Product Reviews: L'oreal ColorZap + John Frieda Precision Foam Hair Color

I have had black hair for about a year now. I loved that black hair dye didn't really damage my hair, and that it was an easy color to apply on my own. I didn't really have to worry about unevenness or missed spots. I'd just slather even on so that my whole head was saturated. But sadly, my love affair with black has ended. It's fall, my skin is ghostly white and I am sick of dealing with my light-colored roots.

So, this past weekend seemed a better time than ever to strip the black from my hair. I am sharing my findings with you.

1. L'Oreal Color Zap: About $11, Sally Beauty Supply.



I did some internet research (mostly via YouTube) on the best way to strip black hair-color from my hair. It quickly became clear that a lot of people were using L'Oreal ColorZap. YouTubers seemed to be getting pretty good results, so I thought I'd give it a try. This product claims to remove artificial pigments from hair with minimal damage to your hair (as long as your hair isn't already damaged -- that's a big disclaimer in the directions). So, did it live up to its expectations for me? Not really. I think this product was worth using, certainly. It did lift the harshness of black from my hair, but unfortunately it only left the length of my hair a dark chocolate color. (My roots were bright white! So, pretty scary.) Now, I'm going to assume the lack of significant color change was because I have been dying it black for a whole year. It looked like the section of my hair that was roots before the last time I dyed it black was slightly lighter than the rest. So, maybe if you only dye it black once and you also use semi-permanent dye, Color Zap might work for you. My hair was freshly cut and in great condition before using L'Oreal Color Zap. Afterwards, it felt dry and rough. I would rate this product better than bleach or blonde dye for removing black from your hair, but it is still a long shot from a magic fix.

2. John Frieda Precision Foam Home Hair Color: Under $12, available at WalMart, KMart, and most drug/grocery stores.



I used the 3vR Radient Red "Deep Cherry Brown" color. I was looking to dye my hair a deep burgandy shade, and this was the closest match. This product claims to be drip-free and precise -- leaving no uneven or blotchy spots on the hair. I was skeptical about foam hair dye, but now I'm a believer.  It was so easy to apply to my hair. It wasn't dripping all over my body and my bathroom floor like traditional hair dyes. One box was enough to cover all of my hair - and I have a lot of hair. With traditional dyes, I always have to buy two boxes. The color looks great -- surprisingly good for what it looked like after using the ColorZap color stripper. My hair did not seem to be damaged by this dye. (However, the ColorZap did damage it, so it's gonna need some TLC.) I think I am going to keep using foam hair color. I love this product, but I wish they had move vivid colors.

Occupy Wall Street

Whatever your feelings, you have to admit that it is good to see young people actually banding together to change something. Our generation is constantly accused of being apathetic, which is often a correct accusation, so it's nice to see something happening.

I am not blaming anyone for my college loan debt. I chose to go to a good school, one that was not cheap, at all. That was my choice. However, it is scary as hell to think that the job that took almost an entire year to get after my graduation is not secure. No one's job is ever 100% secure, I get that. I work in an optometry office. The calls for appointments get fewer and fewer everyday. Customers are scared to spend any money. They only get what their insurance covers. I am terrified. I know if business does not pick up, I'll be the one to go. I'm the newest and the youngest. And this isn't even a job that has anything remotely to do with my college education. THAT is what we're angry about. It's no one's fault in particular, but when the President suggested a bill that can help get our nation back on track -- a bill that might help me keep my job, or help my friends GET jobs -- and we see so many people trying to shoot it down, we get mad. The possibility of losing my job is very real. I will no longer afford to pay my bills and my loans and would be forced to move back in with my family, even though I've just been able to move out.

Okay, stepping off my soapbox and going back to fashion. Hey, didja see some of those cool outfits?

This is video I recorded while walking through Manhattan on 10/08/2011. Even though I was not marching with them, it felt like I was experiencing history in the making.

