Blue is Back

Some people like fine highlights, others like them chunky. I prefer mine blue.

I gave up unnaturally colored hair before moving to China to teach last year, as I knew I'd need to maintain a professional appearance (blue hair not included). Since I'm no longer working, I figured I ought to take advantage of the opportunity to color my hair again.

Finding hair color product was not as easy here as it is back in the USA. In Michigan, all I had to do was run to the local pro store, pick out my favorite brands, flash my license, and go home to my tool kit and get it done.

Here, I had to go to one of the most interesting 'malls' in Penang, where there was a rumor that stores selling professional hair products existed. We couldn't find any of the shops till we asked a guy working in a salon to point us in the general direction. Once we got going, we actually found four different pro shops--but all were quite small, without the variety I'm used to. At each of the first three shops we struck out where blue color was concerned, but at the 4th and final shop in the mall I finally found blue--not the bright blue I'd been hoping for, but blue nonetheless.

I decided to do a fairly fine slice through my bangs compared to the chunky blue streaks I've rocked in the past, because I wasn't sure how much I'd like this shade of blue. It's very dark, nearly a "navy blue," which feels like an odd shade in my hair--almost like a very 'subtle' blue--if blue hair could ever be called subtle. I feel like to really get the effect I want with this navy blue, I'd have to do slices of the color all throughout my hair. I prefer the insanely bright blue I used to have. (Check out that link to see the variety of styles and colors I've had in recent years.)

I'm still feeling my way with this one--this color is permanent color on bleached hair, in the past I used semi-permanent on bleached hair, so I'm going to see how this one fades and see if it turns into the lighter, brighter blue I'm looking for. It's been a few days since these photos were taken and the blue has lightened a little and become more visible, which I'm liking--when it's too dark, it kind of blends into my dark hair. Weird, huh? I might end up adding a thicker chunk to my bangs or else I'll cut my bangs differently so that the blue shadow shows through a little better.

I missed my blue hair so much, and even though I feel this isn't quite the look I want yet, I love having the familiar feeling of looking up through a blue fringe of hair again. I do wish I could get my old Tressa Xtremers Blue back ...or maybe I'll compromise with another color (purple)...though I do love blue best.

What's your favorite color for hair? I think mine's obvious. If it's not dark brown...it's blue!