ExposedNYC

When I get bored, I get impulsive. Walking home from work tonight, I stopped into the drug store to pick up a couple things. As I turned down the shampoo aisle, I was struck by the row of smiling women staring back at me from shelves and shelves of hair color boxes.

In that moment, I decided it was time for a change. I picked up box after box, trying to keep in mind the lesson that mom taught me years ago- don’t choose your color based on how pretty the girl’s face is. Sometimes it helps to cover their faces with your hand, which I always feel a little bad about, as if I’m insulting them, but it’s really just to keep my mind focused.

I’ve wanted to go darker for a little while, largely because I like to go against conventional wisdom. Any trained professional will tell you to go darker in the winter and lighter in the summer to accentuate changes in skin tone. My defiant side tends to disagree, and usually wins, but tonight after mulling over five different boxes I grabbed a shade slightly lighter than my own and raced to the counter before I could change my mind again.

Then I could barely wait to get home. There is something about changing your appearance that makes you feel as if your whole life is about to change. As if tomorrow I could walk out the door, flip my hair over my shoulder and turn every head on the block, the way they did in those “Jhirmack bounce-back beautiful hair” commercials. I tore off my clothes, put on a pair of grungy shorts and wrapped an old towel around my shoulders so I could get started.

It always feels like eons waiting for the allotted time to pass before you’re allowed to rinse, so I tried to distract myself with the latest episode of Best Week Ever. Eighteen years later I jumped in the shower to unveil my new look. I rinsed thoroughly and followed up with that conditioner they include (that I swear to god makes your hair feel life a cashmere sweater). I really wish they would bottle that stuff because I would buy it in jugs.

I toweled off, looked in the mirror and lo-and-behold…not that different. Here I was thinking I was picking the more drastic choice by going lighter and I really just got basic brown with a little touch of red when the light hits it. My heart sank a little bit, imagining the theme music cued for my walk down the street tomorrow slowly fading into silence.

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