Time to celebrate new style decisions

68 Comments

1. I like D.

2. With the exception of C and E, all those hair colours are too ashy (cool). If you are indeed a Spring, you need golden highlights. I speak from experience as I was a Colour Consultant back in the day. Have fun experimenting with your new look.

3. I vote hair style A. Warby Parker is great, especially since they are in so many cities in case you’re traveling and have an issue.

4. I like F and G but in a warmer tone for you. Coral glasses will compliment your skin tone and color palette. I was told brighter frames are more flattering for older women. I found a multicolored frame at Costco and love them, especially since they sit right on my nose without irritating nose pieces. By the way, I was very happy to hear of the school choice launch in Texas.

5. Yes, I also thought many of those colors were too ashy if indeed you are a spring. The warm one I liked best was E. But I would do more subtle highlights, the big chunky ones are too obvious. For me anyway. And note I am just talking to you as I would a friend. You have lovely long hair and it will be beautiful.
   I love my gray hair. Just saying. Was lucky enough to have it grow out in a shiny, stunning silver. Women stop me all the time to ask me where I have it colored. I don’t! It’s mor bold than I would have ever imagined. And yes, I had to make some color changes to makeup, glasses, and even clothes. Your hair color does make a huge difference to all those things.

6. For a fun option for eye glasses, check out Pair Eyewear online. You select a base frame and then can add magnetic “toppers” to change the mood or the look. They have a huge selection of toppers and I have never had a problem with them coming off. I love being able to change my frame color to go with my outfits.

7. I’m voting for C as I think you need some of that russet tone in your hair although more subtle than the ‘stripes’ in the photo. The all blond look is too one dimensional, I think.

8. Thanks Susan…I appreciate you joining in!

9. I will check it out, Jocelyn..you know me…I am all about some fun with style!

10. I think your hair sounds lovely, Susan…isn’t it great that we have so many ways to be our own unique selves at this time of life.

11. I hope I find coral glasses…still hunting. Thanks Mary!

12. Thanks Tess…I am impressed with Warby Parker.

13. I am a spring. I am trusting House of Color who sent the hair selections for springs. Thanks Yvonne.

14. Thank you for joining in!

15. For hair color, A or G. Personal preference only some highlights as I think it’s more natural. No opinion on glasses except I think Addie gave good advice to look for coral for the frames. However, spending less $ for readers as needed, not too many choices. My eyes changed several times in the two years after surgery, so you will have to see what changes come and how soon you will have a more permanent pair.. The best always

16. Pamela: Congratulations on completing your eye procedures—I think you are going to be so happy with the results.

    I was honestly so afraid of the surgery that I put it off for a couple of years. Now that it’s done, I couldn’t be happier and keep asking myself why I avoided it for so long! I do use reading glasses for computer work if I’m on the screen for extended periods and notice my eyes getting tired, but I don’t need glasses for driving or normal daily activities. Another benefit. (Driver’s License picture with no glasses!)

    You definitely have a true “Pamela week” planned to celebrate this accomplishment—how exciting! What an awesome lineup you have to mark such a big milestone. I especially like your D and G options. You should also schedule a manicure and pedicure this week so you’re fully ready for a great Valentine’s celebration at the end of the week.

    I’m really looking forward to hearing all about your exciting week!

17. Pam, you have some exciting plans! I vote for A or G, but it’s hard without seeing your skin tone in person. I’m sure your hairdresser will be a big help.

18. I like G. Good luck on all your new adventures.

19. Thank you, Cheryll. This is fun.

20. Good advice, Audrey. I wondered about changes over time.

21. Thanks Janet…I am very excited and ready to proceed. I just got a mani/pedi so I will put that off another week. Thank you for being here.

22. She will be..she is excellent. Thanks Marcia!

23. Not sure about colors on my iPhone, but agree the ashy ones don’t look right for you. Doubt you want copper shades either.
    I vote for dark blonde base with golden/warm highlights.
    Will enjoy seeing what you choose and hearing about color vision improvement after surgery.
    Anthropologie has cute readers.

