Hair Color: The Agony and the Ecstasy

One of my icons, Rita Hayworth, who wore her hair very dark, red, and blonde.

 So as some of you who are my Facebook friends have the misfortune to know, I have been obsessed with my hair in the last couple of months.  When my hair doesn't feel right, I'm in a state of permanent crisis, resembling a wet cat -- profoundly miserable until my hair is fixed, and hilarious to everyone except myself.  

This is me.

I've been using henna to intensity for red hair for about the past year, and the shade got progressively darker and more intense -- something which I absolutely loved, actually, but which occasionally earned comments from industry that it was too "punky" and would prevent me from getting roles. So I started re-thinking my red, and re-thinking my hair color in general.  Henna is notoriously hard to get out of hair, like a bad boyfriend it just clings and clings.  And I also have wanted to avoid conventional dyes, which recent research links to all sorts of rare and scary cancers.  So I visited Shades, a salon on Doheny in Beverly Hills which specializes in natural color.  It took a couple of visits to keep a lot of the henna out and lighten my shade to a more natural strawberry red, although it's still a bit untidy-looking.  And truthfully, I have always been attracted to "alternative" color.  Why color your hair if it's not really fun?  So a more dull shade is taking some getting used to.  

Here I am with my new strawberry hair color.  Red goes crazy on camera, it's like Spring Break for color.  In person my hair is duller and much less red.

And I've thought of going blonde again or going dark.  There's been such a massive trend towards brunettes in Hollywood, both in casting and in terms of what colors actresses dye their hair.  The only frightening thing about going dark is that it requires more of a commitment, since you cannot instantly bounce back with a lighter shade.  

My daydream of going dark: could I be like Kristen Stewart, who's career didn't ignite until she went for dark hair?

My nightmare of going dark: or could I be like Scarlett Johansson, who only truly shines in buttery blonde?  And then how could I get back to light hair without frying it?

All of this makes me fondly recall my teenage era when I had short hair and I could change hair color basically on a whim.  Of course, I was also young and foolish and didn't care that I wasn't turning my hair into straw.  Ah, those were the days!

Emma Stone in every shade: blonde, red, and brunette.  I'd love to have a magic wand to try all these colors for a few days with no damage to my hair.  I'd magically get headshots in every color.  Emma, can I borrow your wand please?

I had photos taken of myself in some truly atrocious wigs, to see what I looked like now with different colors.

Me in scary wigs: yes, it's come to this.  The cute brunette wig appears courtesy of Kim Airs, who uses it in her stage act where she becomes a man.  Thank you Kimmy!

And I've been browsing through all the Google search photos of actresses who've paved the way by trying absolutely every hair color, which is fascinating in itself.  Sometimes it isn't until an actress stumbles upon the right hair color that she becomes successful, and I think as women we apply that to ourselves as well -- the perfect hair color will magically make our skin color glow, make everyone love us, make the world shine.  All the gates that were closed to us because we had despicably uncool hair will now be opened, and the good things will come. This is the promise and the mystery of changing your hair, escaping your role in life and creating another one.  It's a little silly and hyperbolic and somehow very, very irresistible.
So I've compiled some photos of my favorite hair colors changes....I'm living vicariously through these women until I find my own magic shade.  Keep your fingers crossed for me everybody!

In Love with Marilyn at Macy's

I'm been devouring this incredibly gorgeous book, "Marilyn in Fashion," and feeling so inspired by the sexy, summer-y looks that Marilyn perfected.  I noticed a number of key elements of Marilyn's style: everything fit her body perfectly; her looks are sensual but don't actually show that much skin; and there's a wonderful mix of fresh innocence and sultry sexuality in her personal style.

Finding the kind of outfits that Marilyn wore is not easy, and pinup reproduction clothes are so lovely but often very expensive.  So I'm in love with a new Marilyn Monroe reproduction line that Macy's is carrying in their junior's section.

I tried on almost everything and ended up buying this gorgeous red dress:

Currently on sale at macys.com for $44.99 in sizes from XS-XXL

Here is the original dress that Marilyn for Niagara

Here's some more of this delightful line, perfect for looking delicious in this hot summer weather....

Getting a Glamicure...

The best manicure in LA is...

Jessica's Nail Clinic in West Hollywood on Sunset.  I stumbled in there from Drybar (another Sunset Plaza favorite, the nummiest blowouts available), needing my hands to be whipped into shape immediately for an upcoming audition.  I wanted just clean hands with short nails and lots of buffing, no polish.  It's a simple request but one that often gets met with a lot of blank looks at nail places around LA.  Well, Jessica's is different.  In 30 minutes they gave me beautiful, natural, elegant hands.  

Joanna was my miracle worker, and she was worth every penny of the $30 I paid. If you want gorgoeus hands, she is your angel.

