The Poet's Guide to Dying Your Hair: Part 1

Dying your hair is fun. It can give you a subtle change that only you notice or a dramatic difference without going for a dramatic cut that takes years to grow out.

As someone with years of experience in dying my hair--every color, from burgandy to blonde--I thought it might be useful to write a little guide of hair dying wisdom.

Part 1: Choosing your Color

Lets start with picking the right color. With dying your hair, you can go with the color "nature should have intended" or a color not found in nature. There's a huge range of products here. The trick is getting the right color for you.

I'm blue-eyed and fair skinned, and I've tried various shades of blonde, brunette, and red (with a little burgundy and pink thrown in there).


Blonde

(photo by shandi-lee)
It seems like there are so many blondes running around! I was blonde until I was 15. Like a lot of people, my blondeness began with a few innocent highlights. Then highlights on top of highlights. and so on from there.

Blonde is my least favorite color I've been. Being already fair-skinned, it washed me out too much. Plus, it damages your hair more than any other color--when you go Lighter, the dye is sucking Out color from your hair, leaving it damaged. when you go Darker, the dye deposits color into your hair. I have always found my hair to feel silkier and look shinier after dying it darker.

Brunette

(photo by Alan Filipa Machado)

My natural shade is dishwater blonde / light ashy brown, so brunette is just going a few shades darker. I've been a few different shades of brunette, a lighter one and a very much darker shade that I tried out last fall. The good thing about being brunette is that it isn't too damaging on your hair, and it offers nice contrast to the fair-skinned (think Liv Tyler or Zoey Deshanel). The only thing is, brunette is pretty common and can be a little boring.











Red

(photo by Pip Johnson)

Red is my most favorite, but also the hardest to maintain. When going red, I recommend using a semi-permanent rather than a permanent hair dye. Red hair dye, even the permanent kind, fades so quickly that going semi-permanent will allow you to dye it more often (keeping the vibrancy) without damaging your hair.

Also, red is the trickiest color to find the right shade. even if it looks auburn or strawberry blonde on the package, it could turn out Purple or Magenta or Burgundy, so Beware! If you want a more natural looking red, I recommend going for Revlon Colorsilk or Clairol Natural Instincts (just stay away from anything that says "burgundy" and opt for something that says "copper" or "auburn"). Stay away from Feria and Herbal Essences.


My current favorite red hair dye is Revlon Colorsilk Light Auburn. It doesn't come with as much conditioner as other brands, but its only $2.50 a box and it works well. When I use semi-permanent, which is most of the time (i like to switch it up from time to time), I like to use Clairol Natural Instincts "Spiced Tea."
Whatever color you choose, I recommend just going a shade or two darker or lighter. Drastic changes, while fun, can be alarming (or really sucky if you end up not liking the color). Go ultra-blonde in increments, or dark dark brown in baby steps.

And remember, its just hair! Have fun with it!

Next time, Part II: Semi-permanent vs. Permanent

Wear this Not That: Rompers!

Ok, I think it is time we talked about this.
Rompers.

Rompers by thriftypoet featuring Chloé rompers

Items in this set:
Belted cotton playsuit, $365
Belted cotton playsuit, $365
Red Frill Short All in One, 38 GBP
strapless sweetheart neck romper, $31
printed strapless ruffle romper, $27



I know that you see them and think "ah, what a cute alternative to a dress!"

No. No no no.
A "romper" is NOT a cute alternative to anything. Not even to being naked.

Reason 1:  Are they really that different from overalls?
I think its pretty much universally agreed upon that overalls don't work. They don't work on models and they don't work on you. Why? for the very same reasons that Rompers don't work--even with their sad attempts at waist definition, romper/overall wearers end up looking boxy and sad.

Reason 2: babies wear them
Do we want onesies for twenty year olds to come in style? Rompers open that door.

Reason 3: your shirt just shouldn't be connected to your shorts.
Enough said.


Alternatives:

Since you romper-wearers don't have Time to put on a shirt AND shorts, why not just wear a dress?

dresses by thriftypoet featuring Forever21 dresses

Items in this set:
Teagan Embroidered Dress, $50
Nicolette Plaid Tube Dress, $45
Floral Stripe Prom Dress, 32 GBP
Forever21.com - Dresses - Casual - 2074141341, $28
Miso Brushed Rose Dress, 25 GBP

For under $50, you can have the benefit of A) not matching the 5 year olds in the park and B) not having to get completely undressed to pee.

Sounds like a win/win situation to me.

Liberty of London for Target

Normally, I'm a huge Target fan, but lately I've been disappointed. So I was interested to see how this Liberty of London collaboration turned out. While the bold floral patterns look fun and fresh on housewares (particularly those throw pillows, too cute!), they look sort of tacky on the clothes. They're just too much.

Examples:

Ugly maxi-dress.

