I Will Be More Adventurous with My Hair: An Update

You may remember that one of my New Year’s resolutions was to be more adventurous with my hair. Well, about a month ago, I became at once more and less adventurous: I cut a whoooole bunch off. Instant adventure! But then it occurred to me…I like having hair to do stuff with. I like a bun, or a low pony, or a side braid. And then something else occurred to me…I can play with this style more and see where it takes me.

Day One

It is Sunday. I do not feel like washing my hair (I mean, not like I ever do.), and my Klorane Dry Shampoo is calling my name. I spritz heavily all over my scalp, and work some Bumble and Bumble SumoClay into my ends, aiming for a tousle. I look like the character in a cartoon who gets electrocuted and stands there in shock, ends sizzling and sticking out like a halo of hair. Shuddering, I begin to smooth it down with a boar-bristle brush, scooting the part over about an inch to deepen it, and tucking all but a few small pieces behind my ears. This, combined with my silk neck scarf and short sleeved sweater make me feel très français. I’ll take it.

Style Verdict: 10/10, will do again. I will soak up the feeling of being a Lady Who Lunches any chance I get.

Day Two

Mondays are tough, I think we can all agree. No one wants to do anything, and on this particular one, I am included in that grouping. It’s pouring rain and my only plan for the afternoon is to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and to be very honest, I feel very prissy and unnecessary as I start to style my hair for such an outing, so I simply let it be and carry on with my day. This is the one day of my hair adventure that I don’t give my hairstyle another thought past my initial roll out of bed, and that’s just fine.

Style Verdict: 10/10, will do again, because there are more museums to attend on rainy days, and my hair is not what I want to think about on those days.

Day Three

I am off on this Tuesday, and so is Brandon. We have some ambiguous Del Ray lunch plans, but the highlight of the day is our plan to go pick up our new sweet rescue pupper, Donovan. (Before you ask: he’s perfect and soft and I’m obsessed with him.) I run a flat iron over the front pieces of my hair that got bent by my pillow, spritz some dry shampoo on my part line, and backcomb the crown. Not bad, if a little flatter than I prefer. I sass out the ends with more SumoClay and this time it looks better. Intentionally grungy, we’ll say.

Style Verdict: 8/10, will probably have to do again due to future time constraints, but it doesn’t make the Dean’s List.

Day Four

This is my first day with the dog “helping” me as I get ready in the morning. It turns out he really enjoys being next to us, so he sits patiently on the bathroom scale (we have a shoebox of a bathroom) while I try not to burn my fingers curling the short back pieces with my flat iron. You all know I love my hair curly, and before bed last night I tried the new Living Proof PhD In-Shower Styler.* Though it didn’t create the immediately beach-y texture I’d really been gunning for, I do notice that the curls I’m putting in stay particularly springy, and I don’t feel any product in my hair — a definite plus. I spray some Living Proof Style Lab Instant Texture Mist on my hands and piece out the ends.

Style Verdict: 10/10, will do again. I look bomb. I pair this look with my Threads by Nomad skirt and some attitude.

Day Five

I neglect my first three alarms, so I’m pressed for hair time this Friday morning. I’m pleased to notice that the In-Shower Styler seems to help my hair hold its style even longer, however, so I just have to dry shampoo (have you noticed my hair theme yet?), backcomb the crown, and recurl the front couple pieces. Donovan is, once again, a helpful companion. Man’s best friend, indeed.

Style Verdict: I mean, do I even have to give a number at this point?

Day Six

I have used the In-Shower Styler again. Definitely obsessed. However, I still don’t have an insta-curl, so I decide to curl it again. Maybe try a braid? I wake up extra early to take Donovan to the dog park before work, so I plan to do all my getting ready afterward. It turns out I don’t make it that far, as a freak accident at the park dictates a morning spent in the E.R. with a brace on my knee. I guess my hair will have to go au naturel today and don’t do anything with it, for obvious reasons.

Style Verdict: 0/10, because I like styling my hair, and I do not like freak accidents.  

The Final Say

It turns out I’m not as adventurous as I thought, or as I’d like to be. I’ll count the major hair chop as a win in the adventure department, though, and plan to do better for the next update.

*Coming soon! Stay tuned….

• Author Details

Elizabeth Cestrone

erwhitcomb@gmail.com