A Wild Hair Revisited

I did it! I did it! I finally went for it and got myself a whole new style. I went in with my booklet of Asian girl hair-dos and I told the stylist that my husband likes the rocker-mullet look, but I was afraid to end up looking like some kind of NASCAR mom, and I ended up with a great haircut that I can actually pull off. I really wanted something a little edgy, but not too edgy...something kinda rocker, but not too rocker...after all, I don't wear make-up and I don't wear awesome clothes, so I really need something that makes a statement, but doesn't scream "hard-core." Before I reveal the final product, I will include a few icons to which my hair may be a reflection...Ms. Jett over to our right has a nice look.

When I got home, one of the first things I said was, "I love it! I look like Heart!" And I do think that is still one of the best celebrity comparisons I've made for my hair so far. I have been wearing my bangs straight down, but my hair really does look a lot like the blonder lady in that photo.

As for The Runaways, I totally could have been in that band, rocking my shaggy mullet out with the rest of those troubled teens. And of course, what crazy rocker mullet photo journal would be complete without the kind of the underworld: David Bowie from Labyrinth!

I might not mind having a hair-do like that, actually. It has a nice shape to it. I'm sure that it would be very flattering.

So, what I like best about this new do is that it completely changed the way that I look and how I feel about my appearance. My hair has a good shape (no more triangle-head), the bangs frame my face really nicely, and it makes me look and feel more confident. I have been trying a little harder to put together outfits and I have even started wearing a little eyeliner and mascara. Not that make-up is so essential, but it's just a general feeling of wanting to get noticed, I suppose, instead of wishing I was invisible. It's a nice change, all the way around. And now for the big reveal!





Blogger won't let me put my pics in a row.
Oh well!

A wild hair

So, getting a haircut is always a pretty big deal for me. I schedule my appointment a couple of weeks in advance and spend hours scouring the internet for pictures of hairstyles that I might want to try. Short hair cuts, long ones, bobs, shags, long layered cuts, short spiky cuts...anything that I feel could suit me. I've had hair of every length, from shaved bare down to my rear, so nothing is completely out of the question.
Let me take a moment to say that my current hair cut is fine. It suits me, it suits my lifestyle, and it looks just as good when I get it done as it does 6 to 8 months later when I finally get around to getting it done again. It starts out a little shorter than shoulder length...sort of a layered bob that is a little longer in front than in the back. Long enough to put in a pony tail, short and layered enough to air dry by about 10am. Oh yeah, and boring. And in pictures, my head looks like a triangle. It's fine. I look fine. But my hair used to have some personality, that in my maturing years is just completely absent.
Hence the new-do fantasy. And so far, it is little more than a fantasy. I spend all of this time weighing my options and carefully developing a master plan, and what do I do when I get into the stylist's chair? Chicken out, that's what. I tell her to do it just like the last time, but maybe with a little more layering, or a little longer or just a little shorter, but basically the same. I am tired of having a head like a triangle!! It is time for a change!!
I am confident about this next hair cut actually resulting in a somewhat different style. I found some good pics right away and was able to choose some possible looks quickly. I am definitely getting bangs this time, that's for sure. Even if I walk away with basically the same haircut, I will also walk away with bangs. No exception!!
Next you will find some great pics of my likely possibilities along with an explanation of what I like about them and what concerns me about them.
Here is a cute medium-short style that I really like. James keeps talking about how he likes the rocker mullet hair style, but here is the problem-I have the build and temperament of a religious zealot. I can't wear denim skirts because I look like a pentecostal, even with my shorter hair. So, anything that could go either hip and kitschy or white trash, usually ends up looking a little more white trash. I just don't have the confidence or personal presence to pull off that kinda thing. Enter the next two haircuts! They are a good compromise between what I imagine James is talking about an an appropriate hairstyle for someone like me. I might end up looking a little country or a little 70's, but it shouldn't look white-trashy. Here is a front and side view of the first hair-cut on my list. I like the thicker bangs and all the layers. I have very thick hair and I think that this style would really lighten it up a lot and give it some movement. I also feel like this cut is a good shape for my face. There is some nice layering from the ears all the way down to the shoulders and it kind of gives the illusion of having a short haircut, even though it is actually shoulder-length. What concerns me about this cut is the size of my own head. I have a big head, and I might be concerned that all of the layering around the face might make my head look even bigger.

Which is why I have this next cut on the list. It also embodies some of the rocker-mullet idea...more, even, at least in the back. And it is lovely and feminine from the front. I also like the bangs for this one a lot. Big, thick bangs that angle back into the hair, framing the eyes...lovely. I also like this one because the model's hair seems to be a little more like mine. It is thicker and wavier and the style seems like it might work better for my hair type and for my head, since the layering is a little more concentrated in the back and in the sides below the chin. I am having a really hard time deciding which of these two cuts I like the best. I will probably end up seeking the advice of the stylist to see what she thinks would work best with my hair type.
Of course, it is not lost on me that these two models are Asian. I found an awesome hair-style website and it just happens to be an Asian site, so I realize that there is a likelihood that these haircuts won't suite me at all because they are for Asian hair. But I don't think so. I can't remember seeing a white person with either of these do's but that doesn't mean it is impossible! I think it is totally doable.
But, just in case it isn't doable, I have a back up plan, featuring white models. This is Traylor Howard (AKA Natalie Treeger from Monk) and she has a great hair-do. I like the bangs, I like the shape, and I like the layering. My hair is a lot thicker than hers, but I think I could pull off something similar. I will admit that this particular hair cut is fairly similar to the style I have now, it really has a lot more to it...and definitely is NOT triangular. I know I already said that I like the bangs, but they seriously are just the kind of side-swept bangs that I have been thinking about getting.
And finally, we have old Mandy Moore. I almost always seem to pick one of her hair cuts as a viable style option. I am totally not saying that I look anything like Mandy Moore, but we do have a similar look about us...blondish, thick hair, baby-face qualities that make me think her do's would also suit me. In this picture, her hair really looks a lot like mine. Not like my current cut, but the hair is behaving the way mine does-straight around the top of the head, and curling out at the ends. This one is most similar to my current cut, I know it would look just fine, and for these reasons, it is my safety net. If I get in there and get a bad reaction to the others, I will still feel good about leaving with a hair cut like this.