#NaturalWoman

"Vanity dies hard; in some obstinate cases it outlives the man."

~Robert Louis Stevenson

I have a secret to confess: I dye my hair. I started getting pesky whitish-gray hairs when I turned 18; I began dying my hair IMMEDIATELY - I was far too young to be sporting that type of mature look! Once I was a little older and gainfully employed,  I had my hair dyed by a professional; going to the salon was an (expensive) every 6-week treat to myself. I would arrive, change into a coloring gown top, take a sip from my nice cool glass of cucumber water and instantly feel the stresses of the outer world melt away. The next 2-3 hours would be spent catching up with my stylist, processing under a dryer (damn you resistant grays!), laughing with my shampoo girl and trying to make it to the register without purchasing any additional products to take home. I would emerge from the salon feeling alive, beautiful and full of renewed confidence! Who knew hair color (and a good cut) could do all that?

Well, once one starts dying, one really can't stop; at least not if you're interested in going out in public without a hat. Dying my hair is now one of my least favorite chores. Granted, dying one's own hair is considerably more cost-effective (less than $10 a box), and that matters, since my unemployed beauty budget is basically zero dollars. In my previous life I used to balk at the slightest sign of roots (color emergency!); I am much more relaxed about it now -- an inch of regrowth? -- I can wait another few days...  So, here I am nearly two decades later gloved up in my bathroom doing the deed for myself. *Sigh* I really miss the serenity of the salon and the cucumber water.

As you've probably guessed, I'm not a girly-girl by any means. Sure, I like pretty things and love a little bling here and there, but I don't wear make-up all the time and I don't wear a lot of pink. In fact, my favorite accessory to wear while running errands is a baseball cap (just plain black, no MLB allegiance for me); coloring is my one true feminine vanity vice. I hope that when I finally do decide to go 'au naturel' I look as good and happy as this beautiful woman:

Getty Images

There's no other way to end this post except with a song, enjoy...  Natural Woman