It is such a relief after nearly 8 months in a new place to finally find a hairstylist who gets you. Phew.

My awesomesauce stylist back in Vancouver used to use 3 colours in foils when colouring my hair, shades ranging from strawberry blonde through copper so it turned out really cool. It was nice to get to play a redhead for a bit, until the copper faded out because red is a crap hair colour for longevity.

Anyways, the two stylists I’d seen here before today were adverse to doing anything more than one colour in foils and then a toner all over, which would only result in 2 different colours in my hair as opposed to the 4 I was used to (including my natural colour). And they thought I should stick to more neutral shades so that I look all mature and can rock that Mom cut they just gave me (no offense, Mom).

Here’s the thing: I don’t go to a hairstylist to look professional. If I wanted to look professional I’d put my hair up in a bun, wear a suit and not swear so much. No, I go to a hairstylist to look cool. And I am not cool, so I get help.

I am proud to say these photos do not properly show how red my hair is.

So, yes, I found a stylist who understood what I wanted and gave me the cut and colour I was looking for, and then beefed up my hair by blow-drying and curling with a flat-iron (which iron-ically works) as opposed to making my hair stick-straight which is so lame. My hair’s been made so dull and lifeless by the dry air here, it hardly needs extra help in that department.

I’m pretty thrilled, as I’ve felt kind of dull and lifeless myself lately, but at least my hair isn’t.

I got foils in (which is normal) and for the first time I got a toner, which for you guys who don’t do this sort of thing is this semi-permanent all-over colour you put in. Supposedly the colour (“Mango”) will wash out in a month and I’ll wonder if that was worth $20.

I also got some long bangs put in for the first time in years; my stylist in Vancouver refused to give me those but the person I’m seeing here (at some random salon in the mall) isn’t such a bully. I don’t think men understand what it’s like to have a high-end stylist; they refuse to let you do anything they think will look stupid, and will fight you on other minor points like length and colour. I suppose that’s good, in a way, but I wanted bangs, damnit! Now that my hair no longer looks like this photo (it’s naturally wavy) the bangs spring up and I can actually see where I’m going without having to pin my hair back. In other words, I’m less likely to trip over my cat when I have to go pee in the middle of the night. Obviously this is important.

In other news I’ll be in Vancouver this Friday through Sunday to remember what friends I have and go do things I can’t do in Kelowna (1. visit Apple Store/H&M/Sephoras, 2. eat inexpensive sushi, 3. watch people rush around like crazy fucks). I haven’t made many plans to see friends, though, because I’ve been preoccupied with work and my life here. It’s sad that I haven’t set up a gathering or something, but it’s hard to gauge interest in that sort of thing because I’m kind of drifting away from my former life to some extent. I can’t believe that as a born-and-raised Vancouverite I have only gone home once since I moved here in August, and that was Labour Day weekend, nearly 3 months ago. Mind you I would’ve gone earlier this month but I was in the middle of some crazy projects which I’d assumed would be over by this week but aren’t, but who cares, I’m going anyways.