Well since both Portia and Cinnamon recently wrote about this who am I to break a pattern? Especially since I had some Nordy points and Nordstrom helpfully sells the small bottle. I’ve been hankering for it for a while and who wouldn’t. It’s called “Twilly” for goodness sake. It sounds like a wacky Aunt who still sports her Sassoon 5-point haircut, drives her Austin-Healy like she’s in a big hurry, and gets all the best tables in town. The lady that you wanted to grow up to be (whatever gender you are.)
Now Hermès has the rep of being rather classic unto inoffensive in it’s fragrances (save the pre-reformulation Eau de Hermès, which was so cumin-forward an old friend upon smelling it at the Rodeo Drive boutique squealed “EEEEEW! Old man funk!” loud enough to be heard in Pomona if not Paris. I’d bet she’s off the list for a Birkin..) I always wore the one in the green bottle, and have been buying it long enough that I don’t even think it had a name. (It’s Eau d’Orange Verte now and debuted in 1979) So I didn’t think this one would shake the rafters.
It didn’t.
What it did do was play around, and quite delightfully, with the ingredients. There is that zingy ginger in the opening and I get the same whiff of strawberries (fresh in my case) Portia does. There is tuberose in there but it’s distant and muted- like they’re in another room in the house. Ever present, but never overwhelming. There is also a lovely woody-vanilla drydown and a hint of smoke. Like Aunt Twilly might have had a quick smoke in the car on the way over. Sssh- don’t tell on her.
It’s not hugely long lasting and it’s not ground-breaking or in-your-face (or anyone else’s, for that matter). It’s a very French, very Jolie Laide sort of thing. Perfect for the end of summer and start of fall. Fragrantica has it for only a few bucks less than Nordstrom for the travel size, Surrender to Chance has samples in smaller sizes as well as other Hermès scents to try.
Now on to the experiment..
Among other things popping up in my Facebook feed I have been inundated with ads for shampoo-in hair dye. Now I have not colored my hair since the last millennium where I was dating a colorist who used me as his personal hair model and product tester. I never liked the process of bleaching and if I went dark, my hair grows so fast I’d have roots by the time I got to the car. But I caught myself in a gas station security monitor the other day (never a good look) and it looked like I had been caught in a sudden blizzard.
Now I am ready to embrace the Phil Donahue of it all but I found one on Amazon that wasn’t $60 and came in lighter shades. I wanted to start off with blond, figuring that it would wash out easier and that the dark brown or black would look like I dipped my head in brownie batter or tar, respectively. My natural color is a sort of dark ash blond/light ash brown, but these natural shampoo dyes don’t do that since I guess there aren’t mushrooms that color. In any case, what say you all? It’s a change. A little red (but these photos were taken in direct, harsh sunlight) but it will supposedly fade out. I do have quite a lot left so I will continue the experiment. I promise it won’t cause me to start quipping “once more unto the bleach, dear friends!” while getting a honey-blond bob.
So have any of you tried these? Thoughts? Share in the comments.
Images: My iPhone, Pexels, Wikimedia Commons
I am very envious of your silver tresses. At 63 I wanted to have silver hair like my mum or just a touch of white at my temples like my dad. Instead I got grey in clumps with one clump that’s see through at the front so I look bald rather than a desirably sexy “Mallen Streak”.
The blue & purple shampoos will brighten it up.
Twilly is on my hit list, I want to try Twilly Ginger first though.
P.S. my phone keeps autocorrecting Twilly to Willy!
I actually do use purple shampoo/conditioner usually. Probably why under that harsh security camera it was full-on Phil Donahue.
Not that I am complaining. It’s a good color and to have at my age a full head of hair is something to be happy about.
Your natural hair is beautiful, both in color and volume. I’m thinking of giving up the in-between fight and going full-on sparkly silver, just not quite confident enough yet to make the leap. As per Twilly, I have a travel spray in the suitcase beauty bag, it’s the kind of fragrance that can be worn on most occasions.
I didn’t do anything for decades after dating the colorist. Mainly because I am A) cheap and 2) Lazy. I just don’t like the upkeep, The shampoo is is a nice experiment. It’s gradually washing out so that’s fine.
Twilly is an easy one to reach for. But still interesting, which is a good thing.
Tom, I had pure white hair. I use past tense because the dump I am renting now is over 100 years old and has rusty pipes. As a result, my once lovely platinum hair has absorbed rust and minerals and taken on a garish, gold-ish cast. What I’ve discovered (and pardon me if you love your new color-no offense or criticism intended) is a shampoo with a purple tint that tones the too warm gold way way down. Yeh, there are a lot of them on the market and almost all are useless. The one I’ve discovered that really works is AG Care Sterling Silver Toning Shampoo. Amazon carries it. It’s made the brassy yellow a very soft, barely perceptible white gold and I can live with that. It’s also a good’un for folks with white or silver (to me, that means some dark threads running through the silver) locks, as it brightens the color (or lack of). It’s mild, it doesn’t make your hair feel like straw and I have used it every shampoo and my hair (very curly) does not get frizzed out or poofy. I think your natural silver is swoon worthy, but as an old lady, I am biased. If you want to play around with your color on the cheap, Roux makes a plethora of toners that shampoo out quickly and actually condition your hair, too. They come in big squeeze bottles and are the consistency of water. Did I say cheap, too?
Thanks for the tips, and the props!
I actually do use a purple conditioner/shampoo (a leftover from having platinum hair in he 80’s.
One of my neighbors uses and swears by a shower with a replaceable filter (like a britta.) I don’t think they use it for color reasons but loves it. they go on between the shower head and the pipe and cost between $10-30 US at Amazon. Don’t know how often the filter needs to be replaced though.
My building (50 years old) has been going through over the years and replacing the old galvanized pipes with copper. Upside is that there is much less crap in the water from the pipes. Downside it the PITA quotient while they are being replaced.
I love your silver hair but I played with my haircolor for decades and the color looks great! It’s light enough it should grow out nicely. I think I swapped my bowler hat bottle of Twilly (sadface) so I might have to get another.
Actually since it’s a shampoo in one with no ammonia or peroxide it should eventually shampoo out. But I am in need of having it mowed anyway, soooo..
Great review of Twilly, Tom. I like your imaginary Auntie, too. She’s a hoot! As for the hair, I liked it better silver cause that way we look like cousins. cheesy grin
Thanks! And we will be back to looking like cousins soon.. I am not in love with this.
Ah, Twilly. A bottle one day but with the little bowler hat.
I think it’s fun to faff around with one’s hair. I do like the grey though. Maybe a stripe or two to hot things up?
The little bowler hat is too cute!
I’d faff around more (I’d love to see what Manic Panic does on Distinguished Silver hair) but I am not sure my office situation would appreciate it.
Ooo! Nooooo!
Your hair ( in its natural state) is absurdly GORGEOUS!
:: and that’s coming from an absurdly artificial gal – but I don’t have your hair… alas ::
Don’t worry- it will be back. I have neither the money nor the patience to keep up with the hair color thing. I don’t even blow dry!
Well, if Twilly created the images for me that it does for you, I would get a bottle, but no such luck.
I like the new hair a lot. You have such a great head of hair anyway. If you got it, flaunt it. I would. 🙂
Thanks on both counts! I’m too lazy to keep doing it, even if it’s just shampooing it in.