Going Gray by Anne Kreamer

Going Gray 

I really didn’t know what to expect from this book, based on the wide variety of opinions and reviews at Amazon. 

But I’m glad that I did give it a try. I thoroughly enjoyed it, from beginning to end.

Author Anne Kreamer has provided readers with her personal journey and along with it, many surprising insights into the perils and pleasures of “going gray”.

No, it isn’t rocket science or global warming and yes, I agree, hair color and style should NOT be such a big deal.

 But let’s face it, in the real world, being a woman and over 50 in particular, it IS a big deal and a big part of how a person feels overall. And even more important, how we are perceived and often judged, by younger people in particular.

I was impressed by the research and attention to detail, that went into this book, especially the experiments with dating online and in real life that she tried, wow…that took some guts! The image consultants that she visited for advice, again interesting and enlightening reading.

I also enjoyed Kreamer’s engaging and personable style of writing. This is a very personal book. She shares her own fears, thoughts, expectations…with the reader, what her own journey to “going gray” meant for her and also for her family.

Enlightening, thought-provoking, funny and personable. 

The only thing that would have made it even better would have been some photos from the dating sites (dark hair vs silver) and also some pics of attractive, grey haired women (famous or not) would have been inspiring too.

And IMO, the back cover photos should have been both posed exactly the same (face forward) for more impact. But yes, even as a profile shot, I thought Anne looked lovely and chic with her new silvery locks. :-)

If you’ve ever considered going gray or are already embracing your “silver goddess” look, this is a book you won’t want to miss.

What are your thoughts on “going gray”?

Have you stopped coloring your hair?

Or have you never colored your hair?

PS: On a personal (hair) note, I DID give: going gray a try myself, in the past year and a bit. 

My hair is about half-way grown out at this point and sadly, I've had enough of the "grays" already, to continue. 

Planning a big snip and a henna (ash brown) coloring, in the near future. Gray hair just wasn't for me. 

But to all the women who do look great in gray/white haircolor, I say: go for it and well done! :-) It can be smashing and oh so attractive. But you've got to have the right coloring, hairstyle and make-up to pull it off successfully.

Unfortunately, I just ended up feeling drab, washed out and OLD!!! :-(

Overall rating for this book: Very Good. 4 out of 5

Colora Henna Powder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've been experimenting with more natural alternatives to hair coloring for the last couple of years. I refuse to use the chemically-laden "nightmare" mainstream hair coloring products that I did years ago, now that I've become more knowledgeable about the many health concerns re: their long-term use.

 

I used henna many years ago when my hair was still all an even light-brown color and only for conditioning purposes at that time. That type of henna is colorless and leaves no color on the hair, it only conditions. But now I need something to even out my "patchwork" color of hair: brown, white, grey- so I decided to revisit henna, this time using one that would add color.

 

I had read a lot of pros and cons about henna use.

 

Yes, it can be messy but so are regular mainstream hair color products, especially if you apply them yourself at home.

 

I also read that henna doesn't cover grey or white hair very well but I found a solution to that problem too. By mixing the henna powder with regular coffee instead of water, and allowing it to stand for 24 hours before use, I've been able to use it on my own mix of  hair colors with good results and not too much reddish tinge either, another complaint of some users.

 

Colora Henna Powder is a natural organic hair color that does not contain any added chemicals or questionable ingredients. Some henna products out there do, so it pays to read the ingredient and information about any henna product you might decide to try, carefully. 

 

The only ingredients that Colora Henna Powder contains are: henna, and may also contain indigo, centaurea, rhubarb and beetroot- depending on the shade you chose.

 

Here's a close-up pic of the top of my head, without any hair coloring on it

 

 and before using Colora Henna Powder:

 

 

 

and here's an after picture:

 

 

One of the many things I like about using Colora Henna Powder is that it leaves highlights in your hair, not just one flat color, like some other hair color products do.

 

My hair in the front has always been quite a bit lighter, than the back of my head and the henna picks up the different shades, making for more natural finished results.

 

In the picture, I've used Colora Henna Powder in Ash Brown (mixed with coffee) but I've also used the Brown previously, with good results.

 

I leave it on my hair for 2 hours, covered with a plastic bag,  before shampooing it out.

 

This product comes in 14 different shades including various blonde, red and brown shades and black.

 

Colora Henna Powder is very reasonably priced at less than $10. for a 2 oz. package.

 

I have thick, medium-length hair and I get two applications from one box.

 

 I noted at Amazon that it's on sale for only $4.99 right now so a great time to give it a try.

 

And what a relief it's been not to have to worry about getting any hair coloring product in my eyes or on my skin or scalp. Mainstream hair coloring products can be very dangerous in this respect and something that always made me cringe when I used them years ago.

 

Here's an interesting article from the Truth in Aging site about henna. As they also explain, it's important to read what's in a henna product as they aren't all the same.

 

And the henna pastes that some people apply to their skin (as a tattoo effect) can contain harmful ingredients too. Not that I have any interest in tattoos, the henna type of otherwise!

 

If you've been looking for an alternative to mainstream hair coloring products, you might want to give Colora Henna Powder a try. I'm glad I did!

 

Overall rating for this product: Excellent. 5 out of 5.