Can Dark skinned people pull of blond hair?

[Genivieve]

Hi! I've been trying my best to experiment with different looks. I feel like I'm throwing away so much money trying to find a makeup, wig outfit combo that minimizes my flaws. My skin is sort of dark. I'm going to take it all in stride and play with more accessories today. I'll make a purchase later tonight or tomorrow morning. the forum members have taught me so much so i have faith in what you'll suggest.

So, I've always worn black wigs but lately have tried brown and it actually softens my look. I found a black style that is really wide and chin length. It might be perfect to round out my long face. Then there is a blond wig that might be nice too.

I know it will look artificial, but I was walking today looking at the died haired girls strolling about realizing that many women wear flashy color. That could work to my benefit... any thoughts would be nice. Take care!


oh and here's a link below of my most recent (albeit rushed attempt at makeup)

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/29/makeover8h.jpg/


-Gen

[NicoleScott]

The photo looks great. I think you could pull off being blonde. Nowadays, we see all skin colors wearing all hair colors. Many Asians and Blacks have blonde hair. Or red, or blue. Anything goes, it seems. Of course, anything that doesn't seem natural might attract more attention, but nowadays, maybe not.

[Maria in heels]

you look great in that picture Genivieve....a blonde...definitely !

[Shananigans]

My hair is naturally brown/black. I also have a lot of olive tones to my skin. (Although I do a lot to try to pale out my skin with makeup...I'm obsessed with Dita von Teese). Let me tell you...I dyed my hair blonde once and I looked like a freak. I even lightened my brows, but with my skin I looked almost sickly haha. I wish I could find the pic of me in my SO's blonde wig. It was really bad.

I do LOVE the brown hair on you. It's a great color. But, I just cannot see like a blonde, blonde working. Your color in your avatar is awesome too and it looks great because you have a lot of golden brown colors to your skin. I could see a darker brown wig with some lighter brown highlights to play with the gold in your skin. However, I am going to have to vote no to like a platinum blonde.

[Jilmac]

By dark skinned, do you mean olive like the people of the Meditaranian? I have seen many olive skinned people with every color hair imaginable. If you think blonde will soften your features, then go for it. A person's skin color matching their hair doesn't matter as much as it used to. Think Tina Turner, she looks great with any color hair.

[Genivieve]

I seriously don't have the words right now. You are so insightful and terrific! 1 sec...

[Shananigans]

Here this is me beside a platinum blonde lol

Now, imagine that damn wig on my head. That sh*t don't work!

But, highlights looks alright on me...I just choose to have a lighten my hair brown and keep it from being so black. But, blonde? No. But, that's my opinion. Too cartoonish.

[Genivieve]

Shananigans

You naled my biggest concern. My goal no...my dream since I was a kid was to go out as female. I want to do it this year! However, I don't want to draw uneccessary attention. It's not so much about passing that wont happen but I want to look presentable. Fantastic advice. Ty!


Jilmac

"Do you mean olive like the people of the Meditaranian?" Nailed it. I wont be specific but yup my parents are from that area but I am so whitewashed lol! It is a problem. I could never ever share this with them I'd be a freak of the worst kind in thier eyes. On a lighter note, finding a foundation/powder on my own has been impossible. I'm trying to ease my way into acceptance so going to a pro is scary but i have to do it soon. This skin is already aging.

Maria and Nicole you melt me. I snuck this session the bathroom with CIA type skills. I have a crappy Ipod camera and man of the photos were unflattering. I ran the shower and kept listening for footsteps. That is no way to practice. Especially with the guilt that follows.

What can I say? You all floored me. A spectrum of sound advice and support with no B.S. I am so grateful. I wont spend too much and take a mini risk either way.

=)

-Gen

[Momarie]

Sorry, Brown.....
Chestnut?? Mahogany maybe?

But no, you are not a Blondie.
It's not just your skin tone...but the color of your eyebrows etc.

[Genivieve]

Here this is me beside a platinum blonde lol

Now, imagine that damn wig on my head. That sh*t don't work!

But, highlights looks alright on me...I just choose to have a lighten my hair brown and keep it from being so black. But, blonde? No. But, that's my opinion. Too cartoonish.

