The term “expensive brunette” refers to a woman with brown hair who spends a lot of money on maintaining her appearance. It is sometimes used to describe celebrity women or socialites who get high-end hair treatments, wear designer clothes, and overall project an image of wealth and luxury. While the phrase may sound elitist or judgemental on the surface, there are some interesting historical and cultural factors behind why brunettes have been associated with glamour and extravagance. Let’s explore the meaning and origins behind calling someone an “expensive brunette.”
The History of Brunettes Being Associated with Beauty and Affluence
Throughout history, brown hair has often been connected to beauty and desirability in women. In medieval Europe, most women had blonde or red hair from genetic factors, so a dark-haired beauty was rare and considered exotic. Queen Elizabeth I of England made red hair fashionable during her reign, but brunettes were still held as a feminine ideal in art and literature. The shift toward brunettes continued into the Victorian era, when curling brown ringlets with hot irons became a popular hairstyle. Having naturally waved dark hair became a status symbol that a woman did not need to labour over styling her tresses.
The brunette look became solidified as a glamorous style in the 1920s and 30s. Hollywood stars like Rita Hayworth and Veronica Lake made waves with their glossy chocolate-coloured locks. The invention of hair dye allowed more women to transform their hair colour, and salons began offering brunette dye jobs and permanents. Being a brunette became synonymous with elegance, sensuality and luxury. Even as blonde bombshells like Marilyn Monroe shot to fame in the 50s and 60s, most female celebrities stayed brunette as it gave an air of seriousness and class.
High Maintenance for Expensive Brunettes
To be an expensive brunette requires ample time and money devoted to upkeep. As brown hair tends to be thicker and grows fast, frequent salon visits are needed to maintain a chic, polished look. An expensive brunette likely gets a high-end cut and blowout every 4-6 weeks at $100 or more per visit. Colouring dark hair also requires more products and time than lighter shades – a full brunette colour can cost $250 or upwards. The high-end colour helps to minimize brassy or orange undertones that can make hair appear dull or dirty.
Beyond cuts and colouring, expensive brunettes also invest in hair treatments for nourishment and sheen. Olaplex bonding treatments, keratin smoothing treatments, leave-in masks and weekly deep conditioners keep strands hydrated and protected from heat styling damage. Top salon brands like Kerastase, Oribe, Moroccanoil and Bumble & Bumble could easily tack on another few hundred per visit. Extensions, weaves, and hairpieces for fullness and length are another pricey but popular option. An expensive brunette could drop $5,000 a year at the salon alone.
Fashion and Beauty Requirements
In addition to flawless hair, being an expensive brunette necessitates having a luxurious wardrobe and beauty routine. Some hallmarks include:
- Designer clothes – Gucci, Prada, Chanel, etc. An expensive purse is a must.
- Manicures – At least bi-weekly, with gel polish or acrylics.
- Pedicures – Monthly visits for proper foot care.
- Professional makeup applications – Regular appointments for special events.
- Anti-aging treatments – Botox, fillers, laser resurfacing, etc.
- Spray tanning – To maintain a sun-kissed glow year-round.
- Eyelash extensions – For lush, full lashes without needing mascara.
All these maintenance appointments also require time and transportation costs. Image is everything for an expensive brunette, so no expenses can be spared.
Do Brunettes Spend More on Maintenance than Blondes?
An analysis of average costs shows that brunettes actually spend significantly more than blondes on overall maintenance.
| Maintenance | Brunette | Blonde |
|---|---|---|
| Haircut & Style | $100/month | $80/month |
| Color | $200/month | $150/month |
| Highlights | $0 | $100/month |
| Treatments | $150/month | $100/month |
| Products | $50/month | $50/month |
| Total | $500/month | $480/month |
While hair colouring and treatments are pricier for brunettes, blondes require regular touch-up appointments for highlights and root regrowth. Overall, brunettes pay about 4% more on hair maintenance. Those glossy locks don’t come easy!
Day in the Life: Beauty Routine of an Expensive Brunette
To provide more insight into the effort that goes into being an expensive brunette, let’s walk through a typical beauty regimen:
Morning
– Apply eye cream, moisturizer, primer
– Fill in eyebrows
– Apply hair masks or serum, blow dry hair straight
– Full makeup application – foundation, bronzer, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick
– Style hair in loose waves or elegant updo
Afternoon
– Touch up makeup as needed
– Use dry shampoo to refresh hair
– Reapply lipstick and spray perfume before evening plans
Night
– Remove makeup with cleansing balms, oils, and face wash
– Apply serums, night creams, eye creams
– Brush and braid hair before bed
Weekly
– Attend blowout or updos styling appointment
– Get manicure and pedicure
– Use hair masks, oils, leave-in treatments
– Exfoliate skin and use body lotions
– Attend laser treatments, skin appointments
Monthly
– See stylist for trims, root touch-up, gloss treatments
– Brow waxing/threading appointments
– Massage and body treatments
– Shop for new makeup, skincare, and hair products
Being an expensive brunette requires diligence! But with meticulous beauty routines, designer garb, and frequent salon visits, it’s easy to see how the glamorous lifestyle gets expensive fast.
