A Blast From The Past...

Some of you remember when I had dark hair... I mean, it was only last year. But many of you are new and probably have only seen a photo or two of me with my natural hair color. I went 5 years without dying my hair before I decided to go red. I've had red hair for about 14 or 15 months now. It's a lot of work. 

I made the mistake of signing into myspace so I could look at old pictures today. Some were so incredibly embarrassing. Some made me really miss my natural color. I thought about dying my hair back dark, but then I got nervous and afraid. I'm afraid that it won't look natural. (obviously my red doesn't look natural but that was never the intention.) My brown hair I loved simply because it looked totally authentic. Because it was. So when I look at pictures with my brown hair, I long for it. and then I look at a photo with me with red hair, and I still love it all the same.

Maybe it's just the "grass is greener" complex but I'm so afraid to dye it back dark! I guess I'm afraid because it's not easily reversible. I can't dye the red back over it if I hate it. And I won't bleach my hair. Plus I'll have to get a green-based brown in order to cancel out the red. It really just seems like a lot of work. And I'll have to hope my new extensions match. Man oh man! Leave it to me to make something as simple as dying my hair into a big chaotic mess. 

I'll just show you some pictures, and you can vote. :) (I look like a totally different person with brown hair... and it probably just adds to that that I lack the cheek piercings and overly visible tattoos).



(if my hair could look like ^this^ every day of the year, i'd be a happy camper! sadly it was never that polished!)

this one is from november 2005. yes, go ahead, laugh it up! man I feel so embarrassed by this photo! I was only 17 though so whatever.

and a few red just for good measure:


I remember when I first went red this time around... I swore I'd be a redhead forever because I loved it so much. I still do love it, don't get me wrong. Like I said, I think the always wanting what you don't have thing is getting to me. Plus I don't know how it'd look now. 

So cast your vote below! Should I go back dark? I'll throw out the disclaimer that I'm not basing my decision on the votes, because honestly, even if it's 100% yeses I'll probably still be too big of a sissy to do it... but I'm weighing my options! 









edit: looking back on this I can say that I probably won't dye my hair back dark for a while. I spent all this time typing this out but whatever! haha You can still vote though. Or just leave comments about how ridiculous that 2005 picture is of me. Oh lord...


edit edit: i'm NOT dying my hair. case closed.

47 comments:

  1. I love your dark hair and dark brows and dark eyes. Truly stunning. You're beautiful no matter what, but the dark/natural stuff really warms up your features and is truly lovely.

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  2. I am forever dying my hair!! I've been going from blonde to dark, from blonde to dark since I was 14!! Currently dark, but the other day decided I would give mahogany a go! Which looks really cool, but like you I'm too much of a sissy to do it permanently. Don't think I ever will either!

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  3. shawna: i miss my dark brows most of all. i think thats why i miss my dark hair sometimes. its SO hard to make red brows look even remotely normal haha

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  4. Hey! I'm a completely new reader (like two days ago, via a Elsie's blog...), but I must say I adore the red. I dream of being brave enough to go red, but I haven't worked up the guts. Either way, you look gorgeous~ your brown has a wonderful shade to it, too! =)

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  5. I'm a red head and used to have brown hair. I've been dying my hair red for 5 years and I can't see me having any other colour but I did think about changing my colour to something else just recently. But after careful thinking I don't think I will ever dye it back specially cause my friends can't imagine me with it.

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  6. I like you hair dark brown! It's really pretty. But to be honest, I love it even more red. I think it looks prefect on you! :) But do what you want girl, what *you* want is all that matters. ;)

    ox::sk

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  7. its so hard to choose. You look so beautiful with both colors. I know how you feel, people always say its just hair but its important to feel confident with it, and so the idea of accidentally messing up something you're already happy with is a hard discussion. I was always the type that got tired of the same look over and over even if i did like it.

    I must say though, each of those colors has almost its own personality. Its really interesting.

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  8. I think you are super cute no matter what color your hair is. I always want red hair because my dad and brother have stunning red hair.

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  9. by far, the brown! like you said, it looks so much more natural!

