What Color Is Kim Kardashian's Hair
I Had My Hair And Makeup Done Like Kim Kardashian For A Week And Here's What Happened
I was expecting to love the experience. The reality couldn't have been more different.
Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed
Hi, I'm Ellie, and I've been in a committed relationship with makeup since the age of 15.
As a celebrity reporter, I've spent years staring at the perfectly made-up faces of the rich and famous, but there is no one who has made makeup their trademark quite like Kim Kardashian.
I wanted to discover whether this makeup routine was viable for an ordinary person in a normal 9–5 job.
I also wanted to discover how I would look as a Kardashian, using makeup techniques like contouring that I could never do myself. I decided to have a company come to my home to do my hair and makeup each morning before work, because that seemed like the most Kim Kardashian option.
Plus, it meant I could wear my pyjamas.
Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed
1. Spend an hour and a half having hair and makeup done every morning before arriving at work on time.
2. Go about my normal routine but with the addition of Kardashian hair and makeup.
3. Only tell people what I'm doing if asked.
4. Not remove any of the makeup until the day is over.
Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
I set my alarm for 6.30am in order to have an hour's manicure, receive an hour and a half of hair and makeup, AND make it to work on time. I am not a morning person, it's legit still dark outside, and my only thought is, "Why the hell I'm doing this?"
The nail technician arrives and asks which colour I'd like.
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
I'm instantly drawn to the bright pink shade but have to stop and think, "What would Kim choose?" and reluctantly choose the red instead. I like how my nails look and feel, but I can't help but think how I'd much rather be asleep.
An hour later, my makeup artist arrives. We decide to emulate Kim's Grammys 2015 look, with wavy hair and fairly understated eye makeup using bronze and browns.
Jason Merritt / Getty Images
She begins by using micellar water to cleanse my face before applying moisturiser, which feels, frankly, amazing on my tired, puffy skin. Kim Kardashian has said in the past that she's lucky she enjoys the process of having her makeup done, and within minutes I too am all, "This is amazing, I'm quitting my job and becoming a celebrity."
My mind is swiftly changed when it comes to having my eye makeup done.
Laura Gallant / BuzzFeed
Laura Gallant / BuzzFeed
Laura Gallant / BuzzFeed
My eyes begin watering uncontrollably and it takes a good five minutes for the false lashes to stick. I realise that being good at having your makeup applied is an art in itself.
After my face is contoured and my hair is curled, I'm handed a mirror. I do a double take at my reflection.
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
My hair looks amazing and I instantly feel more glamorous, but the contouring is insane and my eyelashes look like they belong to Bambi. I feel like my face has been painted on.
My flatmate walks in and rather disappointedly tells me I'm not as orange as she was expecting but that my lips look nice (I never normally bother doing them), and agrees the eyelashes are out of control.
The lashes almost immediately begin digging into the corner of my eye and cause me pain every time I blink. How the fuck does Kim do this every day? is the only thought I have as I leave the house half an hour late.
Matthew Tucker / Buzzfeed
Matthew Tucker / Buzzfeed
Throughout the journey to work, I feel very self-conscious, and as I arrive in work and walk to my desk, I look down, willing people to not look at me. As I sit down, my boss tells me I look lovely. I'm then told that a colleague saw me walking in and said: "Ellie looks fit as fuck."
I was expecting to be told I look ridiculous. But people are actually being complimentary. Maybe the Kardashian look is a good thing?
And when I catch sight of myself in the mirror, I notice that my skin, which is normally freckly, dry, and uneven, looks flawless. Maybe I, and those around me, are going to prefer the Kardashian Ellie to the actual Ellie. WHAT IF I CAN'T GO BACK TO NORMAL?
After work we head to the most unglamorous pub in the entirety of central London, where I order a warm glass of wine for six quid.
As we settle down with our drinks, my boyfriend looks at me and says, "You look hyperreal. Like, you look like you, but just more so."
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
I instantly think back to the episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians where Kim gets Botox. Afterwards, her family say she looks like a heightened version of herself – almost like a cartoon.
When a friend who hasn't been informed about Kardashian makeup week turns up, she looks at me confusedly and says: "Are... Are you wearing false eyelashes?!" After I explain, she spends quite a while taking it all in. It's an odd feeling having someone stare so intently, but then I guess that's the norm for Kim, who's followed by 500 cameras wherever she goes.
Within half an hour of arriving, I cave and take off my eyelashes. I can't handle the pain or annoyance any more.
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
I continue blinking as though I still have them on, though. They're so heavy and large that they make me blink abnormally slowly. And I realise that Kim, too, blinks this way – probably for the same reason.
Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed
This is why Kim Kardashian doesn't drink, I think when my alarm goes off and I heave myself out of bed. I'm so over this process already and it's only day two.
Today I decide to go for dramatic smoky eyes and bright red lips, with my hair poker-straight.