24. What fun!!!
    I feel like G is very similar to what I perceive as your current color, so if you’re wanting true change, I would choose from the others. All look gorgeous to me, but I am intrigued by C. The beautiful copper foundation with glints of blond, wow! F would probably be the biggest change, and could also be a lot of fun.
    I had let my hair go natural for several years during the pandemic and loved my silver bits, but ultimately returned to my hairdresser to ask her opinion. She said I only had about 10 or 15% coming in silver and recommended trying again in another 5 or 10 years when I’m likely to have more of a 50/50 blend.
    I use readers, bought from Marshall’s in a multi-pack, so my only advice is to keep several pairs handy. Purse, nightstand, living room table. I have ‘piano glasses’ which my optometrist made specifically to function at approximately 18 to 22″ away, the distance between my face and the sheet music when at the piano.

25. I agree with those who have said that the highlights need to be less predominant if you want a more natural look. Likewise, only if you may want to say, ” I want to be a redhead.” would I pick C. I do wonder at getting your new glasses this close to your surgery. My husband and others in our area who have had the surgery have all be told to wait 6 weeks before getting their new glasses. Perhaps you are just scouting styles.

26. I’m in Style B camp. Not for me, but I think it would be great with your new spring colors.
    Warby Parker has such modern looks, especially since they will not be all day glasses anymore.

27. My eye doctor said we would discuss this on Wednesday…so I will know more then, Linda. Thanks so much.

28. I forgot about Anthropologie…they do have cute readers…thanks Connie.

29. Thanks for joining in Connie…I am looking so forward to the conversation with my eye doctor on Weds. It is interesting to read all of the comments on the hair colors. Thanks everyone.

30. Right now, I need old glasses to read my phone and the computer…so I really do not know at this point how often I will need them. Yes to today is about hair color for me and no one else.

31. Good morning! What an exciting time for you. My cataract surgery was truly an “eyeopener.” For hair color, I choose G. It is a softer coloration with the addition of a few golden highlights achieving the natural spring hair color.. You are leaning into the softer side of spring with your wardrobe and a softer hair color/make-up will provide true spring tones.. For eyeglasses, consider similar chestnut crystal colors in the Warby Parker frames. I look forward to seeing your intentional, current and approachable adjectives spoken through your new choices. Fun and joyful will naturally follow those choices.

    Enjoy the changes ahead.
    ZiZi

32. Thank you ZiZi…you have an excellent comment here.

33. How exciting you have some great plans. This time of year we can all use some updates but now you have a great reason.
    I like A and as far as glasses go wait until you get your hair done. Coral would be a good color but think about if you have to wear them all the time. If it’s just for reading you can have some fun with different colors. I speak from experience and now I have get some help with my distance and closeup vision. I just recently got bifocals and am having an awful time getting used to them. Luckily I don’t have to wear them all the time.
    Have fun with your updates

34. Style A looks the most natural/neutral to me. My criteria for my own hair, which was the darkest brown and thus hard to keep up when I started going gray (the white skunk part line is always a problem) is to get something blended so the inevitable grays are not as noticeable. I just get lowlights now and let some of the gray be part of the “highlights.” I find red tones fade very quickly. You didn’t note how often you were willing to do major color maintenance, so I do think that should be part of the decision, because all of these but F would likely work. I do think the brightness of your complexion would allow you to go as warm as you want. I also do not want to go gray, and am honestly as tired of ladies urging me to so as they must have been when getting pressure by everyone to color their hair. I just don’t want to, and I don’t have to have a “good reason.” As for glasses, I would give yourself time to get used to your look without them. I have a friend in your situation, and she said she felt invisible, off balance in her look, and too pale without her glasses. It took a bit more eyebrow filler and time for her get used to how she looked, even though I and others liked her look immediately. When we get used to looking at ourselves in a certain way, no matter how open we are, it takes a few months. I would prefer something in a lighter warm neutral on you, a pinky or golden tortoise shell. If you are only going to wear readers sporadically, a commitment to a color makes more sense. I would not find coral versatile enough, and my own style isn’t quirky enough to want a lot of color on my face, especially for more dressy occasions. I think your style, while dramatic, isn’t what I would call quirky. If you do want color, I love you in anything green!