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  10. A couple years ago I dyed my hair blonde. Like, bleach blonde. It took a lot of time and money, and I really did like it. But it was so hard to maintain! So I totally understand where you're coming from. I got tired of it and decided to go back to my natural color. Now I'm frustrated because I'm having a lot of trouble getting my whole head to STAY one color (it keeps fading on bottom because my hair is fried and I REFUSE to cut it). I miss being blonde sometimes, and miss dying my hair random colors, but I reached the point where I was just DONE. I think that if you still love the red hair, you should keep it until you KNOW you're done, too. It's a scary decision though. I like what Kitty said on That 70's Show: "Men have their cars, women have their hair".

    :P It's true.

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  11. I voted :p but I wont tell you what. You look so young in a couple of those pics! Whatever you choose to do, you're super pretty so it will defo suit you anyways :) Such a good post though! Share more oldie pics with us :p haha my picture folder circa 16 years old and the 'myspace' days is sucha hoot! xx

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  12. I think your hair looks amazing as it is, though I am slightly bias since I'm a redhead myself. but i understand wanting to try something different (even if it is less different in actual fact). i think either way you will still rock!

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  13. I think you look so lovely with red!

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  14. I think you pull off the intense red better than anyone I have seen, although the brown is really stunning too. I can totally understand how torn you are. I can't keep mine the same color for a full year... LOL - Katy

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  15. Not to be rude, but the brown looks so much better and healthier. not to mention your brows look more natural, i personally don't like them how they are now.. just my opinion. sorry >:(

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  16. I really love the way the dark hair looks on you! The red looks good too, but brunette kaelah looks so more natural and beautiful. Don't be scared! You can always change it back if you don't like it!

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  17. mandy: so glad to have you! :D

    mrs. april: THIS is exactly how i feel. maybe i'll wait it out until i just *know*

    anonymous: i dont mind opinions, and even opinions that venture as far as yours do (i DID ask for them), but i think you should do us all a favor and actually own up to that opinion and not be anonymous. (i even feel this way for anonymous compliments). if you're going to have and state an opinion, at least own it :) i'm not going to feel any differently towards you because you state your opinion

    ashley: see, but theres a problem. i CANT just dye it back. i refuse to use bleach on my hair so if the brown doesnt look good then i'm sort of stuck because red wont lift it. it'll take a lot more work to get my hair BACK brown than it would to just wait a while.



    either way, to everyone, i appreciate your comments and votes :) but i've decided to wait it out a little longer. i'll see how i feel soon! :)

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  18. I love love love your hair red. I love it so much, that I've started dying my hair red. It fits my personality more I think. But whichever color you pick, you're still beautiful!

    P.S. I just got my Broach that you made in the mail today. I love it! It's so pretty. Thank you so much! =]

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  19. I love your hair red but thats just because I long to dye it red. But I have a question about your extensions. Why do you choose to put extensions in your hair? when did you start?

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  20. I think that you are a gorgeous girl, but I have to say that I prefer you with dark hair. I think the dark hair is more alluring, it is more interesting. Your eyes are really beautiful and stand out more with dark hair. So many modified girls have red hair it has become a bit trite. I vote dark. Im sure this is going to be a hard decision. What is Mike's opinion? Let me guess "I'll love you no matter what color your hair is"?

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  21. Oh wow. you are beautiful in every way, shape, and color! But I love the red, it's fiery and sassy! If I could be any color I'd be red!

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  22. I love the brown because it looks natural, but the red is super pretty too.
    Red brows are kinda weird, but im not sure how a different color would look with the red hair. I use a red/brown pencil just to darken and fix my brows sometimes.

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  23. You look gorgeous as a red head and as a brunette!! I love them both and I couldn't tell you which is better! You suit both very well :)

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  24. You're just cute. That's just the way you are.

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  25. I love your red hair but I think darker is so much prettier on you! :)
    Lol don't worry I have a picture like that from when I had the whole *scene* hair going on. I hate looking at that picture lol.

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  26. Your hair is GORGEOUS dark. I really really like it.

    It is also really pretty red too. It's sassy and spunky red.

    I am constantly wanting to change my hair, but always end up loving natural the best.

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  27. wow you look really different with dark hair, i vote for the red it makes a statement i think the dark does not give you the personality that the red does, but hey its my way of looking at it i luv ur red.

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  28. I love the red, it's what makes you Kaelah! Of course I've only been reading for a few months. :D Still, I love red hair, I had red streaks for a few months and wish I could do it again.

