Shirley Manson: Still Red, Still Rocking

Jessica Rabbit is my favorite—she’s the best redhead.

In the mid-90s through the early 2000s, there were few bands more popular than Garbage.”Stupid Girl” and “Only Happy When It Rains” were in constant rotation on the radio, they sold more than three million albums, and were nominated for seven Grammys. Now, after a six-year hiatus, they’re gearing up to release a new album, slated for early 2012, with a single out later this year. “We’re talking about giving our fans a free track at the end of the year, and an official, proper release will come later—probably in February,” said Garbage’s lead singer Shirley Manson on a recent visit to Allure’s office.

One thing that hasn’t changed is Manson’s fierce rock chick style: perfectly smudged eyeliner, bright lipstick, and, of course, blazing hair—a look that launched a thousand redheads and continues in the music biz today, from Rihanna to Hayley Williams of Paramore to Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine. Manson gave us the scoop on her shade (which she fastidiously maintains with help from colorist Lucy Shultz at Peter Ishkans-Joseph Martin Hair Salon in Beverly Hills) and her other beauty musts.

On her ginger roots: “I adopted the look the day I came out of my mother’s womb. It’s all-natural! Well, at this point it’s bottle-fed, but I was born a redhead. My mom’s a redhead, my sister’s a redhead—I come from a lineage of Viking reds.”

On her brief flirtation with blonde: “I had a sort of mild mental breakdown and went blonde for about half an hour. I feel much more at home as a redhead.”

On her favorite pop culture reds: “Jessica Rabbit is my favorite—she’s the best redhead.”

On maintaining her color: “I have to go to the salon every two weeks. It’s a nightmare. A lot of time has passed since we last toured, so I don’t know what I’m going to do when we’re on the road! You know what, I’m going to train my husband to do it. He’s currently resisting, but I know that I will get my way.”

On her favorite red lipsticks: “Lady Danger and Lady Bug from MAC. They’re thick and they don’t move once you put them on. I love redheads who wear purples and pinks, too, but I think red lips are classic. Everybody looks good in red lipstick.”

Source: Allure – October 24, 2011