@ AlaskaGirl: "My hair is naturally sleek and polished, so it takes effort to RATE it up, which seems against my RATE philosophy of not making too much effort."
very interesting, to me, RATE is an aesthetic, not an idea of how much work you want to put into your look. for me, shorter, RATE hair is always more work and fuss than a longer, sleeker 'do - but i love that rougher, more antique-feeling aesthetic so for me it's no contradiction at all.
i've gone back and forth between short and long - either way i like it curly and rowdy! right now it's shorter and has more of an 'edge' to it, it is much more in keeping with my overall style than it was before i cut it. it's not that my previous look fought AGAINST my style, just my look now reflects it more. and it's encouraging to see so many here agree with me that your hair and makeup choices are an integral part of your personal style! steph