So I mentioned in my last post that I went back to black hair last week. I’m enjoying the much more carefree routine, including using our fancy rain shower head again, woo hoo!
Prior to red, I had dark brown hair for awhile, but I’ve had black hair more often than not over the last decade or more. And I forgot something about it—it reminds me that I have blue eyes! It’s the feature I really like about myself, even if they’re usually hidden behind glasses. (And frankly that’s because the thing that my glasses sit on is the one feature I really hate most, my nose.)
In some ways, saying good-bye to red hair was hard in one particular way I wasn’t expecting. There was definitely part of me that felt like, “How could I possibly get rid of such a lovely, gorgeous color?” And then I felt annoyed at myself for thinking that way. I suspect along the lines of when women who waffle about getting a pixie cut get comments about, “How could you possibly cut off your long beautiful hair?” as if having a short haircut was akin to making the decision to be ugly instead of beautiful. Ugh. So a box of black dye later and my beautiful salon red is now a glossy jet black! And I’m enjoying it, even if I occasionally have a little creeping feeling that maybe I shouldn’t have done that.
As women, we typically are hardest on ourselves about our bodies and our looks. It doesn’t help that we’re constantly bombarded with imagery of things that most of us will never live up to. Whether it’s high fashion models, vintage pin-up models, fellow friends and bloggers or whatever combination of people you find yourself looking to for inspiration.
I find so much inspiration in beauty photos on Pinterest and Instagram, but it’s hard not to let all that inspiration make you feel down on yourself sometimes, when you fall into the trap of comparing yourself to other people. We celebrate others but we rarely celebrate ourselves!
So today, I’m going to be celebrate a little part of myself. I love the fact that I have blue eyes, which are now dramatically set off by my dark hair. It was a lovely re-discovery of sorts.
Now what about you? Tell me something you LOVE about yourself! 🙂
The red did look great,but so does this black. You are mailing the fairy tale snow white look.
Ha ha, thanks!
I think the effect is stunning both ways. 😀 You looked fabulous with the red hair but you’re definitely right about black showing your eyes to amazing advantage. There should certainly be no shame in admitting that you prefer one look over another. It’s your head after all. And can I stop a minute to point out the dedication involved with washing one’s hair in COLD water, rather than that amazing rain head shower you mentioned? If anyone (yourself included) tries to ask, “How could you have gotten rid of that gorgeous colour?!?” just think about the glorious five minutes of hot water you’re getting back in return. 😉
Love that blouse! It’s very queen-of-hearts – in a good way!!!
You are not kidding about that 5 minutes!! The washing my hair in cold water was one of the worst things. I can’t even believe I made it through most of the winter doing that. When I took my first normal shower again after going back to black it was heavenly! 😉
Thanks on the blouse, one of my favorite vintage pieces!
I agree! I have hot pink bangs and there is no way I am going to wash my hair in COLD water! I’d rather dye more frequently.
I take my hat off to you, Tasha!
I love it. I am all for red, I am a bottlered myself but this just works! You are snowwhite!
Thank you! 😀
I love the black hair on you! I laughed after I read the pixie cut line. I just cut off 12 inches off my hair and got a Audrey Hepburn inspired pixie! Which I love.
Pixie cuts are awesome!! 🙂
The black looks fantastic – I was thinking how very Snow White it looks before I even saw that another commenter said so!
Ha ha! It’s funny how many people have said that. I think the dark hair must make my skin look a bit more pale than it is, since I’m fair but not like porcelain fair for sure, lol!
I love black hair…I am a natural blonde (like really really blonde) so unfortunately I can’t really pull off a dark hair look but I think it is truly lovely! I love the idea of celebrating yourself for something that you really and honestly find beautiful about yourself and I think it is something that all women should do! My personal favorite are my lips, they are rather large and have a nice shape…in celebration I wear just about any color of lipstick imaginable! Against my pale skin it really is something that makes me happy and feel pretty. Thanks for the reminder! Love the blog and enjoy following you!
