Pale skin, very dark brown/black hair. Is that combo inevitably ageing? New colour suggestions please.

[DidThatSeriouslyJustHappen]

I'm 30, have green eyes and as I mentioned, pale, cool toned skin and dark hair. I would say in the past year or so, I've started noticing signs of ageing and I'm just wondering if my dark hair is making it worse. It used to be a striking feature apparently, but I'm not so sure anymore.

My hair is long, but not in the best condition. I really want to keep the length and I'm nervous about colouring because of the condition. But really want a change.

Anyway, the colours I tend to be drawn to are usually mahogany. Was thinking about getting highlights, but not sure if I should just go for an all over colour.

So......any ideas?

Tia

I'm nearly 43 and have very similar colouring to you except I have brown eyes.
Have very very pale skin and almost black hair. (My DF and grandmothers were all redheads) and started going grey in my late teens.
I had the same thought as you in my mid thirties and started going lighter......very aging. Varying shades of caramel, copper and blonde just did not suit me.
I've gone back to dark but changed my make up and went from bra strap length to a crop.
Stronger make up and shorter hair has taken years off me

I think if it is your natural colouring (and you don't dye your hair) it isn't ageing but you need as high a contrast in your make-up /clothing to play it up. Skintone does change as you age so I would experiment with more vivid lipsticks and clothing. I wouldn't lighten your hair and add warmth as it will drain you if you add warmth to hair when your skintone is cool.

When you say 'signs of ageing', what do you mean exactly? Greys? Or wrinkles? Because 30 is still really young and I'm sure any signs you've noticed are pretty much invisible to everyone else!

With regard to long, dark hair I would aim more for the Monica Bellucci look as you age, as opposed to the Liz Jones model. The former looks stunning, the latter like a witch.

If its your natural colour your hair will probably lighten with age anyway so I wouldnt worry.
I gave up wearing black as I got older as it became too harsh for me but this was at 40+ so if you're only 30 I wouldnt start worrying about it just yet!

I don't really have proper wrinkles, but my nose to mouth lines have become quite prominent and I've lost my glow.

My hair colour is natural, yes.

I had a look at Monica Belluci........God now I feel ugly! As she ages though, she has lightened hair and no, I don't think it suits her. Not sure if it would have looked better to stay with the dark. Oh and Liz Jones is definitely a reason I worry about having pale skin and dark hair past a certain age. Definitely way too harsh.

I have this colouring and I've found that wearing deeper/brighter lipstick really brings out my eyes and makes me look younger (I'm 36)
I've ditched facial powder as I find it accentuates my wrinkles and opt for primer under my foundation instead which smoothes them out. (Im no expert though!)
I make my eyes stand out with lots of mascara and sometimes eyeliner too.

Oops posted too soon.
I've tried red/lowlights/highlights and they all age me and look hideous.
My natural colour is by far the best.

Surf, I actually find I need to be really careful with the eyeliner now. I used to be able to get away with loads, really brought out my eyes, whereas now, I look more on the haggard side. It took me a while to realise this. For ages I just thought I'd lost the art of applying it. I really miss being able to get away with the dramatic look. Maybe I need some lessons

I found that too and have to be a lot less heavy handed with it but a thin line does make a difference to my eyes. Lashings of mascara and curling my lashes gives me a wide eyed look that helps draw attention away from my crows feet

Yeah, I bought an eyeliner the other day with a smudger and this helps soften the look. Although I'm not sure you wouldn't get the same effect using your finger

I think also, I'm just bored with the same colour and "style" (it's basically just long) which I've had since I was in my mid teens.

My hair is naturally fairly curly and thick. I blow dry it straight, not poker straight though. If I left it to dry naturally, it just looks a mess. I never had layers, because I was always told it would make my hair bushy and having it all one length would weigh it down, which is a good thing when you've got really thick hair......apparently. Maybe I should ignore that advice and layer up.

Anyone else have any ideas?

I also have very dark hair naturally but am a bit older than you op so have definitely started to notice a bit of sagginess and some wrinkles around my eyes.

I started going grey in patches years ago so have to touch up my roots every few weeks because they are horribly obvious next to my dark hair. I have also tried going lighter and having highlights - none of the versions suited my skin tone so now I just try to stay close to my natural colour.