Akm Images / AKM IMAGES / Splash News
I feel traumatised by yesterday's eyelashes and physically recoil at the sight of new ones, but luckily today my eyes aren't streaming and they stick perfectly. My makeup artist then dutifully contours the shit out of me, applies the reddest of red lipsticks, and, an hour and a half later, I'm ready.
When I look in the mirror I'm struck by the most bizarre feeling: I don't recognise myself.
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
I proceed to stand in front of my wardrobe for about 10 minutes, slowly realising I don't own any clothes that can possibly match what's going on on my face. I eventually decide on wet-look leggings, a black top, and a statement necklace, and head outside, wanting to yell at all passersby: "THIS IS FOR WORK I SWEAR TO GOD." I get visible stares on the tube and have never felt more self-conscious.
My eyes are so doll-like it's almost eerie, and as the day progresses, I come to understand what my boyfriend meant when he said I looked "hyperreal".
Matthew Tucker / BuzzFeed
Matthew Tucker / BuzzFeed
In the interview that accompanied her now infamous Paper magazine photo shoot, Kim Kardashian was described similarly:
Everything about her seems amplified, tumescent. Her black hair is thicker than any you have ever seen, her lips fuller, her giant Bambi-eyes larger, their whites whiter, If some of this is the result of artificial enhancement -- does anyone else have eyelashes that resemble miniature feather dusters? -- none of it seems obviously ersatz. But that's not to say it looks real, either. She is like a beautiful animé character come to life.
And that's how I feel right now. It's a very odd sensation – to recognise yourself somewhere within the makeup, but feel like an overly perfected, almost unreal version of yourself.
The second I get home I remove my eyelashes, and then, with the help of both sides of 10 cotton pads, remove the rest of the makeup with micellar water. The sense of relief is borderline arousing.
Later that evening, while flicking through the several hundred selfies I've taken over the past two days, I realise that even my ~selfie face~ has changed.
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Being photographed from every angle, having to concentrate so much on my posture and my expressions before taking in how different I look, has begun to affect me. It's very clearly highlighting to me all the flaws I was aware of, as well as ones I never knew existed. And the weirdest part of all is something I hadn't even anticipated: I feel like Kim but nothing like me.
The makeup artist has done a phenomenal job in transforming me, and has done everything I asked. But I'm already looking forward to next week and having myself, and the face I know, back.
Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed
Today I decide I want big backcombed hair with heavy eyeliner, black eyeshadow, and enough foundation and contouring to cover the entire Kardashian family.
Splash News
Splash News
By now my makeup artist and I are in a groove, and the contouring isn't taking too long at all.
Laura Gallant / BuzzFeed
Laura Gallant / BuzzFeed
And as the finishing touches are finally made, I realise I actually really like this look.
Laura Gallant / BuzzFeed
But that's probably because the eye makeup is much closer to what I'd normally wear.
Laura Gallant / BuzzFeed
Laura Gallant / BuzzFeed
Minus the false eyelashes, obviously.
My hair feels amazing, and within minutes of arriving at work I receive an instant message from a colleague: "I love your hair today."
Matthew Tucker / BuzzFeed
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Later in the day, a male colleague notices the change in my appearance and compliments my hair too.
In the evening, my boyfriend and I go to the Dorchester Hotel, where Kim usually stays when she's in London.
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
We were going to dine in the restaurant, but after seeing that prices begin at £100 I'm like, lol, let's just have a club sandwich at the bar.
I take a couple of selfies before our food arrives, despite feeling awkward and self-conscious. But then I tell myself, This is what Kim would do during dinner. By this stage, though, I'm so fed up of taking selfies I literally go through the motions, pouting and tilting my head without really feeling anything.
I once enjoyed taking selfies as much as Kim does – it became an ongoing joke between me and my friends – but now it feels like a chore and my camera roll literally consists only of my face. It feels incredibly vain, and yet I'm not getting any pleasure out of looking at myself. And, to be perfectly honest, I never want to take another selfie again.
I realise that I've lasted until 9 o'clock and I'm still wearing the false eyelashes – and what's more, they're not even annoying me. This is a breakthrough of epic proportions – so much so that my boyfriend high-fives the achievement.
Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed
Not only am I exhausted by this point, but today is the day I've been dreading, as you can tell from my extremely knackered, terrified face.
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Kim often wears her hair up in either a bun or a slick ponytail. I only ever wear my hair up when I can't be bothered to wash it.
The reason is because I hate my ears. They stick out so much I once went for a consultation to have them pinned back. I decided against it, but being called "Dumbo" in school wasn't fun. If I ever do wear my hair up, I make sure it's in a messy bun right at the top of my head, and it isn't pulled back too harshly.
Kim does not favour this look.
But if I'm going to commit to this week properly, I need to get over this major insecurity.
So, I sit feeling anxious as my hair is pulled tightly back into a bun. It doesn't take long, but once it's finished I immediately feel self-conscious.
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Matthew Tucker / BuzzFeed
My makeup artist then contours the actual fuck out of my face, which I'm glad about because it goes some way to distracting people from my hair. This is by far the most Kim I've ever felt.
