I’ve been a blonde most of my life. For the first twenty years of my life, I was a blonde because of genetics. Then, for the next fifteen years, I was a blonde, courtesy of Macadamia #90 hair color from Garnier Nutriesse.
However, lately, my hair looks more like a chestnut and less like a macadamia nut.
I made the decision to change my hair color purposefully. For my wedding day, I decided to grow out my colored locks for a little more natural look. My husband loved the idea. (He’s also the man who loves make-up free, ponytailed women in Sunday sweatpants.) But, my wedding was over two years ago. And my hair is still the color of spring mud.
I just had my first baby. A friend mentioned that perhaps now it is time to lighten my hair. She meant well by the comment. But I knew what she was thinking: “You’ve let yourself go, sister, and dyeing your hair might force you to shampoo.”
But, I’m not sure I want to give up the bronde. (Blake Lively coined this term and I’m stealing it. I would like to steal everything else Blake has- her husband, her smile, her bank account.) My bronde hair is my new true color. It represents the “realness” of my recent life milestones from marriage to motherhood. It shows no roots and no disguises. And while it may get a little less attention in a sea of brunettes at a dive bar, it gets the right attention from the people that matter most.
People dye their hair for all sorts of reasons. To hide gray hair. To reinvent themselves. To shock their parents.
I dyed my hair to hold onto my childhood. Now, I’m keeping my natural hair color to embrace motherhood. In a world of over-botoxed, over-processed, and over eye-shadowed ladies, it’s nice to get back to basics. My bronde is my basic. And I’m going to attempt to rock it like a hot mama.
Yes, folks, brondes can have more fun. They just have to remember to occasionally shampoo.
