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Monday Musings- A Fresh Start

Happy Monday, ladies. I hope your weekend was a fun one. We had rain which allowed me to catch up on some reading and do my ironing…I know, I lead an exciting life:) I also moved some things around in my wardrobe and started another bag to donate once things open back up here.

Here’re are a few things on my mind this week-

Location Is Everything

Have you heard of the Nuface? It’s an at-home, advanced microcurrent facial toning device that promises to help improve facial contour, tone, and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. trinity nuface in packageI bought one a couple of years ago because women seem to love it! I was excited to use it but hardly ever used it. Not because it’s hard to use or time-consuming, because it’s quick and easy. I never used it because of its location. I kept it on my dressing table where I sit to apply  “putty and paint” as my husband calls makeup. By the time I spotted it there each morning it was too late to use. I vowed to remember the next day, then the day after that, and so on. I never did remember to use it before my shower, so I gave up and stowed it under my sink.trinity nuface and gel primer on counter

After reading another glowing review last week, I hauled it out and plugged it in right next to my toothbrush. Not glamorous, but I’ve used it every morning since. Proving that location is everything and that having things handy means you don’t have to rely on your memory. A win-win for me.

Winewine tasting

We belong to several wine clubs and love to go wine tasting. Several weeks ago I got an email asking if I’d like to receive two bottles of Far Niente wine in exchange for sharing Far Niente’s Join a Club, Help the Community initiative. This initiative donates $50 for every wine club signup to the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation and the Napa Valley Food Bank through the end of May to provide relief to those in need. I said heck yes and decided to share it here as well in case any of you are wine lovers like we are.

Hair Raisingpainting on hair color

The salons here in California aren’t open yet and are showing no signs of doing it anytime soon 🙁 The longer I go without a trim or high and low lights, the thinner and flatter my hair becomes. My daughter is adamant I shouldn’t trim my own hair but I did do my bangs and that turned out ok. The color issue is a real struggle. The decision to go gray or silver has many working parts but the one I forgot, was how much benefit I get from the color process.madison reed hair color kit

I have messaged Madison Reed and we’re talking about a color that could/would work for me. They promise salon-quality, at-home hair color that is ammonia-free and has no parabens. My mom used drug store hair color her entire life and looked great so how hard can this be?

Hummingbird Updatehummingbird at red feeder

You ladies were right! These cheeky little birds prefer the least expensive feeder possible. I took your advice and boiled the filtered water and sugar and mixture and they’re coming around! The brazen little fellas aren’t concerned with my presence at all! There are so many around they’re even drinking out of my old feeder they previously wanted no part of.

 

Do you color your own hair? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Thanks for reading and be sure to wear what makes you feel confident.

 

 

 

 

71 Comments

  1. Francesca B. says:

    I have gone conpletely grey now and stopped coloring about two years ago mainly because of cost and ! was sick of fighting the inevitable. Good decision for me over all. Now its looking really good because I have been using VIVISCAL-just sharing something good here ladies- and it has made a huge difference, my hair is thicker and fuller and looks healthy. Hair stylists always comment on it. You can get it at Target and I take the 2 pills a day and there is a coupon/discount in the box for next time. Another thing I do is use Sebastian dark oil or jojoba oil if i get a touch of the frizzly look and it smells nice too! Love the post Jennifer! Perfect for a rainy day.

    1. I am looking into Viviscal because my hair has begun to thin again.

  2. I no longer color my hair, but feel that anyone who wants to should do it.
    Jennifer- I saw the pic of you wearing the turban & wanted to tell you that it looked very nice on you.
    Have a blessed day everyone

    1. Hi Jennifer

      I use the Madison Reed glaze crema and I love it. It keeps my gray hair from turning yellow. It is one of the products I absolutely cannot do without!

