One for the girls: staying beautiful on the road

Rip and Rosie · Guru

One for the girls: staying beautiful on the road

Rip and Rosie · Guru

I miss home so much when I need to colour my hair, with the inconveniences of life in the van., and when I need to shave the legs in a CP shower............makes me want to wear a hat and long pants !

pauline · Guru

oh Rosie, I know what you mean about shaving your legs...........impossible, hence just don't do it too often.

Happywanderer · The Master

I give up. Stopped dying my hair when I got on the road. Impossible to keep it up when it is DIY. Shaving legs is easy enough. Sit in the sun with your feet in a warm bowl of water, razor in hand, cake of soap and away you go.

Wild1 · Senior Member

Hi Rosie, as I'm heading off in another week, I was considering these problems myself and thought maybe I could stop over at a showground or CP every few weeks so as to use the facilities. Too much water involved to do it in the MoHo, although I use an Epilator on my legs these days - lasts a lot longer and doesn't really hurt after the first couple of minutes.

I've been cutting and colouring my own hair now since last year so save lots of money and actually get the cut I've always wanted but couldn't get from a hairdresser.

Jennifer

Grams · Guru

I have never worn makeup and I have never permed or dyed my hair. I do shave my legs and it will be easy in the van, I use a battery shaver. I've had it for 10 years and its still going strong. So I can do it inside or outside the van.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

I'm with Grams on the battery shaver. Last time we were on a long trip I solved the hair problem by having it cut very short, then I wore a hat almost all the time for 3 months.

msg · Guru

I seem to go a bit feral. My nails at the moment are quite nice but give it a few days on the road, they will all be gone. I seem to bump into things and get bruises on legs, midgee bites and hairy legs so seldon out of long pants. No make up and hair pulled back in pony tail. I wouldn be recognised by the people at home. But thats the way it is. Clean and tidy is my only ambition.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

I have let my hair grow to its natural grey - I get it cut regularly though - I don't wear any makeup, but never walk out the door without a moisturiser with sunscreen in it. As I get older I have less and less hair on my legs, and I often use tweezers to pluck them. I do have an epilator with me, somewhere, and a hairdryer, but only use that occasiionally when we are on power.

My beauty routine - ????????? brush hair, moisturise - thats it!

Rip and Rosie · Guru

Wild1 wrote:
.........................
I've been cutting and colouring my own hair now since last year so save lots of money and actually get the cut I've always wanted but couldn't get from a hairdresser.
Jennifer

How do you manage to cut your own hair Jennifer? I'd love that tip.

Rosie

Gerty Dancer · Guru

msg wrote:
I seem to go a bit feral. My nails at the moment are quite nice but give it a few days on the road, they will all be gone. I seem to bump into things and get bruises on legs, midgee bites and hairy legs so seldon out of long pants. No make up and hair pulled back in pony tail. I wouldn be recognised by the people at home. But thats the way it is. Clean and tidy is my only ambition.

Fingernails! What fingernails? Mine are short short short. Toenails too. It amazes me how many long toenails I see poking out of sandals, men are the worst!

As you said msg, clean and tidy is good, fancy stuff gets left behind.

Grams · Guru

I get my hair cut about every 3 months, it's shortish, short enough where I don't have to really comb it in the morning and it would still look neat. I now go to my local hairdresser, and I only say, the usual, and she does it. I have been having it cut there for the last 10 years. I have no idea what I will do when we leave...maybe make an appointment when we head back each year...but that means it will be long and I'll feel like crap until its cut.

I used to cut Les hair with a hair trimmer thing, but he does it now himself...though he does miss areas...which have to be fixed...lol.

Rip and Rosie · Guru

I'd hate to have to take "pot luck" with a random hairdresser in a town we happened to be passing through. Might come out worse than I went in !
I like short, but not quite game to try using clippers on myself.

Happywanderer · The Master

I've thought about doing the short, short too Rosie. I get my hair cut at the local hairdresser. 16.00 for a pensioner, short and spiky. Often wonder if I should take to it with the hair razor my son uses. No 2 I think. But only for summer, too cold in winter.

Rip and Rosie · Guru

I have had the hairdresser do the clippers (not no 2, a 5 I think) up the back, but then scissor cut on top and over the ears.

Not game to do it myself though.

Wild1 · Senior Member

Hi Rosie, just like you said, clippers going from base of hair upward if you have it short, no. 3-5 depending on how short - its a bit like you have to contort yourself a bit to get at the back but use your fingers to feel your length and use a couple of mirrors, and finish off around the ears and fringe with scissors. I'm going to get myself some of those thinning scissors next as my hair is quite thick and drives me nuts in the summer. And you know what, no one really looks that hard that they notice the few little mistakes I make, I could never get a hairdresser to do what I asked so I'm quite happy with the result (using a Philips rechargeable battery trimmer about $60).

Jennifer

leevin · Senior Member

Can a bloke stick his 2 bobs worth in here?
I shave my princess's legs.
I also give her foot massages, maybe twice a week.
She rubs my shoulders & back after driving.
We share the cooking, washing etc, or do things together.
We just think that is what you do for each other.
We are on the road full time, so you've gotta give & take.

Grams · Guru

leevin wrote:
Can a bloke stick his 2 bobs worth in here?
I shave my princess's legs.
I also give her foot massages, maybe twice a week.
She rubs my shoulders & back after driving.
We share the cooking, washing etc, or do things together.
We just think that is what you do for each other.
We are on the road full time, so you've gotta give & take.

Yes you can add your voice...