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  29. girl, you're heavily tattooed and you're worried about changing your hair color? hair color is totally reversible! what a silly thing to get all worried about.

    i'm going from blonde to red! it's probably easier for you to go back to red from brown than blonde!

    personally, i love the red on you, but be whoever you want to be, hair color included :]

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  30. The grass is greener definately! I have black hair and want mine the same colour as yours and it's never gonna happen! So think carefully, you won't be able to get it red again! It looks great both colours x

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  31. I love the red hair, and when it was natural. I have been going on and off between my natural hair color and red for 10 years now. Last year I took a break and dyed my hair Purple. It was fun, but now I am recently back to being a red head. It is work to keep it red, BUT totally worth it. Sorry I am no help :) I love your blog.

    Tab

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  32. You looked so tanned in your old pictures, it's lovely! The brown looks nice, too. x

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  33. I personally like changing my hair a lot, but I know hard it sometimes is to decided. One day I want blond the next black and the other hot pink :D

    Just do what feels right to you!

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  34. Well, I really don't think you can go wrong either way! Both suit you.

    Can I ask how you do your hair now? (it's OK if you don't want to reveal your secrets!) My hair is dark brown, like in your photos. I've been trying to get it red lately but I just can't get it as RED as I want. I basically just get a reddish brown. I guess I figured you bleached yours and then dyed it red to get it so vibrant, but you said you don't bleach - so how the heck do you get it so red from such a dark natural color?

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  35. Kelly: here you go!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwDV9tlA1gE

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  36. ahhhh thank you! You are the greatest!!

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  37. It's so crazy because I remember when that 05 photo of you was brand spanking new! You've truly grown up so much!

    Either way you're a gorgeous girl, the red is so unique though :)

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  38. it is not easy to say dark or red. i think both have their good and bad sides ;D

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  39. I totally understand where you are coming from! I see photos of my previously bleach blonde hair and sometimes I seriously pine for it! But the truth is that when you color your hair from one extreme to the other, it takes so much work/time/money etc to get it back the other way. And not to mention can completely fry your hair (at least in my experience...well with bleach in any case!).

    From a fellow faux red head, I think you should keep the (beautiful, vibrant, striking!!) red :) Well maybe it also helps to say it to someone else when I am also trying to convince myself to do the same ;). xo

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  40. OK here is my take. I think that no matter what you decide there will come a point when you will wish you could go back. I chopped my hair off several months ago and am only now wishing it were longer. I like your hair both ways and maybe you could do a brown with a red kick in it. But any way you do it it will look FAB!!!

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  41. I vote red, but I do love your brown. I go to cosmetology school... If you did dye it dark and didn't like it there are things you can do without using bleac. If you know a licensed cosmetologist (or student, if it works the same way there it does here) that can get a Pravana Color Extractor for you, you're in business. If you have questions then ask me.

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  42. i love the red, by you look a littttle better dark. it just looks more natural ya know? but whatever you love, cause either or is gorgeous!

    allisterbee.blogspot.com

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  43. I love both hair colours on you ahhhhhh. It's so hard to choose!!! I remember when I dyed my hair back brown after it being red. I was going BROKE from buying red and touching up my roots every 2 to 4 weeks! Everyone had been begging me to dye it back so that just made me want to keep it red even more haha. But then the redying and the constant complaints just got so annoying that I didn't care anymore and dyed it back brown..4 times. Now it's almost black which is closest to my natural colour. :)


    But don't let people make your decisions for you because you are beautiful no matter what colour your hair is. Or if you even had hair at all!

    xo
    lyndsey of hellolyndseyyy.blogspot.com

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  44. your dark hair is cute, but I think your red hair is ICONIC! I wish I had the nerve to go back to red!

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  45. I have been following your blog for a while and I just love the things that you post about. I'm sure you hear it all that time, but it really just feel so real, I love it! Then, the cherry on top was when I came across this post and noticed you have Kurt Halsey tattooed up your arm!! I have Kurt Halsey tattoos. I wish I could get away with the amount that you have. I can't because of work ;) How do you make that work for you?

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  46. I love it dark! you should totally go back to brown :) you look SO PRETTY!

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HEY! Thanks for dropping by. xo KB