I was reading and my brain got confused. You both look like real girls! I see what you mean though. You're clearly lighter than me and it wouldn't bring out your best features. Especially considering it is a wig and nor even true died hair.


Sorry, Brown.....
Chestnut?? Mahogany maybe?

But no, you are not a Blondie.
It's not just your skin tone...but the color of your eyebrows etc.

Thank you for being straight with me. I might try a full curled wig. Width as a priority. I feel like I'm getting close to the right hair shape but I need to play with some styles before shelling out on mega quality wig. Some of those cost as much as cosmetic procedures (which I also need!!).

[Shananigans]

On a lighter note, finding a foundation/powder on my own has been impossible. I'm trying to ease my way into acceptance so going to a pro is scary but i have to do it soon. This skin is already aging.

Unfortunately, you are going to have to mix foundations. I have the worst time because I have a lot of yellow in my skin, but I also have a lot of red undertones. (My mother and father are both half Irish and half Native American). I really try my best to play up the lighter skintone. I think it gives me more of a vampy look. The above picture is kind of old and doesn't show a good job of it (though I was trying)...my profile pic actually is a better job of me paling out my skintones successfully without looking obvious (or at least I thought so). It doesn't always work. I use MAC foundations. So, I use a lot of NC to play up the yellow undertones in my skin. You have a lot of different pigments in your skin, so you kind of have to choose with your foundation color which pigments you want to play up. In my case, I really want to look a bit paler in the face. So, I use NC foundations. I take my foundation all the way down my chest when I am going against my natural color. To get more of a color that is true to your skin color, you can mix foundations and whatever color you use predominantly, you can use an opposite powder color. So, I might mix NC and NW to get my natural color (using more of NC because I prefer a paler look), but I would top it off with an NW powder to look more natural.


This girl explains it well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw8A03vA2lg&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

EDIT: Sorry my computer was being weird. I had an original response typed out and the site froze. I hope this response makes sense.

[Barbara Dugan]

I think you can look good as a blonde...sometimes is more about face structure than skin tone..but you will definitely will
gather more attention as a blonde than with any other color..I like to be blonde once in a while just for fun or by a special request...but I always feel more myself as a brunette

[Genivieve]

Wow I wrote a 5 paragraph response and my browser crashed... how do I condense it....
I wont for now the shop closes soon.

I can't believe you were able to tell so much from such a low res picture. You astound me as do some of the pros on this board. You're completely right though. I looked like a yellow mannequin or Michael Jackson. How you blend Irish and native american though? I guess I'll bow down that sounds very difficult.

I almost threw the products away because I was agitated but maybe some could be useful in tandem. So now I have to learn to be a color mixer onto this 30 year old skin while hiding my makeup, wig, and, tights underneath the bathroom sink! Dammit!

I'm going to be super spontaneous on my wig purchase but will unlikely go blond. I'll leave it to fate. If I see a dark skinned blonde wearing my favorite tights I'll take it as a sign.


I think you can look good as a blonde...sometimes is more about face structure than skin tone..but you will definitely will
gather more attention as a blonde than with any other color..I like to be blonde once in a while just for fun or by a special request...but I always feel more myself as a brunette

Whoah, you actually look better as a blonde. Your skin is perfect for it though. Haha more confusion. I'm going to take a risk one way or the other. I have to look at this as fun. If I had any other hobby...Sh-t if I liked eating a lot I'd drop as much money on a decent dinner at one of the local restaurants. I'm wavering but I will judge face shape most. I think that is the biggest factor. The wigs in my pics taper too much giving excess length to my chin and my mega nose.

One quick thing. I know I'm a bit sappy today but I am still amazed at the advice and responses I received. Within an hour of posting I heard direct, honest, and supportive tips. Mostly it took thought and effort on your part for a stranger. So heartwarming....ok enough gushing I have 30 minutes for my risk purchase. Thanks again!!!!!


-Gen

[Shananigans]

Wow I wrote a 5 paragraph response and my browser crashed... how do I condense it....
I wont for now the shop closes soon.

I can't believe you were able to tell so much from such a low res picture. You astound me as do some of the pros on this board. You're completely right though. I looked like a yellow mannequin or Michael Jackson. How you blend Irish and native american though? I guess I'll bow down that sounds very difficult.

