Going Silver, pt 2 – Silver Hair Q&A

Silver HairSilver hair found @ modernsalon.com

In my last post about silver hair, I shared that I am living vicariously through a close friend who is now living her love of silver hair. She had two appointments the most recent of which was last month, and she graciously agreed to allow me to interrogate her ask her a slew of questions to share with you. Some responses were minimally edited for clarity.

It’s important to note that neither my friend nor I are salon professionals. We haven’t been to beauty school, are not licensed cosmetologists, hair wizards, etc. We are, however, very curious and research obsessed. We tend to exhaust topics like these before jumping into them. Our word is not law and you should always do your own research – including consulting experienced professionals.


Q: Did you like silver hair when you first saw it out there, or did it take seeing it a few times?

A: I guess it would be a bit of both, some people pulled it off really, really well and it looked fantastic – usually those with the darker and more metallic grey-silver. For others it just looked like regular grey or greying hair. Which was flattering on some and not on others, as anything could be. So I guess it took seeing it a few times and establishing a pattern of how and on whom it looks good for me to like it for myself.

Q: How long did it take for the, “You know… maybe I could do that?” thoughts to strike?

A: I guess I answered the second question a bit with the first response! It took a while, between in person and online it was easily a few dozen exposures

Q: You’re naturally blonde, you were masquerading as a brunette for a while. When was the last time you colored your hair prior to your decision?

A: The last time I coloured my hair prior to going silver would be… I want to say March or April of 2015. A combination of my regular stylist going on maternity leave and my fantastically lazy personality I carried with that for much longer than I should have and had significant root growth, which is certainly relevant in this process.

Q: What criteria did you look for in the salon you’re trusting with such an epic task? I’ve seen some people try to go to a Regis with that quest and it didn’t turn out well.

A: What I looked for in the salon was something of a younger, modern, edgier ‘persona’ of the salon itself and how it was marketed, the staff and their personal style, and the pictures posted by the salon of past clients. I figured [a salon with] a more modern and different style would be best. Of course I looked through some examples of silver hair in the gallery to know they were capable of pulling it off.

Read more

Going Silver, pt 1

Going Silvervia Pinterest.
Not my hair!

I am a notorious coward when it comes to haircolor. Once upon a time, I colored my hair when I was young and foolish. Naturally, I picked a red shade not realizing how much of a hilarious pain in the ass red is to maintain.

I wasn’t up for it.

After years of growing it out I decided there would be none of that for a good. long. time.

That was many moons ago, but I’ve remained color-free since. I am highly interested in Balayage highlights. And you know what else piques my interest?

Read more

TIGI Moisture Maniac: A Calculated Risk

TIGI Moisture ManiacTIGI Moisture Maniac

A couple years ago, I started to have issues with my favorite shampoo and conditioner, TIGI Moisture Maniac. At the same time, it was being discontinued in favor of TIGI’s Urban AntiDotes line, so I discontinued use. Since then, I haven’t found a shampoo and conditioner I truly liked, including its supposed replacement. I didn’t hate all the ones I’ve tried since, but I haven’t been excited enough to repurchase any of them.

Imagine my surprise when I saw a giant display of the shampoo & conditioner duos it during a trip to Costco a little over a month ago?

…I bought two of the duos.

My scalp was happy, my hair was shiny and manageable without buildup. I think I can manage the fragility from the protein.

So here’s my hypothesis:

Read more

Throwback Roundup – March 2016

Throwback Roundup

I’m trying to make a concerted effort to have a presence in good ol’ Twitter’s Throwback Thursday shenanigans. Not everyone likes or uses Twitter, though (no judgment – it took me a long time to come around and accept it as a tool) – so I figured a good way to maybe revive old content might be to do a monthly roundup. In addition to my Twitter activity, I’ll share a throwback roundup as a proper post on the last posting day of the month.

Get nostalgic with me!

Read more

Suave Professionals Volumizing Line

Suave Professionals Volumizing
Suave Professionals Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner

Ever on the hunt for a great shampoo and conditioner for my needs, I decided to try another inexpensive option when it was time to repurchase, recently. (Sometimes inexpensive products that don’t seem exciting can be, after all!) So, for science, I picked up the Suave Professionals Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner ($4-6). They are claimed to be as effective as Matrix Amplify (but I have not tried the Matrix product so I am unable to compare).

The clear shampoo lathers well (if you’re into that sort of thing…and if you aren’t, steer clear) and rinses cleanly without too much effort. I found the consistency of the conditioner to be thin – not terribly thin to the point of being useless, but not as thick, creamy, and moisturizing as I would generally like it to be. I apply it and leave it for 3 minutes before rinsing while I other things in the shower, but it does not penetrate the hair shaft as much as I’d like.

Both are noticeably fragranced, but neither are unpleasant, and neither of them tend to linger significantly.
After washing and conditioning, I blowdry my hair without any product other than my Tresemme Heat Protector (inexpensive, works great), my hair does look and feel more voluminous than with what I was using previously (Tresemme Moisture), but it isn’t substantial enough to forego mousse if you need some lift at the scalp. It’s more… fluffy, but not truly voluminous.

Read more