The day I broke up with Platinum Blonde...

For the past few months, I really haven't been loving my hair. To the point where I've been wearing it up almost every day because I just wasn't enjoying it. The colour seemed to have stopped working — my roots always looked flat and greasy, my ends were dry, and then I noticed the breakage. Which genuinely shocked me.

I've had a lot of hair loss over the years from stress — sometimes within 24 hours of something happening, my hair would start shedding and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Then, a few weeks ago, after years of being dismissed and unheard about my health, I finally got an answer. And I know you might be wondering what that has to do with my hair — but for me, it felt like a line in the sand. I realised it wasn't something I'd done, it wasn't my fault, and something in me needed to mark that moment with a change.

That need started with my hair. Like after a breakup, I wanted a physical signal to myself — I'm doing okay. I'm moving forward. And so the time had come to break up with my platinum blonde.

I messaged my hairdresser fully expecting her to say no. We'd been here before — during COVID and a few other times — where I'd floated going slightly darker and then hated it. But to my surprise, her first response was: "I totally agree... it's time." Her support meant everything, especially because I came armed with so many inspiration photos. This wasn't a subtle change I was after. Not just a few lowlights. I wanted darker, shorter — what she called a complete makeover.

Given how much blonde I'd had in my hair (my best friend of nearly 16 years has genuinely never known me as anything else), I wasn't quite sure how a new colour would sit. But we found an inspo photo together, my hairdresser and I, and we went for it.

And I couldn't be happier.




Now — because of course — I got a lot of questions about whether my colour analysis results would change with darker hair. (Check out my Instagram reel showing me in my colours with the new look.) The answer is no, but it did require a conversation worth sharing. As a blonde, I suit a cool, creamy beige with a hint of ash. As a brunette, I need a touch more warmth. Why? Because lightness is my first colour characteristic — not coolness. A dark, ashy shade would wash me out completely. A bright copper would be overwhelming. A deep auburn, too harsh.

This is one of the most common questions I get as a colour consultant — will changing my hair colour change my season? The short answer is no. Your season is determined by your skin and eyes, not your hair. But your hair colour absolutely affects which shades within your palette look most harmonious on you. Just like with your clothes, the right hair shades are out there — it's just about knowing which ones are yours.

I have a neutral skin tone (different to undertone, and yes, this is where colour analysis gets wonderfully complex) — but when you understand how all of this works together, even a dramatic hair change becomes so much easier to navigate. Whether you're a Light Summer, a Warm Autumn, or anywhere in between, the principles are the same.

My hair already feels stronger, thicker, healthier. But more than anything, I feel like a new person. Not the version of me that has been quietly battling her health for as long as she can remember.

A change really is as good as a holiday. And this one has been one of the best things I've done for myself this year.