Hair Curling – The Modern Day Torture

Ok so I don’t know why I or any of us do this but we do. In the strive for beauty perfection we put ourselves through hell. (Well it’s not as bad walking on hot coals but it’s definitely a first world problem many of us endure) I’m talking about hair curling. I’m going to call it the Modern Day Torture. I describe it like having a tattoo; you endure stupid amounts of pain for an end result and then you completely forget about the pain until the next time.

My search for the perfect curling tool

I have naturally pretty straight thick hair. As I’ve got older I’ve played around with loads of different tools for hair curling. From tongs, to wands, from the Aurora Band to Velcro rollers, I’ve tried pretty much all there is to. I have drawers and cupboards full but I’m yet to be 100% satisfied with anything I’ve found.

I’m like most people though, I want what I don’t have. I’ve been striving for curly hair for years but never seem to be able to get them just as I want them.

What did I use?

This time I decided to dig out my old Velcro rollers. My mum bought them for me as a Christmas present a couple of years ago. They came in a lovely cute silk drawstring bag. A set of 12 in total I believe in three different sizes.

I have used this set before but I couldn’t really remember how they turned out. “What have I got to loose by trying them out again?”

What happened?

I sectioned my hair. Biggest rollers on the top of my head and the smaller ones round the side. Simple enough. I secured them into place with grips. Gave them a spritz of hair spray and we were off.

Hair Curling

I did worry how they were going to stay in my hair though. So a stroke of genius came over my and I decided to put a bandanna on. I was pretty please with the way I looked with that on, never mind the end result. I was worrying whether I was going to be able to sleep in them but I thought it was worth giving them a shot.

I laid in bed on my back and things seemed ok. I made sure that there were no grips jabbing me in the head and especially the ears. I couldn’t cope with much more aggravation of my industrial piercing. Seemed ok. Laid and watched tv for a bit. Not too bad and then slowly the ache started. The pressure of the way the rollers were positioned was pulling on the back of my head. Grips were poking a bit too. That’s ok I’ll just roll over… Oh no you won’t. That was even worse. I tried my pillow in all sorts of positions. Nope. Nothing. Ok so we were in for the long haul. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to get much sleep. In the end I must have but I woke up about every hour tossing and turning not able to find a comfortable position. “Should I take them out? Should I give up?” I thought. Nope, I’m not a quitter. I will endure unnecessary pain for an unknown gain.

I’ve started to realize that the process of curling your hair is like baking a cake, you put a hell of a lot of effort in to creating what you hope will be a delightful product but there is no certainty or guarantee what you will get. Will it be a complete disaster? Will it be amazing? You don’t know until right at the end.

What were the results?

Hair Curling Afterwards

After what seemed like the worst night sleep, I got up, did my usual morning routine and it was the moment I’d been waiting for.

Ta da!

Well I was expecting more curls but I always do.

Overall I was pretty happy though. I’d decided to put the rollers in because I wanted more volume, not because I wanted a curly mop.

The review

The results: 6/10 – The curls didn’t last very long. It did look like a good blow-dry.
The process: 2/10 – The only reason I’m not giving it 1/10 because I know I’ve used some other method before that was more painful but for the life of me I can’t remember until I subject myself to it next time.

Anyway. I will continue to test out these processes. Hopefully finding the easiest and most pain free solution.

Xoxoxo

Unnecessary and Useless Hairstyle – What is the point?

The weekend before last I witnessed what I can only be described as an unnecessary and useless hairstyle.

What happened?

I went out into Barnsley with the significant other. We went to a place called the Grill Pit and indulged in way to much grilled and BBQ food washed down with a number of cocktails and numerous beers.

Afterwards we decided to head upstairs to Jock’s Cavern, which is a cool rock/indie bar where they often have live music.

We settled into the atmosphere and engaged in the drinking and unorganized swaying to covers of popular rock songs.

I love to people watch and spend most of my time squinting (as I barely go “out” with my glasses on). I spotted the regulars: roadies, young overly dressed 18 year olds way too over dressed for the venue, groups of guys on the pull, drunk 50 plus women and a birthday group.

It was all going well until a group of, what I can imagine, were early twenties, fashionable girls. There were four of them. One had long hair, just down. One had a top knot. One had her hair down with some of it clipped up off her face. And the other……… well!

Imagine a top knot but at the back of your head. Only taking the hair of a 4 inch square lower than the crown.

Something like this
Useless Hair Style

In my head I asked the following questions:

  • Did she forget to take it out?
  • Was it that ridiculous that she thought she was setting some kind of trend?
  • Because it was at the back of her head did she not notice it was there?
  • Did someone play a joke on her?
  • Did it have a purpose that wasn’t obvious, like creating a surgery free face lift?The questions kept coming with no logical answer.

I decided I couldn’t be witnessing this so I decided I needed photographic evidence to write a post on here. Emily after a couple of pints/cocktails didn’t have her best judgement at hand…cue reaching for her phone and turning around to take a quick snap on her phone…

Wait…

No

No!

NOOOOOO!!!!

THE FLASH WAS ON!!!

ABORT, ABORT, ABORT MISSION!!

I panicked and as quick as I could swung my arm and made it (what I thought) look like I was taking a picture of the bar.

Phew catastrophe avoided! I think…

What’s this girl’s problem?

A lot of people who know me know that I may have struggled for some time to accept that the “top knot” is a thing. I struggled to come to terms with the fact that there was a tending hair style for men. Seemed strange at first. Then came women with top knots. Again it seems odd but I accepted it. I have no idea what this hair style would have even been called: The Back Knot? The No Point at all Knot Who knows?!

In conclusion

I learnt the following things:

  • Drunk Emily cannot and does not remember to turn her flash of when taking photos of unsuspecting targets
  • I will definitely THINK and CHECK before I ever attempt to do this again
  • I have real issues with hairstyles that aren’t practical or look good
  • I can deal with different variations of “top knot” but not a bloody “back knot”