I totally agree it’s something we should all do now and again– remember what are the things we love and that make us unique. We can only look to others for inspiration so much, but we’ll only be the best at being ourselves (as cheesy as that sounds).
I love wearing lipstick too, I much prefer the way I look with it than without! 🙂
I love your black hair! It really does set off your eyes nicely, and it makes your skin look like porcelain (in an amazing way)!
You’re really right, and I just had some frustration with my petiteness again this week. I’m just not going to ever look like the pinup models around the vintage community because of my tininess, but that’s perfectly okay. I’ll just have to steal all the teenage-sized clothing. 😉
Thanks, Emileigh! Honestly my skin is far from porcelain so that comment tickles me as it’s always something I wish I had! 🙂 I’m short too, so I can relate. It’s annoying sometimes but there are other things I enjoy about it! I’m learning that being short and small, I’m starting to feel really kicky and cute wearing cigarette pants and cropped (not like midriff showing, just not tuck-in-long) tops. It’s a style I didn’t really think I’d be able to pull off but I’ve been learning I really like it, and feel good in it! 🙂
It’s true, first thing I noticed were your eyes. The black hair looks good on you!
I like my back as its quite toned
People say I have a nice smile, but I don’t see it, my teeth are crooked!
Love your earrings by the way.
Have a great weekend!
Thanks! I feel the same about my smile, I get compliments on always having a smile but I hate that a couple of my teeth (despite braces as a teen) are crooked and make me self-conscious. But life is too short to worry about that– so put on that big smile and enjoy it! 😀
I definitely think it can be difficult to see ourselves the way other people see us. It’s awesome to practice a bit of self-appreciation now and again. 😀 I love your hair this color. It matters most what you think about it, but, for what it’s worth, I think the black is even better than the red. And, it definitely highlights your eyes.
Thanks, Michelle! And I totally agree we need to stop and remember to appreciate ourselves now and again!
I love the black on you! I actually prefer it! 😀
Me? I love my toes, just the way my mother loved hers! 🙂
Thanks, Nadia! That’s an adorable way to love your toes!
You look fantastic. Two words: Snow White!
Ha ha, thanks! 🙂
I love your hair in black! I thinks it’s easier to wear with all sort of lipstick shades too…
Myself, I love my eyes and the curves from my brows to my my cheek bone.
I used to hate my nose too. But when my father passed away I realized I have his nose and I will have it forever ; it warms my heart.
I totally agree it works with way more lipstick shades! I don’t generally stray too far in the lipstick department, but I think this spring I may try a couple of shades that I don’t normally go for, just for fun.
Awww that’s such a nice sentiment about your nose. I sometimes joke I have my (6 foot tall) father’s nose on my (5 foot 2) sized body. 🙂
I’m definitely feeling the Snow White vibe too! I love the black on you! I think everyone picks at themselves for the features they don’t love. Everyone comments on my skin, but Its actually pretty horrible beneath my makeup :/ I got good at covering it up!
I like my eyes too, and my eyelashes especially. They’re pretty long!
What I’m most excited about for the future is that I have a Hair appointment with Lucie Luella in her new place 🙂
Thanks, Emmie! I kind of feel that way about my skin, too. You’re absolutely right that we pick at the features that bother us… likely other people either would never ever notice or find those things beautiful! I HATE how big my nose is, but on occasion people have told me how lovely it is. Which always makes me think they’re crazy since obviously all I see is a huge schnoz. lol
Oooooh your appointment sounds exciting!!
Wow, you do have amazing eyes! They are an icy blue, and you don’t see that often. I like what you said about how it isn’t that we’re making a choice between beautiful and ugly. I’m so wishy washy about trying new things with my hair that I usually just leave it alone, but when I do I almost always enjoy what I’ve done.
Is it weird to say I love my face? It has its own pros and cons being the shape it is, but I am kind of secretly vain about my bone structure there.
