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New glasses, hair suggestions please

Anonymous

I just got new glasses & I welcome style suggestions--hair, makeup (occasionally--I usually don't wear any makeup, as in this pic I'm just wearing sunscreen.) I usually don't wear much pink (the top in the photo is just nice & cool in hot weather.) I think the pink top & my pink face are why the frames look pink too, but they're actually caramel brown with ivory accents. So, I usually wear teal, turquoise, caramel & olive. As I get older (I'm 58), my red hair has faded to strawberry blond & getting lighter as it grays in the way red hair does. I'd prefer not to color my hair, but it can look drab if not styled well or if I don't wear the right colors. So, I'm going to go to a salon & get an updated hairstyle--any suggestions? Also, I took advantage of 2nd pair of glasses 1/2 off & my second pair are two-tone blue/green. I'll post a pic when they arrive. For my fellow Seattle area folks, when I told the guy at the optical store I was looking for teal frames, he pulled them, aptly calling them "our Seahawks frames". They're quite bold & bright & vivid! At first I thought maybe they were too bright, but I think they're fun, so I'm going for it!

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Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

It's fun to get new frames, isn't it? Those are pretty on you, and they look translucent, which may be why they don't come off as caramel in the photo. I would defer to your stylist for hair suggestions. For makeup, I would suggest going for a brow appointment; I did it several years ago and I found it made the most and best impact on my appearance of any makeup choice I've made. I went to the Anastasia artist at Nordstrom and had my brows shaped, and then I got a kit that enabled me to shape my own brows each morning as part of my makeup routine. Along with your new specs, having eyebrows done so that they frame your eyes nicely, and still look natural, will draw attention to your eyes--in a good way!

Anonymous

Thanks, Firecracker! Excellent brow suggestion! I've always ignored my eyebrows because they're blonde, & I've been afraid that coloring or shaping them might make them look unnatural. (I guess I have bad memories of how funny I looked in a school play when they drew eyebrows on me so the audience could see them--funny how little things like that can stick in our minds!) But then again, as you point out, eyebrows can be great frames for the eyes, & mine aren't really doing that.

Runcarla

Veteran

Like you, I'm a fading redhead who does not wish to colour my hair. (I do sports. Pool chlorine and frequent showers just doesn't go well with coloured hair.)

Seconding Firecracker's suggestion, and going one further - I get my brows and lashes tinted! The aesthetician does just a kiss of colour on my eyebrows once every 3 months. It makes a difference. I don't use a lot of makeup, but I do like a tinted moisturizer over a green primer. I have a very red/rosy face due to a medical condition, and the green primer with tinted moisturizer is a gentle way to knock some of that red down.

I can't see much about your hair (is it pulled back?) and the photo is at an angle that doesn't really show your face shape - but the 'French bob' is trending on the runways and in magazines.

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Anonymous

Thanks, Runcarla! I appreciate your suggestions as someone with similar hair color & complexion. I'll look into getting my eyelashes & brows tinted; I tried getting my lashes tinted years ago but the dye didn't sink in--I bet they have better products now, though. Green tint to neutralize pink is a great tip--thanks! Yes, my hair is pulled back in the photo--it's wavy & length is below my shoulders. Thanks for the hairstyle pics! And I'd describe my face shape as oblong.

binkle

Veteran

The specs are great,and you have such pretty skin tones! Do you ever wear any lip color or tinted balms? I'm of similar age and wear bold glasses, so I find that even if I don't wear much makeup, a brighter lip color both balances out my frames and brightens my face. I like Clinique Black Honey gloss (not dark at all) and other sheer berry colors are nice. There was another regular Clinique lipstick called Pink Bamboo - a pretty warm pink/gold. Hopefully they still make it.

Anonymous

Thanks, Binkle! Those Clinique lipcolors sound nice; I'll check them out. I do wear tinted lip gloss sometimes but the color is very subtle--I need to find one with more of a tint to it.

Greyscale

Veteran

Our coloring is very similar - my red hair will follow the same path as I go grey. My approach to makeup is to use as little as possible and pep up my pale coloration.

I agree about eyebrows. I keep mine invisible-blonde most of the time, but when I get them shaped, I feel surprisingly different. I should do it more often. I do have an eyebrow gel (like mascara) to add a bit of color occasionally. I use this, in auburn:
http://www.sephora.com/brow-bu.....Id=1773027
It's a bit of a pain to apply -- it comes out of the tube really thick on the applicator, so I wipe almost all of it off and use just a tiny amount.

