Thursday, 1 May 2025

A Bewitching Forest at Dawn

Back in 2006, keen to reinvent myself after my hip replacement, I took inspiration from Amy Winehouse and dyed my blonde hair black. In January 2018 I stopped colouring the lengths of my hair, only touching up the roots. As I'd only used semi permanent dye, my hair lightened over time and I'm gradually colouring the roots in progressively lighter shades of brown. Yesterday I used a light ash brown, somewhat poetically described on the box as being "Inspired by a bewitching forest at dawn." which in turn inspired me to pose for these photos in our suburban wilderness first thing this glorious May Day morning. 


I'm not sure I really want hair inspired by a forest although after an afternoon of gardening there's often a few twigs, dried leaves and insects tangled up in it.

 
I was tempted to comb the dye through the length of my hair and create a more uniform colour but I've been rather attached to my tresses of many colours and the more natural effect. My hair is a bit like the lines on my face, hard earnt and with a story behind each & every one of them.


 Did you know that over 50% of the world's bluebells are found in the British Isles? No need for us to travel to the countryside to see them, I just have to look out of the window.



We're currently enjoying unseasonably warm weather and, as a solar powered reader, I've been devouring books, namely the incredible Neapolitan Quartet by the mysterious author, Elena Ferrante

You may recall me picking up the first three in the clearance charity shop a couple of weeks ago mistakenly assuming that they were a trilogy. Well, the chazza shop goddess was on my side and when I popped in last week & the book I'd missed was there awaiting me.

The assistant reminded me that it was two books for £1 and that I should get another but I was more than happy to hand my pound coin over. I've got 100 pages left to read before the quartet is finished and I'm going to be bereft when I do. I know there's a Netflix series based on the books but I've got my own idea of what Elena and Lila are like and I don't want someone else's impressions to taint mine.


UPDATED: Here's my natural hair colour, I was in my early 20s and living in bedsit land. I loved that spiral perm! The black cat was my dear old boy, Albert.


Thanks for reading, see you soon!

59 comments:

  1. While you have shared pictures, I just don't see you as a blond-my own mental note. I was a very blond child, then got darker to dark blond (dishwater they used to say) then almost brown. I went too blonde when I started coloring so am trying now to subtlety take it back to a dark blond. I'm still on the fence about just letting nature take over. I love when I've discovered a series with more to it. The Bennetts Island, all out of print, did that to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your evolving hair colour sounds very similar to mine, Sam. I was white blonde as a child which went darker but once I started travelling when I was a student it was sun bleached for most of the year. A couple of my friends have gone down the dark blonde route and I really like it, I think that's what I'm aiming for, too. Like you, I'm not ready to ditch the dye just yet! xxx

      Delete

  2. What a poetic name for a hair color. It's made for you. Your outfit fits the scenery perfectly.

    I didn't know about the bluebells. I like your photos of them. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Andrea! The description sounded very magical, much better than "ash brown"! xxx

      Delete
  3. I always find the blonde you such a revelation!!! You look very pretty in these pictures! The books sound intriguing! I hate it when I finish a series. I've decided to read all my Maisie Dobbs books and then say goodbye to them but I will be really sad when I finish them!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Kezzie! I think the light at this time of year is very flattering!
      I do get very attached to certain books. I adore Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City series I finished last year, I shall keep those books for ever! xxx

      Delete
  4. Such a fantastic May Day post. Oh, such a lovely color you have invested.. perfect for the wilderness and everywhere you go. Awesome to know the flowers. So great you found these books, as well. So glad to see your new post. As always, a treat to be here. Thank you for reading and your comments, as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Ellie! It's a beautiful time of year when the Spring flowers are blooming and we get sunshine. xxx

      Delete
  5. Ah the spiral perm :) Even as a curly girl I had one back in the 80s. I have just recently gone blonde. I was a natural dark brunette, with very early silvers, and only once I grew out all my dye could I really have light hair. I'm toning it copper red and it fades to a very unusual pink-ish blonde. You look fab blonde or brunette. Rgds, Lise

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved the spiral perm, Lise! It was so low maintenance and I rarely washed it, it just seemed to get better the dirtier it was! I love the sound of your pink-ish blonde, that sounds gorgeous and very striking. xxx

      Delete
  6. Your hair is absolutely beautiful. I like all the colours through it too, it looks different in different light. You’re right, my nails are almost like yours, ha ha. I’m not copying, promise :-) xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are nail twins, Louise! Great minds think alike! xxx

      Delete
  7. Your forest garden is wonderful!!
    You gained knowledge from books!!
    Such different hair,
    I like it the way it was then!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your hair looks glorious, whichever shade you choose. I wish mine looked half as shiny and healthy. Xx

