Hair dye - vintage style

[~landgirl~]

Hi everyone

just got back from the salon as i had some chocolate highlights put through my dark mane (had sensitivity test and all the other day, so was good this time!) And it got me thinking, when did hair dye come about? Obviously the blonde bombshell look has been around for a while. My hairdresser said the bleach they used back then was REALLY strong, which I guess is why someone as naturally dark as Marilyn could go so light. But how about other hair dyes? Does anyone know?

 

[VargasGirl]

Hi everyone

just got back from the salon as i had some chocolate highlights put through my dark mane (had sensitivity test and all the other day, so was good this time!) And it got me thinking, when did hair dye come about? Obviously the blonde bombshell look has been around for a while. My hairdresser said the bleach they used back then was REALLY strong, which I guess is why someone as naturally dark as Marilyn could go so light. But how about other hair dyes? Does anyone know?

I have no documentation on this, but I used to work at a living history muesum in Bath, Ohio that did the year 1848. I had my hair red at the time, and I was told that at that time people didn't desire red hair, and would use a dye containing lead to darken it. Yuck!

 

[Kim_B]

I've seen a couple ads for Shampoo tints and the like - found here
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/adaccess/browse.html

Namely, these:

This was for La Creole Hair Dressing Treatment - not a dye, but used to bring back vibrancy to greying hair...I think this was dated 1920-ish

This was from Clairol, dated 1943

This ad was for Eternol Tint Shampoo, 1942 or 1943

 

[Lauren]

My grandmother was telling me that my great aunt Tutti was a hairdresser. The mode was to put Henna in the hair to redden it- I'm guessing in the 40's. She said everyone did it. Well, I'm guessing everyone in our family at least

 

[pigeon toe]

It's not the same thing as hair dye, but my boyfriend has a pomade (not original, but is one of those brands that looks like it hasnt changed in decades) that is supposed to darken greying hair. It's clear, and one of the main ingredients is lead! I thought that was illegal now?! Yikes!

 

[AllaboutEve]

I read somewhere that most of Marilyn's hair had actually fallen out by the time she fimed the Misfits and she is wearing a wig throughout!!!

I am pretty sure that the platinum blondes of the golden era had a pretty tough time with some pretty harsh peroxide!

 

[~landgirl~]

I was a huge Marilyn fan when I was a teenager and have the same natural brown colour as her. I begged the hairdresser to make me that colour but she wouldn't/couldn't? get it light enough - it always went a horrible yellowy blonde (dirty blonde?) - and never suited me now I look back! If I could of got my hands on the harsh stuff she used back then, I would have certainly used it!!!

 

[Avalon]

I read somewhere that most of Marilyn's hair had actually fallen out by the time she fimed the Misfits and she is wearing a wig throughout!!!

I am pretty sure that the platinum blondes of the golden era had a pretty tough time with some pretty harsh peroxide!

I do know that Jean Harlow had to wear wigs because of the damage. She used a combo of bleach, peroxide and soap flakes that was actually painful.

 

[VargasGirl]

I read somewhere that most of Marilyn's hair had actually fallen out by the time she fimed the Misfits and she is wearing a wig throughout!!!

I am pretty sure that the platinum blondes of the golden era had a pretty tough time with some pretty harsh peroxide!

Wow, I never heard that before! That's funny becuase I just got home from the hairdresser and we were talking about how Marilyn's hair must have been fried but never looked it. She even suggested that the color wasn't natural, but intead she eas wearing wigs. Maybe that really was it.

 

[TOTTIE]

the famous 'Black Dahlia' who was so horifically murdered in the 40's was supposed to have had dyed black hair. She also dressed in black with black underwear, making her, officially, one of the first goths!
People really didn't talk about dying their hair back then, of course...

 

[TOTTIE]

Actually, I used pure peroxide once on my very dark hair to make a blonde streak (when I was a teenager, naturally) and it took about 4 applications to take it beyond orange, but it did eventually work. It really did not do my hair much good - went all frizzy and brittle.

 

[Rosie]

I saw an older movie (can't think of the name now but it was from the late 30s -40s), the main female character was on the run and bought bottles and bottles of peroxide, dumped it in the sink and dumped her hair in. Her hair was blondish afterward, I know it's a movie but I was watching it with my mom and asked if it could be done, she said she remembers women doing that with their hair years ago, soaking a towel with peroxide, wrapping their hair and walking around like that for hours to get their hair blonde - blondish.

 

[ohairas]

Greeting all~
On color charts, our natural hair colors go from 1-10, 1 being black and 10 being blonde (which doesn't include platinum).
Marilyn was between a 6 and a 7 and could easily achive the platinum look with bleach. If you are a 5 and below it gets harder as the darker you are the more red you have underlying in your hair.

Products have come a long way since then, ( and they have had bottled hair dyes since the 1800's at least). I found a haircolor bottle in our house from the 1880's and I thought that was SO cool for me!! Yes, they did contain lead and all kinds of evil stuff!