Les will do most of that for me too, and visa versa. The legs I do myself, it would tickle to have someone else do that. I'll have to get the recharable hair trimmer for Les, and I might one day get him to do it for me...maybe...on day.

Rip and Rosie · Guru

leevin wrote:
Can a bloke stick his 2 bobs worth in here?
I shave my princess's legs.
I also give her foot massages, maybe twice a week.
She rubs my shoulders & back after driving.
We share the cooking, washing etc, or do things together.
We just think that is what you do for each other.
We are on the road full time, so you've gotta give & take.

Unless, like some on the forum, you are a woman travelling alone, and then one can give and take all she likes.

bowlerbear · Senior Member

My son was my hairdresser and he never used to charge me full price for anything so I never knew the correct price of anything in the salon he worked at. When I went on the road I wrote down the colour he used and yesterday for the first time had my regrowth done and while she dried my hair it wasn't a real blow dry and cost me $55 which is $30 less than my son charged me. He also worked in an upmarket salon in The Junction in Newcastle and their prices were high. I haven't needed a cut yet but probably will do the next time the colour needs redoing. My legs...haven't had to shave them or the armpits for years. I suppose that's a hormonal thing as I have got older. The hairdresser I went to here in the Maryborough area was recommended by someone. Someone told me once that the way to find a good hairdresser was to look for someone with a good cut or style and ask them who they go to. You can't beat local knowledge.

GaryKelly · Guru

Now there's something that hadn't occurred to me about the Big Loop... shaving legs and coloring hair. Being a bloke has its advantages ya know.

valnrob · Guru

I've given myself a mohawk cut. Just needs the no'1 clipper and shave the sides, top grows a bit longer, dye a red stripe along the top left side. I get a few looks and comments but I like it

Not many hairs on my legs so a quick go with the razor, make up...moisturiser, bit of lippy thats me done and dusted

BohemianGypsy · Guru

I have to agree with Leevin on this one I think.

Ray shaves my legs for me as he does a far superior job than I do lol, When we go away we both do the cooking and make the bed together etc but when at home Ray does all the washing and cooking and cleaning of the house due to my bad knee pain in both knees. He also massages my feet but I will massage his shoulders and back as I am a qualified massage practitioner and aromatherapist lol so he gets a damn good therapeutic massage.

We had a wonderful time over in Yamba a couple of weeks ago. We stayed for 5 days in our van and my sister and her partner came down from the Gold Coast in there new van and stayed beside us. It was a fabulous few days of total relaxation.

I think in all relationships it is about give and take and sharing everything. If I asked Ray to he would dye my hair for me as well but I don't think I would come out of it without dye all over me somehow lol.

Michelle

neilnruth · Guru

Our daughter cuts my hair so I'm not sure what I will do if I'm on the other side of the country. She cuts it according to how long it will be before she sees me again so maybe it will have to be a crewcut (like the RAAF haircuts she does) so it is still respectable by the time I return. Where's the beanie if it's cold? Legs - that's genetic and I've never had to worry.

leevin · Senior Member

Hello Michelle,

My princess is a remedial masseuse and I do reflexology (feet mainly).
We are thinking of working on the road (in CPs).
Do you think that travellers would be interested in getting a massage?
We loved Yamba.
We stayed at the Big 4 on the way in.
So peaceful & quiet.

Beth54 · Guru

This post is right up my alley Rosie...as a former Cosmetician and Image Consultant.

I'm very very fussy about my hair. I get very cranky if it hasn't been cut properly. So I make sure to get it cut before going anywhere, and just let it get a bit longer and deal with it, rather than get it cut by a stranger. I always think people with a bit of wave in their hair are lucky, because you can still have it looking nice. Mine's as straight as sticks so tends to look like Mo in the Three Stooges if I don't 'do' it! Therefore if I can't 'do' it, I stick a hat on it! Luckily I like to wear hats anyway.

I also generally colour it before I leave home too.

As for legs, I don't worry too much about them. The hair seems to have become paler and more sparse anyway.

More of a problem to me is my heels. If I don't care for them, they can get like goats knees! ie: cracked and sore. I always carry a Hero Chiropody Sponge...nothing else in my experience is as good as one of these...and a nice thick heel cream.

I have very dry skin so I always carry an assortment of moisturisers, and always sunscreen. I do take a bit of makeup with me, but I generally only use it if we're going out for dinner or something. Even this is very basic compared to what used to wear.

Oh and always lippy or lip balm.

-- Edited by Beth54 on Saturday 1st of June 2013 05:21:57 PM

Rip and Rosie · Guru

leevin wrote:
Hello Michelle,

My princess is a remedial masseuse and I do reflexology (feet mainly).
We are thinking of working on the road (in CPs).
Do you think that travellers would be interested in getting a massage?
We loved Yamba.
We stayed at the Big 4 on the way in.
So peaceful & quiet.

You bet ! Me first!

Beth54 · Guru

Looks like I've stunned everybody into silence.

biggrin

Grams · Guru

No not me Beth. I've had my younger daughter sick with a virus, now she gave it to me...I'm so lucky! Not...lol

It's funny my mum suffers from hard cracked skin on her heels, my heels are smooth and soft, but then maybe because I never go anywhere without shoes. Being a Diabetic I am very careful what happens to my feet.

I have wavy hair, but it gets very unruly when left to grow long, it's horrible. But then wearing a hat tames it till I take it off...lol

Gerty Dancer · Guru

You are still a young'un Beth, its funny how "neat and clean" becomes the goal as you get older, when it used to be "always as beautiful as I can make myself".
Heels are fun when they become goats knees! Walking on the beach sand-papers mine a bit., then I use Hemp butter from the Body Shop.