A Turn to the Dark Side

Ok, so I know this post isn't strictly cosmetically based, but it's something that I really wanted to share. I'd also love to hear your opinions on the matter.

Since I turned sixteen and had my first head of highlights, I have progressively been turning more and more blonde (excluding a miner flirtation with copper but this did not last long). A warning to all those considering it; going blonde is addictive. No really, I think it should probably receive class A classification. The government thinks that obesity and alcoholism are national problems but I for one am sure that the compulsion to colour is far more prevalent. I started with caramels, moved to honeys and before I knew it I was requesting the occasional strand of ash.  Before my sixth form leavers ball I was so upset when I came out of the salon a shade below bleach that I cried for a whole afternoon. My dad was so traumatised by this event that he still brings it up every time I go to the hairdresser.

                So why, after encountering the highs and lows of the blonde colour spectrum have I decided to throw in the towel with this long-term relationship? My mum (who is doing a counselling course), has numerous opinions on the matter. Equally, social theorists might view this reversion to a less exuberant palette as a reflection on the dark economic times. Would anyone believe me if I said I just felt like a change? Certainly not my mother, (she’d argue that denial presents only the repression to the subconscious) and maybe she’s right. After all, as someone only just nudging 5’2, I have worried that my diminutive appearance will prevent my being taken seriously in a professional capacity. If I'm honest, I do wonder if the age old association between brunette and intelligence might not push the balance a little more in my favour.

                This though, leads me on to another great stereotype.  Do blondes have more fun? The question has been pondered throughout history and by a lot weightier minds than mine. Darwin’s correspondence has revealed that the great man himself questioned the role of hair colour in choosing a mate, wondering if the decline in the blonde population could be linked to a greater propensity for singledom in blonde females. Although Darwin’s and many subsequent studies on this subject have proved inconclusive, I hate to admit that I’ve always had a sneaking belief in this mantra’s truth.  Those who know me will know I am not the luckiest in love and I worried that a departure from blonde might reduce my chances in this sphere yet further.

                Nevertheless, psychoanalyse my motivations as I might, the nagging desire to turn brunette continued to plague me, so yesterday I bit the bullet. I went to a hairdresser’s, (Guy Christian on City Road- I’d highly recommend it) and had my blonde locks dyed a rich, chocolaty brown. I was so nervous about the event that I couldn’t sleep for the whole night beforehand but I can honestly say that I was ecstatic with the results. I instantly felt older, oddly more confident and my friends were also very complimentary. Now whether this new-found positivity is merely the result of a new haircut (this always perks me up), or the change in colour remains to be seen but I cannot wait to road test my new look. I might not be able to provide the long sought after, definitive answer but I’ll at least be able to give my personal opinion as to whether blondes really do have more fun. 

New brown hair pictured on the right

Bright Eyes or Pinkeye?

I strongly believe that we all have make-up ‘looks’ that we are curious about but never daring enough to try. Whether it is red lipstick, false eyelashes, whatever; there is always something that we saunter past in the shop, cast a wistful glance in the direction of, but would never buy. For me, this is bright eye shadow. I see girls in magazines with eyes more profuse in colour than Joseph’s dream coat, pinks, greens, oranges extending right up to their perfectly shaped brows. I am filled with envy at their cosmetic audacity and think that I really must try something different before returning heedlessly to my fail-safe of grey or gold.

                This month I decided to use this blog as an excuse to fulfil my secret make-up ambition. The decision was met with much consternation by my housemates, who apparently don’t share my enthusiasm for the brighter side of life. Nevertheless I am not one to be deterred by a little light resistance and so, spinning them some yarn about bright eye shadows resembling fireworks and thus befitting of the season, I over-ruled their objections. I don’t think they bought it but were too polite or busy to argue further with my creative decision.

                Happy and in the spirit of research I wondered round the make-up department of John Lewis testing out a whole array of colours. Bobbi Brown currently has an amazing palette filled with a selection of punchy matt colours, reminiscent of a child’s painting set whilst Nars always has an extensive hoard of powdery jewells. However as we all know these are out of my budget and so, with a heavy heart and a light purse, I trudged off to find some hidden gems. The results are as follows... (I’ve reversed the order this week after my friend Clare told me no-one would read beyond the winner if I put it first. She’s so supportive).

5^th- H and M eyeshadow in Brown dust (£1.99)- Now this was a difficult one and it’s low ranking is really no fault of its own, it simply did not fulfil the brief. It represents my reversion to type and should serve as a warning to all who embark on the quest for a bright eye-shadow. Don’t be half hearted about it and cop out with gold. Bright sparkle is not the same as bright colour and will have nowhere near the same impact. Having said that we all loved the colour and it was the only shadow that came with an applicator.

4^th- Collection 2000 Dazzle Me! In Illusion (£1.99)- Oh wow this was awful. The texture was very clumpy (despite being topped with an odd sieve-like contraption) and it was impossible to apply evenly. We all got it down our faces which led to a nice rash-like effect. Even staying power, a quality I usually look for in an eye-shadow became a negative attribute in this case. It simply wouldn’t come off, so not only did we look vaguely rash-y but also like we had a severe house outbreak of conjunctivitis.

3^rd- Models Own powder eyeshadow in Purple Sky (£5.00)- As the most expensive product this was disappointing. The first comment I received was that it was a bit of a prostitute colour and although it pains me to admit it there was definitely something of the street-walker about it. Again it was very clumpy and although the colour was strong, it was that kind of unrelenting matte that is very unflattering on anyone.

2^nd- Barry M Dazzle Dust in London (£4.50)- It probably won’t surprise many of you that Barry M (king of the sparkling shadows) ranked highly in this challenge. This eye shadow had a good texture and so was easier to apply than many. It also came off fairly easily, which following five minutes of frantic scrubbing at our pink-eyes, put it at something of an advantage. I also thought it looked really good on both Nims (normal) and Grace (pale) revealing versatility in terms of skin-tone.

1^st- Primark eyeshadow dust (apparently Primark doesn’t bother with shades) (£1.00)- What a bargain! The cheapest and the best (and you got two shades in a packet), this is what this blog is all about. Both colours had a flattering, subtle shimmer to them and a nice, silky texture. It should be noted however that you needed to layer colour quite thickly as lackadaisical application left us looking like we’d been in a brawl. Also in typical Primark style the two colours in the packet didn’t go terribly well together so, unless you’re attending an ‘under-the-sea’ event, don’t try any risky blending techniques.

Now, the mildly perceptive amongst you may have noticed that my product reviews perhaps haven’t quite lived up to my initial excitement for this month’s theme. They say you should never meet your heroes and I think this warning is probably as valid in the cosmetic sense as it is the celebrity one. I now realise that bright power eye shadows are a bit like shearing-lined clogs. All over the high street and catwalk but rarely seen out.  The reason...they’re impractical, difficult to carry off and there’s a high percentage chance you’ll end up looking a bit of a ninny.