Tuesday 27 July 2010

Do or Dye......

Is it me or is Rupert Everett looking more and more like Sam the Eagle, from the Muppets, with that beaky nose and down-turned mouth? Don't get me wrong, I like Sam and I have a soft spot for Rupert. When I lived in New York we used to breakfast together at my favourite cafe in the West Village, Les Deux Gamin. I say 'together' but it was more along the lines of sharing the same, small space, indeed often the same table. (Several tables in fact, it's not called a village for nothing, I was once accidentally engaged in conversation by Caroline Bassett Kennedy in 'Tea & Sympathy', when she mistook me for Ruper's lunching companion, but that's a whole other story....) This was just before the heady period post-My Best Friend's Wedding, when he loitered in the shadows of his once glorious hey-day. He wore a battered-leather flying jacket, tousled hair with a hint of grey and was always accompanied by his dog, Moise, a black lab, with whom he would share his petit dejeuner. Ordering in French, he usually had the 'Tartine': two, long shanks of toasted baguette, homemade jam and unsalted butter. He would read, I would write.We both drank coffee. And he looked pretty damn good before his return to the spotlight and the ubiquitous hair dye. Why is it, no matter how rich or famous a man might be, if he dyes his hair, it always has the same plummy, chestnut hue. From Paul McCartney to Ricky Gervais, they all look awful. Watching Rups, sporting a matching beard and hair combo, on 'Who Do You Think You Are', the other night, I was reminded of one of those upside down heads.......an upside down head that looked a lot like Sam the Eagle.

You'd think with gorgeous George Clooney leading the way, and our own Phillip Schofield keeping it real, no man would waste his time or money getting a full-head of highlights or opting for the all over conker-glow so beloved of the midlife males in crisis. From the salt and pepper sprinkle to the silver-fox mop-top, men should just luxuriate in the fact that their sex looks good in grey.

Top tip: Perfect summer movie? Go see Hearbreaker, Vanessa Paradis is Johnny Depp in a dress, Romain Duris is drop-dead gorgeous and it's very, very funny.

7 comments:

  1. I am "anti-dye". My husband has been groaning recently about flecks of grey in his hair. I told him it looks lovely - his hair is very dark and short, and so I'll be most upset if he reaches for the chestnut. It really isn't a smart move. I wish they'd learn.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have been colouring my hair since my teens and have been every colour under the sun. However, as a proper grown up with a mortgage, car and her own set of pots and pans, I've stayed a sort of brown colour.

    Today I bought a RED hair dye. Not chestnut, but RED. Will I have the bottle to actually apply it to my hair?

    I really hope so.

    Ali x

    PS - word verification - rupetica - very odd considering you were talking about Rupert E!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love this post and I love your stories about Rupert and Caroline. How fantastic.

    And now that you mention it, Rupert HAS started a transformation to Sam the Eagle and that is just not okay.

    Ixnay on the bad dye jobs Rupert!!

    xoxo,
    Carrie

    ReplyDelete
  4. You're so right.Why on earth do men dye their hair when they look much better with greying locks.Paul McCartney,Cliff Richard and also the England football manager(what's his name?)all look as if their grimly trying to cling on to their youth with a brownish red "do".Only serves to draw attention to their age..

    ReplyDelete
  5. I agree that hair dye on a man is a nono. But what about me? I had really dark brown , almost black hair when I was young, and ive dyed it since it started to go grey in my 30's. When should I give in to the grey? (i;m thinking "never!!") and how do i do it without looking like a badger? and what do I do with my "Alastair Darling" eyebrows!! My lucious locks have turned into a bit of a nightmare! xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Men should rejoice in the fact that grey seems attractive on them but is a sign that you're positively over the hill when seen on a woman!

    ReplyDelete
  7. And there was me thinking Rupert looked rather dashing on 'Who Do You Think....'
    Oh well. Chacun son goût!

    ReplyDelete