A (temporary) New 'Do

Hello everyone! Been a while since I last posted, as things have been crazy busy around here. I went about 2 months without even getting a full weekend off, which left very little time for blogging. I'm totally exhausted! I have to learn to say no to projects.... Although, it's hard to say no to work when you are self-employed, with a rather sporadic income. 

Things have slowed down for a couple of weeks, so I am taking full advantage. I'm trying to balance completing some personal projects (such as some much needed new clothes!) and relaxation time. Today was strictly a relaxation day, so I dressed up and went for coffee. Dressing up always makes me feel so much better, and even my mom commented on how much more cheerful I seemed today. 

You may remember this skirt, which I made from an old bedsheet. I love it's long length (it normally hits mid-shin), but fancied something a bit shorter today. Quick trick to change the length of a skirt: hike up the waist so it sits like a sleeveless dress, then put  blouse+ belt on top. The belt gives it the right shaping at the waist, and changes the looks of the skirt with no alterations needed! 

I paired it with my new set of tights. In the package they looked like an abstract floral design, but now that I look at the photos they rather resemble snake skin instead. Oh well, I have been in the mood for a slightly "edgier" look.

Speaking of edgy, did you notice my red streak? I have been dying to try something new with my hair for a while. Getting a haircut was a good start, but I really wanted to add some colour. I'm allergic to most chemicals, so regular hair-dye was not an option.

 I also have a love/hate relationship with my (rather abundant) grey hairs. They are from several hard years of University and I consider them to be rather like battle scars. I worked hard to get them and don't want to permanently cover them up. On the other hand, I'm only 24 and have been feeling much, much older lately. I'm too young to feel elderly! (My chronic hand/wrist pain is a lot of that. I've had to give up a lot of my hobbies and sometimes can't even hold up a book. My doctor still has no clue as to the cause).

So I did a lot of research into alternative hair colours. I tried some "natural" stains, made from ingredients from my kitchen. They did boost my colour a bit and made my hair feel amazing, but there wasn't a dramatic change. Then I read about hair chalk. "Hair chalk" is basically highly pigmented powder for your hair. Most products recommend wetting the hair and sealing with a hairspray. Many reviews I read said this didn't work, and besides hairspray isn't an option for me. 

Then someone on Pinterest posted an article about using eye-shadow in your hair. I tried it today and loved it! I picked a red shadow from my box of old products (saved mainly for use in photoshoots) and proceeded apply it to my grey streak. You basically just press your hair into the powder and pull it through your hair. It worked great! Even without hairspray it lasted all day. I think having my hair in an updo, rather than loose, helped to keep the colour in place. This is a photo of it after a few hours: 

It's surprisingly vibrant for just eyeshadow!

I went out and bought some "real" hair chalk, as well as a couple of cheap eye-shadows. I'm going to compare the results of the chalk, the cheap shadow, and a more expensive powder. I will let you know how it works out! I'm thinking blue or dark purple would look great in my hair. Anyone else tried experimenting with hair chalk/eyeshadow? 

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

That's All.