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Think a stylish Pittsburgher is an oxymoron? I won't put myself up as an example, but as it turns out, Pittsburgh is a great place to fool myself into thinking I live a stylish life on a paltry budget. How do I manage so well to pretend to a life of style? As evidence, I offer up the following narrative reviews of literature, film, music, television and everything else. VOTE in our Best of Pittsburgh survey. Please feel free to this blog or subscribe via RSS. Comments, questions and feedback are always welcome by email. Drop me a note at ![]() |
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A tale of shopping downtown wherein I return a brunette
A couple weeks ago my grandmother came to Pittsburgh for a visit. She was only here one day and one night and she came with one request—to go wig-shopping.
Luckily for grandma, her Pittsburgh granddaughter inherited the baby-fine hair of the Bert-family and not the luxurious lioness manes of the Kane sisters (yet, somehow also got the lioness unruliness along with the thinness... sigh). I've blogged before about my fake ponytail, and since making that purchase I've been anxious to get back to the wig shop before winter—I figure wigs are the most stylish alternative to winter stocking caps a gal can muster. And thus, I knew just the places to take grandma on her wig-shopping spree.
From there, it was up to Macy's. First stop—the Clinique counter. In general, I'm a drugstore cosmetics kind of girl... that is, what few cosmetics I wear. The extent of my make-up is Cover Girl Fresh Look pressed powder, the cheap, clear, flavorless vitamin-E lip gloss and Wet N' Wild lip pencil in willow, which is precisely one shade darker than my actual lips.
From there I went to the Macy's bakery and grabbed a thumbprint and decaf coffee while I waited for Neilbert and grandma to get into town. We met on Wood Street on the corner just down from Eastern Wigs on Fifth. Dedicated readers may recall my previous visit to Eastern Wigs wherein I bought a fake ponytail. It seemed naturally like the best place to start. Just as a heads-up for anyone who might decide to drop in to Eastern Wigs—sales ladies at Eastern Wigs are the hard sell type. The last time I was there the lady complimented my hideously boring dollar store sandals. Moments after stepping in the door, the lady had a wig on grandma's head. To be fair, it was a great wig... as grandma wigs go. All the wigs grandma tried on that day looked basically like her usual wigs. The wig from Eastern Wigs, though, was noticeably more natural looking, boasting a variety of warm highlights and overall looking much softer than the wig grandma had walked in with. Furthermore, the wig was about $60, which constitutes a substantial savings for grandma who normally has to order them through her hairdresser at a cost of over $100. After purchasing her Eastern wig, grandma, Neilbert and I continued around the corner, down Wood Street, and up Forbes Avenue to Penn Wigs & Fashions, another downtown wig shop. In this one, the lady brought out a variety of wigs that also looked almost exactly the same as every wig my grandma wears, but they just weren't as nice. They were all kind of monotone, no interesting highlights, and they had a more fake-ish wig look than the one grandma bought at Eastern.
I tried on about five wigs in all. There was one with such beautiful honey and carmel colored hightlights, but it was ultimately too flat without enough movement. Next there was a very dark brown wig with long, swingy layers and auburn highlights at the tips. It made me look kinda like Xena with a modern cut and dye job. I tried on several more honey-colored wigs, many with more shape to them, but none could quite hold a candle to the prettiness of the highlights on the first wig. Ultimately, the one I liked best was a dark brown, shoulder-length with bangs and bronzy brown highlights. I wanted a wig, after all, that made me look significantly different than I do on a daily basis. And this one does... at least for most people. My Uncle Donbert, as it turned out, is already so jaded by the frequency and number of my hair color changes throughout the years that he answered the door without remark upon my return to Chez Neilbert and Saundra. My mom on the other hand claimed that she wouldn't have recognized me enough to let me in the door. Donbert gave us both a questioning look. I told him it was a wig. "Really? No..." I had to let him feel the foundation weave of the wig before he truly believed it was a wig, so I guess that bodes well for the realism factor. And so, I ended the day with a larger shoe wardrobe, future assurance of sun protection, and the perfect wig for... er... now I just have to figure out when to wear it. 2007-10-30 18:16:45 GMT
Comments (2 total)
Author:Anonymous
Wow, you look great in your new wig!!! I don't think I would have recognized you either!!!! You kind of look like me.....
2007-11-01 04:38:16 GMT
--SmiLynn:)
Author:Anonymous
Y'know, I was just thinking that you looked like Jennifer. I want a wig! I'll have to ask Ted for money, but I totally think I need a wig, what all of my wee little hairs.
2007-11-05 20:47:53 GMT
Also, sidebar: if you ever wanna go on the cheap, Olay offers a really nice, light, 30 spf moisturizer for like, five bucks. It's not tinted, but it's nicely un-greasy, and I've noticed, coincidentally, that it has won several online reader polls of sites like "Glamour." Just throwing it out there. Oh, and lioness' mane is a great description of Saundra's hair. --Sabrina <https://www.sabrinaspiher.com> |
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