Slap Happy: A little bit of DIY beauty goes a long way these days

• Category:
• Slaphappiness

We affectionately think of George Glass (the blogger behind Slap Happiness) as being a lot like Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons, only she’s obsessed with lipstick, not comic books, and has rather less facial hair. A dyed-in-the-wool beauty nerd, she knows her avobenzone from her micronized titanium as well as when the next MAC collection will drop. Today, she helps us save some clams in tough times, and still look totally boss.

Going semi-pro

I recently changed from the most low-maintenance hair colour there is, my own boring ash blonde, to the most high-maintenance, a full, proper ‘ranga red.

I love my new shiny bright hair very much, so each Sunday night you’ll find me in the bathroom wielding a tint brush in a manner that would give me sweet, patient colourist the vapours.  Like many, I’m a woman of great taste and rather limited means.  I value my colourist and stylist, and the lady who tints my unfortunate-looking blonde eyelashes, and my dermatologist, and the lady who, ahem, trims my womanly hedgerows, but in these dire economic times. Furthermore, I do love a bit of bathroom DIY. I wax my own legs, give my eyebrows the odd tweeze, and have yet to find a manicurist who can do my nails better than I can. So, in the interests of remaining financially solvent, I’ve gone what I like to call semi-pro, which is to say I stretch out those professional services I love with a bit of at-home maintenance. Here is how to do semi-pro right:

1. Prioritise.
What do you need to feel like yourself? When are you scrambling to make an appointment, and what do you regularly forget? For me, my blonde eyelashes drive me up the wall, but I often reschedule my dermatologist appointments at the last minute. Hair is somewhere in between. I usually spend a good two or three weeks frowning at my split ends before I actually make an appointment, and I realised I’m comfortable looking a touch Mary Kate Olsen for a week or two before I do something about it. It all depends on your own comfort level. Remember, there are some things, like eyelash tinting and any kind of wax that requires a yoga class and a Panadeine Forte to recover from, best left to the professionals.

2. Compromise.
So you’ve decided you simply must keep your standing appointment for a cut’n’colour. Can you tone down what you do in the salon? Do you really need a full head of highlights every month, or can you alternate between half, quarter or even partline highlights every time you visit? If you’re thinking about a colour change, be sure to take some time discussing how much maintenance is going to cost, and what you can do at home to keep your hair looking decent. When it comes to skin, remember, your skin in all likelihood looks far better than you think it does, or at least that’s what I tell myself when to break my expensive prescription retinol habit. Follow the advice of your skincare therapist of choice, keep your routine simple and consistent, wear sunscreen, and use professional services on an as-needed basis.

3. Gear up.
Decent DIY requires the right tools.  When it comes to hair colour, my new favourite thing is Goldwell Colorance Soft Colour Foam, a very gentle demi-permanent colour that comes in a big ‘ole can containing many, many applications.  At only $22 from salon suppliers like Price Attack, it means I can go at least three months between professional colour re-balancings without looking like a schoolgirl who got carried away with a box of Napro Live Colour.  If you’re going to give up salon manicures you’ll need a decent base and top coat (I highly recommend CND Stickey and Seche Vite), cuticle oil or balm, a good glass nail file and patience.

Now go and buy something pretty stimulate the economy with all the money you’ve saved.

George Glass,
Slap Happiness

• save to favourites
• Email
• Print
• (6) Comments
• Add a Comment