Good Evening Dear Readers,
I was at a birthday dinner for a dear friend last night. One of the best things about going to birthday parties is that you get to meet new people and make new friends. One of the couples at this party had an adorable 2 and a half year old. In addition to being a happy and beautiful little girl, she had amazing hair. Her hair was all natural ringlets. The really special part of her hair is that it was a lovely caramel color with honey blond running through it. (That sounds like a dessert, doesn't it?) I could not stop looking at this little booger's hair all night. I leaned in and said to the birthday girl, "I hope she never dyes her hair." The little girl's mom heard what I said and gasped, "Oh, no!" This made me start thinking about my own hair. I think about my hair often enough. I am very vain about it. But this got me thinking about my hair's past.
I have my father's hair. It is fine in texture and straight as a pin. When it was not dyed, it was a stunning shade of medium brown with natural red and gold hi-lights. I had a horrible salad bowl hair cut when I was small. (It was the 80's and I am sure you had it too!) When I was old enough to voice my own opinions, I started growing my hair long. I must have forgotten about it or something, because it wasn't styled until I was about 25 years old. From Elementary School to beyond Graduate School, my hair was all one length, all one color and hung down below my waist. When I got my hair trimmed once a year I cried. It was a situation. At age 22 or 23 I dyed the bottom 6 inches of my hair purple. I kept this up for some time, only cutting it off when I had to go to Greece and visit family. After I started getting my hair styled, I experimented with quite a few styles. I had a side part, red hi-lights, a few botched jobs and who knows what else.
 |
| My inspiration |
I met Daria when I was working at a restaurant (she was the bartender). Daria was opening her own salon and I started getting my hair done there. It was Daria who first gave me Bettie Bangs. The story is long and complicated, but I will tell you I looked at myself in the mirror and hated it. Daria suggested dying my hair black. Sure. Why not? About an hour later, I was in love with what I saw in the mirror. I no longer go to Daria, as her salon is on Nantucket, but the Bettie Bangs are going strong. So is the black hair dye. It's been 4 years plus now and it doesn't look like this do is going anywhere.
My mother was absolutely horrified when she saw "what I had done to my hair". She is still absolutely horrified. I get reminded about how pretty my hair was. During holiday dinners, she asks family members if they remember how pretty it was. They do, of course. My father wasn't thrilled about it either. However, 4 years later, he is on a crusade for me to change my hair style. Remember, I am a Greek raised by OTB (Off the boat) Greeks. It is my parents right to express their displeasure and make helpful suggestions on their 32 year old daughter's hair style. They were the only 2 who didn't like my hair. The Piratical Boyfriend said the only reason he ever went out with me was because I had black hair and Bettie Bangs.
After all those years, I have graduated to Blue Black dye (the bluer the better). And most recently, I have gotten a massive amount of layers cut into my hair, much to the glee of my hair stylist, Erin (go see her at Station 8 in JP). My bangs have gone from blunt to Vampy (they are back to blunt right now). The biggest trouble is styling my hair by myself.
 |
| Priscilla Presley with HUGE hair. Isn't she beautiful? |
 |
| Bump Its...My dirty little secret |
Like I said before, my hair is pin straight. That means it will not hold a curl to save its life. I have tried all sorts of curlers, curling irons, and even used to have my grandmother put my hair in braids, so that in 24 hours I could set the braids loose and have an obscene bush of curls, which of course, I thought was very glamorous. I had someone teach me once how to tease my hair out and do a Priscilla Presley. (My dad said that the big hair made my face look longer and that I looked like a horse. Sigh.) That was great fun but did a lot of damage to my hair. I am going to bare my soul to you now and tell you that I swear by Bump Its. You do less damage to your hair with less teasing and you get that great vintage do. Most people love when I wear my hair teased up and even ask to touch it or how I do it. If the Piratical Boyfriend is around, then he blurts out that I use a Bump It or 2. Sigh.
 |
| Vintage Victory Rolls. |
I have found that vintage inspired styles really compliment Mode Merr ensembles. Mode Merr's style is a bit retro itself, so it just makes sense that an older hair style would compliment the look. So, what if, like me, you don't really have a clue about doing vintage-inspired hair? Well, you go to YouTube, of course. Here are a couple of suggestions and ideas for hairstyles to experiment with:
She makes it look so easy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAPjWluRF9s
This is super quick and super cute:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV0BhbnyUps
 |
| Bat Bobby Pins. Shameless self promotion |
What if all of this is still too much for you? You are no good at styling hair? You are running out the door with zero time? Maybe you are just having a bad hair day? The answer to this, My Dears is...cute barrettes or embellished bobby pins. Clip a bow on one or both sides of your head. Attach a flower barrette behind one ear or slide in some ornamental bobby pins. If you don' t have anything like that, make it! Or better yet, buy a pair from me. I do make them you know. ;)
 |
| Last year's birthday dinner. Note the neon yellow eyeshadow. |
 |
| Liquid Liner and Red Lips |
What about make up? I have always notoriously worn too much make up. I don't glob on foundation (I don't even wear it). But what I do is wear entirely too much eyeshadow in entirely vulgar colors. I am good friends with lipstick as well. Sometimes when my face is completely on I think I look like a Drag Queen. (This is a self proclaimed comment and I mean it as a compliment for both parties involved.) I love liquid eyeliner I use all colors and insist it looks best flipped up at the end Cat-eye style. I like to draw on my eyebrows, only when they have been freshly waxed. Red, bright pink or dark purple and sometimes black lips are the only way to go. Granted the purple and the black aren't so vintage-y and are more gothy. (I have been described as Gothabilly, so that works for me.) If you ask Angela, and I have, red lips are always good.
Here is a basic tutorial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1dIBQuWPw0&feature=related
I prefer to use colors that match my outfit, rather than stick to shades that match my brown eyes, black hair and relatively pale skin. You can always use make up colors that compliment your particular skin tone, eye color, etc.
Or you can do what I did last night for my friend's birthday party. I brushed my hair. No teasing, no hairspray, no Bump It. Not even a barrette. I used some liquid eye liner, no Cat-eyes, no wings. I managed to throw on some purple eyeshadow. No mascara, no drawn on eyebrows, even though they were freshly waxed. My lips had clear flavored lip gloss instead of a ruby stain. I was wearing a Mode Merr top, as my friend pointed out the instant she saw me, skinny jeans and some heels. The outfit worked. When the Piratical Boyfriend saw me later in the evening, he asked, "Where did you go looking all dolled up?" I didn't argue with him. I let him think that I was indeed dolled up.
Until next time. <3
