Friday, November 5, 2010

Clairol Number 9

It seems that for some reason lately, I have more gray hair than my natural blond/brown color. It could be that I am a middle-aged woman and that's what happens when you get older. It's a rare sight indeed to see a woman in her advanced years that hasn't had a chemical enhancement or two to maintain her youthful looks. A nip here, a tuck there, and in my case, a bottle of Clairol #9.

I used to get my hair lightened at the hair salon, but at over a hundred dollars a pop, in this economy, it seems a bit frivolous. So I did the next best thing: went to the new Walmart and picked up a box to color my own hair at home.

Honestly, I was a bit nervous about home coloring. I hoped it wouldn't turn out like the home perm that I received in 1984. Mom said it would be fine and I believed her. The perm didn't turn out very well. Ever heard the term "You look like you stuck your finger in a light socket?"


Well, that's what my hair looked like. It was frazzled and fried. I had to go to school for three days looking like a wild child before I got all of my hair cut off. I went from a sleek looking Pat Benatar look to the mellow and slightly kooky look of Annie Lennox. And when you're a junior in high school too much personal change can make for a very bad day.

I followed the instructions on the box and within an hour I had a totally new look. During the thirty minutes or so that I had the chemicals on my head, the new cat kept following me around with a puzzled expression. I'm not sure if he didn't recognize me or was just concerned about the smell. It stunk up the whole house!

According to the color comparisons on the box, someone with my hair color could expect to end up with shiny, golden blond highlights. It didn't quite turn out that way. There isn't a speck of blond anywhere, unless you count strawberry blond as blond.

To me, it's red. We already got one redhead in the family, and that's Sister, or as we like to call her: Big Red!

I guess I can't be too upset about it, I only paid about 10 bucks for the coloring kit and it only lasts 8 weeks. The gray is gone and I get to look like Annie!

Just don't expect me to break out in song...at least not today...maybe tomorrow.

7 comments:

WillOaks Studio said...

OK, you inspired me. Maybe it's finally time to go get a new bottle and try again....

Rae said...

Like Annie says, "Tomorrow is only a day away...' I sometimes use Perfect 10. Try to stay away from goldens and ashes and stick with a neutral.
Thanks for the kind comment you left on my last post. It meant a lot to me. I hope to be back in Blog World the first of the year. Keep an eye out for me!

Gail said...

I used to pay to highlight my hair, now nature and maturity is doing it for free!

Anonymous said...

Use Garnier Nutrisse - when I colored my hair that's what I used - great results all the time and it doesn't stink as much as most of the others. Oddly enough I think the company is owned by Clairol.

Unknown said...

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you, tomorrow....
Now that I've retired, I've given up coloring altogether. I'm salt & pepper, with more salt that pepper!

Gianetta said...

Will- I hope it turns out!

Rae- Okay, I will.

Gail- You can't mess with mother nature.

Grace- I'll remember that for the next time.

Eva- You 'ol salty dog, you.

Vegas Linda Lou said...

Yikes, I've been coloring my hair for literally decades now--I bet I'm at least 85 percent gray in real life.

For years I used Clairol products, and I do think they give your hair a reddish tint whether you want it or not. A while ago I switched to L'Oreal and am really quite happy. No red at all! One thing: always get a shade lighter than what you think you want. I use Dark Blond, and my hair is definitely a medium brown as a result. But no red!

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