I am a collector. Ask anyone who knows me, and you will find out that I can’t throw anything away. It began early in my childhood with stamp collecting, then turned briefly into butterfly collecting. Taxidermy would not suit me, because I could never even harm a butterfly. Later I found myself saving magazines: My daddy’s issues of Esquire were my favorite. All the men were so dashing, elegant I thought.
Now, I couldn’t tell you where my stamps, butterflies or those old magazines are, but I find myself a connoisseur of things: Christopher Radko snow globes, Department 56 Snowbabies, Swarovski miniatures, and china. Oh, how I adore my china, whether it’s Mama’s pink rosebud pattern, Granny’s ivory classic, or my new wedding china.
No stranger to collecting hair products either, my salon is filled with the evidence. I bore quickly and am easily amused, so does that mean I’m a toddler who never grew up? Deep within the antique chest in my salon, you could discover dozens of gels, mousses, spritzes and sprays. If it’s been made available for purchase, I probably have it — Redken, Fekkai, Aveda and everything “big and sexy,” plus the remaining drops in sample sizes of every hair miracle under the sun. Some things my friends share with me; others I am gifted from PR firms as far away as NYC, but most, I confess, were an impulse purchase.
The temptation of the bright packaging from the alluring shelves of Sephora or Saks draws me in, and I’m drunk over the newest, hottest potion. I’m weak, and sometimes my credit card balance shows it. So, how do you and I resist the urge to splurge on beauty concoctions? First, I would say join me in using all the existing shampoos and conditioners first. Finish the deep conditioning masks, and toss everything older than 12 months. Next, if you didn’t just love the mint-scented lather or if the aloe made your scalp itch, simply give it to a friend, donate it to a local shelter, or put it on the curb. We can do it.
Our drawers, cabinets and vanities are overcrowded with an arsenal of weapons to combat frizz, fight dullness, and win the battles we wage with our hairstyle daily, but if it’s collecting dust, it’s not a collector’s item. Finally, ask your stylist for his or her expertise. If trial-and-error is a must, opt for the sample sizes, and if none of this works, for crying out loud, at least hoarding shampoo is cheaper than a five-piece place setting of Marchesa by Lenox.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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