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think I'd have expected green hair with that description.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lovely pictures, you look like a forest fairy! <3 I love that eighties look too, I also had a perm back then. Your hair looks really beautiful and natural, I will probably never get that length again - had it when I was younger. I don't dare to dye my hair, I'm afraid it will somehow damage it and I will get more greys. Biotin works great for me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your hair is beautiful, you don't need to dye it! xxx

      Delete
  11. Your hair always looks lovely but I think you could be a dark blonde and would look just as good. Bluebells abound here too, my favourite flower.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dark blonde like yours is the way I'm going, I think! xxx

      Delete
  12. Loving the hair Vix, so soft and pretty. That was great finding the 4th book I must track them down. This weather is fab isn't it? Long may it continue but I have my doubts. Regards Sue H

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sue! I've been loving the weather, I'm hoping we've got a few more days of it before the inevitable Bank Holiday deluge! xxx

      Delete
  13. Stopped colouring my hair during lockdown and now loving my silvery locks, just a pity there's not many of them left due to hair loss, the reason for which we can't quite fathom yet! My 94yr old mother is still dyeing her hair red and perming it! I think you look fab, whichever haircolour/style you choose.xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love the colour of your hair, Annie! It was a wise move to ditch the dye. xxx

      Delete
  14. I've noticed your hair getting gradually lighter over the past couple of years, it's reached a lovely mix of shades now. I was born with very dark brown hair, that lightened slightly and got an occasional reddish hue as I grew up. When I got divorced I went very short and very blonde, now I have been my natural brown for about a year, but I do find it a bit dreary. It didn't help when on Monday my Mum said 'I don't like your new hair colour, I didn't recognise you. Well you gave it me Mum!! 🤔 She always hated it being blonde, so I guess I can't win. 😄

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh dear, your Mum's comment!! Those life changing moments like your divorce and my hip deserved to be marked by something dramatic and a change of hair's probably a lot easier than a tattoo! My Dad didn't recognise me after I dyed my hair. He told my mum than an attractive dark haired woman had chatted to him as he was cleaning the car - you idiot, my Mum told him, That's your daughter! xxx

      Delete
  15. You look beautiful ! I like you natural approach to dyeing your hair. I think it's more interesting than the uniform look.
    The hair dye name is poetic, like it was made for you.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I was recently scrolling through my holiday photos of a couple of years ago, and came across those of our very first meet-up back in 2018. I'd quite forgotten how dark your hair was back then! I absolutely love the mix of lighter, more natural shades of brown you've got now. A bewitching forest at dawn might be a rather poetic description for a hair colour, but it actually fits you posing among the bluebells in your suburban wilderness perfectly! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ann! That black hair was great at the time when I was doing full-on glamour at the weekly vintage fairs. I seem to have transgressed to all out causal these days, I can't even be bothered with heels any more! xxx

      Delete
  17. I only read half of the first book in that series, and gave up on the TV show after a few episodes. It just didn't work for me.
    I love your hair with its lighter tones - I remember how dark/black your hair used to be!

    Lovely outfits as always. We have loads of bluebells in my city too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sheila! How funny that you didn't get on with the book or the TV show, there's some writers people rave about that I can't get on with either. xxx

      Delete
  18. I have straight hair but I took had a perm or two back in the 80's. It didn't look at all natural and with a permed fringe too I looked a bit like a poodle! But, it was the fashion at the time. Now I am back to straight hair,no longer henna red but brown and lots of grey. I want to dye it but it is falling out a lot(after a long period of poor health) so I have to wait for a bit. I hate the grey tho, I may be 71 but I am too young for grey hair!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Carole! I think a permed fringe can be a bit tricky! I hope the ill health is behind you and your hair starts growing very soon. I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready to embrace grey although it can look amazing! xxx

      Delete
  19. I'm glad I let my hair go grey at 50. I'd coloured it since I was 15, and love my natural locks much more. The spiral perm was glorious on you, mine never looked as lush.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I That's brilliant that you love your natural hair, Julie! I didn't dye mine till I was 39 so I'm not bored with doing it ....yet! xxx

      Delete
  20. Hello!
    I loved seeing your old photo and realizing your evolution in style!
    I bought Elena Ferrante's brilliant friend recently, but I haven't started reading it yet!
    I loved your poses in that supposed forest! And your hair too!
    Hugs

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Marisa! I hope you enjoy My Brilliant friend as much as I did. Ferrante is an incredibly talented writer! xxx

      Delete
  21. So envious of your bare arms! And your hair transition looks great. I also had a spiral perm. Which I actually kind of loved too. I seem to recall in the US, that it was popular after the movie "Moonstruck" with Cher.

