Winning Streaks
Newcastle Herald
Tuesday March 17, 1998
COSMETIC companies from budget to high-priced are all bringing out versions of temporary hair colour in a mascara wand.
Basically, hair mascara is similar to traditional eyelash mascara, except there are more colours available.
You use the applicator, larger than the ones found in eye mascaras, to stroke through a few strands of hair at a time if you want to make a long streak from root to tip.
Or you can use the tip of the wand to dab colour on ends or chunks of hair.
The colours are temporary, washing out with the first shampoo, even with chemically treated or bleached hair.
Christian Dior started the trend last year with its Mascara Flash in a choice of seven shades.
But Clairol first released a similar product 10 years ago, as did L'Oreal, and many of the companies now releasing the hair mascara are treating it as a promotional product.
The beauty of hair mascara is that the look can be as dramatic or subdued as you want, depending on the colour used and how much.
Colours range from champagnes, golds and reds to block colours such as blues, greens and purples as well as silver and white for a dazzling evening look.
While aimed mainly at the teenage market, hair mascara is finding a place among those with greying or dyed hair as it can be used to touch up roots and blend grey.
A delicate touch is required to do this successfully, as a heavy hand might result in large blocks of solid colour that could look worse than the regrowth.
© 1998 Newcastle Herald
