Since I’m having a rare introspective + selfie posting week…..

So I finally got the purple highlights that I always wanted. Okay maybe not always because there was that one time I attempted to get pink hair but that was just a misguided desire for purple I’M SURE OF IT.

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But OF COURSE, Prince had to die and make everyone think I got it in honor of him.

It’s my purple hair, Prince! Back off!

(But sorry for the disrespect, sir Prince. Also sorry that I don’t know any of your songs.)

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The process was definitely a process, and one that I documented by text for my husband, as he was somewhat taken aback when I mentioned that it would take over four hours.

“How could any haircut take four hours? The only haircuts I’ve ever gotten were walk-ins. I don’t understand these things.”

“I’m not even getting my hair cut, honey.”

Luckily, though, the man loves long hair and constantly reassures me to spend whatever I like on and do whatever I like to my hair – just please keep it long.

So. Lest you want to know the steps to purple highlights, here you go.

1. You absolutely MUST have a coloring wizard. My delightful and talented stylist, Wendy Stuckey at Morgan Ashley Salon, adores color and was willing to take on the challenge and fun of turning my hair purple. DO NOT ATTEMPT PURPLE ON YOUR OWN, people. It will look like you attempted it on your own. I’ve seen it. It’s scary.

2. Work through your fears of being too old for purple hair. You might be, but who cares. Right? Right. And anyway if you don’t know any Prince songs then you’re DEFINITELY young enough for purple hair. Right? Right.

3. Bleach comes first. She left it on extra long in hopes that next time, we can just touch up the purple and not have to do bleach, which would greatly cut down on the time involvement. Although the bleach did have the lovely side effect of making my hair thicker. And of looking like a tin-head conspiracy theorist gone mad, according to my husband.

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4. Rinse bleach after significant bleaching has been accomplished, apply gloss (fancy word for toner) and allow to sit. Forever. With a super sexy hairnet.

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5. Rinse and dry hair, show off blond highlights to husband to make up for previous photo of sexy hairnet.

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(He said I looked like a ghost. With good hair.)

6. Have a team of hairdressers (okay two) begin purpling your hair, all while clipping parts of your hair up to make you look like as much like Donald Trump as possible. They enjoyed this phase the most.

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7. Once all purple is applied, sit under a team of hair heaters. And wait some more.

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8. Finally, dry and style and gaze at the fabulousness of purple highlights. And know that all that sitting and waiting and Donald Trumping – it was totally worth it.

purple highlights front side back

Yup. Totally.

purple hair with curls

11 thoughts on “The Road to Purple Hair.

  1. That looks amazing! I love it! I currently add blue highlights to my hair- that’s grey even though I’m only 35! I had black hair & started going grey at 16 so I dyed it black for many years. At age 31, I was tired of dying it so I grey out the grey. Luckily, it’s all trendy to have grey hair so people ask me all the time where I got my color done & I can tell them I grew it. Lol. But the best part is that I can now easily add pink or purple or blue or whatever to my hair! I’m so loving how your purple looks!

  2. Ill be getting mine done in end of July before I go home – I can’t wait. WOOT WOOT

  3. Woo woo! Love it! I had the underside of my hair dyed blue for a while and it took about four hours too, between the bleach and the color. Craziness.

  4. Wow I had no idea it took that long! It’s so cute and fun! But I also loved the look of the in between stage after the bleach! Very pretty!

  5. I currently have dark blue hair and I’m loving the purple. If it weren’t so annoying to bleach it all, I’d say you should do all over.

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