I almost threw the products away because I was agitated but maybe some could be useful in tandem. So now I have to learn to be a color mixer onto this 30 year old skin while hiding my makeup, wig, and, tights underneath the bathroom sink! Dammit!

I'm going to be super spontaneous on my wig purchase but will unlikely go blond. I'll leave it to fate. If I see a dark skinned blonde wearing my favorite tights I'll take it as a sign.

I don't think you look like MJ or a mannequin. A lot of the pic is washed out and I think that's just more to do with lighting. I can tell that you are using a yellow-based foundation which I don't think is necessarily wrong for your skin color, but you will find that if you use one color on your face that you will look flat because you are naturally very pigmented. So, the mixing of foundation and powder colors will help with that. You have a beautiful skin color, so it's just about finding the right colors.

My mom actually has a much more difficult time with foundations. She tries to look more golden brown and highlights her blonde. She has got the very dark skin (luck of the genetic draw, depending on which way you look at it) and she likes to play this up. It makes my grandmother mad as a hornet because it's considered more beautiful to have lighter skin with darker features within the culture. My mom is going quite the COMPLETE opposite. So, maybe she can be your model rebel hahaha She has never gone like BLONDE, but she does do a lot of face framing blonde highlights. It looks good on her, but it makes her makeup difficult. So, yeah, she's in her 50s and still has trouble with foundation sometimes.

Definitely do NOT throw away foundation colors. They are great for mixing. Def post pics of your new wig purchase! The great thing about wigs is that you can change them out. I'd try some face-framing highlights on a brunette wig. But, if you get a blonde and hate it, it doesn't have to be your primary hair...maybe just you fun hair.

BTW, lets not get started on big noses. I got a hump in the middle of my nose like a camel. It drives me crazy. But, I think it adds character...it's what I keep telling myself :)

[jennifer easton]

when I was wig shopping I never even thought a bout being blonde. I had picked out what I thought would work for me, was walking to the check-out and passed the blonde wigs and there sticking out like a sore thumb was this cute little short wig and as a thought I asked my sales lady what ya thing about me as a blonde and at first she said naa, but then she put it up to my face and said whoa try this on! right from the first as soon as I put it on I felt ten years younger it made me feel foxy and so I say before you say no put one on, blonde just gives you that feel!!!! Jenni

[erickka]

Makeup looks fabulous! Go for the blonde. A beautiful blonde looks even hotter with a suntan. (or in your case, darker skin tone)

[Tina B.]

Try a lite brown with Blondie high lites, softer but still not pure Blondie, for a rush job, your make up looks great.
Keep an eye out at the mall, what are the cool girls, with olive skin wearing on there heads?
Tina B.

[Sara Jessica]

Wow, I really like your picture. I think you set us up for failure and in return we find ourselves pleasantly surprised. You really need to give yourself a little credit.

That said, why mess with a good thing? The brown hair in the picture does exactly what you are looking for....it softens your look. If you want to experiment, take the advice given and experiment in the brown range.

Blonde and black are extremes and can be very difficult to pull off in a realistic way.

[DonnaT]

http://www.wigs.com/product_info.php?products_id=3921

nuf said

[Mikaela]

And you can use taaz.com to try out some styles and colors and stuff.
I am of euro-mutt stock, but my complexion favors dark hair (I'm naturally brown haired, but was blond as a kid). It -might- work for me to go more blonde, but I still really like the accents in my current wig.

[shesadvl]

Gen I like your photograph looks great, very natural including the makeup,....as for make up if you have a MAC store im sure the makeup artists are very good n showing you what
tones you can wear... perhaps they can help, as for ablonde wig.... you would need to try one on and see....lol...

good luck...

[joanna4]

I'm asian so I can't pull it off but I did anyways. It just looked like I bleached it rather than being born with it. Its a good idea to have different colors in your collection.

[sara.s]

I like the blond look. Its my favorite pic and my avatar. But for my first outing, I want to keep it simple and wouldn't go blond.

[BiancaEstrella]

You could pull it off. I can't. I agree with the suggestion of blonde highlights/streaks though.