Much of the problem with bleaching is overlaping. You must ONLY do the roots, and try not to get the bleach on any prelightened hair. It will break off like crazy. Yes, Marilyn's hair was absolutely trashed, but since it was roller set it always looked nice. (there are some pics you can tell how brittle it was tho!)

To get that light you have to use a scalp bleach and then tone. One of the best professional products out there today is Pravana (chromasilk)brand. Try looking for a salon that uses it, tho it is rather new.

If some of you are a level 7 or lighter, you might be lucky enough to use an "ultra light series" from the salons such as Matrix or Redken, and it's one step. It's somewhat less harsh than bleach, but again, you musn't overlap.

For those that do your own color at home, I don't have any advice on what to use, other than if you found something that works and doesn't leave you brassy or broken, stick with it! I have clients that have great luck with homecolor and I don't try to get them to change.

Also, I could have three clients all a level 7 and it doesn't mean all of their hair will turn out exactly the same with the same formula.

If your hair is breaking off, the bleach was overlapped or left on too long. If you're brassy it wasn't on long enough and/or you need a toner.

HTH!
Nikki

 

[~landgirl~]

Greeting all~
On color charts, our natural hair colors go from 1-10, 1 being black and 10 being blonde (which doesn't include platinum).
Marilyn was between a 6 and a 7 and could easily achive the platinum look with bleach.

But she looks so dark in her photos! I would say my natural colour is about the same - a medium to dark brown, but the hairdresser always said I was too dark to get it light enough and I just could never understand why?

 

[ohairas]

Naw... that pic is either colorized or she tried to go darker once perhaps. The books I have on her she was a medium to light brown with quite a bit of auburn to her hair. She had freckles to.
Here's another shot,
http://www.mcnees.org/winesite/labels/labels_California/lbl_Norma_Jean_Merlot_1999.jpg

http://www.reel.com/Content/Reelimages/features2001/marilyn/normajean.jpg

This site lists her as a strawberry blonde.. I wouldn't go that far.
http://www.angelfire.com/mi3/MarilynMonroe/

Here's from another site talking about Blonde Ambition,
This Norma Jean will emerge as Marilyn's polar opposite. She is played deftly by Ashley Judd who, with the real Norma Jean's natural reddish-brown hair color, nubile body, and cherubic face, is quite convincing as a young woman aware of her sexuality and fiery natural ambition. Once discovered as a pin-up model, she develops a fierce motivation to act and star in Hollywood movies.

I just went by her youngest photos in my books.. but however, even had she been that dark, bleach will still work. But the darker you are, the dryer your hair will feel afterwards, and it takes forever to dry.

A good stylist can definately get you light enough if you want to spend the money, time and maintenence! Conditioner a must, along with a bonnet hair dryer!

Nikki

 

[~landgirl~]

It still looks pretty dark! Lovely natural colour tho with that red!

 

[ohairas]

I found your original post where you said you had been blonde but never liked the color. Bleaching your entire head of hair for the first time can be the worst... did the color ever get any better at your roots? I mean, when you first go blonde from natural, you have to apply the color to the midshaft of the length of hair, then the ends, then the roots. Each section takes different timing to lighten, and can come up different shades/tones. If it's not lightened enough a toner will not even change the color, it would have to be lightened again. Sometimes it's not worth trying to lighten more, but to just keep doing the roots and let it fade out with the sun, etc.

But after the first initial bleaching, your roots would be a cinch and can be monitored more easily. The color should come up more true with each application, does that make sense?

Perhaps your stylist was afraid of damaging your hair... which if you are a 5 or darker you just really don't have a choice, you're going to have to sacrifice and put up with breakage and such which is inevitable if your hair is hard to lift.

Also if you had any color on previous to going blonde the bleach will take uneven, and possibly not even lift past the red/gold stage if it were a dark shade.

At any rate, you make a smashing brunette!

Nikki

 

[~landgirl~]

Well this was 5 years ago now, when I tried to go Marilyn blonde. If I am honest, I don't think blonde really suited me. I have the darkest eyes and very dark eyebrows, but despite this, I am REALLY pale! But then I guess Gwen Stafani can do it?

 

[ohairas]

Ha! I was going to mention Gwen as well! I didn't like myself blonde either. I just felt so washed out, and putting on more makeup just made me look rediculous for every day wear. I'll stick to my wigs for fun!
Nikki

 

[Jackiej]

What are the proper colors for vintage inspired hair

Hello everyone,

I really want to to start my vintage look, and I am so inspired by all of you. You have given me all the tools I need on where to shop and what make up to buy, but what color should I dye my hair? I am half cuban and half white so I have alot of yellow undertones in my skin, so I definitely wouldn't look good as a blond. I also used to dye my hair a dark chocolate brown, but after I stopped everyone told me they were so glad that I did, because it completely washed me out. Right now it's a med-light reddish brown. Do you have any hair color suggestions, or suggestions for hair dyes?

Thanks,

Jackiej