Ugly sheath dress with matching ugly coat.

Ugly ruffle shirt.

Ugly jumpsuit (?!)

The only sort of cute thing--this peacock shirt. The fit looks really iffy from the picture though. And I guess it'd have to be worn with a strapless bra, which I don't find worth it (but that's me and my disdain for strapless bras)

now, on to the cute things!
housewares

I really like this tumbler set ($23.99 for a set of 8).

throw pillows (a little too girly for my home, but I could see this in a college dorm for sure)

My conclusion: though the prints are fun and vibrant, overall I'm disappointed. I wish they would've done some knee-length, A-line skirts for women, and not just little cute skirts for the little girls. those patterns are just better in smaller doses.

Wantable of the Week

An actual CUTE one-piece bathing suit! It is like finding an unicorn!

Now doesn't this just make you think Frankie Avalon and Beach Blanket Bingo?
I love the slight sweetheart neckline and ruching around the waist.

Modcloth. $89.99.

Closet I'd Like to Raid: Zoey Deschanel

Specifically, her closet in those cotton commercials

If that's a real place, I want to go there.
I know the pictures tiny, but that skirt with the pink cardigan? Yes please.

Anyways, I've liked her look for a while (even tried the whole bangs thing, not a good idea for me).

Love this dress. I like the casual not even trying grey slouchy sweater. The shorts are a bit hooch for me, but hey, I'm a secretary, she's a movie star.

Normally not too big a fan of this whole sequins craze that's going on right now, but for the Oscars, and on such an otherwise-simple dress with a classic cut, I think it works.

I like her 1950s without being costumey vibe, and her deadpan attitude in supporting roles (she is Not a lead actress though. Cute, indie-ish, but just not a lead actress. Proof: The Happening was just grossly terrible, and she was the main girl. On the other hand, Failure to Launch was delightful, and she was the "sarcastic friend"). Might be time for her to switch up the hair and make up look though. Katie Perry is hot on her heels.

anyways, Ben Gibbard (or "frogface" as my friend Ruthann likes to call him), made a good choice here.

Nina Garcia's Little Black Book of Style

I thought this book was OK, not great. Really the most interesting part of it was the preface, where Nina told about her life and how she became interested in fashion. If she ever comes out with an autobiography, That would make a pretty interesting read, I think. Pretty much her book was what you expect from fashion books--lots of cute drawings, not much to read in it really, lots of lists. This is great for the fashionably inclined who aren't bookworms, but, as a bookworm, I wanted a bit more than that. I thought her tips for closet cleaning were good though, a lot of habitual shoppers stock-pile a bit much. Overall, I'd recommend it as a quick, fun read for those who don't have much time for reading.

Rachel Zoe's Style A to Zoe

I like Rachel Zoe, I really do. I was a little addicted to her show, when I discovered it, second season. But her style just doesn't work for everyone. It is very California movie star and, well, I'm a Kentucky poet.

Even then, her book was still a fairly entertaining read. It is more a book about her and her star-studded life than about practical tips for Your wardrobe, but I still find it entertaining, sort of like Rachel-Vogue. Most of her tips didn't work with my personal style--she's all about tans and 70's clothing, while I'm more into keeping my skin milky white and 1950's styles. Her tips on how to dress for a red carpet event were the best tips in the book, but, again, not incredibly practical for my  lifestyle.

If you are going to buy a fashion book, buy Tim Gunn's Quality, Taste, and Style--its the best out there, from what I've read so far.

Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine's What Not To Wear

I like Trinny and Susannah. I like how open they are about their body problems and how completely comfortable they are with showing their body problems to the world. That's confident, daring, and a little crazy, so therefore awesome. Their book didn't thrill me though. If you have a Trinny body type or a Susannah body type, this book is Gold, but if you don't, it doesn't have many tips applicable to you.

The right fit is contingent on many different variables--it doesn't work to say "if you have chunky arms, wear this" because you might have a bigger chest and chunky arms or chunky arms and a long neck or any combination of factors that would make one recommendation for a girl with chunky arms not work for the next girl with chunky arms.

Follow?

So their recommendations are tailored to the Trinny / Susannah body types. I didn't see much to help my Renee-ish body type, which doesn't have much in common with Trinny or Susannah.

And "showing a little nipple" isn't really an option, even though they try to tell you it is.

Wear this not that: Casual shoes

I think sometimes people wear ugly things because they don't realize they have better options. I'll start of with one of my least favorite trends, worn by women nationwide for their "comfort"

Crocs.
What do people find attractive about this "shoe" ? The holes? The plastic? The duck-like shape?
Mostly people say they're comfortable and easy.

Lets look at some alternatives.

If you're wanting something casual for, say, gardening or playing sports or whatever on the weekend,  I suggest trying some converse. you say, What, I don't have TIME to tie my shoes!? never fear, they make slip-ons.

