Chatter

Commentary: Bragging

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Recently, I received a comment on an old post from someone who believed that I was bragging about something – namely, my hair.

Surprised, I went back and re-read my post – had I published some sarcastic/ironic bragging in that post without thinking? Sarcasm can be hard to detect online, even with context.

But I hadn’t. So, just to be abundantly clear:

Nothing on Beauty Skeptic is intended as bragging or boasting.

I have nothing to brag about. If something comes across as bragging, it is:

  • hyperbolic
  • outrageously sarcastic (and hopefully obvious on its own or very briefly noted as such), or
  • …well, it just isn’t reaching you properly.

Even if I did have something to brag about, doing so isn’t particularly gracious; no one wants to read some jackass’ rambling, self-congratulatory bragging nonsense.

My goal is not to piss anyone off or rub them the wrong way. Having stated that, this blog’s mission is not bragging. I cannot control how individuals choose to interpret my writing.

Context is important – the post in question was a hair tutorial…and because not everyone who reads this blog has the same hair in the same condition as mine, it is very important to detail that information to provide context for my results because not everyone will get the same results.

Normally, I wouldn’t bother to talk about something like this, but because intention is sometimes lost in text and I thought a clarification might help. :)

Thank you, as always, for reading.

I Am Styling Inept

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Seriously. Sure, I have my bun snap thing that makes a tidy bun easier than boiling water, but if I have to do anything to my hair beyond just looking fairly presentable for work? Forget about it. You have hair wizards like Kate from The Small Things Blog who are like, “No, it’s so easy!” (No sass to you, Kate) but I’m over here, all thumbs.

I Am Styling Inept - Hot Tools 1.25" Barrel

I went to a wedding mid-June and wanted to (obviously) not look like a clown. I brought my 1.25″ barrel iron (forgot my dryer, though, the shame…was able to borrow the bride’s, though!) to try to help. Unfortunately, because I am not a hair wizard, my hair wound up in a curled, low-slung, side pony. Did it look bad? No. Was it at all what I wanted? Absolutely not. Did it hold for anything? BAHAHA. No.
 pantene_stylersmousse

Despite mousse,

tresemme_heat

despite heat protectant,

garnier_anti-humid

despite gratuitous hairspray pre- and post-curl, alas…it was hilariously bad. Fortunately, I was nowhere near being the center of attention so it didn’t matter. Not even a blip on the radar! It’s just indicative of my overall problem – I can blow dry my hair or set it in rollers, that’s about it.

You see all these makeup or other beauty bloggers who have fabulous hair constantly – I can’t help but wonder if they go get blowouts before photos? No hate, I just can’t fathom how the hell normal people conduct this level of coif wizardry.

S.O.S.

I am styling inept. Please send help. I need self-help course for hair.

Will trade makeup application and witty, sarcastic humor for help with hair. Am admittedly slightly jealous of those of you with skillz, but not enough to be toxic. Hair Yoda? Anything?

Wanted: A Hairstylist

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My hair needs are not complex. I don’t change my mind every twenty minutes. I don’t want to go blue-black one day and then be lifted to platinum blonde two months later. I don’t abuse my hair with heat, and when I do use heat, I use protectants. I don’t subject my hair to a gauntlet of DIY chemical voodoo (with the exception of my DIY hair glaze treatment, which hasn’t been done in a year – but I’ll be doing it soon!).

At Home DIY Hair Glaze Before and AfterMy fabulous hair, circa Spring 2014.
I miss the length, but contending with it was intense!

I am not one of those people who walks into a salon for a haircut and goes, “Well I want a trim, but also a change but don’t want to sacrifice length!” This, I’m sure, is an obnoxious thing to hear from clients. Most of the time, I DO just want a trim – and can demonstrate both verbally (ie, “two inches!”) and physically (with my hands) what I want. I bring pictures, but not 200. I don’t, “fight,” my hairstylist in the chair by moving when she needs me to be still, or tilting my head when she needs it straight. I don’t creepily keep my eyes open during shampoos. I never use my phone in the chair (that might change if I had a lengthy service like color or perming).