Thanks, Lisette! They were much darker blue when I was little, but I’ve grown to appreciate their lighter shade now. I remember my grandmother’s eyes were much the same color. 🙂
Not weird to say you love your face at all– that’s a wonderful feeling to have! I wish I had it! 🙂
The black really is great on you! With dark hair you actually remind me a lot of young pictures of my grandmother (in all the best ways). You really do have beautiful eyes! I’ve always liked mine, too. They shift from blue to grey to green, which I’ve always thought was fun. I’ve also always been really proud of my calves 🙂
Thanks, Evie! I’m pretty sure that with my vintage glasses and my darker hair, my mom thinks the same about my grandmother. Your eyes sound beautiful! And go strong calves, all right! Once in high school I was asked (at a dance/music event, so it was not out of the blue) if I danced (which I did, fairly often), because of my calves… I could NOT have been more tickled at the time! 🙂
You have beautiful eyes! It’s so nice to take a moment to celebrate something you love about yourself… we really do spend too much energy thinking about the things we hate! You’ve got the rare coloring that works well with dark hair and red hair alike… what a gift! Personally, I hate my skin- it’s always been awful, plus I have a lot of scarring from acne and chickenpox. I feel really self-conscious about it and always used to wear my hair really in my face to try to hide it. A few years ago I finally decided that it doesn’t matter if I have bad skin or not and started tucking my hair behind my ears for the first time. I was surprised that I really like my cheekbones and that wearing my hair differently makes them stand out, even if it also makes my acne more visible. Life’s too short to get tied up about stuff like that!
Thanks! I totally agree, we need to remember to love things about ourselves. In fairness I actually don’t think my coloring in person is all that great… fair but kind of a sallow undertone, I honestly think the color photographs better than it looks in person (though like you said, we focus more on the things we don’t love!).
I’m always self-conscious about my face and hair (gee thanks Italian genes giving me hair in places I don’t need it but not enough where I do want it), and I never notice bad skin on others! That’s great that through your realization you discovered awesome cheekbones! I honestly think the line of my face looks nicer with my hair up, but it’s not as full as I’d like so it takes a bit of doing to get it up in a way I don’t feel looks “meh”. Happier facial structure, meh hair? lol It’s one of the reasons I’m trying to grow my hair long, so I can have a big ol’ pile on top sometimes. 😉
And after my tl;dr– yes, life is far too short to worry about any of that!! 😀
Great post! I agree that as women we are not routinely taught to embrace and accept ourselves. This is something I am striving to teach my daughter.
Your eyes just pop with your new colour! Wonderful!
You’re absolutely right– I wonder why that is? We’re told it’s vain and self-centered. Not necessarily by the actual people in our families or inner circles, but by society as a whole. It’s unfortunate. That’s why on occasion I’m glad for the reminder that it’s okay to focus on US. That’s wonderful that you’re trying to teach your daughter that, good for you. 🙂
Thank you! The last thing I want my daughter to experience is paralyzing self-doubt about her looks or, even worse!, body dysmorphia.
Society, in many ways, is terribly unfair to women. We are held to impossible ideals in so many ways – looks and motherhood vs. working, to name a few. I finally stopped listening and focused on what my core group of people think about me. They are really the ones that matter. 🙂
See im the opposite of you, ive always dyed my dark mousey brown hair red, because the colour brightens up my skin and feels more me, more confident but ive always wanted to go black, dita von teese and asian women make it look so elegant, the trouble is the darker colours wash out my pale face, so i would look too goth, especially with septum piercing and resting bitch face, the key probably lies in your undertone, and it would need to be styled with pincurls, throwing it up in a top knot would look a bit blah, where as with the red i can still do lazy trendy hair things. You look fab with the black hair babe x
LOL! I totally have resting bitch face. I took a makeup class more than a decade ago, and the teacher called down turned lips like mine (she and many of us had it, too) “perpetually pissed off”. I’ve always remembered that!