With their popularity these last few years, they've become more than just footwear for emo teenagers with weird hair. If you've got any element of cool to you, you can pull of converse. i recommend a neutral, grown up color, like grey (like mine!).

For a classier (and cuter) option, I recommend flats. I consider a pair of brown flats and a pair of black flats to be wardrobe staples. They go with everything and are comfortable enough to wear all day. Here are a few of my current favorites:

$12.00, hello!? And such a cute color. Target.

I like the American Eagle shoes at Payless. Cheap and cute! Everytime I look for shoes, this is the first place I go. These here are less than $20. I have them in red.

For summer, a slingback is a good option. $12.99, also Payless. I own these, and can I just say, the girly bow in the natural-y fabric just makes me so happy? Put on these puppies with a tank and flouncy skirt and call it a day.

Wantable of the Week

Living on a seminary student / librarian / poet's income doesn't equal my hubby giving me a huge allowance on clothes. I do a lot of coveting. So I thought I'd put my coveting to good use for those who can afford to drop some cash on a cute outfit. Introducing my "wantable of the week" posts!

I'll start off with something lovely from Anthropologie.

Now its not hard to find something lovely at Anthropologie. Even the name is a little lovely. Its the price tag that gets me...they don't want your soul, just your grocery money.

oh beautiful unique red tank, how i would love thee! I would wear this with my jean skirt off work, with my grey trousers and possibly my yellow cardigan at work (or maybe blue). Unfortunately, I'm one of the poor souls who can't afford tank tops over $50 (or over $3, actually).

Rehashed

a few weeks ago i discovered Rehash. its similar to SwapStyle (which i haven't tried yet, since their site is down). pretty much you just get on there and trade clothes, accessories, and books with other people. there is a chance that you'll get ripped off or that the clothes won't fit right (since you can't try them on, of course), but even with all that, i think its a good deal.

behold, my $11.50 outfit:

leaf print top and green cardigan from Elizabeth, H&M skirt from Kristen

the top is a little low cut for the seminary, but i figure that I'll just wear an undershirt with it. i hadn't originally intended to wear all of my rehashes as one outfit, but then i sort of liked the green and blue together.



oh and, please excuse the disaster of a bed. ha!

Wantable of the Week

I have a problem with buying things just because they're yellow. It doesn't matter what it is--if its yellow, I want it. Yellow is a bright happy color. It adds a little pop of color to an outfit without being so predictable (like red). Recently I was going through all the purses I've amassed over the years and making cuts where I needed to make cuts. The hardest part was getting rid of one of my yellow handbags. I already have a utilitarian cargo pocket yellow purse and a small across the body yellow purse, so I couldn't justify having three....

until now!

I found this on Ruche's website. Ruche is an online vintage-esque clothing store. Think Modcloth, without the scary price tag. This is in their new arrivals, and oh yes, I covet.

silhouette flower purse in marigold. Ruche. $54.99

Tim Gunn's Guide to Quality Taste and Style

I have to admit, I puzzle our local librarian. A stack of poetry books in one arm, a stack of fashion books in another. The librarian always makes sure to emphasize when they're due back. "You have THREE weeks to read these." Little do they know my voracious reading habits.

Especially with a good book like this one.

The first thing I noticed was the lack of pictures. A few sketches here and there, some fun pink pages dividing the chapters, but nothing like the magazine-esque fashion books I've read in the past. Maybe he just has more to say than the average fashion book writer. He skips all those pictures and fills the book with actual advice, Practical advice too. Unlike other fashion books I've read, he doesn't devote the book to how to dress for special occasions or how to dress if you live a life similar to the author (who does?)--he has advice that I can use, working at a seminary and going to poetry readings. Famous for his "Make it Work" slogan, he gives advice that could lead to a classic style you can actually live in--tips for a well-fitting, versatile wardrobe that avoids tacky trends and holds true to your own personal style.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants more than pretty pictures in their fashion book. He follows the "Less is more" approach to fashion, and recommends spending money on wardrobe staples rather than pieces you'll hate in a few years. Though this book was a little longer read than most books on fashion, I thought it was well worth the extra time.

The Preface

Its come to the point where my husband and my husband and my cute couple blog has been taken over. by me. the compulsive blogger.

Truth is, I need my own blog just as much as I need my own toothbrush. Our cute couple blog will still be there when I have cute couple things to post about. and this will be here to keep me from totally taking over.

A little about me: I'm a poet working at a seminary while my husband studies to become a music minister. I have my M.F.A. and a sparrow tattoo on my left wrist. I like Pilate's, bluegrass, and grapefruit with honey. My younger sister taught me everything I know about makeup, and I taught her how Not to spend $40 on a shirt. I wear yellow like its a neutral.