Tuesday, May 20, 2008

A pathetic plea for help

In the wonderful film "Educating Rita" there is a scene that has haunted me for the last twenty five years.


Not the bravery of a working class girl fighting to better herself despite the ridicule she faces as a non-traditional university student. Not the hope and eventual love she inspires in her professor or even the bittersweet ending.

No, the scene that has haunted me for twenty five years is in the salon where she cuts hair for a living. A fat, dumpy, middle-aged woman presents Rita with a photo of Princess Diana and says "Make me look like that." Ever since I saw the movie I have lived in fear of being that woman.


I need a haircut badly but I need some advice first. Please save me from being a deluded middle aged woman with a picture of a haircut she can never possibly wear!


This is me... no not on a bad hair day, this is a pretty typical hair day. The unfortunate look on my face is because Delaney had my camera and was taking dozens of close-up pictures of the dinner I was trying to cook.



I have a round face and a pointy nose. I think my eyes are my best feature but my bangs tend to hide them. My hair has suddenly become more gray than I am comfortable with so that's going to have to change too. Oh.. and I wasn't wearing any makeup in this photo either. Why did I choose to use it? Because, sadly enough, it's the best current photo I have.

This is how my hair is currently cut... sort of. My neck is a lot shorter than hers so the back fringe is always sticking into my collar and my bangs stubbornly refuse to do that graceful swoop.

And these are some of the cuts I'm considering.
I think I probably don't have long enough hair or enough neck for this one but I like the way it frames her face.

These two are pretty much the same cut. I think it would work better with the short neck but I'm worried my face will just look rounder.





I think the shorter length of this one would be easier to manage but I'm not sure I want to lose that much length.

Then again... perhaps I'll just cut it all off and go back to super short hair. It's certainly easier to deal with although I worry that I don't look very feminine with very short hair. However, with the mood I'm in right now I really need to decide something soon or I might just shave it all off!


What do you all think? I honestly think that you all are far more stylish than I am and I trust your opinions. Help me.. I'm desperate!


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Here's an additional picture of me when my hair was short... it was taken two years ago.


9 comments:

nicrogers said...

I think the one with the swooping bangs is pretty and very similar to your cut but I think your bangs are too short to swoop that way. I really like the second picture (after yours). I think the cut is pretty and the bangs look like they would work for you at your current length. It looks kind of like a French cut where they really frame the face with lots of wisps and layering. Realistically though you know it is virtually impossible to replicate those looks on people like us. We don't have someone doing our hair every day for us. Plus, we are older.And not quite as pretty or thin as those models. lol I am having the same hairlemma. I dont know what to do with mine. The cut is OK, I doubt I will go shorter but the gray is unbelievable. I color my hair myself so the bottom is much darker than the newer growth on top. Not a pretty site. With the gray coming in so much, I was thinking going lighter may be just the ticket. That way when the gray comes in, it isn't as noticeable. But the cost of coloring on a regular basis. My goodness! I dont think I can afford that. Oh to have been born rich instead of beautiful...........

OH wait, back to you. I think you should definitely not lose too much of the current length. That one picture at the end is just way too short. Whatever you decide, make sure you tell your stylist that you want her/him to show you exactly how to style your new hair. Also, make sure you go someplace where they actually know what they are doing. You get what you pay for...And dont be afraid to tell them when you are making your appointment that you want someone with a lot of experience. Then ask the person to do a consultation with you before they wash your hair. Good luck!!

dkuroiwa said...

Hey Gina....and the "S.S. What The Hell Are We Going To Do With Our Hair" boat is about ready to depart!!! We all have our tickets....now what?!?!? :-D
Personally, you picked my favorite cuts as your choices....I love the 3rd and 4th (the two together that are similiar...shorter in back and then angled down, longer to the front!)....my hair is too thin/straight/fine to successfully do that one, but I think you could!! A cut like that is good for your shape of face, I think. And it would really bring out your eyes more.
What color are you thinking of going?? After seeing your picture, I can almost picture you as a reddish-brown kind of woman...heavy on the red...Koji's hair is that color and it is beautiful!!!

Have you ever gone to one of those websites where you download your picture and then (for a small fee, I'm sure) you can "try on" different hairstyles and colors from their collection?!?! That is so much fun to do and a great way to find out, not only what 'might' work, but also what will 'definitely NOT' work!! You might give that a shot!!!
Good luck...looking forward to see what you decide!!

Mrs. G. said...

I like three. I think it would frame your face nicely and the model's hair texture looks similar to your own. Don't go super short-I have that same problem with not feeling feminine. Good luck, cuteness.

Mrs. G. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Taylor said...

You should get a pixie cut. Jk Jk. And forget what I said last night about losing the weight you want, then cutting your hair short and dying it bright purple. =D

What I think you should do is go with the third picture, except don't angle your part. Part your hair down the middle, and instead of curling it in like that, get REALLY choppy layers, and then keep them straight. You'd have to use that volumizing cream I was wearing yesterday, so if that hurts your head, then find another volumizing thing without as much perfuminess, or don't get that haircut. =D I just don't think that that hairstyle with curlyness would frame your face as good as you think. (Not an insult) And I love your expressions in those pics!

Karen MEG said...

I like the maybe a combo of #2/3, keeping the length where it is or even a bit longer. With some layering to give you a bit more height, and side part, wispy bangs. I agree with the others, the shorter cut isn't great (I don't think pixie can be pulled off by anyone except runway models, just MHO).

This is exciting though, going for a new cut, colour even... have fun with it (I'm always about changing it up a bit, 40s are fun, right ;)?

JCK said...

I like your short hairdo from a couple of years ago!

Gina said...

Thank you all so much for your help! I have an appointment tomorrow morning. I'm still in a shave it all off mood so I may just print out your comments and take them with me!

Nic, I love you! "Oh to have been born rich instead of beautiful" I'm not sure even having someone to do my hair daily would solve my problems but it's a nice thought.

Debbie, Thanks for the hairstyler suggestion. Taking a picture of myself with my hair all pulled back was rather ego deflating though. OMG am I old!

Mrs. G, Thanks for the luck I think I need it.

Taylor, I will be relying on your expertise to help me style whatever I end up with.

Karen, the year I turned 40 I cut off all my hair. It was halfway down my back but I almost always put up in a bun and I decided it had to change drastically. Our 40's can be fun if we have a sense of adventure.. and humor.

JCK, I loved that cut but when we left CA I lost it. The first stylist who cut my hair here totally butchered it plus gave me tiger stripe highlights. I really felt like she was trying to make me look bad! Since then I have just let my hair go to the dogs.. actually the dogs have nicer hair than I do. hmmm...

ms-teacher said...

I just had a rather nice post, but blogger lost it. UGH!

I like a combination of 2 and 3 as well. The length in both cuts are good, but I would go for something with more framing around your face, like in picture 2.

Good luck & be sure to post your pics if you're happy with your cut!