Friday, September 6, 2013

Call Me Ginger

What do you think of my new hairdo? From this point forward, call me "Ginger."

Sarah Ginger.

I will never forget the first day of grad school. There was a sweet, innocent Filipino woman in my Tax Research & Property Transactions class. Her name was "Ginger." As the professor called off the names on his roster, he commented that Ginger sounded like a stripper's name. Dear god almighty--have we no filters? I guess you can say whatever you want as long as you are tenured!

But I'm a Ginger now, too. Apparently acquiring red hair is accompanied by the acquisition of professional strip-tease skills. Lucky me--a new career falls into my lap!

The last time I got my hair cut (or all of my hairs cut) was well over a year ago. I'm thinking it's time to do something about that.

Given the present state of my life, I'm tempted to go all-out-drastic-short, which I've done many times before. The periods of drastic shortness are followed, however, by 1+ years of growing my hair out again. I grow it out because it's too much effort to maintain the short style by getting it cut every 6-8 weeks.

And I know this; I know it every time I opt for the drastic shortness.

Alas, I've been told by numerous people (primarily those that are chromosomally capable of growing chest hair) that they like my hair longer.

I'm not sure that I care, though.

For shits and giggles, I tried one of those "Virtually Try On Hairstyles" websites, which, for the record, also allows you to virtually try on makeup as well.

As you may know, I am so not a hair and/or makeup girl. I own no "products," aside from whatever shampoo is in the shower. And I got rid of whatever makeup I had (and rarely used) in my downsizing efforts. I even got rid of all my nailpolish, which I did manage to apply to my toes and fingers a few times a year.

Needlesstosay, "Virtually Trying on Hairstyles" is very out of my character. So, bear with me here. I hope you have as much fun as I do perusing the possible me's that will never actually be me.

So, here's the deal with the virtual website: You upload a photo of yourself, indicate the outline of your face (for hair application purposes), and then indicate the outlines of your eyes, eyebrows, and lips (for makeup application purposes). Then, you flip through various hairstyles and makeup styles, which are applied over your photo.

Here is the photo I started with:

Good ole' plain me.

Here are some different hair options, all showing colors and styles that I will never wear:

The "Jennifer Aniston" look.

The modern-day "Sarah Fawcett" (haha, get it?) look.

The "cute girl next door" look.

The "nothin' special, but with bangs" look.

The "straight-hair-tossed-behind-one-shoulder brunette" look.

The "carrot-colored, lotsa bangs" look.

The "Kelly" look.
(In honor of my friend, Kelly, who looks beautiful with this 'do.)

The "just above the chin" look.

The "crazy curls" look.
(I love these curls!)

The "longish pixie" look.

For the record, there were many more hairstyles to chose from. But most of them didn't fit over the gray hat I was wearing in my original photo. Ha! Take that!

Wow, and there's so much variation in makeup. I had no idea! Here are just a few possibilities that don't make me look like a skanky ho. (If you wish to see the variations in detail, you can click on the photo to enlarge it.)

So many makeup styles!
(In order from lightest to darkest lip shade, though the eyes are different, too.)

What did I learn from this little makeover experiment? Well, I learned a few things:
  1. I had no idea that a makeover could entertain me for hours!
  2. A fancy haircut and makeup can make anyone look better - even me!
  3. I wonder what the women who we idolize in our culture look like without their made-up hair and made-up faces.
  4. Although I might look "better" if I were to wear a real hairstyle and apply some makeup, this is so not me.
  5. My sometimes-frizzy, sometimes-straight, sometimes-curly hair has a mind of its own; taming it is a task in patience. Plus, makeup application requires the precision of a surgeon; I am not a surgeon.
  6. I value every second I don't have to spend in front of a mirror.
Most importantly, this little exercise confirmed that I like me just the way I am. And I prefer friends and loved ones in my life who also like me just the way I am -- all frizzy-haired and makeup-free!

8 comments:

  1. Hi, Sarah! I enjoyed this post! It was fun seeing you in all the different hairdos! I love the 'Kelly' style! What's important is that your crinkly eyes and big smile show your confidence and grace no matter which hair style you're wearing.
    What's next for you?

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    1. Hello MaryJo, wearer of adorable short curls and mother of two of the most naturally beautiful women in the world! Thanks for your note. :)

      What's next? I'm working through a seemingly endless list of options. I'll definitely keep you posted. :)

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  2. Sarah, you are so funny! I love how you look in all the different styles. You have beautiful eyes and a great smile, no matter what! -Kelly's sister, Jill

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    1. Hello Gorgeous Jill! Thank you for your kind words. :)

      I just noticed that *you* have a blog. I've subscribed, and I can't wait to read your future posts!

      By the way, every time I see photos of you on your mom or sister's Facebook, I can't help but to think of that adorable little version of you--when your age was still a single digit. :)

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  3. The Kelly style reminds me of Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper from Dr. Who/Torchwood). "Hey babe... your tardis or mine?"

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    1. You always have the most interesting insights, Dave. I'm sure my friend Kelly will find your insight interesting as well. :)

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  4. Thanks for the shout out, Sarah! I got a kick out of seeing a hairstyle named in my honor! :) I don't know Eve Myles. I'll have to look her up. Like my mom and Jill said, you look beautiful in every style! Pretty fun to try on different styles like that. I wish I had had that technology back in 2002 when I was in Spain and decided to dye my hair "rojo intenso." I had some intenso tears for a few days after that!

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    1. I remember your rojo intenso. I loved it! You were totally a "classy broad" (I'm lifting that phrase directly from Jill's blog). It's fun to have those memories, isn't it?

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