  3. Brigid Hendrickson says:

    Today is the day!! Roots be gone. I have never colored my hair before but the grey is getting the better of me and I am feeling frumpy. I wish I was the salt and pepper type, but I am the patches of grey kind. Bummer!!! My hairdresser won’t be opening here in CA for sometime, jumping in the deep end today. Wish me luck:)

    1. GOOD luck. I love the look of salt and pepper too but I am mouse and spotty

  4. I think ash shades of hair are the ones that turn silver. I was surprised at how much I liked it when mine turned silver. I also think the silver hair is more flattering to my skin tone than coloring it would be. I try everything to make it shine. Purple shampoos used once a month really help there. Not much, just a touch but it adds shine. A great hairdresser is essential if you have fine hair that’s for sure. She says I have plenty of hair, it’s just fine.
    What is a good mask for helping even out skin tone?

    1. Same with me. I started the process of going grey about three years ago and have never looked back. I love my silver hair, also use blue shampoo and conditioner. I use them every time I shampoo and it gives my hair a slight hint of blue/purple.

  5. Your hair looks great pulled up. I don’t have bangs so my pulled up hair doesn’t look as good but still ok. I stopped coloring my hair and I’ve never looked back. I actually think my hair is in better shape now and it is fuller. I think the dye was damaging my hair. I still can’t wait to get back to my hair stylist for a cut. I enjoy your blog so much.

    1. I am so desperate for a decent cut! CA seems to be opening very slowly

  6. I’ve been coloring my own hair for 10 yrs. I don’t like the texture of my gray hair. It takes a while to gain your confidence but I continue to receive compliments on my hair color

  7. Good morning! I’m so delighted that you now have resident hummingbirds enjoying the nectar. They are so much fun to watch. It’s interesting to hear how many women are embracing their grey hair since the Covid pandemic. My brunette hair is now sporting grey highlights. I can embrace it, but I will look forward to returning to my hair stylist to color my hair. I have missed this beauty regimen. I know hair color is very tricky and that is why I leave it to the professionals.

  8. Barbara K says:

    I colored my own hair for years (and years, and years). I also had an itchy scalp, diagnosed psoriasis, and was pretty miserable with it. But I kept coloring. About 5 years ago, I started having my hair professionally colored and have never looked back. My hair is naturally (or was!) dirty blonde or light brown – but now it’s mostly gray. My hairdresser colors my hair by weaving the color in…and the best part is that the color never touches my scalp. The difference in my scalp health is 100% better. No itching, no psoriasis at all. Because the medium blonde colors she uses are very close in tone to my gray, I only need to have it colored every 10 weeks. It has been a real win!

    1. Barbara, I started going to a new hairdresser a couple of months ago – she uses the same process with high and low lights. I didn’t realize it was called weaving. So glad she came up with the process, she also uses products without ammonia which previously irritated my scalp. I now can go up to 8 weeks between appointments. I do admire gray hair but it doesn’t do anything for my coloring.

      1. Gray and silver are lovely colors but not necessarily the most flattering to our skin color.

    2. I’d love to know what color that dark blonde is Barb. My gal always makes it lighter than I want

  9. I stopped coloring my hair years ago. Then had a weak moment and had lowlights and highlights done. Way too dark. Cut off ultra short and kept it short till all the color was off. Never again for me. I was like you, highlights and color give it so much volume. But not worth it to me. Now I have grown out to a short bob. I understand how you felt when you got the color you didn’t like. I say do whatever makes you feel good about yourself. I am at the stage where easy is better😂

  10. I’ve always steered away from home coloring because I’ve seen some results on others that aren’t pretty! One acquaintance has dark hair that she wears parted in the middle, and the hair around the part is always much lighter than the rest of her dark hair. It’s been that way for years! I’m sure it’s a result of her skill level and/or product quality, but it’s always made me scared to self-color.

