If you spend several hours a month in a salon chair, you may be running a “beauty-counter deficit.” As Barnard College president Debora L. Spar pointed out in Glamour, she spends 282 hours annually on her appearance (haircut, color, manicures, waxes, etc.) compared to the 30 hours her husband and other male competitors average. That’s a difference of 252 hours she could be using to get other things done.
{Image via InStyle}
While my own beauty routine is not as extreme as Spar’s, there’s plenty of room to trim it and I’ve already started with my hair (pun intended). If you’ve made a resolution to spend better and use your time more effectively in 2014, you might consider ditching your colorist and other unnecessary beauty treatments.
Like many women, I was convinced that my natural hair color needed a boost in order to look presentable.
{Image via Be Gorgeous Lady}
I first colored my hair in 7th grade. Little did I know that bonding trip to the salon for highlights with my mom would become a decade-long beauty ritual.
My first highlights were innocuous enough (and covered by ma), but several subsequent trips later and I realized my obsession with changing my hair’s natural hue put a huge dent in my finances. At one point, I was paying $95 every six weeks for a head-mapping double-process blonde from a senior colorist at a salon in my hometown. Sometimes I tried to do it on my own, but mostly I shelled out $65 or more to change my “dishwater” blonde hair to match Michelle Williams, Cameron Diaz or Claire Danes.
In order to save money and protect the health of my hair, I haven’t colored it for more than 18 months. Ditch the dye in these three easy steps:
1. Don’t chuck your colorist’s card yet. Schedule one more appointment to opt for a more natural look. It’ll make it easier to grow into your real hair color. There’s nothing dishwater about ScarJo’s gorgeous dark blonde:
{Image via She Knows}
2. You don’t need to break her heart by telling her it’s your last color ever. Ask for ultra-thin two-tone highlights that blend well with your natural color. Anything too light or too dark will stand out.
3. Enjoy your last salon hue and let nature do its thang. In the summer months, you may notice a dye-free hombre or subtle red tint to your dark locks. A light spritz of lemon juice before sun exposure can increase its lightening effect. You can also use a product like Herbatint which uses chamomile to lighten your hair and avoid sun damage.
If you feel your color is too flat and must make a trip to the salon, opt for cheaper face-framing highlights in the front section of your hair only or ask for a half-set of foils where only the top half of your hair is colored.
What are you doing to reduce your beauty-counter deficit?
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