As part of my trip preparation I got a haircut. First time in over a year. I liked my previous stylist a lot, he was very talented. But I couldn't get him to understand that I didn't want a modern haircut with a kicky retro vibe; I wanted the real deal, a forty-year-old hairstyle. He gave me great haircuts, just not the cuts I wanted.
I wasn't actually sure how this new stylist was going to turn out -- the shop, The Garden in downtown Durham, was recommended to me because of the previous owner Erin. When I called I found out that Erin had sold the shop and I ended up going to the new owner, also named Erin, based on our phone conversation. To make sure she understood what I wanted, I took pictures I had found online and in my old pattern collection. I even dressed up in my polka dot dress so she could see the look I was going for.
Erin seemed to get it. We spent a fair amount of time talking about the style before she started, comparing the photos and so forth. I had originally planned to ask her for a classic mid-60s bubble flip, but then when I looked at pictures I decided that an edgier, shorter cut was more in line with my style. (Besides, the flip would be a lot more work.) Erin did talk me into going a bit longer, since the wedding is coming up so soon. I think she's right, the chin-length haircut she gave me will look better with my wedding outfit.
She also spent a lot of time helping me with setting instructions. When I used to do the big hair on my own, I would back-comb the hair at the crown of the head up into a huge rat's nest, then smooth the rest of my hair back over it. There were a couple of problems with that approach: first, an inordinate amount of product was required to prevent the top layer of hair from slipping and revealing the rat's nest. So much product that the style remained intact for two days. I practically had to shellac my head. Second, that much teasing is really bad for your hair. I didn't like to do my hair up very often because I lost so much hair every time I did it.
Well Erin showed me how to do it with huge hair rollers instead. I have rollers that aren't quite as big as hers, but still big enough. Instead of getting the height by making a big rat's nest on top of my head, she showed me how to use the rollers to get the height, and then back-comb just a little to keep it standing up. Now I need to get one of those old-style blowdryers with a cap. I just do not have the patience to dry hair in rollers with a regular hairdryer.
Another thing I liked about Erin was that she didn't push the expensive product too much. I need four products to do this hairstyle, and she recommended I get two of them from the salon line, Bummble and Bummble. I already had one so I bought a small bottle of the other. The other two products -- setting lotion and hair spray -- she said I could get any old brand. With as much product as I have to use, I really appreciate that she didn't try to make me buy everything from the expensive boutique line.
(I forgot that I also need to getting setting tape. So make that five products. But no boutique line is going to carry that, so it doesn't really count. I'm not even sure I'll be able to find it at Sally's.)
So anyway, I really like the new hairstyle and I recommend the Garden salon. I just hope I can recreate the style on my own! I'm going to have to practice before the art car event.
Speaking of the art car event, I did get a mileage reimbursement after all! And it's going to be enough to pay for gas, even with prices as high as they are. Yay!
9 Comments
OMG that is sooooooo 1962! Well done.
i have my mom's old hairdryer that you could borrow until you find one of your own. i can't ever seem to quite get rid of it, although i never use it :)
it's not the kind with a flexible cap, it is a tabletop model that has a big plastic helmet on an arm. i think the helmet should be big enough to accomodate large rollers; it's from the right era, anyway.
let me know if you want to borrow it.
BTW, it looks as though Russ and I will be attending the Art Car Ball. So maybe we'll get to see you after all!
When I was a kid, a lot of women rolled their hair onto empty frozen juice cans (they used to be meatal--I don't know if the modern cardboard ones would hold up) when they needed giant rollers. Also, they used to sell a thing called a "rat" that you could put under your pouf instead of having to tease your hair into a rats nest. I think that saved a lot of women from losing hair with the elaborate styles. I don't know if anyone still sells "rats," but it would be worth a search, perhaps.
Lisa L: I appreciate the offer but I hear Sally's sells a cap attachment to a regular hairdryer & I'm going to look for one over the weekend to take with me. I have to go there anyway to get old fashioned setting lotion (which is actually a spray liquid, who knew?) I'd still love to see your helmet hairdryer though! It sounds like a real vintage find.
Lee: That's great news! I'll send you an email.
Lisa B: I've heard of those things, the name I heard was a "hair roll." I've been idly searching for one for a while with no luck. Maybe knowing another name for it will help.
love the hair! i've always wanted to have flapper-style fingerwaves, but don't have the patience or the tolerance for mass quantities of product.
That hairdo is truly fabulous - I saw the photos at the top of the page and thought "how does she do that?"
I too have heard of "rats" but mainly in old books I must have read many years ago. I can imagine that would be much kinder to your hair. I bet that gal from Southern Culture knows all about them :-)
(her hair was usually pretty high)
I don't mind using tons of product since I don't do it every day. Although I am trying it again today, in fact I'm wearing the rollers right now. I need the practice! I don't think it will turn out too well today though, since I don't have setting lotion or a cap dryer.
Turns out my rollers are as big as the ones at the salon. I thought they were smaller, but they measure 2" diameter. I've also got some smaller ones (1.5") that I'm using for the short hair at the bottom that doesn't fit on the big rollers.
That is really cute!!!
When I did a finger wave for New Year's I had to buy setting lotion and hair tape. If you can find a beauty store that caters to African American women, they usually have both things.