99 Problems...

So recently I've found myself facing a new adversary/enemy/evil. No it's not the scale, it's something entirely different and completely upsetting.  All of a sudden last month my hair started falling out, a LOT and I'll admit it's been pretty crappy dealing with it.  I'm fairly certain it's a combo of stress and hormonal imbalance but whatever the frack is doing this, ima 'bout ready to lose my ever-loving-mind....

It's not like I'm some paunchy, middle aged man who can accept this sort of thing as just being part of life.

 A 30-something woman losing her hair is not OK. 

The hair gods have been cruel to me, and this seems like their latest prank. I already have thin, fine hair and am no stranger to using every thickening, volumizing and strengthening hair product ever created.  EVER CREATED.

(Now before you start asking if the hair loss is related to my latest diet, I'd have to disagree because though I joke about "being hangry and starving" I'm certainly not. I'm following Weight Watchers, and losing in a slow and sensible way.)  

The hair loss started before my latest diet so I doubt there's any link. I've had my thyroid and iron levels tested and everything seems ok. So this leaves me feeling even more bummed because I don't exactly know the cause of this hair loss???

I've got a referral to a dermatologist next month to check out the problem further (telogen effluvium- is what it's called) and I've already shelled out plenty for the latest products that claim to prevent hair loss...and I'll admit I've borrowed my dad's Rogaine...since my family doctor said that's exactly what the Dermo will prescribe anyway!

Seriously? Ugh.

So my question is, have any of you ever experienced sudden hair loss (other than post-pregnancy) and if so, how did you not lose your mind?!?!  Did your hair come back and how long did it fall out for?

 Feeling NOT so 

Tasty little bun

I'm in love with the top-knot/bun hairstyle that's so popular right now.  It's quick, fun and still manages to look put together and chic. No wonder half of Hollywood is using this as their go-to red carpet up do.

 Sadly the hair-gods always let me down and once again I'm faced with a cute look that I can't really pull off because my hair is so thin. Boo to fine hair. 

I've tried backcombing and twisting my hair to make it appear fuller but usually my completed bun looks more like donut-hole than an actual donut.  

images via Teen.com and google

Apparently there is a new simple hair product by Conair that allows you to build up your bun. It looks a lot like a pot scrubber pad but it allows you to swirl and pin up your hair into a cute bun type style. Of course it's not available here in Canada yet but when it is I'll be all over that.  In the meantime I suppose I could hit up Walmart and search for a brown or black coloured pot scrubber...yeah I'd go there.

via Pretty Petals

Do you really get what you pay for?

On Saturday I visited my stylist for a much need hair colour and trim (dusting my ends only.) Since I went back to a solid dark brown colour last year I'm glad to say that my days of enduring hours in the chair with highlight foils are over. Though I can't seem to go more than 6 weeks without desperately needing to cover my grey roots. (Yup I'm complaining about my hair once again...)

  Anyway, I love the finished result at the salon... but for something that seems so simple- application of one hair colour, why the heck does it still cost so much? ($175.00)

Honestly any monkey could apply one colour, and yes I understand it's a salon-quality product but does it really make that much of a difference from a box of Nice and Easy you buy at the drug store?  Logically I'm thinking yes but sometimes I still wonder. Am I being hosed by my stylist because I'm afraid to try colouring my own hair at home? 

It's easy, but is it nice?

And of course he always has to tell me how he's going to rescue my terribly dry ends with a deep conditioning mask/treatment/glaze while I'm being rinsed out at the sink. Am I going to say no to this?    "No I don't want your deep conditioning treatment that will make my over-processed hair look fabulous again..."

No one ever says NO to the deep conditioning treatment!  

Who knows if it really does anything except give them a reason to charge you more.

Why is the salon so expensive? It's not like The Zohan is at work here

So the point of my post is, would it be crazy to try colouring my hair at home? Some friends look at me like I've grown 3 heads and stepped back into the dark ages when I even suggest it.  

