My Unicorn Hair Journey (Part 1)

I have dyed my hair every color except jet black and platinum blonde.

Do you remember Manic Panic or Fudge temporary hair color? I’ve done pink, blue, fire-engine red, silver, violet and every shade of brown there is.  It actually cracks me up when I think about all the colors I’ve done, considering I wasn’t allowed to dye my hair until I was 18.  Now, this wasn’t about parental control or anything like that, just strong encouragement from my mom to avoid processing my virgin hair because the cost of maintenance was way too much for a teenager.   It’s true, once you color it, the upkeep is indefinite.

Well, my hair was blonde and cotton candy pink for my prom, and that was the end of that.

So, I did the hair color thing on and off for 10 years, spending thousands of dollars overall, and was always totally thrilled with it.  Then, out of nowhere, I decided to stop dying my hair.  (I was probably broke and couldn’t afford it.) I cut my hair into a chin length bob and let it grow out – technically I rocked the Ombré look before it was a thing.

I left my hair untouched for 6 years.  I had long, healthy, shiny brunette locks, and I loved it. People would comment on my hair color and were generally shocked it was natural.  I felt very proud of the fact that I didn’t dye my hair anymore, and bonus points for how much my bank account flourished.

Then, I unexpectedly lost my job and in typical Sliding Doors fashion, booked an appointment 2 days later for a hair makeover.  I chose to do balayage – the process of hair painting versus foil hi-lights for a very natural sun-kissed look.  And just like that, I was a blondie-bear again.  (Well, sort of).

I continued the trend of lightening my locks every 6 months, which is one of the perks of the balayage technique – because I chose to keep bleach away from the crown of my head, I didn’t have a major grown-out look to worry about every 6-8 weeks.  I went the lightest I had in 10 years for my wedding, and it was worth every penny.

{Any excuse to show a wedding photo, lol} Photo: Melissa Sung Photography

Now, I’m bored and itching to do something crazy and fun.  This #unicornhair trend that popped up last year was my prom hair dream, all over again.  Except, now we are “adults” and pink and purple hair is kinda frowned upon.  Luckily, because I work in creative industries, it’s definitely more accepted than in the financial world etc.

So, I wanted to do purple – more specifically, lilac.  But I also love dusty rose.  Ugh.  So tough. I know I will have to lighten up my hair first to achieve something even close to my desired look and have already had a 20-minute consult with my stylist (who happens to be a legit unicorn hair master) about what it actually takes to create these Instagram trendy looks.

Note – it is NOT cheap.  It is NOT a short appointment.  Don’t be fooled by the before an after pictures you see online; those makeovers can take upwards of 6 hours and $600.

I will post about the process, cost, and final length of my appointment, but for now, I need some help deciding!  Which shade do you think suits me best??

Instagram Photos: Guy Tang, Modern Salon, MaggieHHair, NineZeroOne

See the result here!