what bodies of water wear
marie antoinette ‘flower garden hair’
and why she would have loved la bonne brosse
november 2025
at marie antoinette’s exhibitionat the v&a in south kensington, there’s a kind of selfridges-blow-dry-bar corner dedicated entirely to her hairstyles, which ended up being my highlight of the exhibition.
from the triumph of liberty hairstyle, featuring a ship headdress inspired by the french naval victory over the english
during the american war of independence, to an 18th-century board game showcasing all the hairstyles marie antoinette
inspired at the time, there were countless drawings of french 18th-century hair.
but there was nothing quite like the flower garden hair, an image that reminded me
of a youtube video whose title i read but didn’t click on:
“how to grow your hair like a plant”.
i’ve been on a personal research journey to connect beauty with nature, and hair has been a big part of that. i didn’t know i had curly hair until i really paid attention to how water sat on it, and i do feel a little guilty for overusing heat - i still need to understand whether the dyson
airwrap is, as i always believed, a non-damaging hair tool.
i also feel guilty when i look at the hydrangea i let die outside my door. it’s really hard, because i think i might have overwatered it.well, my hair slash plant guilt eased a little when i was gifted
a la bonne brosse brush: a french hairbrush designed to improve hair health by distributing natural oils, stimulating the scalp, and reducing static.
it’s beautifully designed and feels very luxurious. it aims to reduce the the amount of products your hair needs
by working directly with your strands.
i’m a big fan of morgan fargo, beauty editor of british vogue, her morning routine tiktoks, and her natural hair journey. and i’m embarking on one myself, probably more performative as i’m not sure i’ll go completely heat-free for the holidays: a 21-day luxurious hair-brush journey, which is the period in which you’re supposed to see noticeable changes.
i’m expecting smooth, bouncy curls, longer hair, and less hair fall. hydrangeas on it would be nice, though i doubt even léonard-alexis autié, marie antoinette’s hairdresser, could manage that.
in fact, what we call “marie antoinette syndrome,” a term for rapid hair whitening, originated from the famous
myth that marie antoinette’s hair turned white overnight.
she could have used a la bonne brosse no. 4 massaging hair brush...
by working directly with your strands.
i’m a big fan of morgan fargo, beauty editor of british vogue, her morning routine tiktoks, and her natural hair journey. and i’m embarking on one myself, probably more performative as i’m not sure i’ll go completely heat-free for the holidays: a 21-day luxurious hair-brush journey, which is the period in which you’re supposed to see noticeable changes.
i’m expecting smooth, bouncy curls, longer hair, and less hair fall. hydrangeas on it would be nice, though i doubt even léonard-alexis autié, marie antoinette’s hairdresser, could manage that.
in fact, what we call “marie antoinette syndrome,” a term for rapid hair whitening, originated from the famous
myth that marie antoinette’s hair turned white overnight.
she could have used a la bonne brosse no. 4 massaging hair brush...