Street Fashion in Central Park, 10/08/2011 New York City

Last weekend, I took a trip to New York City with my boyfriend to visit my mother and to do some sight seeing (it was my boyfriend's first time in NYC). We explored the city and had a great time! I wore my new Dolce Vita for Target boots. I found them on eBay for only $15 including shipping! I wanted to buy them when they were available at Target, but they sold out in my size. They are actually more comfortable than my old sneakers, amazingly enough, and I was doing A LOT of walking.



We spent much of Saturday touring Central Park. I must admit, the park keeps getting nicer and nicer. One thing that never changes about New York is the fabulous street fashion. I managed to snap a few photos:









And, by a complete stroke of luck, we ran into the Occupy Wallstreet movement in Manhattan as they were leaving the park they'd been protesting in and were relocating.

A Look at the Upcoming Versace collaboration with H&M

This past weekend, my boyfriend and I took a short vacation to New York City, and for the long bus ride home I picked up the new issue of Vogue. As I read through the magazine, I came to the feature on Versace's upcoming diffusion line the fashion house is launching with H&M. (For those of you who are like me and don't know what diffusion line means, it's basically a more affordable, redesigned version of an expensive designer line.) I'm still mourning the loss of my chance at snagging a piece from the Missoni for Target line that is still technically going on, but as most fashionistas will tell you, the shelves are bare, so the article in Vogue was pretty exciting for me. The Missoni for Target line sold out within days of release online and in my local Target. I wanted at least a cardigan, but no dice. Perhaps, like the Dolce Vita line, I'll be able to scrounge something up on eBay. (I found a pair of Dolce Vita for Target boots with the gold buckles and zippers for only $15, including shipping! I'll show them off in my next post!)



The Versace line will have two roll-out dates, the first being Novermber 17th and the second coming January 19th of next year. The first installment will include woman and menswear as well as goods for the home, such as decor and dinner ware. Both installments are reworkings of iconic designs from Versace's archives, including many from the late Gianni Versace.



Above is a video released by Versace back in June. Lots of leather and studs, she says. Well, the line will be far less expensive than real Versace pieces, but not cheap by H&M standards. Maybe the upside is that the line won't sell out immediately like the Missoni for Target line has.  We're getting more and more looks at pieces now that the full ad campaign has been released. Here are some to pique your interest...

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="515" caption="Donatella Versace wearing one of the studded leather dresses from the line for H&M at a Versace fashion show."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Daphne Groeneveld and Lindsey Wixson modeling the H&M line. Photo by Mert & Marcus."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="412" caption="A reworking of a Gianni Versace design for the H&M line."][/caption]

I am excited, but doubtful I will be able to afford anything. Hopefully the H&M closest to me will be one of the "select" stores. For more scans of the ads that have been released, check out this Fashonologie article.

Film Review: Bill Cunningham New York

If you're out on the streets of New York, you might catch a glimpse of him. He rolls down cluttered streets with total disregard for his own safety. His eyes aren't the road, but instead fixed to his camera, poised to snap the next shot. His life's passion: fashion. Sounds like a hip, young fashion blogger, doesn't it? Well, not quite. If you don't already know who Bill Cunningham is, you'll be surprised to know that he's over eighty years old, and only ventures as far in personal style as blue street sweepers' jackets (because, he says in the film, the camera won't tear them as easily as fancy jackets). Bill's was photographing street fashion decades before there were blogs. In a way, Bill 's New York Times columns, "On the Street" and "Evening Hours" and his previous work for Women's Wear Daily, were proto-fashion blogs.

The film, Bill Cunningham New York, released March 16th 2011, paints an intriguing portrait of Bill's life. I watched this movie hoping to see some inspiring New York street fashion, but this film is less about the fashion, and more about Bill's passion for it. When asked by the filmmakers what religion means to him, Bill could only say that as a child in church, he was much too busy checking out the women's hats. It becomes clear that fashion is the driving force of his life. He explains that he isn't concerned with celebrities and they're "free dresses," but rather "private women," as he calls them, who haven't just slapped a straight-of-the-runway garment on their bodies, but have instead taken garments and worn them in their own way. He is uninterested in plain clothes, saying the world would be a boring place if everyone dressed like he does. Throughout the film, we see Bill Cunningham skipping lunch and risking his life in New York traffic on his Schwinn bike just to be that much closer to printing the perfect column. It is touching to to see someone who whole-heartedly loves his job.

