You asked: What shade I use to get my dark red hair colour

Cheerful Sunday morning greetings, sweet dears, I hope that you're each in the midst of a relaxing (hopefully not too rain drenched!) weekend.

Following on the heels of last week's post in I discussed my skin care routine, which came about based on on a comment left by a lovely fellow blogger, I thought it would be fun to do another post today in response to a question that recently arrived regarding my hair colour.

In the comments on my vintage outfit post the Monday before last, a fascinating, inspiring Australian woman who blogs at Living With Bob, said the following:

 

"Have to ask, what is your hair colour? It's a really great shade."

So sweet of you to ask, dear lady, thank you very much for your question. My hair colour (seen in the photo below, which was taken a couple of days after I coloured it last) comes from not just a bottle, but a drug store bottle to boot! But first, before I share the shade, a teeny bit of history about my long time partnership with hair dye.

 

 

My hair (which as avid readers of this blog may recall) is fraught with problems (it's bone straight, ultra fine, and has been falling out continually since I was 14.5 years old), it's also (in its natural state) a rather dreary, lackluster and uninspiring shade of mousy browny-blonde.

As a child my hair was so pale and perfectly golden blonde that one could easily have been forgiven for assuming I was the product of Swedish parents (which is not the case).

{Me and my pale blonde hair - of the sort of hue that only youth can ever truly impart, circa 1989.}

 

Growing up my paternal grandmother told me numerous times that I'd turn into a brunette (like some of her daughters did) when I hit puberty, but alas (though my eye colour changed from blue to green - which I adored, green having always been my favourite eye hue) her prediction did not pan out.

I waited and waited and waited, but by 16 (having long morphed in appearance from a little girl into a woman) the promised brunette locks had still not arrived. Instead of being a chestnut or espresso manned lass, my hair had lost its pale blonde lustre and turned into something dingy and muted in colour - a hue sometimes referred to, rather gloomily, as dishwater brown. So, like countless teenagers before and after who are not pleased with their natural hair colour, I began dying mine.

The first hair colour I ever selected was red, specifically a bright red shade from Herbal Essence. It wasn't clownish, but it was certainly redolent of a tomato. It was cute and fun, and so, so different from anything I'd ever seen my head look like before.

In the years following that I played around with a number of colours, trying various blondes, browns, and reds. Once, envisioning that I might end up being able to pull off a Snow White-esque vibe, I even went starkly raven black. It didn't work. At all. The colour took, of that there was no doubt, but for some reason having black hair made the pink undertones in my skin seem a hundred times more obvious then they usually are and instead of looking like a fairy tale princess, I might as well have auditioned for the role of a sunburned wicked witch!

A couple of days of being teased mercilessly and one hefty salon bill later, I returned to being a golden blonde for a while and quickly tried to bury the memory of my flirtation  coal hued tresses. Around the time I was 19, I stopped colouring my hair for about three years and my natural hue returned. It was no better than I'd remembered it to be, but I had more pressing things than hair colour on my mind at the time and didn't mind seeing that "dishwater" mop in the mirror most days.

When I was 22 I decided to start dying my hair again. I went to a salon and expressly asked for (with pictures in hand) a soft shade of strawberry blonde. It didn't happen. When the foil came off and the water ran clear, I was a plumy-auburn headed gal. And yet, I didn't really mind. It looked good and I started getting compliments right, left and center, so I left it that shade for a few months.

In the end, I'm glad that the colour came out much darker than anticipated/planned because it helped me realize that opting for a darker shade helped hid how thin my hair was becoming. As such, over the last five years since then I've stuck with various medium to dark shades of brown, auburn, and red. Though I do sometimes yearn to be a blonde again, most days the voices die down almost as quickly as they pipe up.

As my health often makes it impossible for me to visit the salon any more these days, for over four years now, I've been colouring my hair at home. I've always had great results and love the money I save by doing a little DIY hair dying every few weeks.

As anyone who has ever opted for ruby locks will tell you, red hair colouring is (rightfully) notorious for fading faster than a one hit wonder's singing career. However, if you limit the frequency of washes, use products (shampoo, conditioner, leave-in hair mask, etc) that are especially formulated for redheads, and don't go swimming (without a bathing cap) too often, it's not as hard as you may have been lead to believe to keep your red hair colour looking vibrant and fresh.

