The Tea on Box Dye

Author: Catie & Madeleine
Posted on October 4, 2020

PHASE 1: MOTIVATION

*glitter emoji* “You have to start romanticizing your life. You have to start thinking of yourself as the main character” *glitter emoji*. Ok, I hate to take a lesson from a viral tik-tok, but unfortunately, we did end up quoting this all summer long and using it as a life-guide. Basically, being the main character, to us, is making choices that makes yourself happy, regardless of what others might say. If this happiness comes in the form of a hair dye box labeled “City of Atlantis Blue” on the clearance rack at Jean Coutu, that is okay. Motivation to dye your hair can come from anywhere. Sometimes we get bored with our appearances and we would like to encourage you to act on this boredom and do something funky and fresh.  

PHASE 2: RESEARCH

We are not saying you should spontaneously make this decision. Please, we beg, download the app that allows you to check what you would look like with green hair before you take the plunge. Call Sally’s Beauty supply store 30 times prior to the dying process, if it makes you feel better about your decision. (Those girlies working at Sally’s Beauty know a lot more than you would think). Hold that little fluffy tester thing in front of the box dyes at the drug store up to your eyes to ease your stress. Lastly, if you truly believe that there is no hope and you need advice, please go to a professional. Have no shame in being weird and stressed in this phase of the hair dying process. It’s okay to ask your friend 700 times if they think it will look good and get the same “yes it will. Calm down.” every time. 

PHASE 3: AM I HAVING A NOT-QUITE QUARTER LIFE CRISIS?

So you have sat down in a salon or you might be sitting in your bathroom with an old rag around your shoulders. At this point, there is a very, very VERY unique sensation that runs across your brain and body as you or your most trusted friend puts that first stroke of colour/bleach over your precious locks. This sensation can only be described with the sentence “Wait, am I having a mid-university crisis?”. Say shhhhh to this thought for the moment, just do it. Remember, it’s just hair and you are the main character.  

PHASE 4: DEALING WITH DISSONANCE - THE 48 HOUR RULE 

Ohhhh my godddddd. You look different, maybe just slightly or quite a bit. You might be freaking out. You might even think your life is over. It is not, girlie. In fact, you have just started a new journey. Do not panic and attempt to reverse the change. Here, we introduce another rule. Take at 48 hours to adjust before you do anything crazy to reverse the change. You definitely look bomb (which means amazing).  

THE FINAL, MOST IMPORTANT PHASE: CONFIDENCE

We have both experienced some form of backlash from our peers about our new hair. Sometimes, it just takes one comment from your guy friends/girl friends which can make you feel like it was a bad decision. Don’t listen to the haters you silly goose (we’re up to 9 points now), we can guarantee nobody actually cares. And I don’t mean to sound like a parent here, but maybe, just maybe, they are actually jealous. Why wouldn’t they be? Even if you end up hating your new look, you need to walk around campus like it is the best decision you have ever made. Your confidence will radiate because you are standing by your possibly tragic decision. Also, remember that in 20 years and you look back on your time at Mount Allison, you are going to be happy that “Flamingo Pink” is a part of that memory.