We see his home, a teeny apartment wedged in a corner of Carnegie Hall, is filled with stacks of fashion books and dozens and dozens of filing cabinets jammed-packed with film strips, chronicling the decades of street and evening fashion he'd captured thus far. It's then when we see that Bill's life is lonely. Fashion has left little room for personal relationships. At one point, his former editor from his days spent working for Women's Wear Daily, is called the love of his life. He is unmarried and has no children, and he's nearing the end of his life. When asked if he regrets it, he laughs. It's only when he speaks about his love of fashion at a French event in his honor that he breaks into tears.

After watching this film, I realized that a documentary that would have fulfilled by craving for street fashion would have been boring. This film takes a more heartfelt and personal side. If you enjoyed The September Issue, you'll like Bill Cunningham New York even more. It will inspire you to love fashion more than a street fashion documentary ever could. This film is a must-see for any fashion photographer or writer.

A belated tribute to Amy Winehouse.

It's been a week or two since Amy passed away, and I've noticed, like every dead celebrity, so many people are now fans. I seem to recall everyone calling her horrible names and criticizing her for her addictions and problems only a short time ago. Amy was perfect by no one's standards. She'd been an alcoholic for many years. She was bulimic. She indulged in a plethora of hard drugs. She fell in love with the wrong men. However, I can tell from the lyrics she wrote that she was deep and intelligent. She had a poetic mind. There aren't many songwriters like her anymore.



Ever since I learned of who Amy was (probably about five years ago), I've followed the news on her, always hoping she'd get healthy and STAY that way. I was desperate for her to finally release her third album. I'm sure her record company will jump at the chance to make money on a posthumous release, but I really wanted to see Amy back on top again.



I'll miss her...

New etsy store, The Betwixt Boutique

So, I decided I wanted to create a more recognizable image for my etsy shop. I made a new one, and this time I named it "The Betwixt Boutique."

Here are some of the lovely vintage items you'll find in my shop:







I've haven't been much of a fashionista lately, if I'm honest. I started a new job in March at an optometry office. This is my first job that I've actually worked full-time. I find it hard to much of anything after work, because I work long hours. There's little reason to put anything nice or exciting on. I'd like to find some less boring work clothes -- especially pants. It's a work in progress.

I promise I will post some personal outfits soon. I swear!

Penelope Tree: 1960s Fashion Model

Check out Nasty Gal's neat-o feature on Penelope Tree!

Dang, I like the 1960s more and more! Poor raccoons, though.

Here is some more information on her:

"Penelope Tree (born 1950) is an Anglo-American former fashion model whose long legs and good looks made her an icon of the late 1960s. She was the only child of Marietta Peabody Tree, a socialite and Democratic political activist, and Ronald Tree,  a bisexual journalist, investor and MP. Tree is a great-granddaughter of American retailer Marshall Field and of American educator Rev. Endicott Peabody. Tree's family objected to her career as a model, and when she was first photographed at the age of 13 by Diane Arbus, her father vowed he would sue if the pictures were published."

Talk about crazy!

Source: Wikipedia of course.

Yesterday's outfit: Lace trapeze top and knee-high boots.

The weather has been lovely! Here is a recent outfit of my own featuring my handmade glass pendant from last's year's Renaissance Faire.



[caption id="attachment_734" align="alignnone" width="421" caption="I made the outer-space background myself. I am totally artsy and unique."][/caption]

I hope you all enjoy my "Myspace" camera angle photography skills. I need a tripod, desperately. And a new camera too.

The top was found at Ross for around $9. The boots are Rocawear, and were featured in a previous post, last year. The pentagram pendant was purchases for $2 at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire from the glass-blowers.

My recent thrift store finds.

