Alright, let’s talk about my little adventure with the Ogilvie perm kit. Decided to give it a whirl myself, you know, save a few bucks and see if I still had the touch from back in the day.
First off, getting the box was easy enough. Found it at the local drugstore. Brought it home, laid everything out on the bathroom counter. Looked like a science experiment waiting to happen. Lots of little bottles, cotton strips, those plastic perm rods, and the instructions folded up like a treasure map.
Getting Started
I read through the instructions, maybe twice? Seemed straightforward, but you always get that little doubt, right? Like, am I gonna fry my hair off? Anyway, put on an old t-shirt, draped towels everywhere. Safety first, or something like that.
Mixed up the waving lotion, part A into part B, or whatever it was. That familiar strong smell hit me right away. Phew. Definitely opened the window for that part.
The Rolling Process
Okay, this was the tricky bit. Sectioning the hair, trying to get it smooth on those skinny rods. My arms started burning about halfway through the back of my head. It’s way harder doing it on yourself than watching someone else.
- Sectioning took ages.
- Rolling wasn’t too bad once I got the hang of it, but keeping the tension even? Tough.
- Ended up using almost all the rods in the box.
Got the cotton wrapped around the hairline, put on the plastic cap. Looked absolutely ridiculous, but hey, part of the process.
Waiting and Rinsing
Then came the waiting game. Set the timer, sat down, tried not to drip anywhere. The smell was pretty intense, not gonna lie. Just hung out, flipped through a magazine, feeling the solution doing its… thing.
Timer went off! Rinsing time. This part felt like forever. Leaning over the tub, making sure every bit of that waving lotion was out. Hair felt kinda weird, like wet yarn.
Next, the neutralizer. Dabbed it carefully onto each rod. More waiting, but not as long this time. Felt like the home stretch.
The Moment of Truth
Finally, rinsed everything out again, took out the rods carefully one by one. My hair was definitely curly. Like, really curly. Maybe a bit tighter than I originally pictured in my head.
Let it air dry mostly, trying not to mess with it too much like the instructions said. It wasn’t a disaster, thankfully. The curls were there, seemed even enough. But yeah, it was intense curl right off the bat. Had that ‘just permed’ smell for a couple of days too, even after washing again.
So, yeah. Did it. Saved some cash. Was it salon perfect? Nah. Was it an experience? Definitely. Took up a good chunk of my afternoon and left the bathroom smelling funky for a bit. Probably stick to the salon next time my urge for curls hits, my arms will thank me.
