Why women over 40 are tapping into the crazy colour hair trend
Pastel pink hair and unicorn highlights used to be the go-to styles for those born in the early Nineties. Recently however the trend has transcended all ages groups. From Helen Mirren and make-up artist Mary Greenwell to most recently Danni Minogue, the over 40s age bracket are becoming increasingly more receptive to beauty’s boldest hair trend. So much so, what was once dubbed as ‘crazy colour’ is now becoming the new norm in terms of hair colour.
“More and more women areas king for vibrant and colourful shades when they come to the salon,” says L’Oreal Professionnel colour ambassador Jack Howard. “Nowadays, it’s much easier to incorporate pastel tones through the lengths of the hair, and going semi-permanent is a low commitment option that appeals to all ages — not just millennials.”
Headmasters hair colourist Siobhan Jones agrees and pinpoints social media as the catalyst for the trend as women have become accustomed to seeing change and variation within the beauty industry. “Clients are more daring with their make-up and wardrobe choices meaning that they don’t have to play it safe when choosing a new hair colour ,” says Siobhan. On Ins tag ram alone, over 2.8 million users have posted with the hash tag# pink hair; more than 1 million have used #mermaidhair and #greenhair; and there are already over 227,000+ posts for #colorfulhair.
This new shift in attitude is one of there as onsL’ Oré al Profession el has created its new in-salon colour service. Called #colorfulhair, the technique champions the full colour spectrum rather than traditional blonde, brunette and red hues, and launches this month for as little as £15. The range includes seven inter mix able shades that have the potential to create over 1,000 be spoke colour combinations, whether you want super bright highlights or soft, muted pastel tones.
The colour is formulated to last anywhere between 4 -12 washes, depending on the brightness of the shade you opt for. “The idea is that colourful shades such as pink and coral can become commitmentfree, meaning you can be blonde at the beginning of the week and pink at the end, or vice versa,” adds Siobhan. “There’s a lot of room to change your colour personality and look regularly.”
Our stateside friends are also getting in on the act too. Former Redken executive Steve Goddard has created Pravana, a collection of at home dyes consisting of canary yellow, sky blue and orchid. In a recent interview with Al lure he vowed that he will “never introduce anything that’s not exciting” and hails the latest scientific advancements that now mean colouring causes considerably less damage to hair. Siobhan agrees “hair colour and bad condition use to come hand in hand, yet L’Oréal’s #colorfulhair range contains three conditioning agents so hair doesn’t feel dry or brittle.”