Length goals 2016?

So. It seems I'm still firmly at top calf.
I've been at "top calf-ish" since the end of 2012 or so!

This is from December 2012:

Actually my hair was longer than now, but much thinner at the ends in April 2014.

So since I've been around the same length for the past 3 years, maybe it's time to either make a structured attempt to get more length or to suck it up and maintain around here.
I have around 40 cm to floor, so even if I got my full growth every month with no trims, theoretically it would take me over two years to get near floor length. And by then my hair would probably be very thin and sad at the ends. I just don't think my hair could get that long at all. And even if it could, I think I would dislike the end (Hah hah) result.

Either that or cut back to mid thigh, which was the length I enjoyed the most!
It was a lot easier to care for because I could detangle in one smooth sweep and didn't have to partially comb, lift up the ends and comb the rest. I didn't have to put my braid over a door handle to braid the ends either. And it was still plenty long to do all the awesome length-consuming updos I want to do!

So the 3 options for 2016 are:

1. Attempt for more length: Make a good, solid haircare plan and stick to it. Get out of the benign neglect routine and give my hair some more love, especially the ends. Structure my use of treatments and oils. No trims, only S&D.
2. Maintain: Trim off 1,5 cm each month and continue my usual benign neglect-haircare.
3. Return to mid thigh: Gradually trim off my gained length for the month plus some. I'm something like 20-25 cm below fingertip length, so if this was a goal for the end of 2016, I would have to trim off (20 +12 x 1,5) / 12  = 3 cm each month. 

Hmm. Wow. The last one is pretty depressing, isn't it? Just 3 cm off every month for a year and I have removed all my growth for the year plus an extra 20 cm.
No wonder "Growing your hair 101" step 2 is to avoid the hairdresser. (Step 1 is of course to avoid heat and chemicals and step 3 is to adapt a benign neglect routine)

Christmas calendar

Look what Hubby gave me!

Bodyshops Christmas calendar!

Length shot

Post trim length shots. The light was kind of tricky (Stupid rainy weather kept any natural light useless), so we tried both my camera and my camera phone.

None of them got really very clear though.

Maybe I should maintain around here for a while?
It doesn't look like my hair really wants to leave the top calf region anyways.

Trim using the Etude House Hair Tools Bangs Cut Kit

My part of this was mostly to stand still and let Hubby do his thing.

Hubby says:
It was tricky to get it right. The length of the hair made it difficult to get it horizontal because it kind of "sways" down there, not like a solid, unmoving shelf.
The trick was to close it first, then pull it downwards until it was at the right length, then tug it slightly on the sides until it was right. Trying to close it around the intended length made you have to adjust too much and then you miss the spot.

Hubby concluded that he wasn't entirely sure this thing was actually a help for him.

He felt it was a bit in the way of the scissor. If he cut right up under the clip, the scissor collided with the clip a bit. But if you cut a bit underneath the clip, what is really the point then?

Maybe it feels different if you use it for your bangs, like it was actually intended for?

Length shot

Because I'm a big, mean tease I have split the posts on the trim up!

Pre-trim with wet hair.
It feels like I've been at top of the calves forever now. It's like I can't really get over that "hump".
Of course this is around the length where my terminal length should be according to my calculations...

I have a strange love for being able to see my hair like this. Some times it really confuses me that my hair is really this long.

I have a tail

We were getting ready to leave for a movie, when Hubby snapped a photo of my butt.

I laughed and suggested he might try that at a time when I'm not wearing my winter jacket.

He then showed me why: My hair is now so long that the thinnest little tail pokes out underneath my thigh long jacket!

Etude House Hair Tools Bangs Cut Kit

Time to take a closer look at this thing...

First impression: I like the package. Pink and pretty, but not annoyingly so.

The back has instructions in Korean and picture instructions: Put clip in, make sure it's level, adjust clip and cut.

The scissor has a funny, patterned edge. I assume this is for specialized bangs-trimming? I guess bangs shouldn't be 100% straight or they will be flat, maybe?
So this is some sort of fancy bangs-scissor?
I'll stick with my beautiful Jaguar Heart-breaker though!
Maybe Etude Houses scissor will be good for trimming my fake bangs some day? (Totally overdue on the project of adjusting those!)

The clip itself is a little over 16 cm long.
The spirit level is the classic tubular kind with what looks like a fairly good accuracy.

It has little teeth inside.The teeth seems to be fairly hairfriendly and smooth, but there are some ugly edges in some places.

Side view of it. It looks pretty cheaply done where the two parts are put together. But since this doesn't come into contact with my hair, maybe I shouldn't really care?

Now, here's the problem.
The clasp-part isn't easy to close. It actually takes some strength and was difficult to do with one hand.
I think this could actually be a problem, because you would want the closing-mechanism that fixates it to your hair to be fairly easy to work, right? You would want to hold it in the approximate place with one hand, and close it with the other, right?
It's not like the clip is so heavy that it requires force to keep it on the hair...

My VM Korea order arrived

My Creaclip copy arrived!

(Well, not really sure if it's a copy or not, since it's from Etude House which I wouldn't really say is a cheap knockoff kind of brand? Wonder which one came first.)

I ordered it at VM Korea along with some sheet masks and was very, very happy with it!

Why so happy?

Well...  

Awesome!
This is not just a lot of samples. They included 6 fullsized sheet masks and a full pack of Skinfood's Black Sugar cotton pads! Nice. Really nice cotton pads is one of those little things I just love for my skincare. It has a way of making skincare feel so much more luxurious.
Google informs me that the pads were part of a package deal with Skinfood's Black Sugar serum, but I appreciate the pads just the same.

A walk in the park

When it comes to cheering me up, Hubby is the king!

But then again, I don't think I'm very difficult: A bag of bread each and off to the park.

So many hungry birds!

I guess people prefer to go to the park when it's warm and nice and there are cute babies to feed. Now it's cold outside and they are hungry. It made me feel really bad.

The heron on the right have been here since this summer. I got some awesome pictures some months ago where it used the bread to lure fish in and eating them! Clever boy or girl for sure!

We had both pigeons and ducks when I lived with my parents (And chickens, and a love bird) so I'm always happy to be around them.

I just melt inside when those little jerks try to make eye contact to get me to feed them.

How can you not love that pretty face?

Recommendations from you all

So, the crazy itch has mostly died down. I've still been stuck in major "feeling bad for myself"-mode though.

Well, an order based on recommendations from all of you have arrived and it kicked me out of my self pity.

Left to right

Decubal Anti-Itch Gel

ACO Zinkpasta

Cicaplast Baume B5

A-Derma Exomega Cream

Xylocain

I have started with the zinc salve. It's good and thick and feels calming for my skin.