There's something about the Birkin / Doillon / Gainsbourg family. That something could be that they're French - by metaphorical adoption in Jane Birkin's case. But they have a knack for taking minimal effort and making it perennially cool. Like Birkin's thing for dirty sneakers with no laces. Or Lou Doillon's penchant for highlighting her hair at home with cream facial bleach. Yes.
"I do it once a year with the bleach that brunettes use for mustaches ... which I love because it’s a kind of in-between," the musician, artist and forever RUSSH muse told Vanity Fair last year. But given our current time of DIY we're kind of surprised it's not common knowledge.
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"I do it without any form of effort, without brushing it, just so that it [bleaches] it in lumps," Doillon explains of her method for at home highlights.
"[The blonde] brings a bit of that sunshine back to the face, but I don’t like for it to be done by a hairdresser ... I like it when it’s a bit off."
While many of our favourite salons are back open post coronavirus restrictions, this could be a potential option for anyone waiting to secure a booking. Or anyone who, like me, is still in that up skilling state of mind. Or those who prefer a look that embraces idiosyncrasies.
As Doillon notes, many brunettes will already be familiar with the world of facial bleach. To the uninitiated, welcome. Doillon uses a chic sounding (if not looking) French brand called Jolen, but you can find similar bleach and powder formulas at most pharmacies.
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And from there, well, if you're game to make like Doillon, apply to ends of hair "without any form of effort". However - as with most at-home techniques - we recommend a patch test, monitoring development time, and a close reading of package instructions. We're not exactly condoning it but we can't say we're not curious. It's still an opportune time to blame questionable hair decisions on relative isolation, if you're into that kind of thing.
Would you try it? Should we try it? Watch this space.