35. I also vote for C or E but more subtle highlights. I wonder if its just my laptop screen that make some of them look ashy. Hair color is such a personal decision and we each need to do what suits us. Your hair is lovely and it suits you. Looking forward to seeing what you choose. I’m another who stopped coloring during the pandemic. My husband commented my roots were a gorgeous color. I was skeptical but met my colorist in a parking lot. She looked at them in daylight and told me to stop coloring my hair. Surprisingly I look younger with platinum white hair.

36. It took me awhile to get use to my progressives, Paula..you will get there…just be careful when stepping off of curbs and steps. This is exciting and I do hope to have several different pairs of glasses to mix things up a bit. Thanks

37. I agree with Yvonne. All of the colors are too ashy. For me, the key words for us springs are warm and bright. I recall photos of you from a few years ago when you sported darker hair. I think the darker, warmer color was very attractive on you. I too have been on a hair color journey the past few years. As my hair got more gray, I tried switching from my medium, golden brown color to a dark blonde. I noticed that after a few washes, my color was fading to an ash blonde. I started feeling washed out. I have a very light, golden ivory complexion and I felt that I was losing contrast between my skin and my hair. I think I needed some contrast to feel like myself. I have gone back to the darker hair color. I know that it is often recommended to lighten our hair color as we get older to soften the look of lines and wrinkles. But, in my case, it made my 71 year old face look pale and wan. One might think that more contrast between hair and skin would give a washed out, unhealthy, pale look to the complexion. However, in my case I need some contrast! I wish I had a good wig store somewhere nearby so that I could try out different hair colors with no commitment to see how different shades work with my complexion.

38. What is so great about readers is that I can have a quirky and an elegant too. I want to have fun with it. I go once a month to get my hair done…I budget for it and I have done this for years. I know older women who go ONCE A WEEK to get their hair fixed and then once a month for color. I am thankful that I can at least do my own fixing! Thanks Linda.

39. I am so glad that it works for you, Kathie…and yes, the pandemic helped many women discover that. I will know when I am ready and look forward to another change at that point. Mixing things up a bit in my 70s is fun! Thanks so much for your vote.

40. Pamela, So happy for you that your surgeries went so well! Enjoy your plans to celebrate. I agree with Linda M and I vote for A. I had dark brown hair that I kept auburn for years (and I thought I would keep it until I was 80!), but she’s right that red, even just lowlights, needs a lot of upkeep. When I started going gray, I switched to light blonde with lowlights and I loved it for about 10 years as it made the gray roots so much easier to handle. I eventually decided that my coloring was changing and decided to go gray as I frequently found myself noticing other women who looked striking with their natural gray hair color. It was quite a process as my stylist stripped all of the color so I was silver until it started growing in. Now I have my own natural lowlights and I can’t believe how many compliments I get on my hair, so I guess it was the right decision for me. No one ever pressured me to go gray and I would never do that to another woman. Our hair color is such a very personal decision, but I think you would look great in A. I enjoy your blog so much that it’s still the first thing I read every morning. Have a great day, Pamela!

41. I like G for you as it is not such a departure from your current color. Also like the Warby in teal. I am a Spring and can’t wait to see what you come up with!

42. Thanks so much, Niki…and thank you for sharing your own hair journey!

43. Thanks Lisa…I can’t wait to see what we come up with as well. I truly am listening to all of you and will consultant with my stylist and then dive in!

44. A and F personally

45. Thanks Sharon!

46. Like you I was not comfortable post surgery without glasses. Chasing down errant pairs of readers was just annoying, but I do enjoy a glasses wardrobe and although my prescription is minimal having progressives for reading and laptop comfort fits me best. Hence, I really enjoy EyeBuyDirect.com. Here is a link to their selection of peach/coral/orange frames at the moment.
    Good luck with your hair color adventure. I can certainly relate to drastic change as I have lost 100 pounds in the last 10 months.

