5 Things I've Learned About Looking My Best Since Cutting Off A Foot Of Hair

I chopped off roughly eleven inches of my hair -- and it didn’t even take a dramatic breakup to do it! Aren’t you proud? I was too scared to go full-on pixie, ’cause I never know about my face width, but I did go above-the-shoulder, below-the-chin, which was indeed Reese Witherspoon-inspired (what with her starring in the upcoming film of my favorite book Wild and all.)

I love a change in look with a change of season, so I’m feeling fun and fall-spired. But I must admit, the chop is taking some adjusting, the main issue being that I can’t throw it up in a wet bun before running out the door. What’s with this whole short hair having to be styled to look cute thing?  

So, I’ve compiled a list of a few things I’ve learned about life and love with my new length. OK, not really. It’s more like what I’ve learned about how to style short hair.

Back in my long-haired life, where hairstyling was strictly reserved for Fun Times Out (rare) or xoJane photo shoots, my Velcro rollers became sad and dusty in their home in the closet. But ever since the chop, we’ve rekindled the love affair, and it’s been getting steamy.

I have straight, fine hair that, when cut short and left to its own devices (air drying), gives me mushroom head. This means that a regular blowout is necessary in order to avoid this unfortunate fate. I can throw them on my head post-shower, forget about them as I lounge about my morning routine, and take them out before heading out the door. And it looks like it takes so much more effort:

As an avid, enthusiastic, militant daily hair-washer, I feel dirty even saying that. But it’s true.

Short hair simply doesn’t require a daily scrub. Long hair, for me anyway, was greased down more easily with its own weight, and with my hands constantly running through it and fussing with it. But short hair just doesn’t cake up with the oily residue as quickly.

Also, with less showering and less hair, I am saving a ton of money on products –- I have easily cut down the amount of products I use by half in chopping my hair.

The use of dry shampoo was also something I never did much with long hair, because it made my hair hard and clumpy and not-at-all flowy/attractive. But with short hair, dry shampoo is the name of my game. I’ve been starting my no-hair-wash days with a spritz of Sexy Hair’s new H2NO 3 Day Style Saver, an awesome lightweight formula of dry shampoo that keeps my hair vibrant between washes.

I never had a big thing for hair accessories, sans a brief stint with animal barrettes during my tween/Hot Topic days, but short hair calls for them. I never really knew what to do with a sparkly barrette or a hair bow in long hair, other than perhaps channel my inner Rory Gilmore. But this Sandra Dee cut is practically begging for a pink bow, and well, ask and you shall receive.

I love earrings, especially the long, dangly, hippie-princess kind, but I never really wore them with long hair because my hair would tangle with the earring and rip it out of my ear. (Sounds fun, right?) But now earrings almost feel essential, like a cherry on top (or better yet, just chocolate on top, because those bright red cherries freak me out).

Now I can wear my new earrings made out of stones from Lake Superior (thanks, Mom!) whenever I want.

Another perk of short hair is that all your features are on blast. I feel sometimes good about this, like on the days where I’m not bloated or cranky or broken-out. On the days where I’m feeling good and I want to give me newly exposed features an extra pop, I like to wear a bold lipstick.

Stila’s Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick is great for working ladies like me who don’t want to touch up your bold-for-the-office lipstick all day. I love this Stila lipstick because the color is saturated, and it feels weightless on the lips without drying out. I’m wearing the shade Aria in the above pic.

Have you taken on a new look in time for fall? Are you going to? Do you short-haired ladies have any advice for this newbie?