Solitary refinement: a lockdown survival guide
How do you adapt to working from home, keep fit, maintain a social life - and maybe even cut your hair?
www.theguardian.com
Sali Hughes #13 The best new products I’ve been using for years
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www.theguardian.com
I agree, it's very kind. I don't think I could be as selfless.
I am editing to say, my original post... I actually meant it was a decent thing to do. Being alone in lockdown must be horrendous.
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Pandemic plug in for her free haircut palsSolitary refinement: a lockdown survival guide
How do you adapt to working from home, keep fit, maintain a social life - and maybe even cut your hair?
She looks so pretty with the fringe in that photo
Undeclared as ever.
I mentioned it, but I'm a raging witch when it comes to pets and read it completely differently from the dog being a support for L.
Another appropriate quote: Yep.
Of course the hairdressers charging extortionate amounts (for those that aren't having #presstreatments which are therefore pushing up the prices for everyone else 
) are shitting themselves and urging people not to dye or cut their own hair. Probably because a lot of people will find out they can do their own hair perfectly well thank you and for a miniscule fraction of the cost. Who the hell is going to fritter away £300 or more on a haircut at Hershesons (sp?) even when this is all over? People will rightfully be timid and wary in case this bloody thing comes back. And a lot of people's finances will have changed for the worse.
And I'm really not sure I am comfortable with this awful time being used as an excuse to advertise her own hairdresser. Again.
) are shitting themselves and urging people not to dye or cut their own hair. Probably because a lot of people will find out they can do their own hair perfectly well thank you and for a miniscule fraction of the cost. Who the hell is going to fritter away £300 or more on a haircut at Hershesons (sp?) even when this is all over? People will rightfully be timid and wary in case this bloody thing comes back. And a lot of people's finances will have changed for the worse.And I'm really not sure I am comfortable with this awful time being used as an excuse to advertise her own hairdresser. Again.
Are hairdressers really 'genuinely worried' and having sleepless nights over their clients' hair? I think not.Of course the hairdressers charging extortionate amounts (for those that aren't having #presstreatments which are therefore pushing up the prices for everyone else
And I'm really not sure I am comfortable with this awful time being used as an excuse to advertise her own hairdresser. Again.
It's such old fashioned advice - OF COURSE hairdressers don't want clients to trim their fringes or colour their hair.
This stupid 'advice' shows how tied SH is to her freebie cuts and colours. A real beauty journalist would be recommending the best hair cutting youtube guides, how to touch up roots and trim fringes, the best box colours and the pitfalls of using them. How to get gel polish/nails off yourself, how to remove glued on eyelashes. Rather than saying 'don't', like women are dummies and can't be trusted with their own bodies.
Exactly. If people stop going to Hershesons - how is she going to get her free hair cuts? This is why influencers are so dodgy. Everything they recommend comes with strings attached, with the result of them benefitting from the arrangement. Hershesons are not going to be happy with her if she says something like 'now is a good time to realise you can look after your own hair perfectly adequately'. They want you be to dependent on them and look on your own hair and body as an alien life form only they understand (at a price).
Promoting useful and free or cheap self care is not in their or Sali's best interests eg when have you ever seen her recommend a homemade face mask or exfoliator?
A complete contrast to Megan Ellaby who recently worked with her hairdresser to show how to trim your own fringe. She does get free treatments though I think.
I do think we should complain to the Guardian about this, because it’s so bleeping immoral, them giving her a platform to advertise them undeclared. The Guardian is broke though; maybe Hershesons threw them a little sweetener?Of course the hairdressers charging extortionate amounts (for those that aren't having #presstreatments which are therefore pushing up the prices for everyone else
And I'm really not sure I am comfortable with this awful time being used as an excuse to advertise her own hairdresser. Again.
I've never liked going to the hairdressers, always got passive aggressive comments about my hair, or else they'd cut off more than I asked for. Decided to teach myself how to trim, watched a YouTube video and have been doing it for years now (not to sound like Sali).
Speaking of DIY methods, nan-style and othewise, I thought of a few things I do regularly.
I've been colouring my own hair my whole life. I'm a dark brunette and don't have any highlights or anything complex, so it makes things much easier. I don't use the entire box in one go for my roots, so I get 2 uses out of every package. I don't see a difference in what brand I use, so I buy which ever one is on offer. Things are very different for blonds and redheads, I'm sure. And my hair isn't straight, so I'm not very detailed when applying the dye. Or I'm just lazy. Put vaseline on your skin and ears, or if you're like me, don't, and when you've finished applying the dye, just remove the colour with some wet cotton wool. And even if you miss, it'll be gone in a day or two.
If anyone is interested in DIY hair removal, I've been making sugar wax for a long time: take 2 cups of sugar, add 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Slowly cook it until it's golden, watch out that it doesn't go brown or it'll break like glass. Wait until it cools down a bit so you can pour it into a jar or some other container you can later re-heat either by putting it into the microwave or in hot water, since you can keep this in the fridge for a long time. Don't worry about the consistency, i.e. that you have that professional gloop, I use old linen I cut into stripes, so just apply the "wax" and pull. And curse. It's much better than any store bought wax, I've never teared my skin with it or had any adverse reactions. Other than the expected redness, which also fades much quicker. And I have used it everywhere.
