My New Obsession: Birchbox

Last month, while reading the lovely Sara Zucker's blog, I found out about Birchbox. And now I'm hooked.

Birchbox is a subscription-based service, where, for a small fee, you receive monthly boxes of beauty samples. With each box, you earn points, and you can use the points to purchase full-size versions of the products. I think that this is an incredible idea, since I'm often reluctant to shell out money on expensive beauty products without testing them first. So I signed up right away.

It's so much fun! Who doesn't like getting packages of goodies in the mail? I got my first box last week and documented it for you.

If you're wondering what's in the box, you can see the contents here. I haven't tried everything yet but my favorite item so far is the Blinc Mascara, which creates little tubes around your lashes to thicken and darken them. I have a lot of problem with smudgy mascara - even waterproof mascara smudges on me - so I really dug Blinc and will buy a full-sized tube when the sample runs out.

I think I'm really going to dig getting a little box full of goodies every month!

Choppity Choppity

It's been two weeks since I got my hair chopped off, and I just realized that I still haven't posted the photos of it. Oops. So here's a little before and after for ya:

You guys. I loooooove it. I still haven't managed to make it look as good as the day I left the salon (isn't that always the way?) but I'm so happy with it anyway. It's choppy and cute. It takes less than ten minutes to dry, and my entire head feels about ten pounds lighter.

Thanks to Lena at Fringe Salon for the kick-ass cut!

How to Donate Your Hair

Thanks so much for all of your comments and feedback on my last hair post. I've decided that I'm definitely going to cut it, but I haven't decided when or how short yet.

I kind of think that I should wait until after the summer, so that I can continue to throw my hair back into a ponytail or braid when it's hot as hell outside (i.e. all the time). Another reason I may wait a bit longer is because I'd like to donate my hair if I can, and it's not quite long enough for some programs. I did a lot of research last week, and most of these programs want hair that is 8, 10 or 12 inches long. While my longest layers might be 8 inches long, my shortest are nowhere near that long. And I don't know if I'll make it another 6-8 months, which is how long it'll take for my hair to grow out enough to donate.

Anyway, I spent all of last Friday night sitting in front of the computer, researching the options (are you jealous of my glamorous life? I know you are) and I figured I'd compile them here for anyone else who is interested in hair donation.

Organization: Pantene Beautiful Lengths
Hair is used to: create wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment
Donation Guidelines:

• Donated hair must be a minimum of 8 inches long (measure hair from just above the elastic band of the ponytail to the ends). If your hair is layered, the shortest layer must be at least 8 inches long.
• Wavy/curly hair texture is fine—you may straighten hair to measure.
• Hair should be freshly washed and completely dry, without any styling products.
• Hair may be colored with vegetable dyes, rinses and semi-permanent dyes. It cannot be bleached, permanently colored or chemically treated.
• Hair may not be more than 5 percent gray.

How to Donate: click here

Organization: Locks of Love

Hair is used to: provide hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

Donation Guidelines:

• Hair that is colored or permed is acceptable.
• Hair cut years ago is usable if it has been stored in a ponytail or braid.
• Hair that has been bleached (usually this refers to highlighted hair) is not usable.  
• Hair that is swept off of the floor is not usable because it is not bundled in a ponytail or braid.
• Hair that is shaved off and not in a ponytail or braid is not usable. If shaving your head, first divide hair into multiple ponytails to cut off.
• We cannot accept dreadlocks. Our manufacturer is not able to use them in our children’s hairpieces. We also cannot accept wigs, falls, hair extensions or synthetic hair.
• Layered hair is acceptable if the longest layer is 10 inches. 
• Layered hair may be divided into multiple ponytails.
• Curly hair may be pulled straight to measure the minimum 10 inches.
• 10 inches measured tip to tip is the minimum length needed for a hairpiece.

How to Donate: click here

Organization: Hugs U Wear, by the Childhood Leukemia Foundation

Hair is used to: provide wigs for children who have lost their hair due to leukemia treatment

Donation Guidelines:

• At least 12" in length (curly hair can be pulled straight to measure 12")
• Chemically untreated from permanents or hair dye.
• Do not accept gray hair (not suitable for children)

How to Donate: click here

Organization: Children with Hair Loss

Hair is used to: make wigs for children experiencing medically related hair loss.

Donation Guidelines:

• Hair should be at least 8 inches in length or longer is preferred.
• Hair must be clean pony-tailed and braided (this keeps the hair in one direction).
• Place rubber band or pony tail holder on each end.
• Non-chemically treated hair is preferred (but any hair in good condition will be accepted).
• Gray hair is accepted.

How to Donate: click here

Organization: Wigs for Kids

Hair is used to: make wigs for children experiencing medically related hair loss.

Donation Guidelines:

• Hair must be clean and dry.  (Hair that has been cut and saved is suitable for donations.)
• Minimum length of hair donation is 12+ inches.  (Pull curly hair straight to measure.)
• Donations MUST be braided or TIGHTLY BOUND in ponytails and secured with rubberbands one at each end of the tail AND in the middle; placed in a plastic bag, and then sealed in a mailing envelope.  This is critical.  Hair that is loose or not tightly secured will be unusable as it comes apart through the mailing process.
• Gray hair is acceptable.
• We cannot accept hair that has been chemically processed, no perms, colors or highlighting.
• We are not able to accept dreadlocks, as it is not feasible to hand sew them into our custom-made hairpieces.   

How to Donate: click here

Organization: Pink Heart Funds

Hair is used to: provide free wigs for kids and adults who suffer from medical hair loss due to illness or cancer treatment..

Donation Guidelines:

• We are happy to receive ponytails from 8" on up, however most of our recipients ask for longer lengths so please save up your inches if you can. 
• The only type of hair not accepted is over processed bleached hair; all other types of hair are accepted. Any color hair is accepted; gray hair, hi-lighted, chemically dyed, relaxed and permanently waved. 
• Hair must be (mostly) all one length. 
• All ethnic types are accepted. 

How to Donate: click here.

Have you ever donated your hair? Which organization did you use? And please, show off some before and after photos!

Hair, Down to There

Last week, I accidentally shut my hair in my car door.

And earlier this week, I dreamt about chopping off my hair not once, not twice, but thrice.

I go back and forth between long hair and short hair a lot. Right now, my hair is probably the longest it's ever been, although it's been this length many times. This is the length where I get sick of it and cut it off. And once the haircut seed has been planted in my brain, I can't kill it. I almost certainly will chop my hair off sometime within the next few months.

This is what my hair looks like now. It's long, but pretty ratty.

This is what it looked like two years ago, when I started growing it out:

And here is a collage of many of my haircuts over the years. Some were good and some were very, very bad.

I'm partial to #2 and #5, myself. As you can see, I'm partial to bangs and have had them almost consistently for about twelve years.

So now, I'm debating. Should I keep my hair longish but get more layers like I used to have, like this?

Or do I choppity chop chop like some of these photos I've come across?

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I love this video of Dianna Agron from Glee getting her hair cut. Hear how she screams "I'm so happy!" at ten seconds in? I know how she feels! It's such a rush to cut your hair off.

But on the other hand, growing your hair out is a bitch. And I'll be forced to have some awkward, unflattering hairdos when I decide to do that. And if I cut my hair short, I won't be able to wear my fallback summertime 'do, the fishtail braid.

Do you have any suggestions for what I should do with my hair? Do you like to vary your hair length, or do you tend to keep it long or short?