Haircuts

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably saw that I had a problem with a haircut recently.  Basically, I decided to try out a local place only to end up with something I really didn’t like because the person cutting my hair didn’t cut my hair, but, rather, cut a cut they knew how to do.  That cut resulted in this:

What is this haircut?! Salon appt 2 on the horizon. pic.twitter.com/a7NGDWvjtN

— Eclectic at Best (@EclecticBest) May 6, 2015

Here’s what went wrong

• I did ask for shampoo, and it was faster than I wash my own hair in the shower. Basically she just rubbed shampoo in my hair for about 30 seconds. I could feel it tangling because she wasn’t really using her fingers, but her palms.
• The water was nearly too cold, like almost cold enough that I said something.
• She never asked how I normally wear or part my hair-two important factors. Curly hair needs to be cut differently from straight hair because of how it lays. Your layers shouldn’t be a straight line like straight hair. Knowing whether or not I often straighten my hair would affect the cut. Also, knowing where the client parts is important to getting a cut that suits the overall style that they favor.
• At no point in time was I asked to tilt my head, lift or lower my chin.
• I asked for thinning, but I don’t think that happened. Usually a special pair of scissors are used for this, and she never switched scissors.
• She never moved from behind me while cutting, nor did she swivel my chair.
• The chair was never raised.
• The entire “cut” took 10 minutes.
• She decided to blow dry my hair without a diffuser and ran her fingers through it over and over again while doing so. (This makes curly hair very frizzy.)
• She did not attempt any style at all when the cut was complete.
• She never asked me to remove my glasses. I did it on my own when I realized she wouldn’t.
• There was only one mirror, and it was one of those freestanding full length oval mirrors that you can spin/tilt. This was the only mirror offered to me to check my cut (no secondary mirror to see the back).
• When she was “done,” she asked me to run my fingers through the hair and let her know how it “felt.”
• She asked if I was willing to lose length in the back. I said I wanted to fix my layers that had grown out oddly, and knew I needed to lose a little length for that to happen, but didn’t want to lose a lot. She barely cut any of the longest layer and considered this fitting my request (even though it made the bottom layer oddly out of proportion with the rest).
• She literally said nothing to me the entire haircut.

There were a million times I should have spoken up, but didn’t; so it’s my fault too. For my part, I just said it was all fine, paid, and left. I just wanted to get out of there.

However, I was able to get an appointment at a salon “in town” an hour away.

Haircut take 2 pic.twitter.com/8oHTNCQUjg

— Eclectic at Best (@EclecticBest) May 13, 2015

It’s not fully “fixed” at the moment. Because of how “wrong” the layers were cut, I’ll need several follow up trims to help with the “holes” that were left. But, overall, I am much happier with this than the first cut. The moral of this story? It could be “you get what you pay for,” but I think “you can never do too much research” also fits.

December Birchbox

My first month with Birchbox was a real hit.  I loved several products in that box, and had plans to purchase some of them.  I’ve had my December box for around two weeks now, and have had a chance to try out all of these products multiple times, and I’m ready to review, so let’s get to it!

1. Lait-Creme Concentre (Full size: $16-28):  In my last Birchbox, I also got a moisturizer, and commented that I was looking for a moisturizer I would love.  I liked last month’s but was eager to try another for comparison’s sake.  So when I saw this, I was excited to test it out.  Unfortunately, I didn’t really love this one.  According to the card in the box, this is a make-up artist favorite, and is supposed to not only moisture, but also prep the skin for foundation.  I found it to feel a bit greasy and heavy on my face.  I own, but rarely use foundation, so that part wasn’t a huge selling point for me anyway.  On the rare occasions when I do wear foundation, I actually own a primer and have no problem applying that before the foundation.  So, this is a no-go for me, but I’m glad I got it because it helps me determine if that first box’s moisturizer is right for me.  (Right now I’m leaning toward yes.)
2. Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder and Mini Fan Brush (Full size:  $37):  I’m not huge into makeup, but it was something I was interested in learning more about, and this is a great way for me to test products and find what works for me.  I liked that this came with the brush so I could have a chance to apply the product correctly without having to purchase the brush.  I tried this powder on several different occasions, and I just didn’t see much of a result.  Maybe I didn’t put enough on?  I tried it both with and without foundation to see if it was something that I could use on my no make-up days to give me a more “finished” look, but that didn’t seem to be the case.  They also sent a tinted moisturizer to try out with the powder, and I wasn’t overly impressed with that either.  Sadly, this is another no for me.
3. Whish Shave Crave-Acai Grapefruit (Full size:  $20):  What’s interesting about this shave cream is that it really is a cream.  It doesn’t lather up at all.  I actually kind of liked that because it felt like it was “sticking” to my skin and not washing away before I could actually shave.  I have used this every time I shave for the past two weeks (along with a new razor), and my underarms feel much softer and smoother than they did previously.  My legs certainly need more moisture than a shave cream can provide, but they also felt smooth once I was done shaving.  The scent is fresh but subtle which is nice.  I feel like sometimes all the bath products have too any different scents that don’t all work well together, but this one won’t add to that problem.  For me the issue is the price.  $20 seems like a lot for a shave cream.
4. Vasanti Cosmetics Kajal Extreme Intense Eye Pencil in Rose Gold (Full Size:  $18):  This was the sample I picked for my box.  I was torn between two options, but decided an eye liner was something I would use more often than the other product I was thinking about.  I was excited to try out the rose gold because that color seems very “in” right now.  I was impressed by how easily this pencil went on.  I actually found myself thinking I hadn’t pressed hard enough, when in actuality I had.  This pencil is super creamy and simple to apply.  I think this product works best for me under my eye to add a little lightness in that inner corner.  It didn’t stand out much when I applied it on the upper lid, as it was so similar to my skin tone.  I think that I just might not have the best eye shadows to make this pencil really stand out.  I would certainly consider purchasing an eye pencil from this line because it is high quality and easy to apply.
5. Beauty Protector Protect &Oil (Full size:  25.95):  I wasn’t sure about this product since I have thick, curly hair, and a lot of products don’t seem to work for my hair type unless they are specifically for my hair type.  However, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt.  I used this in place of my normal styling products to see what it did on its own.  The first thing I noticed was the smell.  I loved it!  I’m a sucker for a good smell on a hair product.  My normal styling product has been a staple partially because of the scent.  This oil had a luxurious scent.  Whenever I put it in my hair I felt like I was treating it to something nice.  I tried to stick with the 1-3 drop directions, but I feel like I was closer to 5 drops.  It was great!  My hair felt soft, and my curls seemed to be defined and not frizzy.  According to my card, this helps defend against UV rays and heat (important in my new location), as well as against breakage (which is a problem with my hair).  I think that when my current product runs out, I will replace it with this.  I am already spending a similar amount on what I use now, and this should be able to work well for less product each use.

So my December box had some hits and misses.  Even though I didn’t like the moisturizer I was happy to try it to learn that it isn’t the moisturizer I am looking for.  I found a hair product that I like, and an eye liner that has some serious potential.  Not bad!  Can’t wait to see what January’s box brings me!