haircut

Undertaking a DIY Haircut

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Undertaking a DIY Haircut

In 2015, when faced with the, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” question, my response would not have included, “pondering or executing a DIY haircut on myself.”

In a normal year* I get my hair cut maybe 4-6 times. Because my hair is long and otherwise well cared-for, it hides my negligence prioritization choices. That said, thanks to the scumbag pandemic making this not a normal year, I have gotten just one haircut this year before shit got real in the US. Normally, by this point in the year I’d have gotten at least two, perhaps three.

For me, this isn’t a catastrophe. As opposed to short styles, long hair can be lower maintenance than you think. Since I’ve been working from home, I’ve been heat styling less. As a result, my hair is in moderately better condition than it would usually be. This isn’t just an act of laziness, but of strategy: I’m on camera for a least half of a given workday. As long as what frames my face looks decent, its fine.

A DIY Haircut

But, regardless, next month will mark six months from my last (professional) haircut. I was getting ready to tone my hair two weeks ago and decided I needed a trim – and I did it myself.

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My Simpler Haircut

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Over years and many haircuts that are nowhere near close to what I asked for, I’ve adopted a simpler haircut. Here’s how my stylist and I describe it.

All one length hitting about two inches below the vertical midpoint of my collarbone with low, face-framing layers that start below my chin. I considered a lob (long bob) but opted to eschew that for now.

Easy.

Simpler Haircut, Simpler Styling

Truth be told, I got tired of hunting for a stylist. It takes more time and money than I care to invest at this stage of my life, not to mention the disappointments (be it finished product or stylist ‘tude) that come along with that hunt.

My colorist actually does a nice job but because I’ve opted for this simpler haircut and because I’m only getting balayage highlights twice a year, why pay $40 + tip for what I can have done for $13 + tip?

Don’t get me wrong – if I wanted a more involved or challenging to produce-and-maintain style, I’d gladly fork over more to keep it well-maintained. But majestic dream hair takes monumental effort – ain’t nobody (who isn’t a hair model) got time for that. That’s just not where I am with life right now.

Sure, the experience with the colorist is nicer, but that’s mostly because of the shampoo and scalp massage. It isn’t 3x nicer and I get that when I get highlights anyway!

In fact, my balayage touch up is August 18 – so close, but so far away! I’m excited.

Speaking of Balayage

I’ve updated my inspiration board on Pinterest.

 

I want to go lighter this time, can you tell?

The Bottom Line

Do you have a haircut that must be closely maintained? How often do you go, and roughly (don’t share exacts if it makes you uncomfortable) how much do you spend when you go?

Ulta Salon Visit

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We interrupt this Wednesday’s regularly scheduled programming in favor of a review of my recent Ulta Salon visit experience. Monthly Favorites will run next Wednesday.

A couple years ago, a stylist did a shoddy job with some layering work – they were way too short in comparison to my overall length, placed awkwardly, and not at all the cut I sought despite showing pictures. I spent two years growing them out, ending up with hair past my waist for my wedding, getting trims here and there (surely not the recommended 6-8 weeks) to even it up. Shortly after the wedding, I hacked about four inches off (it was heavy and more hassle than I cared to deal with) but it was still veeeeeeeery long (middle of my ribcage). Although I like my hair long, I still found myself at odds with it at this length – drying took forever, styling was a joke, etc.

I had been wanting another cut for a while and decided to take advantage of a 30% off offer from the nearby Ulta Salon – I set an appointment for after work and scurried  right over over. I was greeted by an Ulta employee who let my stylist know I was there; the same woman offered to take my coat and get me a coffee. While I waited, I checked out the Spa Ritual polish display that sat in front of the salon area.

Ulta Salon Visit - Haircut Inspiration

My stylist led me back to a chair and asked what I was looking for. I presented her with the above photo and explained that I was looking to:

  • Stay long
  • Reduce some weight
  • Add some movement via LONG layers
  • Taper into a slight V shape (like the picture shows).

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