Everyone Has My Haircut Right Now and It Makes Me Feel Weird

If the asymmetric "Pob" was the definitive style of 2007, then consider the blunt, center-parted bob to be its 2017 answer—which, ironically, was a look Victoria Beckham also popularized, but back in her Spice Girls days. Kim Kardashian, Bella Hadid, and Selena Gomez all have the haircut, I have it, your friends have it, and you probably have it, too.

My long hair used to be my security blanket, so I never intended to go this short. The last time I did was my senior year of high school, in the throes of my post-pop-punk emo phase, when I chopped it to my chin and dyed it red as Brand New's "Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis" echoed in the background. That look came and went (though my emo music phase never quite died), so I steadily grew it out over my college career, and my layers hit mid-bra for years.

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That is, until dynamic hairstyling duo (and cutest couple ever) Heather Cie and Michael Sparks of Sparks and Cie Salon in Malibu convinced me to make a change. I had been visiting Heather for some time, as she was the only colorist I was allowing to touch my hair after someone at a beauty event transformed my brown hair into a disgusting shade of blonde. Somehow, Heather restored me to my brunette glory, so I vowed to see her every time she came to New York to ensure my color wouldn't fade. During their most-recent trip, I was in desperate need of a cut, and Michael was luckily able to squeeze me in

He stopped midway through trimming my long layers and asked, "Would you want to go for an entirely new look? What do you think about a bob with this modern, f-cked up texture?" It was time, Heather assured me, after months of color had left my ends frayed and damaged, and since I trusted them, I went for it. Michael had me stand behind the chair and look down so that he could get the length and angle just right. I watched as long pieces fell to the floor, eager to see the result.

I had never looked so cool in my life, and still make feeble attempts to recreate that almost-wavy texture Michael was able to create.

As he was blow-drying my hair, I was avidly taking pictures, which I sent to all my friends with the message, "HEY GUYS!! WHICH SPICE GIRL AM I?" Though I can't speak to how liberating it feels when one chops their hair into a pixie cut, I kind of get it—this felt pretty freeing in and of itself and I was excited that I no longer had to spend a full hour blow-drying and styling my hair. The phantom hair syndrome took a hot minute to get over and I kept applying way too much conditioner for a good week after I got the cut, but I've since learned my lesson in balance.

The following week, Kim Kardashian got the same haircut, and at the Met Gala, Bella Hadid, Selena Gomez, and probably at least 10 other people on the carpet followed suit. Also, let's not forget about Kerry Washington, Demi Lovato, and Lucy Hale, who made the cut pre-Kim and myself. Now I'm not saying they copied me or that I started some trend, after all, I'm nobody, but it reminds me of a similar experience I had back in sophomore year with Manny from Degrassi: The Next Generation—I'd dye my hair a gross shade of blonde, and so would she. I gave myself accident bangs that hit too high above the brow, and on the following week's episode, she had the same accident bangs. It was happening all over again, and Drake is still around to witness the whole thing.

I never did see myself reflected much in my peers or in media—not to give you this entire sob story, I'll save that for another time over like four glasses of wine—but you know, that's kind of how it is growing up half Filipino with a big nose and a funny last name in Mississippi. Years later, my new haircut is all over the red carpet, and even friends and colleagues in my own life are working the look, and while I'm slightly like, "oh my god am I a sheep?" honestly, it's pretty cool. Talk about being InStyle, right?