My hair grows at a fairly normal rate, so (tempting as it would be to pull a Gwen Stefani or Marilyn Monroe and have my colour touched up every few days) I'll usually go about four to five weeks between colourings. If I know there's an important even coming up and I don't want even very short roots to show, I'll recolour (or do my roots, as the case may be) sooner, but again, I to usually like to let at least a month go by between dye jobs.

Which brings us to the colour that I've been using for about a year now: Intense Medium Red Copper 564 from the Garnier Nutrisse Cream collection.

{Image via Garnier.ca}

I've tried at least one shade from just about all of the major home hair colour brands  (available here in Canada) over the years, and have to say that the the formula used in the Nutrisse Cream line makes it my very favourite home hair colour to date. Like many home hair colouring kits, this one includes a two part dye system and a small tube of conditioner. Once mixed, the dye has a creamy, pleasant consistently akin to a thin mayonnaise.

One kit more than covers my fine, shoulder length hair and has proven to deliver very consistent results each time I used it (whether to recolour completely or just to touch up my roots). The cream formula means that, if you're careful (and not overly rushed) as you apply the dye to your hair, it generally drips, runs, and splatters, much (much!) less than more liquid based formulas.

While most of the excess dye washes out in your initial shower, I do find however that it usually takes two to four hair washings before the water runs crystal clear every time (from there on out) that I shower. This may however stem in part from the fact that I have fine, thin hair and that I usually (if I'm recolouring) use a whole bottle of dye.

Even this point though, scarcely detracts from how much I like this variety of at home hair colouring. Aside from the aforementioned perks, I find that (so long as I don't wash my hair too often - which I generally do not do, as I love to pin set or rag curl my hair and often go three to six days between hair washes, slipping on a shower cap for showers and baths on the days when I don't clean my hair) the colour holds up really, really well for a DIY hair kit.

In fact, I'd say that this particular shade of red delivers the longest lasting colour I've ever had from a home dye job. Plus, it's not overly drying and I haven't found it made my hair even the tiniest bit more brittle or prone to split ends (yay!).

{Up close and personal with a forehead level shot of my hair colour, Intense Medium Red Copper 564 from Garnier Nutrisse, that I've been smitten with for months now.}

I love the intensity, the subtle highlights and lowlights that this shade delivers. While I doubt many people think this hair colour is my God-given one, I like the fact that it's not overly in-your-face. It doesn't look like I'm going for a far out colour, it's just a rich, alluring garnet inspired hue that works well with my skin and eye tones, and which I think really compliments the over all image that I try to project with my appearance.

As I'm pleased as punch with this colour, I have no immediate plans to change it any time soon. If and when I do one, assuming I'm colouring my hair at home, I'll likely stick with the Nutrisse Cream line - especially because I really love how little it splatters and drips - which means less potential bathroom staining to worry about - while I'm applying the dye. If you've been looking for a deep medium red hair colour, I highly recommend this shade.

Remember to keep your questions coming, ladies and gents, whether they're about some aspect of my own appearance/style or anything pertaining to vintage fashion, lifestyle of history in general, I adore answering them!

Wishing you all a sublimely beautiful Sunday - and the very best if you ever opt for to give my particular shade of red hair colour a spin yourself.

You asked: My skincare routine revealed

Until very recently, I never thought there was anything too special about my skin. You, sweet dears, however are starting to convince me otherwise.

On my wardrobe posts lately, you've left some wonderfully kind comments about my skin, such as that from fellow vintage blogger Heather Jean of Ghosts and Garters (on my Sporting the palette of early spring post) who first said, "Good lord woman!! You have the most luminous skin I have ever seen, and frankly I'm jealous."

Ummmmm, that's only one of nicest compliments ever. Thank you times a million!

But that wasn't all, in a second comment on the same post, sweet Heather Jean asked, "....Actually, I'm really curious as to whether your skincare routine is vintage as well as the rest of you life!?? Cold cream and the like or modern potions?