47. Good for you Deborah…you are an inspiration! I had to remove the link, because for security reasons I do not allow links in comments, but I appreciate you sharing the EyeBuy Direct information. Thanks for being here.

48. Congratulations on being on the other side of your surgeries. You have embraced change and have much to look forward to…seeing more clearly, finding fun glasses, tweaking your wardrobe, and managing your hair color. Yay! Fun! Regarding the hair choices. As a deep autumn, I am also warm in undertone as you are in your spring palette. My hair has always been a deep warm brown with reddish highlights. My daughter is a light spring and has blondish hair. We both highlight as you obviously do. I am reading the new book of Anuschka Rees ( a German gal I have followed for years) called Personal Color. I just jumped ahead to the hair section after reading your post. It starts with this: “If there is only one thing you align to your season, make it your hair color…finding a shade that truly complements your color essence can be transformative?” No pressure there, huh? I think golden, not ash, is imperative for us warms. With screen monitors, I can’t wager a guess on these undertones, but looking at the HIGHLIGHTS ONLY, I like G because it is very natural and it gives your stylist room to play. One month mine willl say that she is adding lowlights because I am looking a bit bright. Another month she says it is autumn. Needs a touch of a red. Last week she said that since I was going to Florida , she was putting in a few strands of brightness, but not to worry. I wouldn’t look blond. My hair is like my wardrobe, always evolving around the time of year. If you trust your stylist/colorist, be open minded and know that anything can be fixed (except maybe short bangs). I doubt any of this helped with your choice, but it is what came to mind.
    Just as I am getting to glasses, my husband is whisking me away. Have fun! Later!

49. I hope you can return with glasses comments later, Deborah…I always enjoy what you have to add to the conversation. The quote from the book did hit me because I believed that in order to be all in with my best colors that I needed to tweak the hair color a bit…so you just validated that feeling. Also, I love that you are so bold as to tweak your own highlights according to seasons are trips. You are a great inspiration. Thanks so much.

50. G is my vote. It looks more natural and upkeep would be easier.

51. Thanks Karen! I appreciate you joining in.

52. I vote for A or G. Happy to hear you’re not allowing others to influence your hair style. A few years ago I had a coworker who constantly made comments about older women wearing their hair long. I have long hair and allowed her to get in my head so cut it short. It just wasn’t me and I immediately started growing it out.

53. I did allow people to get in my head as well when I was working out of my home…and every time I looked in the mirror, I wondered who that was. I will from now on do what I believe is best for me….glad your grew yours back Cathy when you knew that was right for you.

54. I am not good with blond tones so I can’t tell which one of those lovely color examples is best for you, but I would second the recommendations for the colors that do not have wide chunky strands of color. Grow-out is going to happen and I think it’s less obvious on highlighted hair that is done in thin strands.

    As to glasses I’d go onto the Zenni web site and use their “Try On” option to see, in the privacy of your own home, how you look in different colored frames.

55. I like D, but I agree that it may be too ashy for a spring. I like that the highlights look more natural than A, B, C, and F which look more like stripes than subtle highlights. Lighter colors near the roots hide new gray growth better than darker roots which is the only reason I didn’t choose G.

56. Thanks Rose…I will check it out.

57. Thanks so much, Kate.

58. I picked A and G but I like a more natural look. In the end it has to be your choice and how much you can budget to maintain it. You and your stylist will make the final decision. I actually like your hair now so only a little tweaking will go a long way. Glasses are so expensive that you will have to decide on style and color. The off and on blurry will go away.

