show off the layers. My screen saver is slightly over the FaceTime camera, so pics facing me come out a bit funky and bright, but in person the gold really pops, especially with a fresh cocoa dye job.
If they come out with green, I’m going to buy that so fast! I think it’d be fun, especially for one of the two Celtic performances I’m going to this year, and I have hazel eyes, so the green will really bring the green pigment in my eyes out without me having to cry finally. Yay! I may actually play with the “real” chalks soon that are all similar to the oil pastels I used to do art with, just so I can see how green and maybe violet would look on me, but for now, these are my favorites, in case you’re interested in having a little fun changing things up!
Georgia's Pampering 