Luckily I have company on my commute today so I feel less self-conscious, but I do spot one girl staring at me for the entire journey. I don't blame her – I'm wearing enough makeup for the entire tube carriage, but it's still uncomfortable. Equally uncomfortable is attempting to explain a Wi-Fi issue I have in work to the new IT technician while looking as though I'm ready to go out clubbing rather than work.
Later, I watch an episode from Season 6 of KUWKT.
E!
E!
It's arguably the season where Kim's makeup is the heaviest, and as I watch, I can't help but think: "How can she be bothered?" The whole process takes an hour and a half, using highly intricate techniques to essentially transform her entire face. It seems like such an arduous process to produce something that isn't actually her face.
It's also the episode where she discovers she has psoriasis and freaks out, concerned that it could cost her her career. Which isn't unreasonable – her career is dependent on her looking flawless. During one scene she yells at Kris Jenner: "People don't understand the pressure on me to look perfect." Previously I'd have laughed at the comment.
But I don't. Because now I really do understand the pressure.
Because a beauty regime like this makes you obsessed with how you look.
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
I've come to realise just why celebrities so readily resort to surgery even for the most minor of flaws, like Kim Kardashian having a tiny scar on her toe lasered off. Because having your photo taken all the time means it's easy to become fixated by something that can be surgically changed.
More than anything else though, this amount of makeup leads you to spend your entire day thinking about how you look. I've never scrutinised my face as heavily as I have this week. It's exhausting.
I can see now why Kim readily accepts being called "vain". Because there's no way of going through this process without becoming vain. And it's bizarre.
I won't lie: Prior to this week, I was secretly looking forward to being professionally made up.
Laura Gallant / BuzzFeed
I don't like my freckles and am prone to hormonal breakouts. I assumed that the heavy foundation and powder would cover these imperfections. I assumed that contouring would improve my cheekbones. I was looking forward to having dramatic eye makeup and professionally applied lashes to really make my eyes – my favourite feature – stand out.
I was half expecting this week to end and me feel sad – wishing that looking my absolute best could last forever. But none of that has happened.
When I look at the "before" photos taken of me this week, all I see is uneven skin, spots, and chubbiness. And when I look at the "after" shots, I don't recognise myself. As a result of being made up to look like someone else, it turns out I don't actually look my best self after all. And all I want is to apply my gel eyeliner and Benefit eyeshadow in the way I've been doing since I was 15.
I've never been so happy to hear my alarm go off at 7.30am.
Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images
Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images
Today I'm going for the modern-day Kim look, taking inspiration from Paris Fashion Week, where she wore her newly dyed platinum hair in an extreme side parting with loose waves. Her face was minimally made up, with just a slick of perfectly applied eyeliner on her top lid and a nude lipgloss.
I feel far less self-conscious, but as I walk through the doors in work one of my colleagues says, "WHOA, your face looks so different."
Matthew Tucker / BuzzFeed
Ellie Woodward / BuzzFeed
Later, another tells me that I look "great", which lifts my spirits. But I'm brought right back down to earth by two male colleagues in the evening. They tell me that the red lipstick on day two was "way too much" and that the contouring looks "strange". It hurts my feelings a bit – I've spent the last week feeling so insecure and self-conscious and I don't want people to think I've been swanning around thinking I look amazing when I know that I don't.
Because that's the point – I've realised that my makeup suits me better than Kim's. And you know what? That's OK.
On Saturday I wake up so relieved I don't have to drag myself out of bed to be made up that I almost cry with joy.
Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed
1. I prefer sleep to looking glamorous. I came to dread my alarm going off at 7.30am and felt exhausted by the end of the week.
2. Contouring does change your face. But the results weren't as I expected. Maybe my expectations were too high – I was hoping for an instant nose job and more defined cheekbones. But, if anything, I think the contouring highlighted how round my face is.
3. False eyelashes are annoying AF. But once you get used to them, they really do make a statement of your eyes. I'd now even consider getting extensions.
4. People are more polite than I thought. I was expecting more strange looks, and more negative comments. But people asked tentatively and were kind with it, which made feeling self-conscious more bearable.
5. I have a newfound respect for Kim Kardashian. It may seem like a ridiculous concern, but I do understand the pressure she must feel every day to look flawless. After a week of being photographed, I developed a whole host of new insecurities. She's photographed hundreds of times every day – I can't imagine the self-scrutiny that must occur.
6. Despite making me feel insecure and self-conscious, this process has made me appreciate MY face. I may be more aware of my flaws now, but that's OK. Because wanting to have me back, and the feeling of relief I got when I looked in the mirror after doing my own makeup – and not only recognised myself, but liked myself – was completely unexpected, and pretty damn amazing.
All hair and makeup services were provided by the brilliant Blow LTD Fast Beauty on Demand. Visit its website or download its app.
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What Color Is Kim Kardashian's Hair
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/elliewoodward/i-had-my-hair-and-makeup-done-like-kim-kardashian-for-a-week