What do y'all think. Providing I select the correct colour for me, is it possible to screw up a simple one colour dark brown hair dye job at home? Share your experiences please!

Girl crush...

Hey lovlies! Hope you're all having a great Friday, thank the Baby Jesus it's almost the weekend.  Husband has been working 24-7 for weeks and sometimes I forget that I'm married. It"ll be nice for the kids to spend some time with him on Saturday while I'm off to lunch and a movie with a friend. (Does that make sense? He'll be around and I'll be taking off...)

We're going to see "Black Swan" (yes, I'm the last person in the world to see it.) Husband was almost a tiny bit disappointed that he's not going to see it because of the much talked about girl on girl action.  I suppose any man would be willing to put up with watching some crazy-ass dancing ballerina's in tutus if there was some "action" somewhere along the line. Typical.

Anywho, speaking of girl action I've decided that Mama has developed a new girl crush on Sofia Vergara. She's lovely, talented, on a hugely funny popular show Modern Family and even her accent is delightfully annoying. Millions of men can't be wrong about her, right?

{is she not spicy hot latina perfection in this Vera Wang dress...?}

 {Stunning in sapphire blue at the 2011 SAG awards}

I'm loving her gorgeous dark hair (even though she's naturally blond), her curves, her not-so-pin-thin body, her big toothy smile and the fact that she's an actress with experience and not just another 20 year old starlet. (Haven't we had enough of them?!)

 She's a Columbian ray of sunshine and because of all that she's my girl crush du jour.

Images via Just Jared, Google

Brunettes have fun too, right?

What to do, what to do?.....  I've been tossing around the idea of taking my hair back to my "roots" and going dark again. Honestly I'm a little freaked about it because I've had some level of honey brown, with golden blond highlights for years. Like years and years. I haven't been my original colour of dark brown since 1996. I honestly barely remember what it really looks like on me (pics when you're 18 don't count for nothing.) I almost can't even wrap my mind around what it will look like on this current version of Mama.  

I'm not sure why I'm so apprehensive, it's just hair colour. But I can`t help but feel lighter and brighter with blond(er) hair. This summer in Greece my hair became ridiculously bleached out due to the sea/sun double whammie but it`s really a bit too much right now considering we've hit full-on winter autumn type temperatures. In the past I've liked blonder hair in the summer and going a bit darker in the fall. But not like this, I'm talking about making a mayjah change!


{hair colour du jour....or should I say for the last decade...}

Here's my hair inspiration(s)

Images via google

{Kim and Kourtney have almost black/brown hair, maybe that's a bit too dark?}

If I'm gonna be honest here, Husband is totally poo-pooing the idea. He's always liked me with blonder/lighter hair. But then again he's never actually seen me with darker hair. But I'm thinking about making this change for me...right?!  I do feel like you stand out more with lighter coloured hair (does that make me a bit of an attention whore seeker?)  Maybe...

 Girls I need some help, input and opinions please!!! This is no easy decision. Sure its just hair colour but I also feel like it's part of my identity...

Grow Grow Grow

Lately there's been a swack of products claiming they can help make your eye lashes look fuller, longer, and more fabulous. Fabulous is good right, so I've decided to jump on the lash-growing-miracle bandwagon. L'Oreal's Lash Serum claims that it can overhaul your scrawny lashes and turn them into gloriously long, conditioned and fuller lashes. After about a month of using the Lash Serum I'd have to agree that my lashes do appear to be fuller and stronger (less fallout.) But are they longer? Hard to say. I want to say that they are but there isn't any actual medicinal ingredient in it that would cause actual lash growth. But for the price it is a decent product and if you're committed to applying it everyday it's worth it.

I'd really like to get my hands on the by prescription only product Latisse that Brooke Sheilds is pushing  promoting right now. But I'd feel kinda silly asking my doctor for an Rx. "Yes, I'd like a prescription for lash growth liquid in a bottle.... no seriously."  He's a great doctor but he's also a "woman, don't you come up in here wastin' my valuable time!" kind of doctor.  But just check out Brooke's results below. Tough to beat!!  Maybe it's time to hit up an internet pharmacy?? 

