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Rock the Casbah Establishment

My husband and I have a bet. Can a man try on panties at a victoria’s secret?
Erin
Uh.
Uhhh.
You know what? Let’s talk about my hair instead.

Audrey’s all, “NOOOOOO!”
Since everybody* is clamoring for the backstory and the “whhhhy” over at my other site, I figured it’d be best to confine the Hair Blathering to the Official Place For Official Amalah Hair Blathering. Especially since I am still really, really tired and likely to give really, really bad advice at this point.
*Where “everybody” equals “two whole people”
Ever since I quit my buttoned-up, suited and panty-hosed job last year, I’ve thought about doing something crazy to my hair. Going red. A bright blue streak. Basically anything I couldn’t have gotten away with at any of my office jobs. And I’ve been working full-time office jobs since I was 21 years old, so it’s been a looooong time since I had any freedom to do anything crazy. Or dumb. Or either!
Once I moved to the suburbs, the desire became a leeeeetle bit stronger. Especially since our particular suburb — while lovely and safe and close-in — is very much very blah sometimes. So the SXSW conference seemed like a good time to pack a couple jars of Manic Panic and indulge my little desire.

(The Pillarbox Red exploded in my suitcase on the way to Austin, so Hot Hot Pink it was!)
And that’s about all there is to the “WHY THE HELLLLL?” question.
Anyway, if anybody wants crazy minute details: I was planning to just do a couple streaks, but Manic Panic is super messy and I honestly did not have the patience for pinning the rest of my hair up or poking holes in shower caps. I did NOT bleach my hair (oh god oh no), but instead left the dye on for about 20 minutes (instead of 15) and then hit it with a hair dryer just before rinsing it out. I smeared Vaseline along my hairline and all over my ears to keep the staining to a minimum. (My scalp looked like a beet until the first shampoo, however. Awesome.)
It definitely took to my old ancient highlights waaaay better than my natural color (a dirty dishwater blonde), but…uhhh…since I wasn’t exactly going for natural perfection here, I don’t really mind the dozen different shades of pink going on right now. I’ve got everything from bright hot magenta to a pale cotton candy pink, plus a few chunks of blonde that resisted the dye altogether.

I dig it, probably more than I really should. Jason likes it, although it took him some time to warm up to the Crazy. My playdate friend Julie couldn’t stop laughing at me today, but hey, she’s a whore and I hate her. (I LOVE HER.)
All I know is, tomorrow morning’s Gymboree class is going to be funny as hell.
(Oh, and for the record: a friend of mine used to work at Victoria’s Secret and said they had men come in all the time to try on and purchase underwear.)

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Virginia Gal

17 years ago

You totally rock the pink hair! I’ve had the same urges to go different colors, but am still in an office the urge is waiting for release. Why oh why did I stick to bleach blond and dark, dark brown while in college (stupid girl)?!
That and my DH would probably have a heart attack if I was anything but my natural blonde.

The Muse

I totally love it. And am totally jealous. Although ad-agency-world is very relaxed on most things (especially if you work in the creative department, which sadly, I don’t), my clients would most likely NOT appreciate me with fire-engine-red hair. It brings me back to college when I had a bright pink streak of hair running on the underside, so when I pulled it up into a ponytail you could see it. Or when I bleached the bottom 2″ of my hair and dyed them teal blue. I kept that for a month before I had to go home to see… Read more »

Average Jane Doe

I have been wanting to put blue streaks in my hair (or, really, have my hairdresser put blue streaks in my hair) but I’m holding off until my term as president of a community service organization ends. Maybe I’ll have them in July when I go to BlogHer…

Painterly

I love it! But then I’m a reasonably sane adult who indulges in purple hair dye 🙂 What can I say – the six year olds I teach love it…

jane said

Oh My!! I love it, who needs a reason to go pink? I’ve been wanting to try it someday. I finally went black for the first time last Halloween, much to my mother’s dismay who always wants me as blonde as I was at 5 (I haven’t been that blonde since).
Love it! Love it! Besides, it’s hair, it’s one of the few things we can change, easily and then it just comes back as it’s same, same self. NOT like the body does after giving birth – if only.

Redsmama

You rock my world, when I can get out of the desk job I am so going purple!