I have had some pretty extraordinary luck in thrifting lately. I now have a full time job, so I have been focusing on finding chic things that will fit into the constraints of my work dress code. I shouldn't really say constraints, as it's not that rigid for women, but I have to say withing dressy to business casual. When you think about it 40 hours seems like only a small portion of an entire week, but it really feels like most of my time is spent at work, so when I get home, I have no reason to change and nowhere to go, so I am feeling fashion deficient lately.

Anyways, enough of my blubbering, and on to my treasures!

[caption id="attachment_722" align="alignnone" width="490" caption="Silk/chiffon sheer leopard skirt, Miss Ruth's Time Bomb (vintage boutique), $14."][/caption]

Sadly, as awesome as this skirt is, it doesn't fit me. And it is badly damaged, but I am going to use it for my mannequin (who seems to fit it perfectly) for the purposes of pairing it with other items for etsy photographs. This skirt is definately old. I am thinking at LEAST 1960s era.

[caption id="attachment_723" align="alignnone" width="490" caption="Black denim vest, thrift store, $3. Printed maxi skirt, same thrift store $3."][/caption]

I found this black denim vest at the animal shelter thrift store for just $3. I'm beginning to have quite the vest collection! The maxi skirt buttons up all the way in the front and also cost $3 from the same thrift store. Here is a better shot:



I can wear it to the beach or to work. I like that kind of versatility.

[caption id="attachment_726" align="alignnone" width="490" caption="Lush red velvet skirt, $2, from a vintage boutique's bargain bin."][/caption]

I had hoped this awesome velvet skirt would fit me, but unfortunately it's a little too big. This one is probably going to find its way into my etsy store.



This is a better representation of the skirts color. Reminds me of red wine. (Yum.)

[caption id="attachment_728" align="alignnone" width="490" caption="Crazy tribal print maxi skirt, thrift store, $3."][/caption]

I am madly in love with this skirt. Of course, with my dumb luck, the first time I wore it I popped a button off of it, so I have to sew a new one on, but that's because I am not used to wearing maxi skirts and caught the hem when walking. Here's a closer look at the print:



Well, that's it for now. I have a batch of vintage jewelry to show off next time. Stay tuned, and let me know what you think of my finds with a comment!

I love Kat Von D so much that I almost hate her.

Just check out these disgustingly good outfits:



[caption id="attachment_712" align="alignnone" width="468" caption="See? I have an almost identical lace button-up. We were meant to be."][/caption]



[caption id="attachment_716" align="alignnone" width="490" caption="She has Jeffrey Cambell shoes. Why can't it? (For free? Please?)"][/caption]

"I can't take it no more baby. And furthermore, I don't intend to." Janis Joplin remembered.

I heard a lot of Janis Joplin growing up. What drew me to her was her looks. She was unapologetically plain. She never wore make-up, and always had frizzy hair. She wasn't Twiggy skinny, she wasn't Brigit Bardot pretty. She was a breath, no, a gust, of fresh air. She made us realize that you don't have to be conventionally beautiful to be sexy.

[caption id="attachment_692" align="alignnone" width="430" caption=""On stage I make love to twenty-five thousand people, and then I go home alone.""][/caption]

But Janis wasn't all confidence and sex-appeal. She had her weaknesses, and her own methods of medicating them. Like many people in the public eye, she felt an emptiness. She had everything -- fame, fortune, fans, drugs, famous friends, but despite it all, she couldn't find real happiness. On stage, she felt like a goddess, connecting with thousands of her fans, but when the show was over, she was left feeling distant, isolated, and alone.



How Janis died is just as fascinating as how she lived. Her death is one of those bizarre, had-t0-be-fated coincidences that makes you think, "Gee, if only one thing had been different, she'd still be here." Janis was addicted to heroin, as so many of her contemporaries were. Her dealer always had someone test his stock before selling it (as more cautious dope dealers do), but when he got the particular batch that killed Janis, his tester was out of town. Assuming it would all be fine, he dealt it out anyway. Ain't that life for you?