I’m glad to read your series of thoughts about hair color and how it looks when styled, etc, since that’s exactly what I go through about it, too. Like right now I have this suspicion my hair will look really cool when it’s long enough that I can do an elaborate (or just messy) updo, except it’s way too short for that still (because my hair isn’t particularly full), or a nice long ponytail. And while I bet that would have looked nice red, I was so careful with the color that the thought of long red hair down my back bleeding on things after the shower, etc… sounds really annoying.
You really do look like Snow White! While it may have been difficult to say goodbye to the red, saying hello to the black was a great choice.
Thanks! I’ve already gotten pretty used to the black in the short time I’ve had it (again). 🙂
I love the black hair too. I was red from October 13 & in November decided Chocolate Rush would be a nice change. I’m letting my silver streak grow out & might go darker in Winter (Aussie Southern hemisphere)
My fav feature is my Clara Bow shape lips. I can get a real pout up & they look fab with red lippy.
My friend has let a silver streak grow, and it looks amazing. I think she’s pretty much 100% prematurely gray/white except she dyes the rest of her hair black. It looks so cool!
Clara Bow lips, lovely! 🙂
Oh my goodness! I LOVE your new hair color! You look gorgeous, and it does bring out your blue eyes. Hotsy Totsy!
Ha ha, thanks! 😉
I really like your hair black. It suits you so well, especially in bringing out your eyes. That doesn’t mean I’m not in favour of changing hair colour if you want to — I am — but I do think this looks good on you.
Thank you!
I love the black!! And you’re so right, it absolutely does bring out your beautiful eyes 🙂
I am super vain about my hair – after growing up with thick, fluffy, hard-to-manage hair, I developed honest-to-goodness curls as an adult, and I could not be happier. Plus I recently made the switch to “no poo” and I’m really pleased with how my hair has responded! Curly haired brunettes unite!
Thank you! Your hair sounds lovely, naturally curly hair is wonderful! I’m familiar with the no poo concept from my mom, whose hair is more naturally curly (not super super curly). Mine is wimpy wavy when left to its own devices… I did try the no poo thing some years back but it just couldn’t help coax it into anything meaningfully curly. lol So I (obviously) fake the curls a lot! 😀
Amen to this, Gorgeous Lady. You KNOW I struggle with this kind of internal bullshit all the time, but at the end of the day you just need to play up the best of what you naturally have, because obviously that’s how you were made to be (ignoring the fact that we can’t control our genetics so whoever decided that’s how we were “made to be” is besides the bigger point I’m rambling on about lol). Feeling beautiful as your natural self is pretty much the best thing ever, and I think true happiness comes when you find the things that highlight your favorite features without much effort (or maybe that’s because I’m about as lazy/low maintenance as you can get lol!).
Anyways, the dark hair is SO striking with your blue eyes. So, so beautiful 🙂
Unfortunately it’s a double edged sword as I hate my nose, so I gave up contacts years ago, but no glasses means you can actually see my eye color. Maybe I’ll try them again sometime and just say F*** to my nose. 😉
And thank you! 🙂
Gorgeous, your eyes are zinging!! Not sure that’s a real word, but there you go ; )
Zing zing! Works for me. Thanks! 😉
Wow, your eyes look like two radiant, freshly polished sapphires. You always look fantastic, but I do have to say, I think I adore this hair colour on you most of all. Not only does it highlight how utterly stunning your eyes are, but I think it’s extremely flattering to your skin colour as well. Ooohhh, now you’re making me want to try my hand at raven looks again sooo much! You watch, I’ll give in and I’ll probably love it. 🙂
♥ Jessica
Thanks so much, Jessica! I definitely think you could try out raven sometime! I know it wouldn’t be a big commitment for you, so why not have some fun! 😀
On the subject of black things and eyes: I love and hate my eyes the most. They are such dark brown as to appear almost black, which makes them very distinctive but also read as very small to me. I always wanted big eyes that reflect light. Instead I have sultry(?) black-hole eyes.
I think your eyes are gorgeous and the black really suits you!!!
Ooh but dark eyes are always deep and soulful and mysterious! Sultry, indeed. 🙂
And thank you!