As other commenters have also been making me blush as red as ruby with nice words about my complexion lately, I figured it was high time I did a post about my skin care routine. I'd contemplated writing about this topic in the past, but given how ridiculously basic and straight forward my beauty regiment (on the skin front at least) is, I hadn't given in to the thought until now.

I positively love answering your questions though, so without further ado here is my what I do to help keep my ultra sensitive, very dry skin in photo worthy shape.

I think the most logical way to take you on a journey through my skin care routine is to pretend that it's the first thing in the morning and I've just gotten up. As I tend to be a shower in the evening kind of gal (all the better to pin or rag curl one’s hair), I don't usually bath or shower in the AM. This means that when I wake up, I like to give my face a nice refreshing wash before applying my cosmetics.

Taking a classic terrycloth washcloth in hand and running the water until it's a little hotter than luke warm, I reach for my bottle of Puritas Sensitive Skin Cleansing Milk. This wonderfully gentle cleansing lotion (and its complimentary toner, which follows on the cleansing milk's heels) is available from many of the grocery stores here in Canada that sell President’s Choice beauty products.

After applying, messaging in, and rinsing off the cleaning milk, I apply and rub in a splash or two of toner. I've been using both of these products for about three years and have found them to be amongst the mildest and most agreeable for my finicky skin that I've ever encountered. The fact that they both cost less than $8.00 a piece just adds to their appeal.

Once my face is dry and has had a few minutes to "breath" before getting whisked under a day's worth of make-up, I generously apply Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. One of the brand's oldest and most iconic products, this moisturizer sinks into my skin in a matter of seconds and works like a dream.

I rub it not only onto my face, but also to all of my neck and décolletage area. On more than one occasion I've asked graceful, lovely older women for their favourite beauty tips and have routine been told to moisturize these areas, so as to help slow down the signs of aging. As it clearly seems to have worked wonders for them, I'm more than happy to heed their advice.

If my skin happens to be a little blotching, skin parched, wind whipped, or otherwise irritated, and I feel like I need some backup on the moisturizing front, I'll reach for my pot of Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer with SPF 20.

Much like the Dramatically Different Lotion, this rich, quick-to-absorb moisturizer leaves my skin happy as a clam and has often done a great job over the years of, indeed, evening out any slight skin discolorations.

Though I'm not often struck with too many blemish problems, like all of us, I do get the occasional spot that needs tending to. When that happens, I dab on a little bit of Clean and Clear Invisible Blemish Treatment (before I put on my make-up).

I've been using this inexpensive, available-at-almost-any-drug store pimple fighter, as needed, since I was a teenager and find it works quite well on most minor blemishes. If a spot is especially troublesome, I'll toss this in my handbag (or tuck it in my pocket) and reply a couple of more times throughout the day.

Dry skin has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, so I slather on moisturizer from head-to-toe both in the morning and again before bed (after I hop out of the shower). I'm partial to Vaseline Intensive Rescue Unfragranced Lotion, as I find it effective (it soaks into my skin in a wink) and also like the fact that it's pretty wallet-friendly.

A big bottle last for weeks and weeks, and is especially good for extra dry areas like cracked heels or those pesky patches that can pop up anywhere during the winter months.

As a toss-it-in-my-bag-and-go kind of skin lotion, I often keep a little tube of Vaseline Dry Skin Conditioning Lotion with me. It works much like the Intensive Rescue, absorbs in a flash, and has never irritated my sensitive skin (yay!).

Generally speaking, to keep my super-easy-to-irritate skin in good spirits, I need to avoid fragranced skin care products like the plague. One awesome notable exception to that rule however, has been all of the products I've tried so far from the brand Desert Essence Organics.

My favourite of their items is the Vanilla Chai Hand and Body Lotion. Not only is it so deliciously appealing smelling it can work in place of (or in tandem with various types of) perfume, my skin absorbs it at the speed of light, and the subtly spicy, alluring scent lingers pleasingly for hours. Best of all, my epidermis couldn't be happier with it.

As you may have noticed from my outfit posts, I have rather fair skin with (what I've long dubbed) a strawberries and cream complexion. As such, when exposed to the sun (especially during the warmer months of the years), I really and truly burn faster than a piece of toast.