She had been laiding down tracks for a new record. After a day of recording, she retreated to her hotel room for the night. She shot up with the herion she had purchased earlier. Only moments before her death, Janis stopped by the lobby of her hotel to get change to buy cigarettes from a vending machine. The hotel lobby worker reported her as seeming completely normal. She bought her smokes and returned to her room. It is at this point that she collapsed, falling next to her bedside table, her face smashed into the hotel room carpet and a cigarette in hand. The batch of heroin was several times stronger than what she was used to. She wasn't the only one to die from this batch.

[caption id="attachment_696" align="alignnone" width="365" caption=""When I sing, I feel like when you're first in love. It's more than sex. It's that point two people can get to they call love, when you really touch someone for the first time, but it's gigantic, multiplied by the whole audience. I feel chills.""][/caption]

It's just bizarre. All of our greatest artists die unnatural deaths. It's as if we only have them on borrowed time.



Janis may have been plain in looks, but she spread her peacock feathers with her wardrobe, donning knitted vests, lush velvet poet blouses, chiffon, and feather boas wrapped in her hair like ribbons. Maybe it was a mask, but her fashion sense influenced a generation of women to step out from the geometric, understated, and precise wardrobes of the early sixties. A lot of young women stopped wearing waist constricting dresses in favor of flowing chiffon tops and bell-bottom jeans. The silhouette was changed forever. Janis has yet to be forgotten. She's still quite fresh in popular memory. She'll never be irrelevant.



"People expect Janis Joplin to be a tough bitch, and say I start talking to them like a lonely little girl--that's not in their image of me--they don't see it. Say you meet somebody you've heard about, you don't ever see them, you don't see who they are and who they need to be recognized as, you see who you need them to be." -- Janis.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOTEDnQ4Fvk&w=480&h=390]

Featured Fashionable Item: Vintage Train Cases

It's sad that people don't use these all that often these days. Vintage train cases are like mini-suitcases, intended for carrying luggage or goods for short trips. Think of them as predecessors to the "caboodles" of the 1980s and 90s. I have two myself, one that I use to keep my "for sale" jewelry.

This is my favorite of the two:





It says "Lady Baltimore" on it. How cute?! I got it for $2 at the local charity thrift store. Haven't seen any as good as this one since. Not like I need more stuff... But this is great for me to use to carry all my handmade/vintage jewelry from place to place and makes for a great display too! I'd like to get a few more like this to use for displays at consignment shops/other places that will allow me to sell my jewelry (when I get to that point).

Here are some lovely train cases I found on etsy.com. All relatively affordable too. Click the images to view the sale pages.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="567" caption="From etsy seller PocketFullofHeirloom. (When I first read the name, I mistook heirloom for herion. Eeek, I jump to conclusions when I read.)"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="From etsy seller Carolsthreads."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="570" caption="From etsy seller rustmagnet."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="479" caption="From etsy seller WellWudJaLookAtThat."][/caption]

Street Fashion - Early Spring 2011 Trend Spotting

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Pastel colorblocking, from chictopia.com"][/caption]

Color-blocking (wearing simple, one color garments all of different colors) seems to be on the rise again! I am not into mixing blues and oranges myself, so if I try this, it will be with pastels like the woman above.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="A great 70s-esque look: flared jeans and kimono style sleeves."][/caption]



The skinny jeans craze has finally ebbed enough to make room for flares and bell-bottoms again! People still appreciate how flared trousers create a balanced silhouette. This woman has a very 70s look going on, which in my opinion, is and always will be CHIC! I love flowy tops and brown leather.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Bird prints are in. Strange but awesome."][/caption]

I've been seeing fabrics with birds on them pretty often lately. It's cute. I have also seen kangaroo prints.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="60's style empire waist dresses."][/caption]

Another common sight right now is empire waist dresses and tops. (Empire waists are below the bosom, much higher than the natural waist.) Dresses with waists like these were very, very popular in the sixties.

My "trend-spotting" is in no way meant to make you feel like you need to follow the trends. I'm just observing and offering inspiration. I am the kind of person who likes the classics way more than the trends. If what's trendy happens to be cute, I might imbibe but following trends that one doesn't even like leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Anyways, happy Wednesday! Here's to hoping Saturday comes fast! (That's my Friday.) Weeeeee!