    I have not died my hair since I went back to swimming, as I am not sure how the chemicals in the pool will affect it, since I am using blond to cover white. No one seems to notice, so I guess I shouldn't worry!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm pretty sure it was Madonna who made me want a spiral perm! I loved how low maintenance it was and how I could go weeks without washing it!
      I plait my hair and stuff it in a swimming cap to keep it dry. A couple of the blondes who I swim with don't wear caps and use that purple shampoo in the shower to counteract any chemical problems. xxx

      Delete
  22. Dear Vix,
    Just to say how much I love this post. As another respondent said, you do look like a beautiful wood nymph in your photographs.

    At this time in three weeks, we will be in Kerkyra. So excited and very much copying your tips for light packing! You may smile at this. We always walk from the airport to the bus station to catch the Green Bus to Arillas. We buy a Mythos in the café while waiting for the bus and marvel at the Ikon in the middle of the station. I think you have taken a photograph of that very Ikon.

    Do you think I may be getting over-excited?

    Anyway, big hug.

    Heloise xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Heloise! I'm excited for you. It's days now, isn't it? I love that walk from the airport to the bus station (and the reverse) and love that you can buy a beer whilst waiting for your connection! xxx

      Delete
  23. While your original hair color was lovely I think the dark hair suits you better..

    ReplyDelete
  24. What beautiful pictures, and so appropriate name of that colour, which fits you like a dream!. Love that subtle ligth in those photos!
    Always amazing to see you as a blonde girl, wow, it makes me remember my own perm back in the 80's and wearing lots of black colour (I have to look for some photos!). I cut my hair short in 1988 and never looked back!
    besos

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your hair is always amazing, I'd love to see you with a perm! Everything I wore was black in the 1980s, I think I used to let my hair do the talking! xxx

      Delete
  25. Hi Vix I've been looking out for the missing book so glad you've completed the set. Today a copy of Ferrantes The Lost Daughter arrived, if you're interested let me know and I can send it to you. Have a great weekend, Adrienne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Adrienne! Apologies for the tardy reply! I loved the film so I'd be very interested in the book if you're happy to send it. How do I get in touch with you? xxx

      Delete
  26. Wow I had a perm I pestered my parents for it. But the hairdresser burned my scalp so lesson learned. I did get another one and a loved it. Still stuck in Sci-fi land Issac issaov I love his work. It’s hotting up here,
    The children did their bit at the Osaka expo and yes I did cry. The school has been invited back. So I will be going back. We have seemed to adopted a cat . The kids call it thing as we don’t know what to call her. We think she has kittens somewhere. So Paul is going to look over the next couple of days love and hugs Allie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh dear, a burnt scalp's not good! I used to hang around with a lad whose auntie was a hairdresser and she'd use me as a model so a free perm was mine! I'm excited about your cat and what you're going to name him/her! xxx

      Delete
  27. Whenever you put up photos of your naturally blond hair I do a double take. It still surprises me. Arilx

    ReplyDelete
  28. Is that book an Italian tv series too? It sounds like one that my mum watches. X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you might have mentioned that in a previous comment, Jess. I'm wary of TV series and films after I've loved the book although Slow Horses was equally as brilliant! xxx

      Delete
  29. Shelley (Forest City Fashionista)Monday, May 19, 2025

    Hi Vix, it's been a long time since I've commented but I still drop by for a visit every once in a while to see what adventures you've been having. Sylvester and I are doing well (I saw that Sheila and L. lost their beloved Vizzini) but I do envy your travels. I enjoyed reading about your recent visit to Turkiye. I particularly wanted to comment on this post because I started to read the same series of Elsa Ferrante books recently (I am only on the second one). I saw the HBO filmed version of the first book and quite enjoyed it before starting to read the books so I did have an idea in my head of what the two main characters looked like. I think of you and Jon often and wish you all the best. XO

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's so great to hear from you, Shelley! I'm glad that both you and Sylvester are doing well and I'm still very sad about Sheila and L losing Vizzini.
      The Neapolitan Quartet was an absolute joy, I'm not sure about watching the series although The Guardian really rated it - which is usually a good indication that something's worthy of a watch! xxx

      Delete
  30. Even though your hair is brown now, I can never quite picture you as a blonde! It'll be fabulous no matter what the colour. (Is it changing the colours you choose to wear?) I only do the roots on mine, but the lengths have faded. Someone kindly described it as 'copper and bronze' rather than 'bad box dye job', which I was quite taken with...

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for reading and for leaving a message. Please don't be anonymous, I'd love it if you left a name (or a nom de plume).

Lots of love, Vix