Celebrity Expensive Brunettes
When we think of quintessential expensive brunettes, celebrities often come to mind first. Here are a few famous women who project luxury with their dark locks:
– Meghan Markle – As a royal family member, Markle has access to the finest hairstylists and fashion designers. Her glossy brown waves and polished outfits cost a fortune to maintain.
– Jennifer Lopez – JLo is renowned for her flawless skin, cascading caramel highlights, and show-stopping style. Even in her 50s, she spends what it takes to look eternally youthful.
– Kim Kardashian – Kardashian’s jet-black sleek hair, contouring, and curve-hugging wardrobe cement her status as beauty and fashion icon. Her lavish lifestyle funded by reality TV and entrepreneurism is envy-inducing.
– Beyonce – As queen bee of music, Beyonce always looks photo-ready with flowing highlighted hair and couture outfits. She even has her own team of glam squad members to keep her camera-ready 24/7.
– Priyanka Chopra – This former Miss World is a stunner, with a mane of soft brown waves when she isn’t rocking protective styles. She works with the best stylists for her red carpet looks.
While not everyone can afford glam squads and designer garb like celebrities, the average woman can channel expensive brunette style on a budget with strategic spending, savvy DIY skills, and the right attitude.
How to Look Like an Expensive Brunette on a Budget
For women wanting to emulate the luxurious brunette lifestyle without going broke, it simply requires getting creative. Here are some tips:
- Focus hair spending at the salon – Get bang-for-your-buck services like gloss, toner, deep conditioning. Then maintain the pricey color and cuts yourself in between visits.
- Learn DIY styling – Invest time practicing with hot tools to get salon-worthy blowouts and styles at home.
- Extend the life of manicures – Use base coats for longer wear and give yourself manicures between professional visits.
- Use hair masks and oils – Weekly treatments can greatly boost shine and condition between trims.
- Apply makeup strategically – Play up eyes or lips, and use luminizers, bronzer and grooming for an expensive look.
- Focus on skincare – Great skin makes you look instantly more polished without makeup.
- Shop secondhand and sales – Find designer fashion treasures at thrift and consignment stores.
- Take hair supplements – Biotin and collagen pills or gummies can help grow thicker, stronger hair.
- Learn self-tanning – Airbrush legs and use lotions for a sun-kissed glow without UV damage.
With dedication to your beauty routines and wise spending, it’s possible to resemble a glamorous expensive brunette without going into debt. Haircare and skincare may require the largest investment, but the rest can be faked until you make it.
The Perception and Privilege Behind “Expensive Brunettes”
While the term is tossed around often in pop culture, being labeled an “expensive brunette” can have some complicated connotations. At its best, it implies that a woman invests ample time and money into looking polished, stylish, and well put-together. But the phrase also risks reducing women down to superficial qualities and perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards.
In reality, most average women cannot afford the time or costs that go into being a high-maintenance brunette bombshell. Celebrities have access to resources that give them an unfair advantage. Between personal assistants, housekeeping help, sponsored products, and inherited wealth, they can dedicate hours each day to beauty upkeep. For the everyday woman juggling a job, family, bills, and other responsibilities, keeping up with expensive beauty ideals is near impossible.
There is also a racial component at play, as Euro-centric beauty standards celebrate more affluent white women with lighter skin and hair. Women of color may not fit the stereotypical image of an expensive brunette, even though their beauty regimen is equally time-consuming and costly. The term centers and applauds a narrow beauty ideal that excludes many groups.
While pop culture loves the concept of the pampered, glamorous expensive brunette, it is important to think critically about this narrow representation of beauty. At best, it is aspirational fantasy. But in reality, all women can look beautiful and polished without going to extremes. Focusing on confidence, health, and natural beauty makes for a much more inclusive and empowering ideal.
Conclusion
The concept of the “expensive brunette” holds a special place in popular culture as a symbol of feminine beauty, luxury, and indulgence. But the time, money, and privilege required to fit this stereotype are out of reach for average women. Looking beneath the surface shows that being an expensive brunette involves ample maintenance, salon costs, glam squads, and buying power. While celebrity brunette bombshells may make it look easy, recreating their looks requires tremendous resources. For most people, embracing natural beauty and focusing less on costly superficial upkeep is a healthier approach. At its core, being an expensive brunette means investing more energy into your physical appearance than most can afford. But with self-care and self-love, any woman can channel star power and feel beautiful in her own skin.