It's downright freakish how quickly my skin can look like a lobster's shell, so for that reason - as well as all of the other pros of wearing sunscreen - I make sure to apply a light layer of a sensitive skin-friendly, high SPF sunblock such as Coppertone's Oil Free SPF 45. I like the fact that this brand has been around for decades, is easy to source, and doesn't cost an (safely un-sunburned) arm and a leg.

Let's pretend that evening has come and it's now time to whisk off my make-up for the day. First I reach for a flat cotton pad (or double layer of Kleenex) and use Clinique Rise-off Eye Makeup Solvent (followed by, if needed, a layer of Pond’s Cold Cream).

This oil-free remover gets all of my make-up - eye and otherwise - off (I don't often wear waterproof cosmetics, but on those occasions when I have, this product has had no trouble with all traces of those off, too), and has never, ever irritated my skin.

About once a week (sometimes twice in the summer, when one tends to perspire and product more oil, which can clog pores or irritate skin), I love using St. Ives Gentle Apricot Scrub in conjunction with a terrycloth face towel. Though scented, this product has lived up to its claim for me, as it's proven to be very sensitive skin-friendly, while working like a charm to help give my face a fresh, youthful glow afterwards.

Once I get out of the shower, I apply moisturizer moisturizer from from top-to-bottom (usually the Vaseline of Desert Essence Organics ones mentioned above) and let it soak in completely. Then, for a soothing night time scent that instantly transports me back to my childhood, I'll sometimes apply a light sprinkling of classic, silky Johnson's Baby Powder before slipping into my nightgown.

While I often use Clinique's Dramatically Different lotion at night on my freshly washed skin, too, if I feel like I need something even thicker and richer, I'll apply a light layer (it takes a little while to sink in) of Nivea Regenerating Night Care cream to my face and neck (and sometimes my hands and feet as well, if they're especially dry or cracked).

 

Not pictured, but also commonly used:

Vaseline Original Jelly: for everything from chapped lips to frayed cuticles

Dove Beauty Bar Sensitive Skin: I use this classic white bar for everything from shaving my legs to washing my face (if I'm running low on cleansing milk or just want a change of pace).

Badger Classic Lip Balm in Unscented: Perfect for chapped lips, as well rubbed gently into any especially dry patches on my face.

Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser: This trusted, decades old product speaks for itself, and is still - hands down - one of the best ways I've ever encountered get off even the most stubborn traces of make-up.

♥  ♥ ♥

That's it, folks, my skin care routine for the average day is now taken care. Using and applying these  beloved products takes but a few minutes of my day, but make such a drastically noticeable difference that I could scarcely imagine not having them on hand at all times.

At its heart, my skin care routine veers more on the vintage side. I've tried scores of products over the years, but usually come back to this same handful time and time again. I don't buy speciality eye creams, use retinol, or get any cosmetic procedures done. I haven't felt the need for such things yet. Perhaps one day, but for now I'm very content to be a soap, water, and moisturizer kind of gal.

And that, I think, gives weight to the notion that my skin care routine is rooted more in the traditions of the past, than the high tech, antioxidant that, peptide this world of modern beauty products.

These items work for me. In fact they tend to work really, really well, otherwise I wouldn't keep them around. There are too many skin care options on the market - even for those with dry and/or sensitive skin - to put up with lackluster products.

I don't have any hush-hush skin care secrets (sorry), just a down pat group of products that I turn to to keep my skin happy, (according to you sweetie pies) glowing, and generally healthy. I'd love to hear about which of these classic products you use, as well as the others that comprise your own skin care regiment.

You may have noticed that cosmetics (save for facial moisturizers) are not included in this post. That's because I wanted to focus on what I do specifically to help my skin before a lick of make-up goes on to it – plus I'm planning on doing a post about my favourite (and most used) make-up products (those that I turn to daily for my 1940s and 50s inspired looks) in a future entry here.

Thank you again very much, dear Heather Jean, for your terrifically kind words and for asking the query that prompted this post. As mentioned above, I always adore it when you gals ask me questions and welcome you to keep them coming on any topic.

Who knows, your inquiry might just lead to a future post, too.