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Former Love Island contestant Maura Higgins is leading the way when it’s come to real, honest beauty. Loved by the nation for her straight-talking and warm personality, the reality TV star has previously shared several make-up free selfies on her Instagram and even appeared on ITV’s This Morning without it. ‘I am very lucky to be confident inside and out and I want to empower woman to do the same,’ she captioned her ‘raw’ selfie; ‘we don’t need to use filters or apps, being yourself is more than enough - although a minority of the online community sometimes try and convince us otherwise.’
In her latest Instagram story, the 30-year-old said she was desperate to get back to the hairdressers as her grey roots were in need of a touch-up. ‘Fifty shades of grey’, read the caption on her post which saw Maura revealing her centre parting framed with grey hairs. After hairdressers closed their doors once again for Lockdown 3.0 (roll on the 12th April people!), root re-growth and grey hair has become a norm for so many of us. And while some have taken this time to embrace their natural colour, others have turned to box dyes and touch-up sprays. Neither is right or wrong and the decision is yours entirely.
For Maura, it’s the latter. She unveiled to her 3.1 million (and counting) followers that her go-to product for concealing roots is the L’Oréal Paris Touch-Up Spray, £8.99, calling it a ‘lifesaver’. Not alone here, other A-listers including Eva Longoria have also waxed lyrical about this savvy spray (read all about it here) that can transform your greys in seconds. Seriously, just look to Maura's impressive before and after pictures (below) for proof.
While many of us were mesmerised by the speedy solution and impressive results, the post has triggered others to Google 'how old is Maura Higgins?' - a problematic question that indicates we have a long way to go in accepting grey hair. Yes, Maura has made the decision to conceal her greys, but for many women chasing away greys can be time-consuming and expensive. What’s more, going grey (at any age) can be an emotional journey due to societal pressure to look a certain way - which has left lots of us embarassed and ashamed to showcase our natural hair colour.
Thankfully, the conversation is changing and we're seeing more and more A-listers and style icons embracing their natural grey colour. Salons have spotted the shift too, with lots of us requesting cool silver and grey tones - taking ownership of this previously taboo 'do. What isn't helpful, however, is questions around age and grey hair - something that needs to end now.
Keen to blur away root re-growth and greys? Shop from our edit of the best root concealers below...
Best Root Concealers 2021
1 of 5L'Oreal Paris Magic Retouch, £8.99
Loved by Maura Higgins and Eva Longoria, this retouch spray offers temporary coverage for roots that will last until it's washed out.
2 of 5Josh Wood Root Smudger, £15
For longer-lasting results, try this root smudger from Josh Wood that can be painted directly onto damp roots for instant coverage that will last up to three washes.
3 of 5Rita Hazan Root Concealer Touch-Up Stick, £20
Celebrity stylist, Rita Hazan, created this touch-up stick as the perfect quick-fix solution. Water resistant, the creamy stick grips onto hair -colouring roots in a matter of seconds.
4 of 5Color WOW Root Cover Up, £28.50
It might look like an eyeshadow, but this lightweight, water-resistant powder seamlessly blends in to conceal greys, root regrowth and can also be used to extend roots – if you want to go for the ombre effect.
5 of 5Bumble and Bumble Colour Stick, £23
Colour in the desired area with this easy to use hair crayon. It blends in seamlessly and won't transfer on to fingers or sheets. A great option for on-the-go touch ups!
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