
Save for a moment of baby pink, I’ve been varying shades of blonde my entire life. I always likened blondeness to walking around with your own personal spotlight — bright, shiny and attracting plenty of attention.
Meet me in my mid-thirties, though, and “safe” and “boring” blonde no longer cuts it. I hankered for hair that felt as fabulous and daring as I did. Blonde was so commercial. Predictable. Classic “mum”. Nowhere near bold enough to suit my personal style.
Finally comfortable with myself outside of a fourteen-year relationship, I no longer felt I had to conform to anyone’s beauty ideals but my own. It was time to shake things up.
And going red had been on my radar for about two years.
Why so hesitant to take the plunge, though? Well, for one, I had no idea whether or not it would actually suit me. Sure, there are filters and things to ‘try out’ fun colours but they’re never quite like the real deal.
Watch: With and without hair. Post continues below.
Then, what if I did it, and hated it? Putting red in was one thing… getting it out? Nightmare. Everyone knows red is the most stubborn of all hair dyes to remove. I’d spent 20 years doggedly toning any show of warmth out of my hair. Deliberately putting that much in? Terrifying.