  11. I stopped coloring my hair almost 2 years ago just at the same time I decided to let my super short pixie grow out. The color part was easy mostly because I have light colored hair. Growing out the pixie, however, was frustrating. I found a hairdresser who didn’t fight my desire for a one length bob style & I scheduled my appointments 6 weeks apart. Since the virus I’ve acquired quite a collection of clips, ties & hair bands to cope with a longer length that I haven’t had since my thirties. I, like you, colored my hair for texture and volume. So I am shocked at the difference in my texture without color. I actually have more volume.

  12. I don’t color my hair. I turn 67 in a month and Mother Nature is blessing me with pure white highlights all over my head. It’s mixing well with the hairs that still have a reddish brown color. In fact, I have had many people ask me if I had them done and they like it!

    I used to have my hair bleached blonde. It was pretty but as I aged, just became too much trouble. The grow out period was awful but it’s all gone now and I am left with easy to maintain by myself hair. I get a cut maybe once a year and I maintain my bangs by myself.

    Now I never have to worry about my color growing out again. For me, natural was best. That isn’t always the case though, just depends on your coloring and what type of hair you are blessed with.

  13. Another blogger I follow, Kristin, uses eSalon. She posted a lengthy review in April, and it was full of detailed information. Her blog is My Southern Charm Style. I don’t even color my gray hair, and I enjoyed reading it.

  14. I am lucky. My hair salon opened last Wednesday. I have an appointment this week. I was ready to color my own hair. I used to do it when I was younger. As I am older, it takes coloring every 5 weeks to look good. I don’t know what I would look like if I let it grey. The roots are very mousy color so I don’t think it would be pretty. I am brunette which I don’t think looks as good as a blonde turning grey. I was going to order Madison Reed a month ago but my color was back ordered. I would try that brand.

  15. After I had chemo I just let it be natural. It came in silver with dark undertones. People think I actually color it like that. years ago I colored it at home and it worked great until I needed it done every 3 weeks. Then my hairstylist colored it for years until cancer. I’ve kept it short ever since so I thought this would be a good chance to see what it looks like growing out. It’s HORRIBLE! Flat and straight, can’t wait to get it cut!

  16. I have almost always colored my own hair. In fact, I prefer the Preference/Excellence box colors to the few times I have had it colored at a salon; and it is so much cheaper. I also add my own brush on highlights. I bought a wide salon color brush and bowl at Sally’s- just like the ones the salons use, and mix the color in the bowl and work from there. I wear a paint t-shirt that is now stained brown and old work-out yoga pants, and move the bathroom rug aside so it doesn’t get stained. The dye will wash off my countertops and floor with a wet rag. The counters can’t be Formica, or it won’t wash off. My counter is faux marble and my flooring is porcelain, so it cleans up well. When I do the back of my head I just hold a mirror and perch myself on the edge of the counter so I can see what I’m doing. So there you go-easy peasy:). I completely understand why most women say no way and go to the salon, but I think it’s fun, and I love the results and the money I save! Good luck on your adventure; I’m sure you will look great!

  17. Priscilla Shoulders says:

    I went natural 6 years ago and I love it. There are wonderful products that give volume to fine hair.

    1. Please name the volume products. Thanks.

  18. I colored my hair for years but when it got to the point where it was needing colored every 5-6 weeks I decided it was time to go au naturale. Now I love my silver hair.

  19. Debbie Dawson says:

    I’ve been coloring my hair for years. I use a product called eSalon online. Love it, they work with me to get the right color. It’s so easy to use.

  20. Nice and Easy is like the name implies. It give natural highlights. I have had good luck with the lightest natural shade. Sometimes I use it over my gray hair for a more blonde color. You may also call Clairol for advice.

