Picture this: you’re at a beauty counter. There are 36 shades of eye shadow angled toward you ever so sweetly, each like a velvety soft puppy, begging to be taken home. People with pink undertones should choose blue-reds, right? And olive skin tones should steer clear of pastels...or something? There are ‘rules’ to color-matching of course, but maybe whoever first wrote them up had it all wrong in asserting that a person’s hair and makeup shades should be based skin tone. What about starting with hair color? After all, Drew Barrymore once told us, “We could get hit by a bus tomorrow, and we’re going to have played it safe and conservative? Forget it. I want to try every hair color, I want to paint my face crazy colors. I don’t care what people think or say, I want to live. I want to have fun!”
In an attempt to demystify hair shades (let’s be honest—how many times have you been asked to “bring a reference” to your colorist?) while having Barrymore-level fun, take a look at the work of hairstylist Thanos Samaras, who essentially created six entirely new identities for us with a change of hair color and a little makeup experimentation. It’s all in celebration of John Frieda’s new Colour Refreshing Glosses. Because what’s that warning that comes at the end of every lotto commercial? Play responsibly. If you’re going to go for a new color, keep it looking good between salon visits (or enrich what you’ve already got going on) and your colorist won’t kill you for Manic Panic-ing your hair in a moment of...panic. And now, the fun part:
The hair you want: Coffee brown. You’re constantly begging your colorist to get rid of those red tones you see in certain lighting situations. You’ve even snooped around the internet to find out where/if Jacquelyn Jablonski gets her hair colored (and by whom), but to no avail.
Your Colour Refreshing Gloss: Cool Brunette. The treatment will eliminate the orangey fade and get your hair back to that rich shade of espresso. Do it, make your barista proud.
Makeup experiments:
-We paired a deep, black-rose lip color with a bright blush on the top outer areas of the cheeks to keep the dark lip looking more ‘80s punk than moody teen.
-While you’ve eliminated the orangey undertone in your hair, there’s something awesome about a metallic copper lip paired with cool brunette hair.
-Equally amazing cool-brunette pairings: bright yellow shadow, or a rich, matte goldenrod, and bluish purples. Kill two birds with one stone and snag Nars Duo Eyeshadow in Fashion Rebel.
-Highlighting gives great contrast with darker hair colors. Try a simple clear gloss to reflect light on your cheeks, temples, and eyelids. Or go shimmery—we used MAC’s Iridescent Loose Powder in Silver Dusk on the lids and cheeks.
Part 1 of a 6 part collaboration with John Frieda Colour Refreshing Gloss. Annie Kreighbaum photographed by Emily Weiss in New York on January 19, 2014. Hair by Thanos Samaras; makeup by Junko Kioka.