Ok I just love how strikingly blue your eyes are!! The black hair really makes them stand out!
Hmm, what do I love about myself? I love me! I love my figure, I love my hips, I love my face, I love my skinny little fingers, I just love me! It’s taken me a long time to come to that point, but I can confidently say it now!
Thanks for asking that question, I don’t see it often enough.
(Now I’m gonna go and read Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou)
Thanks, Carla! Sounds like you have an awesome perspective on yourself. And you’re right– I don’t see that question asked enough, either! Love and celebrate yourself! 😀
I totally agree, you look gorgeous! Those eyes made me think of that song, ‘My baby’s got blue eyes’.
Thanks! 🙂
Thank you very much for this post, Tasha!
The way you look in black hair reminds me of Snow White – it’s nice to resemble a princess, isn’t it? 😉
Thank you! 🙂
I love my thick curly brown hair! I’ve heard a lot over the years about straightening, but I’ve found it’s more trouble than it’s worth. With straight hair, my features seem to big/strong for a woman, but with my big bushy curls they seem just right. Plus, my husband finds it sexy.
I love that a lot of naturally curly women are rebelling against the years of being told they should straighten it. Yay for you for loving your hair!
Aw, what a lovely post! I like both hair colors but obviously what you think is more important. I love my lips. I think that’s part of why I love lipstick so much. Putting it on reminds me of a body part I love. Also, I like my legs.
Hee hee! Both (all 3? 😉 ) good things to love. 🙂
Fun! I love playing with hair color and find it fascinating how different features of mine show more with different colors of hair. Regardless of what color my hair is, one of my favorite features on my body is my collarbone.
Ooh, that’s a fun feature to love! Definitely an underplayed body part that can also be very sexy on a person. 🙂
I think the change to black hair REALLY suits you Tasha, definitely a good move! I’ve noticed your blue eyes before so it’s nice to see them acknowledged properly. My whole family has bright blue eyes and I have grey ones, so I celebrate my difference! I also spent years trying to hide my traditional British crooked teeth, so when I was in my late thirties I decided to have a brace fitted to straighten them. They’ll never be totally straight but to me, they’re Hollywood perfect, which is one reason why I’m always flashing them! I’m all for celebrating our good bits, great post Snow White! x
Thanks, Jane! Gray eyes are lovely and unique! I also say that in part because depending on what I’m wearing or the lighting, mine look more gray than blue. 😉
I’m very self conscious about my teeth. I actually had braces in high school but because I didn’t do the “now wear this retainer every night… UNTIL THE END OF TIME” thing I was told to do, I now have a couple of very crooked ones. But I figure they’re part of what makes me unique. I’m so glad that getting your teeth straightened made you more comfortable because I absolutely love your big, beautiful smile!!
I love the black hair — you are right, it really helps bring out your lovely blue eyes.
I think one of the hardest things women have to deal with is the urge to compare yourself to others. For much of my life I wished I was skinnier, taller, less pale, etc. Right around the time I hit 30 I realized that I was beautiful as a 5’5″ curvy, pale person and I was going to rock that look and not compare myself to other women. We are all different and we are all beautiful in our own ways. No use being an apple and wishing you were an orange. 🙂
Thanks, Kate! I completely agree, it’s really difficult not to compare. Especially in such a digital media age, somehow I just feel like we’re constantly bombarded with photos and images of other people… it’s hard NOT to compare yourself. I love what you said– “No use being an apple and wishing you were an orange.” Totally!!
Absolutely stunning Tasha…the black hair really does make your beautiful blue eyes pop! You look like my favourite fairytale ‘princess’…Snow White!xx
Aww thank you, Marie! 😀
I must tell you that I prefer your black hair!!!!
Black match you eyes perfectly!
It’s so difficult to change a hair color… I myself tried to leave blonde with something a bit darker but I think I will come back to a lighter color soon…
Thanks, Laurence!! I agree, changing hair color is difficult. You don’t even realize how much you have wrapped up in it. I used to change it more frequently when I was much younger so it didn’t matter as much, but no as an adult with more established life / style / etc… wow, it’s a big impact for sure1
I think the black suits you even more. You’re lovely.
