GREY HAIRS HAPPEN
to busy people. Specifically, me: a beauty professional who – wait for it – doesn’t like hair salons. I get bored. I feel pressure to make small talk and, sometimes, I’m struck by how meaningless it all is. ‘Yes, busy day. Yes, I’ve heard of that brand of
What is a self-respecting beauty director to do? I find myself grabbing a box of Garnier Nutrisse Crème hair dye (Light Mahogany Chestnut
5.54, in case you’re interested) from my local pharmacy so I can do some damage limitation before New York Fashion Week.
I spend an untidy 15 minutes bent over the bath, splats of copper speckling every white surface. I then spend the processing time imagining Lily Aldridge levels of hair perfection, but when I wash it out, I can already see the reality. It’s the one-dimensionality of it all. ‘Good’ hair – all the celebrity barnets we Pinterest on a regular basis – is multitonal. It’s the shade nuances that make hair look more voluminous, youthful and interesting. A single-process box colour (one tone, applied all over) is a little like caking your face in full-coverage foundation without any contouring. Human features are never that flat.
I decide I hate it. But then, weirdly, once it settles down after a couple of extra panic-washes, my own undertones show a little more, without my greys reappearing, and people start saying my hair looks nice. This is how I gauge the success of any investment, from expensive shoes (one compliment is all it takes to justify a worrisome spend) to £6.99 hair dye. This must mean it is an improvement.
And yes, it definitely is. I’ve successfully avoided a two-hour appointment, youth-boosted myself and found a tone that works well for my colouring.
In New York, I honour an appointment for a lift and a tint (don’t lift hair colour at home – if you’re stripping any colour out, let a professional do it). And I straight up adore it. I swear off box dye – yes, it was good, but this is great. So swishy, so shiny, so rich and tonal. But then I wash my hair once and all the glossy colour comes out. One wash. I’m left with all lift, and no tint. That means a kind of brassy and dull look, but am I going to book into a salon and get it recoloured? Am I hell. Time for another date with my bath tub. This time, I’ll invest more after-care into the colour.
I’ll embrace it from the first wash instead of trying to strip it out, and follow it up with protective sulphate-free shampoos, colourcare conditioners and home hair-glazing. Score one to the low-maintenance me. Don’t get me wrong: when I want to flirt with a bit of balayage or dip back into ombré, I’ll put my trust in the professionals who, let’s face it, have the skills to transform me into a Person of Pinspiration. But for in-between salon appointments? The box is my friend, with benefits.
‘ONE WASH AND I’M LEFT WITH A BRASSY, DULL LOOK. BUT AM I GOING TO BOOK INTO A SALON? AM I HELL…’