Going gray 13 weeks – mission attack the brassy look

Here I am at 13 weeks.

I don’t know about you, but 13 has always seemed like an awkward number to me.

Do you remember being 13?  Did you feel awkward?  Honestly, when I look back to that time in life, the first year of being a teenager was really awkward for me.  All those crazy hormones whacking you in the face at every turn.

Everything about who you think you are in the world bothers you, especially in your own little quiet moments of reflection.

I remember moments of wondering:

• Why won’t they talk to me, did I say something wrong?
• I thought I looked nice when I got ready this morning, maybe I’ve worn something stupid?
• They liked my thoughts yesterday, now they won’t talk to me, did I say something to make someone mad?
• I saw it in a magazine, it looked cute on the model, and maybe I didn’t quite get the style right?
• Why can’t I look more like Suzie, she’s so pretty, so popular, so confident?

At 13 weeks, it is easy to feel a bit like a teenager again.  No, no, silly, not the young, youthful look!  That’s just plain dreaming!  I’m talking reality here.

It is the “not quite fitting in yet” phase.  I’m sure, for me, this phase is far from over though.

When I’m not in my comfortable working from home office, and I’m out in public, the “how do I fit in” feelings rear their ugly head.  (A slight hair pun intended, maybe…).

Being all teenager like, it is hard for me not to look around to see there are those who have been there and done that and look great, confident and comfortable in their gray hair.  And then there are those who would never go to the gray zone and they look great, confident and comfortable in their hair coloring choices.

To top that off, living in the Midwest, I find that we’re all so polite in person.  If we see someone we’re not interested in, we don’t make eye contact.  When we see something that we’re not sure how to respond to, we tend to look away.  We don’t stare, even if we secretly want to.  If at all possible, we walk (run) the other way in those situations.  We do anything we can do to avoid being impolite.

A person who is going gray has to be able to look the other way too, instead of taking it personally.

At 13 weeks, I feel like I’m in the middle.  I haven’t been there done that, and I don’t want to go back to the coloring.  So I have to work daily on conjuring up any and all confidence I can to feel comfortable in the reverse ombre look.  Oh, and by the way, that look is turning incredibly brassy looking.  Jeez…like I forgot that was going to happen.

Ugh…sigh…

So what’s a girl with brassy looking hair to do?  Research, of course, research.  I must find out what others who have been there done that have done.  Man, oh man, I sure wish I had the internet back when I was a teenager.  The library never had stuff like you can find with a google search.

Remember Suzie, the fictitious idol from junior high?  Since I don’t have a Suzie to get advice from now, the next best thing is advice from the cyber world.  I found a couple of heroes to admire. Yay, they found solutions to dealing with the brassy look for brunettes and someone who uses purple shampoo, has been there done that going gray and looks fabulous.

Yay for me, I’m so excited to learn purple shampoo isn’t just for blondes!  I didn’t buy the same shampoo that Fashionlush recommended. I’m sticking to the same brand I’m using for my curls.  Thankfully our local JC Penney’s salon had it available.  The stylist (aka, my in-person Suzie, who isn’t likely older than a twenty-something) politely dealt with me, a person who obviously could but wasn’t going to use their hair coloring services.  Suzie said she personally uses the shampoo and loves it.  I love real life testimonials!

I bought the purple stuff, ran home and tried it.  I liked it.  Plus, my hands didn’t stay purple just like Suzie told me they wouldn’t.

But…I’m pretty sure one shampooing isn’t enough.

Sigh…

Good graycious!  I will try it again and I’ll be back to report on it!  Thanks for stopping by and for hanging in there on this journey going gray!  See you soon.