Thank you! 😀
I love the combination of blue eyes, red lips and black hair. I like my smile but dislike my nose, like you do.
I agree, red lips, black hair and blue eyes is a good combo! Must be what draws me to donning it myself. lol I like my smile and despite being self-conscious about my teeth and wishing my lips were fuller, I am happy to flash a big toothy grin. 😀
Wow! I really love your hair that color! And as someone had pointed out earlier, the first thing I noticed were your beautiful blue eyes! I am naturally blonde, but ever since I was a little girl, I’ve wanted black hair. I thought it would make my blue eyes pop. I always chicken out, thinking that if it didn’t look good, I’d be really bummed. Then a while back, when I found out that Dita Von Teese was a natural blonde as well, it got me thinking again. But, I still chickened out lol Now I see you with your beautiful hair and I’m inspired yet again!!! I may be taking the plunge soon! What is the upkeep with black hair? And is it something that I could keep up with at home? Even if I’m not hair-savvy lol?
How interesting, I didn’t realize Dita was a natural blonde! She’s definitely someone I’d say that dark locks suit perfectly (I mean outside of the fact that she’s Dita and obviously stunning anyway). That’s a big step to go from blonde to black, I can totally see why you’d be nervous. You could always take a photo and try one of those apps that will show you different hair colors?? I actually did that with red hair before taking that plunge!
For dying hair myself, I’m not that precise, but with black it’s not like doing a bleached color or anything where you really need to be concerned about your roots taking darker. So I pretty much section my hair off and start at the ends and work my way to the roots. I’ll go over my whole head a couple of times. I freaked out a little doing it from the red as the black dye doesn’t actually start looking black for several minutes on your head, so I had a minute or two of “omg this isn’t working!” even though I totally knew better. Basically, when I start to get annoyed by my roots (in a month or 6 weeks or something), I’ll just do it again. Focus more on the roots but again, it’s black, so I won’t be super precise… it’s not like I’m trying to retain some lighter highlights or something like maybe if you were doing a lighter brown or red. But that’s just my lazy way, I’m certainly NO expert. I’ve had many years of at-home-dying and a few years of salon-dying, only turning to the salon when it’s something I’m unwilling to do myself (bleaching, funky colors, red). 🙂
Loved the red but truly, the black is awesome too. You are right about your eyes, they really stand out, plus the red lipstick looks AWESOME!
Now reading your new post on bright pants.
Love your blog!
I went from long hair to a pixie, now to spiky messy cut. I like my eyes and my lips. Thanks for a boost.
You look mahvelous! That’s the magic of hair…you can always change it back. And wigs! Glorious wigs.
You’ve given me quite the task here, Tasha. 🙂
BUT – first thing first: let me tell you (for I’m sure I’m not the only one who likes admiring something is good): this color suits you. Trust me, I know. You have the same hair & eyes color combination as my mom does. And it’s divine. It suits your face, and the dark color truly makes you… vibrant. No way of ignoring it.. 🙂
NOW – as it comes to me..unfortunately, was not favored by Lady Genetics, so I’m the only member of my blue-eyed family with muddy-green eyes. Besides that, I could have a lot more things to add on the “dislike” list. But, some time ago I’ve decided NOT to let myself feel bad about myself. If others chose to disregard me – I don’t need to follow their example. Or, as my grandpa used to say it “you are yourself”-
So, I learned to cope with, then accept and at the end even like – ME. Those parts we don’t like, we can change. Yes, I did changed what I disliked:
1. my weight was too high – so I’ve “downsized” it.
2. my hair was mouse-colored – so I’ve changed it (it was red, then brown, now.. somewhat close to honey colored)
and 3. my clothes wasn’t showing my true nature – so I picked new wardrobe. 🙂
Comment is too long .
Must end now.
Marija