  21. My sister was a hairstylist and many years ago taught me how to colour my hair as well as cut my bangs. I used to get it coloured at the salon twice a year and do the touch-ups myself, but now I do it myself most of the time. The caveat is that I buy the professional products and get advice on which colours to select.
    There is no word on when salons will open here, and when they do it will be over a month after that before I can get my haircut appointment due to the backlog of cancelled appointments. Hair accessories and hats for me for a while yet. 🙂

  22. During this COVID quarantine, I have colored my hair (for the first time) with Madison Reed products. I am very pleased with the quality of the products. The hair color is not harsh on the hair, and a beautiful rich color. I also liked the shampoo and conditioner single use they sent for color treated hair. My only problem in coloring my hair myself, is getting to all the roots on the back of my head. Good luck with coloring your hair!

    1. Thanks for the report. I may enlist my husband’s help for the back

  23. Pre Covid19, I was having my hair colored and cut at a salon. I didn’t do a full overall color, just the root touch up. So now I have been doing this same process at home. I too trimmed my bangs and did ok with that. I like the non structured hair cut that has some movement and the versatility of being able to clip it up on those days when it’s breezy and warm.
    You look so nice with your hair pulled up with a clip and the soft bangs and wispy side hair. A lot of us are dealing with thinning hair and hair that needs help maintaining volume and texture. This look offers a great alternative to our “bad hair days”. Lol
    Stay well, be kind and remain grateful!

  24. Paulette Levy says:

    Have you asked your stylist to mix up your “formula”?
    Then you rake it home to apply with a nuzzled bottle or little brush? Many salon operators are doing this and you pay and pick up without contact. On front porch/ steps at set time ? Contactless and wipe down outside of jar it’s packed in.

    1. Yes, my stylist prepared and delivered kits to several clients which included everything needed to touch up color, including specific instructions. Everythng was disposable except the brush. I will return that to her when I go back. It was easy for me and worked well. You can do it yourself, the only challenge being finding the right color.

    2. I can’t because she does high and low lights to weave in.

  25. If you decide to try Madison Reed, please let us know how you like it. I’m in PA where the salons have been closed since mid-March, and most likely will be closed for weeks to come. I vacillate between letting the gray grow all the way out, or touching up my roots in the interim to remain a blond. Madison Reed is one of the options I’ve considered until the salons open. Another option I’ve read about is Concihairge (https://www.concihairge.com/). They do a Zoom color consultation after which they send you a color kit. You an even book another Zoom appointment so they can walk you through the color application. I haven’t tried it but it’s tempting!

  26. Beverly Dickes says:

    I have colored my own hair for years, L’Oréal. Always was happy. Just recently I started having my stylist color my hair, only because I decided I wanted to be pampered. I will cut my bangs and have a thinning shears but that’s the extent of it. What I don’t do for myself is the home facial things. I need to start !

  27. I found that esalon.com does a great job, both in customer service and the product. (I am not an employee.) I suggested a color and they made a better selection looking at my photo. The color is vibrant and lasts. I use a red, which usually fades quickly in any hair color line, but the faded color is still pretty. It is fun to do at home because the results are beautiful. I find the texture is better than the boxes from stores.

  28. When much younger, I would henna my hair without problems. However, when many years later, I did my own hair using a box colour it was a disaster and ended up with two tones, the roots were much lightenthan the ends and the back of my hair looked blocky. Luckily, our hair salons have never closed during the coronavirus lockdown, so I am off to get my hair done tomorrow morning. There are you tube videos on how to apply your own hair colour – so good luck Jennifer.

  29. I have been coloring my hair for over 15 years…..along with highlighting it. It always turns out nice. And about 3 weeks ago, I cut it. Yes my hair is short and have cut it in the past but knowing this time my salon would not open for over 2 months, I went for it! Since my hair is thick and has wave/body it is very forgiving not showing too many mistakes! Lol

    Blessings

  30. Gail Schwartz says:

    Fifty years ago I colored my own hair with Clairol NicenEasy. I was so pleased to find out that it’s still available and I did a pretty good job. The best thing they have added to the line is Root Touch Up. Words to the wise: do this naked, with plenty of newspapers on the bathroom floor. Wear the gloves that come in the box

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