I'm also a big fan of Clinique's Chubby Stick lip colors. It's more pigmented than a gloss, but still really sheer. So you can just put it on like chapstick without looking in a mirror or worrying about the outline. Definitely my type of low-maintenance product. Recently I've been wearing the Mighty Mimosa color (natural pink) which would look good on you, though there are also more neutral tones that you might prefer.

And, as another blonde eyelash person, I've given up on mascara except for special events. I just can't get a look that looks natural to me, a "my face but better" sort of look, because there isn't any mascara pale enough. But, I've started using a bit of light eye shadow occasionally even without mascara.

Basically, as you've probably encountered, really pale features are not what most makeup is designed for, and it's taken me a long time to find things that work with my face, not against it. Of course people can do amazing things with full makeup looks, smokey eye, etc, and there's no reason people with our colors can't wear those intense looks. But most makeup looks are based on the assumption that you have or want dark lashes. For myself I'd rather just amp up my natural look, and that turns out to be surprisingly hard.

Greyscale

Veteran

And I like the glasses - good shape for your face! If you want to post a photo with your hair down, we might have more ideas on styles though I'm sure your stylist will too. A photo from further back, like in a mirror or using the self-timer on a phone camera, gives a truer sense of proportions.

Anonymous

I like your pink top and also as though you have lovely skin, I wouldn't try to conceal it, you look fresh and pretty. My first thought was that if you don't want to color your hair, maybe add color with clothes. While I think that's still fine, and the colors you listed are flattering to red hair, maybe now that it's a different color, time to try different colors? You almost look like a blonde here.
I like you in pink! Not sure about olive but thinking turquoise sounds great! I would also like to see cream?

Anonymous

Thanks, Greyscale! I'll check out the Sephora brow gel & Clinique Chubby Stick colors. I've gotten away from wearing mascara because, as you describe, there aren't any that are light enough. So, on the rare occasion I wear mascara, I end up putting it on as lightly as possible & then brushing/wiping most of it off as you do with the brow gel. I really like your signature green shadow! It's fun & edgy & unique it calls attention to your eyes & the green shadow & the pink on your frames complement each other. These are my first bold frames & I think I'll stick with them because I like how bolder frames draw attention to our eyes without needing mascara etc. I think my bright blue & green frames will do that even more, so I'm looking forward to their arrival--I'll post a pic.

Anonymous

Oops! Disregard this post--I accidentally posted reply twice & haven't figured out how to delete it--sorry!

Anonymous

Thanks, Isabel! As you point out, yes, my hair is more blonde than red these days, so I'll start venturing into blonde clothing colors. I'm stuck in redhead colors & I'm not even a redhead anymore! Time for a change!

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I agree with the eyebrow idea - makes such a difference on most everyone. On hair, as mine gets lighter I have grown out some of my fringe into longer layers because I think more volume (more hair) up front is good when it is very light in color. I recently saw a great asymmetrical look on a woman with very white hair and a long face shape. She had it parted to the side slightly - one side was past her chin and the other side a bit shorter. She had slightly wavy hair and it looked terrific.

For mascara, maybe this would work? I haven't tried it yet but I think I'm going to. I typically use Origins brown mascara which may be a bit darker than you want.

https://www.amazon.com/Honeybe.....a_it?ie=UT

Anonymous

Thanks, Texstyle! I really like the idea of getting an asymmetrical hairstyle! I'm encouraged that the woman you saw had wavy hair--I guess I'd mistakenly though asymmetrical would only work on straighter, more clean-lined hair. I'd sort of given up on having a hairstyle & have just been pulling my hair back out of the way into a ponytail. So, I'll be going in to salon to get a cut with some shape! Thanks for the mascara tip; I'll check it out.

minimalist

Veteran

For lash and brow tinting, Refectocil's light brown might work for you.
http://www.refectocil.com.au/p.....oryId=4862

I prefer doing my own lashes to the salon experience, even with the best of estheticians. There are youtube tutorials, IIRC.