59. Thank you, Sydney. I still have some blurry but it is only day three!

60. I am so thankful that your second surgery is in the rearview mirror and that you can get on with your life. If you only need readers, I love Foster Grant’s styles, which I own in about a dozen colors so I can coordinate with my outfits. I have a basic “go with everything” pair that are tortoiseshell on the top and a deep marine blue on the lower half, but I love finding my best colors and regularly receive compliments on them. I buy mine at Kroger or sometimes on eBay if I want to replace a particular style and cannot find them in-store.
    I will add another vote for option G for your hair color. It is more subtle and realistic than the others, and looks like it would be the easiest to transition if you did reach the point where you wanted to go natural. The good news about readers or hair color is that both can be temporary if you don’t love your first choices!

61. That’s true! Can always change. So glad to get your thoughts today!

62. Hi Pam,
    A big hip hip hooray that you have nailed your cataract surgery, it will be nice when all your eye drops are done, such an important part of your healing.
    As far as your hair color goes, since I’m not sitting in front of you and studying your eye coloring and complexion I would say A, C, or G. I’m sure your hair stylist will steer you in the right direction. You are blessed with lots of hair and it always looks so healthy. It sounds like you are going to have a major pamper day, good for YOU. It’s so important to feel pretty with some make overs.
    Take care of yourself.
    If I recall correctly for me it took about two months before I knew the exact script I would need for the computer and regular readers. For computer Warby Parker put in the blue tint.
    It will be exciting to see the transformations. It’s all so good for your spirit and self image. We all need to feel beautiful.
    Warm hugs

63. Thanks Katherine…you are so kind. I have many questions for my eye doctor on Weds!

64. Back again! When I was seeing my color analyst regularly , we discussed sunglass frames. For a very affordable amount of money, we met at an eyeglass store. She grabbed a basket and told the SA that we didn’t need help. She instructed me on phase 1 she would be putting glasses on me and I was NOT to look in the mirror. Some went back on shelf, some went into the basket. I was so hoping for Coach frames in red or green (which I had had before but wore out) but they weren’t in vogue at the time. Then we sat down for phase 2 and I tried on what we had gathered at the mirror. She kept taking a pair away after trying on 2 pairs, asking what I liked best. I went with the best shape, not favorite color for that pair. They were brown (good neutral color for me) and do look very Jackie O. I still wear them, like them, and have had lenses changed a few times. After cataract surgeries I went for a subdued blue/teal. So now I have my neutral and a color. (Still wanting green or tomato red sunnies!) I only really need readers at night or for very small print. They are fun and easy to find. I have also painted old glasses that still work with olive green nail polish. Have fun trying shapes, but I did wait the 6 weeks for my doctor to give me new script. By the way, according to my color analyst, I am a high contrast person in coloring. It makes a difference (to my eye) when shopping for glasses that you will wear the most. In my case, that is sunglasses. If you are a low or medium contrast person, a clear color rather than opaque might be a consideration. You will have the color, but they won’t be as heavy. Yes. As a few people mentioned, you have to decide if you want people to see a blended you or the glasses first. Decisions!

65. My choice of hair colour would be A. I think it’s a natural look that would suit you well, but I agree with others who have suggested that the streaks be more subtle. As for glasses, have you considered metal frames? As a Spring, you would want gold or rose gold. I recently purchased these ones and I’m very happy with them. I find that they show off my face better than heavier, more colourful frames would.

66. I like E.
    Im older than you and I get my hair colored. My gray isn’t pretty; its boring and I’m not!
    Id suggest you try smaller frames. Your hair and makeup are always so nice; show off. I’d never suggest neutral glasses! Go with something in you color palette.

67. The neutrals in my palette are camel, khaki, marine navy, chocolates, black browns, olives, etc. Most of those look great with my highlights. I use them for my $$ sunglasses that are scripts. I can read with them on the beach or deck and see distant street signs while driving. Accent colors in my palette are fun, but for me are limiting. I am too matchy-matchy. I like them for inexpensive readers. I need a handful for different places around the house. You will find what speaks to you and your coloring. Have fun!

68. Pamela, I think A or G is very natural to your color palette and just as a true compliment…without your glasses you look like your daughter🥰