Jessica's is a jumble of marble, wallpaper, and tiny rooms, with an Old Hollywood feeling.  They only take cash or cheques, no credit cards. Free parking abounds for Sunset Plaza behind the buildings.

At the end of my appointment, Joanna gave me a gift of my own special nail brush to keep my hands looking beautiful.  Thanks again Jessica's for saving me!

Jessica's Nail Clinic
8627 W Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 659-9292, ask for Joanna
 http://www.jessicacosmetics.com/

Beauty Bargain: Bejeweled Eyes

So I've decided that for this magical month of December, in the spirit of joy and giving and vegan eggnog, I will be spilling the secrets of  many more of my favorite beauty bargains and favorite products!  These make great treats for your most glamorous holiday party self, as well as excellent gifts that your friends and family will actually use and cherish.  And today we will be starting with this alchemical blue jewel-toned eye shadow, the perfect color of a shimmering peacock's tail, that kept popping up in Fall and Spring Runway shows this year:

Jeremy Scott Runway Spring 2013

Anna Sui Fall Runway 2012

Joy Cioci Runway Spring 2013

Joy Cioci Runway Spring 2013

Moschino Cheap and Chic Runway Spring 2013

I LOVE adore and worship blue jewel-toned eyeshadows, I think they are incredibly flattering on everyone and every skin tone, and they make the perfect festive holiday eye.  I often find that blue eyeshadows reduce the appearance of redness in and around the eye, so if you have been over-indulging or under-sleeping this season, this is the eyeshadow for you!  And yes, drumroll, this is another beauty bargain.  This L'Oreal HIP Studio Secrets Eye Shadow Duo in Showy combines the perfect jewel tone blues, and you can use them together or separately.  I have had this little duo forever, and it is still gorgeously bright and shiny.  And it's $7.99.  Contrast that with the equivalent Nars shades below...

HiP Studio Secrets Professional Bright Shadow Duos in Showy $7.99 your local drugstore or drugstore.com

 OR

NARS Single Eye Shadow in Tropic $24.00 Sephora.com

NARS Single Eye Shadow in Outremer $24.00 Sephora.com

Total Savings With L'Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Professional Bright Shadow Duos: $40.00!

And the Winner is...

Today we had a lucky winner of the Korres Lip Butter Glaze contest...

Catrina!

She'll be receiving a FREE Korres Lip Butter in the color of her choice.

Stay tuned for our next unbelievably fabulous giveaway....

Z is for...Zac

Surprisingly enough my first favorite collection on the Spring 2012 Runway is a little spinoff brand, Z Zpoke by Zac Posen.  In what can only be described as a collaboration of genius, Zac's frothy, witty, vintage-worshipping frocks are modeled by the incomparable Coco Rocha, who grins, laughs, poses, preens and pouts like a fairy-tale princess version of Betty Boop.  Adorable!  I want every one of these dresses....

 

Beauty Bargains: Black Radiance Purple Passion

Black Radiance Purple Passion (5004) Lipstick $1.99 your local drugstore

Is there such a thing as a true beauty bargain?  It's a staple beloved of fashion magazines, who always show us the "luxe" version and the "less" version, and usually the "less" version is actually very much less desirable than the unbelievably expensive version.  However, I am going to spill some true beauty bargains in this blog...bargains which I feel live every bit and morsel up to their more expensive counterparts.  

My first beauty bargain is Black Radiance "Purple Passion" Lipstick.  I wore this lipstick today for two auditions and got lots of compliments!  It's fuchsia, but don't panic gentle readers, fuchsia lips have been resurrected from their poor 80's reputation.  If you wear fuchsia lips with a clean face or a smoky eye, they look quite wondrously fresh.

Don't believe me?  A little extemporaneous proof:

Pink lips on the Giles Spring Runway 2013 (also I need these sunglasses!  Perfect for all those times I want to be inconspicuously incognito)

Rochas Spring 2013 Runway, a pot of magic pink

Emily Blunt, rocking fuchsia and green, you are my hero

Black Radiance lipstick must be the biggest bargain of all.  I've had mine for more years than is hygienic to admit, and it has stayed fresh, non-drying, and incredibly lustrous.  Purple Passion is a shade that's a little hot pink, a little fuchsia, and a whole lot bold and sexy and fresh (or rather sweetly cow-maiden on the heath if you were it with clean skin and pink cheeks).  It looks great on porcelain skin as well as dark skin.  If you layer it with red lip gloss, it makes a beautiful, jewel-worthy pink-red.  It stays and lasts more than most lipsticks, and it is $1.99.  $1.99!  That's my parking meter change!

Black Radiance Purple Passion (5004) Lipstick $1.99 your local drugstore

OR

Nars Lipstick in Funny Face $24.00 Sephora.com

The closest shade I could find to my beloved Purple Passion is Nars Lipstick in Funny Face...its's a similar hot pink/fuchsia and it's $24.00.  Total savings with Black Radiance: $22.00.