I've also heard a lot about the Phyto line of vitamin supplements that are supposed to make your hair grow stronger, thicker and FASTER.  From Sephora's website: Harnessing the power of natural elements, each daily dose of this nourishing vitamin, essential fatty acids, and antioxidant blend promotes healthy hair growth, strengthens nails, illuminates skin, and fortifies (and lengthens) lashes. Hair regains its density and shine.  Sounds pretty awesomesauce to me!

Any product that can improve my tragically thin, fine hair would indeed be a miracle in a bottle.  I'm up for that...bring on the hair growing magic!  I seriously have the slowest growing head of hair in the world. I can go months between highlight touchups. So will taking this stuff make my hair grow faster, thus requiring more visits to the salon? Hmmm all in the name of thicker, more fabulous hair right?!

 I swallowed the $75.00/bottle price tag. And since the product seems pretty natural with a lot of different oils in it maybe it'll work?  The helpful sales assistant at Sephora did warn me that her husband tried the stuff and he had to give it up because it sent him running to the potty, it apparently has a bit of a laxative effect (mother- frack, why does everything have to have side effects?!)  Fingers crossed my tummy won't betray me on this one. Glorious hair, I'm expecting you to arrive within 6-8 weeks with the following results:

{I'd take the great hair, AND the great body....}

Orange is sooo March 2010....

Hey lovelies, hope you all had a fabulous Mother's Day weekend!  Husband and I had my parents and brothers over for a family dinner on Sunday nite. We had some great food (seafood linguine) and we polished off a bottle or four of wine. I was gifted with a few homemade cards and a nice grocery-store bought bouquet of flowers. Ahhh the rewards of motherhood!

This morning I was back to my regular salon to get my highlights overhauled after The Orange Hair Disaster of March 2010. My hair is back to a golden honey blond and all is right with the world again. It seems like such a minor thing but I feel so much better knowing my hair is back in biznass.
I like my stylist, he's a nice guy, chatty and seems knowledgeable enough (or at least he talks a good game). But he can never manage to give me exactly what I'm looking for.  I am still amazed at how hard it really is to get exactly what I want when I go to the salon. I always take in photos with me (on the off chance that my self imposed, mandatory 10 minute consultation of what I want isn't enough.)  But amazingly I often walk out of the salon disappointed. Over the years I have been to so many different stylists and different salons all in hopes of finding "THE ONE".... that being the perfect stylist who can make my hair look fab everytime and gives me exactly what I asked for. But since she/he does not exist I will settle for "Not too bad"...   
Are my expectations too high? No I don't think so...
But it now seems clearer to me than ever that I really do need to get in touch with celebrity stylist to the stars, Ken Paves. One of my readers was kind enough to tell me that she saw him in Vegas last weekend hanging out working with Eva Longoria and her large entourage.

{Hand him over bitch!}

Is it just me? Am I the only person who is never really happy with their stylist? Do you get exactly what you wanted when you walk out of the salon???

Hair Inspiration

Since I'm still hurting from my orange hair disaster, the only obvious thing to do is to search for the perfect hair colour and make sure that my regular stylist will know exactly what I'm looking for. (Michelle's hair "quest" from M Up North  got me thinking about what I'm really looking for.)  Natural brown low-lights with a golden honey brown base and warm golden blonde (not brassy, and most definitely not orange highlights)...  It's like searching for the Holy Grail of hair colour. I've been trying to get this colour perfect for years and I'm never quite satisfied. If only Ken Paves was my BFF he could work some hair hocus pocus and make this orange nightmare go. away. pronto.

(I think this is my fave, this woman is perfection, no?!)

Ok, so you get the point. Maybe you've noticed that these girls all have thick, gorgeous amazing hair (which I of course do not have)...but the colour is what I'm going for. It's time for my stylist to start reading this blog....