The Cat

Veteran

Suggestions:
- Ask the hairdresser for advice on a hairstyle which suits your face lines as well as the quality of your hair.
- A little eye makeup would make your eyes "pop", so that people notice your beautiful eyes and not just your glasses. Do at least try brown mascara. And for occasions when you want more makeup, but still a natural look: A medium brown eyeliner (try an eye pencil, and smudge the line with a Q-tip) and/or a light brown eye shadow.
- Lipstick / lip gloss in peach or caramel brown.
- Generally speaking, when it comes to colours, you seem to be a "warm" person. I am sure you look great in the colours you say you usually wear: teal, turquoise, caramel and olive. However, instead of a blue-ish pink, try a peach top, which may harmonize better with your hair colour and the other warm colours. And how about a top or scarf in a mix of cream, peach and turquoise?

BTW, I think your choice of a teal pair of glasses sounds fine. It's fun to have more than one pair of glasses, and frames in colours that suit you can add a lot of "character" to your face.

Anonymous

Thanks, Minimalist! I haven't been able to find instructions for Refectocil--product reviews are conflicting as to whether it's designed to be used on eyelashes or not (some comments say not to be used on eyelashes because can cause blindness--yikes if that's true!) I may contact Refectocil & ask them about this possible concern. And when I was searching online for lash tints, I came across this "natural" product & decided to give it a try: Peter Lamas Lash Masque Natural Lash Builder, Tint & Conditioner. Some reviewers said it gradually darkened their lashes--some/most? of them used it overnight & then washed it off in the morning, so I think I'll do that. Others wore it as a mascara during the day & washed off at night--there were conflicting opinions about whether it's supposed to be used as a mascara or a lash/brow tint or as a lash/brow conditioner, so, again, I wish this info were clearer & available on line. Note: some people said it didn't irritate their eyes, but others said it did, so I'm going to try a test patch on my skin first & be ready to wash it off if it starts stinging.

Anonymous

Hi The Cat, thanks for the great tips! I'm excited to be going to a stylist soon & will post a pic of new hairstyle. When I do wear mascara & shadow & multicolor, they're the colors you describe, so thanks!-- that's encouraging! I haven't worn eyeliner for a long time, but I used medium brown as you suggest, or olive pencil--nice natural accents--I have the mascara & the shadow & I'm going to get eyeliner pencil. Aha!--yes, I think peach would be a better complement to my complexion & hair than pink. And thanks for suggesting a top or scarf in a mix of cream, peach and turquoise!--I'm going to hunt for those!

The Cat

Veteran

Have been thinking a little more of a new hair style for you. I think a relatively short but "full" style with diagonal lines would suit you well. By "full", I mean a style with some volume, especially above the ears. And by "diagonal lines", I mean a side part, and bangs that are partly side swept.
If you are not happy about the mix of red and gray hair but don't want to colour your hair the traditional way, you could try a henna treatment. Henna is actually beneficial for the hair, adds shine and a little more volume/texture, and is available in various shades of golden, red and brown. Done correctly, the colour can look very natural, and it will be washed out gradually in some months, leaving no hard lines.

Laurel

Very interested in your question, and all the wonderful feedback---I too am a "fading" redhead, although I have been pumping up the color with the stylist's help. It's shocking to realize that while others see me as "blonde", I am so heavily invested in being a redhead that I haven't truly SEEN my hair in quite some time. I also need to rethink my hair style and especially the colors which suit my new reality. I've recently transitioned from wearing a lot of black to navy, and it's more pleasing to my eye.

Anonymous

Thanks, The Cat! Diagonal lines hairstyle sounds perfect--side part & sideswept bangs have always seemed more flattering on my face shape. And yes, without fullness esp. around ears, it just looks too severe. Thanks for suggesting henna! You hit in something important when you said "done correctly", because I tried DIY henna & results weren't good. I really do need to find a stylist & put myself in their capable professional hands so get a great cut & some sort of color enhancement!

Anonymous

Hi Laurel! Glad everybody's great feedback is helping you too! I still see myself as a redhead too even though everybody else sees blonde--even when I see current photos of myself. I'm looking forward to seeing how our styles evolve! Yes indeed, our "new reality" is a great way to put it! I'm finding navy more flattering now than black too.

The Cat

Veteran

Megan A. and Laurel, instead of (or at least, in addition to) navy, why not choose cognac, cinnamon, tan and browns? These colours are made for you! They will harmonize beautifully with you personal, warm colouring.
For inspiration, see Angie's recent blog post "Ensemble: Summer cinnamon."

Anonymous

Thanks, Cat! I'll check out "Ensemble: Summer cinnamon." I love cognac etc!