Threading your facial hair is also really easy. Just make sure your face is clean. YouTube is full of videos with threading and sugar wax. You quickly get the hang of it.
Using baking soda as a foot or body scrub (not your face!), it's truly effective, I exfoliate my feet with it: soak your feet in hot/warm water, scrub until the memory of the last column fades, you can use the pumice stone as well, then put a shitload of cheap foot cream and put socks on. I could make money on a fetish site from my feet (not to toot my own horn).
We put olive oil here on everything so every household has it, I personally wouldn't use it on my body, because I don't like the smell. But almond oil is cheap and wonderful and is recommended for even the most sensitive baby skin (apricot kernel oil is similar). Put it on your skin right after the shower when you're still wet. Add it to your body or face cream if it's too light for this time of year. I used to remove my eye makeup with it, never had a problem, but since there are a lot of inexpensive and good makeup removers now, I wouldn't bother with it now.
This is too long and no one is going to read this and you probably know all of this anyway.
I've been colouring my own hair my whole life. I'm a dark brunette and don't have any highlights or anything complex, so it makes things much easier. I don't use the entire box in one go for my roots, so I get 2 uses out of every package. I don't see a difference in what brand I use, so I buy which ever one is on offer. Things are very different for blonds and redheads, I'm sure. And my hair isn't straight, so I'm not very detailed when applying the dye. Or I'm just lazy. Put vaseline on your skin and ears, or if you're like me, don't, and when you've finished applying the dye, just remove the colour with some wet cotton wool. And even if you miss, it'll be gone in a day or two.
If anyone is interested in DIY hair removal, I've been making sugar wax for a long time: take 2 cups of sugar, add 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Slowly cook it until it's golden, watch out that it doesn't go brown or it'll break like glass. Wait until it cools down a bit so you can pour it into a jar or some other container you can later re-heat either by putting it into the microwave or in hot water, since you can keep this in the fridge for a long time. Don't worry about the consistency, i.e. that you have that professional gloop, I use old linen I cut into stripes, so just apply the "wax" and pull. And curse. It's much better than any store bought wax, I've never teared my skin with it or had any adverse reactions. Other than the expected redness, which also fades much quicker. And I have used it everywhere.
Threading your facial hair is also really easy. Just make sure your face is clean. YouTube is full of videos with threading and sugar wax. You quickly get the hang of it.
Using baking soda as a foot or body scrub (not your face!), it's truly effective, I exfoliate my feet with it: soak your feet in hot/warm water, scrub until the memory of the last column fades, you can use the pumice stone as well, then put a shitload of cheap foot cream and put socks on. I could make money on a fetish site from my feet (not to toot my own horn).
We put olive oil here on everything so every household has it, I personally wouldn't use it on my body, because I don't like the smell. But almond oil is cheap and wonderful and is recommended for even the most sensitive baby skin (apricot kernel oil is similar). Put it on your skin right after the shower when you're still wet. Add it to your body or face cream if it's too light for this time of year. I used to remove my eye makeup with it, never had a problem, but since there are a lot of inexpensive and good makeup removers now, I wouldn't bother with it now.
This is too long and no one is going to read this and you probably know all of this anyway.
@Tesla's Ghost I read till the end. Lots of excellent tips, thank you 
I’m off to watch a few You Tube videos on hair trimming. I’m desperate for a hair cut. I was waiting until March payday and then COVID happened 
I’m off to watch a few You Tube videos on hair trimming. I’m desperate for a hair cut. I was waiting until March payday and then COVID happened Anyone else wanna start a Twitter petition for @Tesla's Ghost to replace SH as Guardian columnist?
The worst part of going to the hairdresser for me - that moment when you are strangled with the smock and you sit down with wet hair and see yourself in the mirror looking like a mouse dipped in oil. I strain my eye muscles from looking away every time.
I’m a bottle blonde , I can’t risk a diy job but I am going to buy that root touch up stuff .
Tesla's Ghost you are incredible! I have used box dye (also a brunette) before but always all over. If I just want to cover grays does it not leave a line of demarcation from the new color? Do you pull it through the ends just before washing out?
Also do you just apply dry baking soda to wet feet and scrub with hands? Sali would never be so helpful!!
Also do you just apply dry baking soda to wet feet and scrub with hands? Sali would never be so helpful!!
I haven't had issues with it, but I have wavy/curly hair, so it allows much more room for error. I found if I put it all over my hair the ends would be much more saturated with colour (if that makes any sense), and in this way it fades to a much more "natural" appearance, since the ends are usually lighter than your roots.
I soak my feet first for a few minutes (in a laundry plastic tub, I can't remember the right word in English
), the softer your skin is from water the better, then apply dry baking soda with my hands, use the pumice stone if necessary, rinse and put a good amount of cream.Tesla's Ghost for Queen! 
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