Madonna at 50: a celebrity hair retrospective

Published 15th Aug 2008 by sophieh
Madonna at 50: a celebrity hair retrospective

Written by Bindy Senghani

From grunge punk to fetish to Marilyn Monroe inspired 50's glamour; from blonde to black and back to blonde again;  when it comes to hair styles Madonna's done it all.

As the queen of pop hits her half a century this week there's no wrinkle or crinkle in sight. But has her crowning glory stood the test of time like her youthful appearance?

Simon Russell-Roberts, seasoned stylist at TONI & GUY Gloucester Road, London, talks us through some of Madonna's many image changes and tells us which look suits the Material Girl best.

early-80s-1984.jpgEarly 80s Madonna 

This Look is from the end of the grunge punk era and shows Madonna sporting a classic bob with an extreme twist. This style is an extension to her personality. Madge's locks have clearly been processed, with a combination of techniques, with Madonna wearing a bob with a fringe and hacked out layers. A diffuser and scrunch technique has then been used to keep a tight wave and inject volume. To finish the, the hair has been over loaded with hairspray to achieve separation and shape.

Simon's Verdict: I think this style suited Madonna perfectly at the time as it encapsulated her edgy personality in every way.

late-80s---87.jpg

Mid 80s Madonna 

As always Madonna has moved on in fast paced style, with a look, which has a feel of the 50's but the volume of the 80's. Think Marilyn Monroe crossed with Dita Von Tesse. Madonna has gone from multi-coloured and textured to a classic platinum blonde. Her hair has been cut into classic long round layers then set with rollers to create volume with soft texture and shine.

Simon's Verdict: This style also suits Madonna because the soft texture and volume fits her face shape down to the ground.

 

early-90s-1990.jpg
Early 90s Madonna

Here we see that Madonna has gone long with the use of hairpieces disguised in a sleek ponytail with a twist to give a catwalk feel. This look has been achieved with hair wefts, which have been pre coloured to match her hue. The hair was then worked into a tight high ponytail.

Simon's Verdict: Personally I don't feel that Madonna should wear her hair like this as it elongates and narrows her face shape far too much.

 

mid90s-1995.jpgMid 90s Madonna



This classic mid 90s long style has a girl next door and an innocent feel to it. The colour, length and volume all complement Madonna's facial structure and skin tone perfectly. A very soft tonal colour, combining light blondes, peach and apricot colours has been applied to Madonna's hair for this look and the haircut has very long layers with soft texture. Her hair has been blow dried to give soft movement and natural shine.

Simon's Verdict: This style suits Madonna on all levels as nothing is in excess.

 

early00-2003.jpgEarly 00s Madonna

With the 40s as the inspiration for this look, Madonna has moved away from the blonde tones and opted for a chocolate brown to create a stylish look with a vintage feel. Her hair has been taken to more of her natural colour. With low lights of very dark caramel and chocolate tones, her hair has been kept to one length with a forward graduation and a long sweeping fringe.

Simon's Verdict: This look flatters Madonna particularly with the shape of the cut and blow dry. But the colour is too dark for her skin tone and has left her looking a little washed out.

 

now-2008.jpgMadonna at 50

Within this picture Madonna is sporting a natural understated look, with a grown out fringe. She's clearly let her natural wave come through and opted for a blond hue again, which is better for her skin tone. The cut has been layered to release the weight so the natural wave can emerge, then a forward graduated technique has been used to frame her face. This has been blow dried with a scrunching technique to create texture.

Simon's Verdict: The width of the style and blow dry has counteracted her narrow face shape whilst the tone of the colour also complements her skin. This look suits Madonna.

 

Madonna on HJi

sophieh

sophieh

Published 15th Aug 2008

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