I try to be a good client, or, at least, as good as I can be based on my general knowledge of what annoys stylists.

Ulta Salon Haircut

And yet it is so unbelievably hard to find a stylist worth a damn! It’s been six months since my last cut, and the disappointing cut I got at Ulta has grown out a bit. I didn’t want to return there yet (and definitely not to that hairstylist), so I went elsewhere.

What I wanted from the service:

  • Approximately an inch off the longest lengths.
  • General tidying of everything else (don’t cut old layers back in); nip the ends to clean them up.
  • Even out anything that is uneven.
  • At the very front, add subtle layers with the shortest at the shoulder.

This is not an involved haircut whatsoever. Although she asked what I wanted, she did not confirm her understanding or do any kind of thorough consultation. She didn’t ask what I normally do with my hair, if it has been chemically treated, etc. nor did she give me the opportunity to speak up about it – and she didn’t touch it, either, to get a feel for its texture. But you better believe she didn’t fail to ask me if I wanted to buy product!

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Chatter: Partnership Fail

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It hasn’t been long since I shared my thoughts on sponsorships/affiliate/whatever relationships between content creators and brands. I wanted to expand my thoughts on that based on a recent experience I had.

Something that runs rampant is brands sending form-letter outreach to content creators without making any effort to personalize the contact attempt. Just like you should tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for if you’re trying to go directly to a company, brands shouldn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to working with bloggers and vloggers. Hell, if you have a template, that’s fine – just take two extra minutes to edit and add their name and something that shows you actually spent a few minutes checking out their site. For example, change,

“Hey dear/Hey there/Hi <URL>,“

to

“Hi <name of blog or writer>,“

That little extra effort goes a long way in showing that Brand X knows who you are, and specifically wishes to collaborate with you and your brand – and that they aren’t just clumsily grasping for advertising.

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Weight

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Weight Scale

At 5’8″ and 125 pounds, I’m one of the last people a lot of people want to see this subject from. Don’t cringe, this isn’t some TMI weight struggle or scary eating disorder story.

What it is, however, is an expression of my frustration surrounding the idea that someone’s validity as a person – or most often, in this case, as a woman – is in question if they happen to be on the thinner side of average for their age and height.

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Skin Cancer Awareness Month – Week 4

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May is Skin Cancer and Melanoma Awareness Month.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

– – -This went up late because I was running around like a(n SPF-wearing) decapitated chicken yesterday preparing for our cookout. I hope, if you’re in the US and had the luxury of a day off, that you had a relaxing day. I ALSO hope that if you spent time outside, you covered up (either with clothing or shade) and wore sunscreen.

One thing you can do that would make you an awesome host of any barbecues or outdoor festivities would be to provide sunscreen for your guests. Get one of the huge cans of the spray variety stuff and offer it up (or, you know, gently badger your friends to use it).

Did you know…

That you should reapply sunscreen every two hours? More often if you’ve been exposed to water or if you’ve been excessively sweating (so, swimming, doing yard work, outdoor exercise). If you’re going to be outside in the sun, it may be a good idea to wear minimal makeup so you can reapply sunscreen without issue. Otherwise, get thee a wide-brim hat.

Did you know…

EVERYONE should practice sun safety. Contrary to popular belief, people of color can indeed burn! Sunscreen and protection is not just for pasty people. Be smart, protect your skin.

Also, on that same note – people of color can and do get skin cancer, too. What’s worse is that it is often detected at a later stage in people of color…so while the incidence itself isn’t as high, the fatality of it is higher, percentage-wise. According to SkinCancer.org, “According to recent studies, the five-year survival rate for African Americans with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is 59 percent compared to 85 percent in Caucasians.” That’s scary!

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