The New Me

New Ami

In the Spring of 2006 I got tired of my gray hair that made me look older, and I got tired of the round lenses that made me look like Harry Potter. I also received a sample tube of lip gloss as I strolled around the make-up counter at the mall on the way to the hot pretzel vendor and the rest, as they say, is history.

The picture on the left was taken at Jen’s graduation from college in April 2006. The picture on the right was taken in October at my 30th college reunion. I feel like I have an entirely new head!

I must say the glasses were easy to get used to. The new hair, not so much. Never having met Miss Clairol before, I am amazed at the maintenance regiment this deceit requires. I can’t use my vast collection of hotel shampoos anymore. The color will fade. Naturally the one the salon sells is so expensive (compared to “free”) that it must have gold flakes mixed in. Then there is the conditioner, volumizer, sculpting goo, and fixative. Deception aint’ cheap. Who knew!?

I do have one beauty tip I discovered on my own. When the gray starts to poke out at the roots around my face I can do my own touch up. No kidding. With a little experimentation I discovered that a permanent, wide tip, brown Sharpie marker is a pretty good match to the secret potion my hairdresser mixes up in the back. Just don’t hit your face with the marker on the way to your hair. Takes about three days to wear off your face. Hopefully longer on your lovely locks.

sharpie

41 thoughts on “The New Me”

      1. Not to draw a line (I couldn’t do that either), but to cover the emerging grey hairs that come up here and there.

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  2. Think I will stick with the grey which still has layers of colour after a trim.
    Better use for a Sharpie … if you don’t like re-threading your machine always use white thread, then run a pen in a matching colour to the fabric along the seam line.

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  4. Love the sharpie idea! Unfortunately I have the opposite problem, blonde hair growing in very dark, need to make it lighter. Costs a lot for highlights at the salon, wish I had a blonde sharpie!

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  6. You look great. I did not know you colored your hair. Whoever does it does a great job. You always look so young — and we know how energetic you are!

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  7. You look beautiful Ami! BTW, there are lots of shampoos and conditioner made especially for tinted hair, and they are not salon prices! Look in Target if you have one.

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  8. I was deceptive for a number of years, too, and then I began to notice the color didn’t look blonde but “brassy”. I asked my colorist what was going on and she informed me that I was getting more gray hair. Since my hair was short I decided to “out” myself and in six months I had a new look that went well with my complexion. Now, almost 40 years later, it’s quite white and gets many compliments. I admit It was a bit alarming when I was mistaken for my child’s grandmother, but I got over it. One of the perks was that my hair dried much faster than when it was colored. Since I don’t have a significant public persona I figured I’d save time and money (for fabric, what else?) by only spending time and money to get regular haircuts and an occasional massage or pedicure. Give my best to Ms. Clairol who was kind enough to keep me looking youthful before I realized I was “moving on.”

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  10. Your hair looks good both ways but i totally understand about the darker color. I think it looks terrific. I have white hair, white eye brows and white eye lashes; i was wanting to go natural but when i looked at my picture on my concealed gun carry permit even i was afraid. I was told by my 93yr old step mother that i look twenty years younger with the darker hair, eyebrows etc. go for it

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  11. Entirely too funny! Who knew a sharpie would work? My hair dresser suggested using mascara to cover the gray in my bangs rather than dyeing it for now. The mascara runs, though! LOL

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  13. Lucky you – my grays come back in such numbers that it would take all day to get them with a Sharpie. Fortunately, my color is dark enough that I can get away with using my mascara on the grays.

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  16. You’re always young when you smile and have a sense of humour, Ami, so you pass! I agree with Kelley (#7) that blondes have more problems staying blonde, and the Go Blonder shampoo is over $7.00 a tube! But I had to prove to my mom (slight dementia and mixed me up with my sister, I’m sure!) that I wasn’t trying to fool anybody, and was REALLY a blonde — tends to sneak up on you (like weight) and my Guild members said my hair was “light brown” when asked! :-p LOL re: the whole Sharpie thing (esp. the thread)!

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  17. Speaking of office products to ‘deceive’ others… My daughter uses “White-Out” on her white car to cover up door dings and the loss of paint on plastic surfaces. Those bumpers just don’t hold their original paint so swell after 15 years. As long as the engine and AC work she won’t part with car payment money.

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    1. Wanda, doesn’t “white out” wash off?! Steve paints our 2001 Venture van every summer with black rubberized rust-proofing type paint to cover the rust and rust holes on the sides. Looks pretty good until you get close enough to touch it.

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  18. This made me smile! LOL, so inventive! I’ve got gray, THINNING hair, so color and any hairstyle I can get away with that will make me look better. My tall, skinny inner blond got tired of me letting myself go, so I pay to decieve, too…

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  19. You look so much younger!!!! Younger than the earlier picture!!! I colored my hair for ages. Couldn’t stand the expense and upkeep any longer and I let the grey grow out. I love mine! (But then I’m 78 and it was TIME!!)

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