Zandria

You’re brave, Amy. I like it. (But it’s temporary, too, right?) Rock on! 🙂

jomama

I love that shirt. Where’d you get it?

mdvelazquez

I’m loving the pink hair.
If I didn’t work in a buttoned up place, I would go for the electric lizard 😉

Broad

YOu and SJ are totally twins now!

Lori

For Zandria: No, it’s not temporary; it’s semi-permanent, which means it washes out a little bit with each shampoo. Personally, I think it was fate that the Pillarbox Red exploded in your suitcase. Hot Hot Pink is a much better color (I have several jars of it myself, and have mixed it with other Manic Panic shades of pink and purple). One thing that you might try, if you’re interested — and since the color didn’t take uniformly anyway — is to streak different colors through your hair. There’s no pinning or caps necessary; you just brush on different colors… Read more »

Jezer

I love, love, LOVE it. Actually, it really compliments your skin and eyes.

queenann

AWESOME! LOVE IT!
Now what you might want to do is get some bright pink shadow to go with it- wear with nude lips & cheeks and black mascara for a really cool look.
L’Oreal HIP has some nice shadows in bright colors. And they won’t cost so much that you’ll feel like you have to re-dye your hair in order to justify the price of the shadow.

heartbreaker

Cute! I did my hair with big pink streaks in it (I’m platinum blonde) just before going on holiday and everyone in the South and New York LOVED it. They would shout out at me as I walked down the street. Is it the same for you?
But in New Zealand? Nothing. Although my hair has faded now. I will redo it soon!

electricboogaloo

Rock and roll, lady! I started using bright pink after my second son was born for a lot of the same reasons. Plus, pink is my other kid’s favorite color, and really who else do I have to impress at this point? He loves it. My hair is way way dark though, so I have to bleach. Purple is my favorite, except when it fades it looks so gross. Like I have a dietary problem. Which I do, but you know. Anyway woooo! Pink haired mamas kick suburbia butt.

Dave

Trés hot! The pink makes you look a lot less serious than when you usually take a photo of yourself. Perhaps the Hot Hot™ Pink is bringing back the care-free feeling you missed out on when you started working so young? Or perhaps the dye has soaked into your scalp and is making you euphoric? (gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah)

Mary Jo

I love he color! I just did the same thing not too long ago. I love manic panic but your right, that stuff is a big ol mess!
You can see my hair here…http://www.mylifetransformed.net/?p=460

Britt

All I can say is – Wow! When I was in grade 12 I dyed my hair for the first time – very, very blond. However I was also very, very broke (and ignorant) and bought the cheapest drugstore dye I could find. Two days later my hair (naturally brown @ that time) was carrot top orange. With my freckles and WAY too much dark makeup (it was 1983) I looked like little Orphan Annie had found a nice “street” job. Bad, bad, bad. I just noticed that I originally typed “died” instead of “dyed” above. Should have left it… Read more »

Secha

Loving the hair! It fits you well. =)
I used the manic panic stuff to dye the bottom 2 inches of my hair dark blue before, and I loved it… Kinda want to do it again…
What do you think, Amy? Appropriate for a Government Job, or no? Not in one of those uptight suit and tie offices. I generally wear jeans and a tight fitting tee-shirt to work. heh

Elizabeth

I’ve been wanting to have a brightly colored streak (probably purple) in my hair, but I have dark brown hair, so it would require bleach to show up and I’m reluctant. My husband does think it’s a good idea, but he also thinks it’s some sort of post-partum weirdness on my part.

Fraulein N

It looks good on you! One of the benefits of being a blonde: you can jazz up your hair color without having to use dye.

Isabel

Shit. I’m too jealous.
And now I want pink hair. Or red hair. Or purple hair. I don’t care. Just something a little more wild.

*Otter *

Wow! Love it! And not just for the suburbia rebellion factor, which is a good enough reason in itself in my book, but it looks really great with your skin.

micheled

I used to work in the lingerie department of a department store, and one Friday night, right before closing, we had a man (dressed as a woman – skirt, hose, heels) buy underwear, bras, and slips. It was all we could do not to die laughing until he had left.

Rock the Casbah Establishment

Amy Corbett Storch

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