hair – Page 2 – Deborah Makarios

March 20, 2015

What Happened Next?

It occurred to me today that while I bring up a lot of subjects on this blog, I seldom revisit them. While I know what happened next, I don’t often share that with the rest of the world.
How has it been since I cut my hair short? Have I actually done any of the exercise I praised, fun or otherwise? Have all my screeds over the years on the subject of decluttering had any measurable effects in real life? Or was it all just talk?

Well…

My hair is still short, and definitely curly. On a good morning, there’s a vague resemblance to Helena Bonham Carter; on a bad morning, the resemblance is more to Edward Scissorhands – and a lot stronger. I’m planning to grow it out as winter approaches – partly for warmth and partly just to see what happens!

As for exercise, I mentioned that my exercise goals included buying a skipping rope, and learning to dance the galliard (aka the cinquepace). I have indeed bought a skipping rope, and have even skipped with it – mostly outside on the grass for the sake of my joints. It’s harder than it was when I was little, though I have not yet tried any fancy touches like the Inverse Toad.

When it comes to the galliard, however, I have met with less success. Apart from the useful information that one could dance the galliard to the tune of God Save the Queen (perhaps why the dance was so popular with Queen Elizabeth I, who danced six or seven of a morning by way of exercise), I have got nowhere. As wonderful as our local library is, it is singularly lacking in books on how to dance the dances of history. I shall have to keep looking. Next stop: the great wide web.

I have also acquired a new swimming-suit (of which more hereafter) and gone to a swimming-pool for the first time in a long time. (Years.) I happily paddled and splashed about, enjoying the absence of large waves trying to give me a forcible sinus rinse, and even essayed a few lengths, with variable success. Running your head into the wall while swimming on your back: not success.

On the same day as we went to the pool, we took a quantity of e-waste to the safe-disposal-of-electronic-waste people. I was very happy to see the back of it. As well as safely breaking down the parts of things no longer functional (recycling), they also fix things where possible (reuse) or turn them into other things (repurpose) – all very good for the planet, as well as those not able (or not willing) to buy their belongings new.

Since I last wrote about tidying, decluttering and purging, I have also gone through the bathroom cupboards like a dose of salts (pun intended – please forgive me) as well as the pantry cupboard and the shelves in the hallway.

I’m also sleeping better. I stopped worrying about it, and that seemed to help, although I’m inclined to give the recent sudden arrival of autumn a bit of credit too – no more waking up overheated. Now I sleep like a hibernating dormouse, although happily I don’t snore like one.

What have I missed? Is there anything I mentioned once and never got back to you about? Let me know in the comments!

July 2, 2014

Quote: Real Beauty

“Don’t base your beauty on your hairstyle, your accessories or your outfit. True beauty lies in your true inner self: the ageless beauty of a gentle, peaceful spirit, which is treasured by God.”
Simon Peter (1 Peter 3:3-4)

June 27, 2014

A Short Sharp Chop

I have never been to a hairdresser.
In fact, I’ve been wearing my hair the same way (a single plait) for well over half my life. After I married I started coiling the plait into a bun, but that’s about it. And now I’m thinking it might be time for a change.

Being a very low-maintenance kind of person – my ‘beauty routine’ consists almost entirely of beauty sleep – I’m tempted to go short. Short enough that it can’t get into my mouth. (And people ask me why I don’t wear my hip-length hair loose…)

But here’s the problem: I have no idea what my hair will look like cut short. The last time I had short hair, I was eight and it was straight – it didn’t go curly til I was in my early teens. That’s why I grew it long, so the weight of hair would keep it pulled out straight(ish). But it’s definitely curly in there: since I started coiling my plait into a bun, I’ve developed vintagey waves on the sides of my head.

There are online ‘virtual makeover’ sites, but short curly brunette styles are seemingly nonexistent. I tried digital doodling on photos of me (results not encouraging, possibly due to lack of artistic ability); also cut-and-pasting likely-looking hairdos found online. (Results suggest I will look like Elvis, which I find hard to believe.)
Unfortunately there’s only one way to be certain of what I will look like with short curly hair: cut it. It’s just that it will take a couple of years to undo…

I’d like something maybe a bit like this:

(minus cigarette, obvs.) but I don’t really look like Joan Crawford. Of course, even if you find a picture of someone with the same kind of face and the same kind of hair, there’s no way of knowing if their style is the result of a good cut and no more, or if it’s the end product of hours of crimping and primping.

These ladies are a little closer to the mark, but I still have my suspicions as to the naturalness of their curl:

On the one hand, I’ve saved myself a stack of time and trouble by not messing about with my hair the last couple of decades; on the other hand, this has left me relatively uneducated on the multifarious complexities of ladies’ hairdressing.

Now, I’ve no intention of going in for colours and flatteners and other expensive ways to damage my hair – partly because I believe in being nice to your hair if you want it to stick around when you’re older and partly because I am heavily in favour of low-maintenance looks.

But I do feel a bit out of my depth here. Possibly this why I’m doing it – to step out of my comfort zone and loosen up my stereotype of myself.
So, any tips, suggestions or advice? Or, if you really must, horror stories of your worst haircut ever!