This weekend just gone, Gorgeous husband bought me a copy of the Australian Women's Weekly. He had spotted that the March issue contrained an article he imagined I might enjoy; 'Sexy Hair (Over 50)'.
I have at least three major beefs with regard Helen McCabe's ultra brief report on this topic.
Firstly, I find her pick of role models quite insultingly uniform. All four are Caucasian, all four made their names as actresses and, most significantly in my opinion, all four are not only over the age of 50 but over the age of 65.
Firstly, I find her pick of role models quite insultingly uniform. All four are Caucasian, all four made their names as actresses and, most significantly in my opinion, all four are not only over the age of 50 but over the age of 65.
Of course, one possible reason for having excluded any women who are still in their 50s could be that an increasing number of women of that age are choosing to ignore the well-intentioned advice of colourist to the stars/advisor on all aspects of hair colouring to L'Oreal Paris, Christope Robin. This actually is my second beef with regard McCabe's article: she mentions that as a colourist Robin used to quite often tell older women to give up colouring their hair on account of it being expensive, time-consuming and 'unnecessary'. She fails to adress how it only occurred to him really quite recently that grey is a fast track for being ignored by the world, however. Honestly, I thought the whole point was that grey used to be a fast track for being ignored by the world and is increasingly a fast track to being a centre for attention, but that isn't an idea that appears likely to support L'Oreal's future sales now, does it? As an adviser to L'Oreal then, Robin advises that for sexy hair over 50, women should 'go blonde (but not too cold) and wear your hair down, not tied back.'
Here then are three celebrities who have chosen to ignore one or more elements of that advice. From left to right: Jamie Lee Curtis wears her natural grey short, sharp, tres chic and I would argue tres sexy too; Bridget Fonda is happy to wear her hair up and looks to be cultivating silver highlights in amidst the blonde; despite having been photographed as a blonde around the set for Our Brand is Crisis, Sandra Bullock had reverted to her usual dark tresses within days (prompting rumours that the blonde might have been a wig, as if that really matters).
Here then are three celebrities who have chosen to ignore one or more elements of that advice. From left to right: Jamie Lee Curtis wears her natural grey short, sharp, tres chic and I would argue tres sexy too; Bridget Fonda is happy to wear her hair up and looks to be cultivating silver highlights in amidst the blonde; despite having been photographed as a blonde around the set for Our Brand is Crisis, Sandra Bullock had reverted to her usual dark tresses within days (prompting rumours that the blonde might have been a wig, as if that really matters).
My third and final beef with regard Sexy Hair (Over 50) has to do with Robin's fellow L'Oreal hair specialist, Lydie Renou's mention of the fact that the brand currently regards women aged 65 and upwards to be 'very important to the business'. As if it hadn't ever occurred to the manufacturers of hair dye until now that older women might be persuaded to try to hide any and all signs that we might be aging, gracefully or otherwise!
Hopefully, what Renou meant to emphasise is that we might notice an increasing number of products aimed at balancing sexy and practical regardless of age and/or natural hair colour. Somehow, I doubt it though, unfortunately.
Hopefully, what Renou meant to emphasise is that we might notice an increasing number of products aimed at balancing sexy and practical regardless of age and/or natural hair colour. Somehow, I doubt it though, unfortunately.