I also really used to slap on the eyeliner and hardly bothered with lipstick, apart from for a night out. However I saw some pictures of me when I was out on NYE and I was a bit - I had way too much black eyeliner on and it just made my eyes look haggard (IMO).

So anyway I scoured the internet and soon became addicted to Lisa Eldridge's makeup videos. There are loads of them and they're all fantastic, but there are some particularly good ones about how to apply anti ageing makeup, etc. I now apply my makeup completely differently to how I did before - probably about time after about 20 years of doing it exactly the same! - and I have chucked all my black eyeliners and harsh pencils.

I now always use eye shadow and with a small brush, add a gentle soft line of whatever darker shade of shadow I'm using on the lid, along the bottom lashes. It is so, so much more flattering than a harsh line and I swear it's taken ten years off me...

I also always use lipstick - either a nude shade if I've made my eyes up very much, or a matte red or plummy colour, then just with very minimal eyes. Emphasising my lips more now seems to take the emphasis away from my eye bags!

I have your colouring and I'm crap with hair so can't advise in that area, but the best change I made make-up-wise, on the advice of a chanel lady, was to switch to brown eyeliner and mascara. Les beiges pressed powder in 20 kills the greyness, and either a warm nude lip or a bright one.

I have the exact same colouring as you, I look so pale at this time of year, but I am mid 40s so ageing really is an issue for me!

I find using a bronzer, I use the palest Guerlain one, makes a big difference. I summer I use a tinted moisturiser one shade darker than my skin tone which warms up my face.

A purple eyeshadow/liner makes my eyes look really green. Warm pinky brown is good too.

On my lips, I have a Laura Mercier lipgloss in Raspberry which really suits my colouring. I also like a Revlon chubby stick balm in Honey, which is a slightly lilac pink, the colour is really good for me.

Hair wise, I am sticking with my natural, very dark brown, but it suits me best somewhere between chin and shoulder length, and I layer it as it's really thick, any longer is too much, but I think that's down to my face shape rather than colouring.

I'm the same colouring so shamelessly place marking!

In colour terms I think we're winters, i definitely look brighter/less tired in dark green/cobalt blue.I always used to go for heavy dark eyes and nude lips, which makes me look old and haggard now. I find a dark red/burgundy lipstick really helps, or one of the mac lip colourish lipsticks a shade darker than my natural lip. I'm much older and wrinklier than you though!

Ah I'm a summer cathy
Winter colours are better than spring or autumn, but they're too strong for me really. Funny business all that seasons malarkey!

Are there any good semi permanent mahogany home dyes, which work well on dark brown hair? I've used the casting creme one a few times, but after a few weeks my hair feels very dry. Straight after I do it, my hair looks way too dark. It settles down to a nice subtle colour thoug.

*though

Haven't read whole thread but you say you feel like you have lost your glow. You are sooooo young!

Are you eating well? Not smoking or drinking too much? Exercise? or maybe anaemic?

If you really feel you are aging quicker than you want to I would like at lifestyle issues too. I know when I have had a tough tune of it, eg weeks of night feeds, or stress, all the makeup in the world can't really help!

Just another spin x

Can you afford to get your colours done? You'd get lots of very specific advice there on clothes, makeup and hair. But agree you sound like a winter so deeper / contrast colours will probably give you a zing. Loads of stuff out there on hoc if you google so could try a search and see if you identify with anything you see.

The best semi dyes are Country Colours. The range is limited though but they make hair glossy.

Thanks for the tips everyone

I've bought some casting creme in mahogany and I'm about to take the plunge. I've used this colour before and liked it after a couple of weeks. Wish we luck! Will report back later.

My sister has your colouring and she felt that her naturally dark hair was draining the youth out of her so she's had a load of brassy looking highlights put in, looks bloody awful!

Msbo have you been that honest with your sister?!

Ok, so as I expected, the colour is so subtle, you can't really see it. Dp really likes it though and my hair feels very soft and smooth. In the sun light you can just about see a mahogany glow. At least it's not too dark. That would have made me mad.

Sounds like you had a nice result there.

No, I wouldn't dare say it to her face, she's very scary and I am a coward