Dear In Style,

Tell me something I don’t know! Your April issue is chock full of the same beauty awards you give out every year. I can look to your awards chart for the same products people have liked for the past 10 years. Your “Hall of Fame” products? Come on! Let’s innovate this section. As a beauty fanatic, I want your newest, your latest, and your hottest. You beauty editors get the best of the best products sent to you each month for perusal and trial. You are practically bombarded by the PR efforts of every major company on the map. Therefore, I expect more from you. I want color suggestions, I want the best technological advances. I simply want more than the same lame categories and answers you give me every single year. Step it up.

Looking at my latest posts, you would think I am completely obsessed with my hair. Anyone who really knows me, knows that a truer statement has never been made. I am crazy over my hair- it is my biggest obsession. In order to add some flavor to this site and stop inviting you readers into the inner circle of my hair psychosis, I will move on to another of my favorite topics, lipstick. I am in a lipstick conundrum. I recently decided to branch out and listen to the woman at the MAC counter at Nordstrom who told me that Plum Dandy, a shimmery plum shade, was blowing off the shelves. I always inherently trust best-sellers because they are proven to be favorites. I can’t say that I dislike Plum Dandy- but I can’t say I love it either. I can’t decide what is wrong, but it just might be too light on my lips and a bit too shimmery for my tastes. In the meantime, I am  still looking for my perfect pink/brown/neutral.

One additional note about the straightening experts. When I went in for my strand test, they told me they wanted me to dye my hair 2 shades darker so that it would be one consistent color after it is straightened. (The process lightens the hair slightly.) This is also something I have never had to do in preparation of straightening. Anyhoo, I HATE the darker color. I think I look pale and washed out, and I am just completely annoyed that I listened to these diva hair stylists and followed their direction. Ugh.

My first thought in moving to San Francisco was that I needed to find a great salon to do my “process,” the straightening process that I am in desperate need of every 5-6 months. Because SFO is somewhat foggy and chilly every morning, I have become keenly aware that I cannot really wait that long to get said process. I sort of need it ASAP. I looked around online and read reviews of various salons, and I ended up finding a couple who do nothing but the process and call themselves the experts. They basically travel around the country and teach salons how to straighten. They had rave reviews on their site and on Yelp, so I decided to call them and schedule my appointment. I thought it would be that easy. Unfortunately it wasn’t. Apparently these specialists need to vet me before they agree to do my straightening. First, I had to go to their salon for a consultation. Next, they clipped small sections of my hair that they wanted to test. They would “call me” and let me know how the strand tests turned out- and in the call would let me know if they would work on my hair. Excuse me while I laugh. I have been straightening my hair for seven years. It is super strong, thick hair that does really well when straightened. I can color it and straighten it. I can highlight it and straighten it. It can take the abuse. If there is anything I know, it is my hair. So, I got the call today and the experts told me they didn’t like the way my strand test turned out. They wanted to discuss it. It could be hormones  or previous color in my hair- but apparently the strands took FOREVER to process and they didn’t get the sleekness they wanted. They wanted to take some time to decide if they would work with me. I am promptly moving on.