Hair and Happy Book Endings

I have two plans for today:

1. Wear the stretch back into these jeans I accidentally put in the dryer on high.
2. Put the highlights back into my hair.

If you hadn’t noticed, I like to change colors frequently.  I’ve been coloring my hair since I was fifteen, using temporary color, and since my twenties, using permanent color and bleach.  In my years of experimentation, I’ve become expert in what does and does not work with my hair.  Miss Clairol does not.  L’Oreal does.  Natural Instincts (by Clairol) does.  Garnier Nutrisse does not.  Feria, by L’Oreal, works the best (though it is also the brand most likely to bring out the red in my hair, and is also the brand least likely to end up as the color advertised.  I always use Champagne Cocktail) when I want to be blonder.  L’Oreal Couleur Experte Express Two-in-One Multi Tonal Permanent Hair Color System (whew!) in Vanilla Icing is what I use when I want a base color that is closer to my natural, dark ash blonde, with highlights.

Generally, I do the base color one day, then do the highlights the next.  This is a) to let my hair rest, and b) because I am lazy.  Last night I did the base color, so tonight I will do the highlights.

Coloring my hair is therapeutic for me.  Some people drink to relieve stress.  Some people work out.  I color my hair.  I find the smell of the chemicals to be relaxing.  Yes, I just wrote that.  Yes, I am not quite right.

Meanwhile, I finished the book I had started.  The one I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy because it read to much like LANE.  I am so glad I kept going!  Ten Girls to Watch, by Charity Shumway is now part of the permanent collection of my favorite books.  I was literally dog-earing pages so I could go back and reread bits.  I’ll give you a full review later, but for now, go get this book!  It is Chick Lit, but it is intelligent, introspective, and never takes the expected, rote route.  Neither the women, nor the men were caricatures, and the relationships looked like ones I have, or would like to have.  Big, big, big 5 out of 5 stars from me.