Makeover Details

OK, it's not that I am trying to keep you all in suspense ... I just don't have any pictures. I didn't bring my own camera, and while I am planning on emailing the photographer from the paper, I doubt she will send me any pictures before the article runs (and maybe not even after unless I buy them, which I probably won't do. But maybe she will send me the bad pics that she would never have published. She seemed nice, we'll see.)

Anyway. A few details that will give you the flavor of the experience since I am pretty sure those of you who read my blog that I know have not done something like this (if you have, sorry for making that assumption!)

The day started with my "before" picture. Now, they had told me to wear something that was unflattering, and not to put any effort into my appearance. Not difficult to do, since I really don't put that much effort into it on my best day. But I have to tell you, walking through Uptown to get to the salon, knowing I was deliberately out there looking my worst, really started to affect my psyche. I started feeling my worst, too. Since I had had such a rough morning, I was in a bad mood anyway. Then, when I was going through my wardrobe to find what to wear for the "after picture" I got really depressed. They told me to bring something that made me feel wonderful to wear. Well, I have nothing that makes me feel wonderful. It's easy to imagine "oh, she's just saying that" - but it sincerely was true. I really went through my closet and every drawer in my bedroom and could not find one thing that made me smile and say "YES!" because of the good feelings associated with the article of clothing. How's that for sad?

So there I am, looking frumpy, feeling depressed, and walking in to this hip salon. Yeah, so far it's going just great.

When they greeted me and asked how I was, I nearly cried. So now we have embarrassment on top of everything else. I mean honestly, crying in the salon? Whatever. I gave myself a STERN talking to, and picked up a magazine - I don't even know what it was called, it was one I had never heard of. (an aside - there were a lot of magazines to choose from. Now, I hate Glamour, so I ignored that one. There were a couple others I had never heard of which seemed to be kind of mid-line fashion magazines, there was a National Geographic Traveler, and there was a Good Housekeeping. Guess which one I wanted to pick up and read. Good Housekeeping. But I DIDN'T because really, how pathetic would that be, the frumpy housewife choosing the housewives' magazine over the fashion glossies. Yes, that is really what was going through my head.)

Anyway. I picked up one of the unfamiliar fashion magazines, and flipped through it, stopping at the horoscope page. I KID YOU NOT. My horoscope said "Do not shy away from bold changes (such as a new hair cut) because all the luck is lined up for you, so you should take advantage of it."

Well, with THAT in my mind, how could I not smile and begin to pull out of the funk?

So everyone met everyone else, and I was led off by Audrey to get my new hair color. First she stripped the old color off - which was actually quite exciting to me since I have been coloring my own hair for about 20 years, and know there is a bit of build-up which can't be good. She was pleased with the results, and then took me over to the coloring area. First she bleached highlights, covering my head with those little foil strips (new experience for me!) and then doing the all-over color of red (which comes out of the bottle BRIGHT VIVID PURPLE. Little scary.) The color burned my scalp pretty painfully, so I was really happy when this part was done. Ahh, the pain endured for (free) beauty.

After the coloring, Audrey handed me off to Stephen who was going to do the cut. This was amazing. This man's hands were magical. He cut so fast and so authoritatively and I never for one nanosecond doubted that he was giving me the best haircut of my life. And he has this bizarre and cool method of cutting while he was blow-drying. Held the dryer in one hand and the scissors in the other. Very weird but very cool. He said everyone asks him about it (as did I) and he has never seen anyone else do it that way, but since he wants the hair to look good when it moves, he cuts it while it's moving.

I started grinning when I could see the shape of my head. Since my glasses were off, the shape is all I could see, but even that made me grin, and I couldn't stop. Kendell (the photographer) got some goofy shots of me there.

Then we went downstairs to the spa for my eyebrow waxing. That's when I felt I was entering a different world. I was led into a room with candles, soft music, scented air, and a massage table. I looked at Kim (the journalist) and Kendell, and we all shrugged our shoulders and said simultaneously "all this for EYEBROWS?" I was told to lie down on the table and the waxing commenced and I kept giggling. All that for eyebrows.

Then back upstairs for the makeup, where Kami did an outstanding job of covering my skin with more makeup than I have had on in 20 years (even if you put all the makeup I have worn in 20 years all on me at once, I think) and it made for a very dramatic look and a very dramatic after picture. But when I got home, I washed most of it off before I saw the boys. They would have FREAKED.

So - all in all, it was a magical and fun and bizarre way to spend the day, and I am really, really glad I did it, and I am really, really grateful for the free opportunity. Would I have spent the $300 they normally charge for what I got? Never in a lifetime! But will I go back to have the highlights re-highlighted? Maybe. And Stephen cut my hair again? Again, maybe. I'll know in 6 - 8 weeks.