So, I got my hair trimmed the other day, and while $70 is pretty insane for a haircut (and that’s before tip, yikes!), it was totally worth it. The trim itself was great, but the styling was the gamechanger.
Observe, if you will, the ‘Before.’
Now, bear in mind, I’m trying like crazy to grow it out, so it’s in a pretty crappy awkward phase. But it’s almost out of it. Almost being the operative word. It’s also naturally a little on the wavy/massive side. Which is not anywhere near as enviable as people seem to think.
So, while I was dog-sitting in Toronto last week, I decided to get it trimmed before I did something stupid, like buzzing it off. And no, I’m not kidding. It’s been done.
I was going to go to Supercuts initially, but I decided to go Tom Haverford-style and Treat Myself by going to Parlour, a more upscale salon close to the house I was staying in. It was a snap decision spurred on when I called and they actually had a slot open that afternoon.
I cannot say enough about this place. It’s on the ‘edgy side,’ meaning everyone had tattoos and funky hair. My stylist, Tyler (motto: “Tyler creates with two things, Edge and Passion”), had amazing nails and full sleeves, and commiserated with me about the growing out phase and claimed to LOVE the idea of thicker bangs for me.
So, he went to work. Basic trim, thicker bangs, simple. Then, he decided to straighten it. I had my eyes closed (I love haircuts. So relaxing!) so I didn’t see until it was totally done:
Eek! I’ve never, ever, ever straightened my hair. Not once. So I was a little shell-shocked. I still can’t believe what a huge difference it made.
Walking down the street, I went from feeling middle-of-the-road about it to completely loving it. I know it’s a little vain, but it’s one of the few times where I felt freaking awesome. Like an ‘After’ in a makeover show.
I also felt like I looked like a cartoon character, or a supervillian. Which I was, I decided, really, really happy about.
So, I’ve decided to embrace it. Not all the time, because at my core, I am lazy as hell and it’s amazing that I even manage to put on pants in the morning. But I do love it, so I have been making an effort to straighten my hair for the past few days.
I think what I’ve learned though, is that the more effort I put in—even the 10 minutes I now spend on straightening (I refuse to blow-dry) and putting on a bit of makeup—the better I feel about myself. Same thing when I spend $15 to get my nails done. It’s not a huge thing, but I end up feeling more polished, and I think that it impacts how I act as well. I swear, I got more done the day I had my hair cut than I had in the two days before, because I was in a kick-ass kind of mood.
So, two questions.
First, on an esoteric note: Do you guys find that spending time on your appearance makes you feel better/more productive? If so, why do you think that is?
Second, on a purely shallow note: Any of you longtime hair straightening people—product suggestions? I have a decent straightener now, but any product you swear by?
PS: if you’re in Toronto and want a haircut, check Tyler at Parlour out. Seriously.
