Hair Color Ideas

Hayden Penetierre Makes A New Statement in Red

2010-01-23T13:52:00.004-05:00

Here's a great example of how a dramatic change can make a big statement. The "Heroes" star Hayden Penetierre was recently spotted sporting a new bold, red color. This is a big change from her golden blond locks! With such a major change come some critics. When I found articles about this, a lot of people were saying the red doesn't match her complexion. (One more reason to check the color before you commit!) This is definitely something to keep in mind if you are going to make such a dramatic change yourself. Its is not subtle! Be ready for extra attention!

Going Blond To Meet The Blues

2009-02-24T19:00:00.007-05:00

Last month Marie Claire UK reported that a large number of British women are going blond. In fact, celebrity stylist Andrew Barton says he's seen a 67% increase in sales of his blond hair products compared to last year. UK grocery retailers have also seen sales of blond hair dye increase over the past few months?

So what's causing all of these women to reach for the bleach? When asked, women usually say they feel more confident, attractive, younger and fun as blonds. They also say they get more attention as a blond. If you're feeling down or stressed, that would probably make you feel better too!

If you decide to do the same and go lighter, make sure it looks good before you take the plunge. Everyone can find a shade of red that will look good on them, so its a very versatile color. Blond isn't the same. You really need to make sure you have the right skin tone to go blond without looking ill or washed out. You can use this tool to make sure blond looks good with minimal risk and no commitment. Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

How To Prevent Stains When Coloring Your Hair

2009-02-20T16:36:00.002-05:00

Hair dyes do stain to make sure you're prepared to deal with drips. You may want to set aside a "hair coloring shirt" that you don't mind ruining. Also, use some old towels that you also don't mind sacrificing. Use a butterfly hair clip to secure one towel around your neck to catch any drips that would otherwise fall on your shoulders or the floor.

You'll also need drop cloths or, again, old towels to put down on the floor. Hair dye will absolutely stain carpet and isn't so good for tiles either.

One tell tale sign you color your hair is if you stain your skin with the dye. To avoid this, make sure you have a jar of petroleum jelly on hand. Smear a good glob around your hairline all the way around your face and neck. Put some on your ears while you're at it to make sure you don't end up staining them as well. And make sure you use the gloves that come with the kit!

Born to Be Blonde

2009-02-19T21:14:00.002-05:00

Here is a very funny video with Kelly Ripa and people who were born blond or born to BE blond!

Enjoy!

The 401K Cut and Color

2009-02-18T10:04:00.003-05:00

Most salons are struggling because of the economy. To save money, women are going longer between trims and many of us are coloring our hair at home. Salons are losing out since we're becoming a bunch of do-it-yourselfers, so a lot of them are coming up with creative ways to get women back into their chairs.

I just came across a story about a salon in Minneapolis/St Paul that has the most creative promotion I've seen. To get new customers into the salon, they will discount the bill for any service (cut and/or color) by the amount you've lost in your 401K plan! If your 401K looks like mine, that could be a 30-40% discount! Partial highlights where I live are about $95. With this discount, it would be about $40 off. That's not too shabby and would get me in for a professional color!

So what does this mean if you don't live in the Twin Cities? As noted, a lot of salons are coming up with promotions to get people to come back in for services. Keep an eye out for discounts in your area. If you're picky like I am, you may not want to go to someone new for a hair cut. However, I would have no problem going to a different colorist if it meant saving some cash!

Save Lots of Green With These Hair Color Ideas

2009-02-17T14:30:00.005-05:00

Most women are cutting back salon visits to save money. That doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your hair color. Hair coloring kits today are easy to use and convenient. All of the guesswork is taken out of blending colors and doing the dying. You just have to follow the instructions. The only one who needs to know you didn't have your hair colored at a salon is you!

That being said, there are some things you need to know about coloring your hair at home. Here are some things from CBS The Early Show that you need to consider:

1. Find the right hair color for you

Stay within 2 shades of your natural color (lighter or darker) unless you are covering gray hair. If you go lighter or darker than that, you really need to have your hair done by a professional. It will also require more maintenance to keep it looking good (meaning root touch ups).

If you're fair with light eyes, the best hair color ideas for you are cooler undertones. Think champagne blond, ash brown and darker reds. If you're darker complected, go with golden blonds, honey browns and coppery reds. You can use these shades for highlights as well as finding an all over color.

One thing about red - this is the most difficult shade to maintain, so think about it first. Reds oxidize quickly so you may need to touch up more often. In addition, you may need to use a more expensive shampoo and conditioner to protect the color.

2. Have a kit ready and waiting

In addition to the box of dye, there are some other tools you'll need to have in your kit. This includes a wide tooth comb that you'll use to distribute the color evenly and then comb in conditioner at the end of the process. You also need petroleum jelly to put around your hairline, ears and neck. This will prevent the dye from staining your skin. Put a kitchen timer in your hair color kit. This is one of the most important tools since you don't want to leave the dye on too long or rinse too early. You'll also need a hand held mirror or way to see the back of your head so you can make sure you have the dye evenly distributed. If you have someone who can help, that's even better. If you have long hair, make sure you have 2 kits in case the first one isn't enough.

Other things you'll need are old towels you don't mind staining and something to cover the floor. There are bound to be drips and they will stain tile and carpet.

3. Don't guess about your color

Don't base your decision about the color on the model on the front of the box. Use the chart on the side of the box. Women always think their hair is darker than it is. To get around this, pick the box you think is right for you and then buy the one that's a shade lighter. If you're really in doubt, ask a friend or someone in the store what looks right.

To be really sure about hair color, you can visit The Hairstyler. It has a really handy tool where you can upload a photo and try different colors on to see what looks right. Once you decide what looks good, it will give you the name and color of the product you should use.

4. Test first

Before you jump into coloring, do a small patch test on your arm and wait 24 hours. You want to make sure you don't have any reactions to the product before you commit to using it. You don't want red blotches around your face and neck, so this is important to do first.

5. Timing is everything

Don't leave the dye on your hair longer than it says in the directions. This won't improve the results. In fact, if you leave the dye on too long, your color will come out dull and flat.

6. How to apply

Start with the roots and work down. The ends of your hair are drier and absorb color faster, so you want to get to them last. Otherwise they'll look darker than the top. You can also mist the ends with water before applying the color. This will slow the processing. Start the timer when you start applying the dye - not when your done. This will also help keep the ends for absorbing too much color.

7. Invest in the color

Once your hair is colored, shampoo wisely. Since you did this at home, you saved a ton of money. Buying a good shampoo and conditioner specifically for color treated hair will still leave you ahead on your finances and lengthen your color.

Don't wash your hair for at least 24 hours after coloring. This gives the color time to absorb into your hair. After that, use a color safe shampoo and conditioner. A good intensive conditioner you use once a week is also a good investment. Keeping your hair hydrated will help extend the color so condition often!

So, you can skimp on the salon and color your hair yourself. Just make sure the hair color ideas you consider are right for you. Again, there is an excellent tool at The Hairstyler that let's you try before you buy. It is well worth the time to check this out and get it right the first time. The whole idea is to save money dying your hair yourself. You don't want to end up in the salon having a professional correct a mistake after all.

Hair Color Ideas to Survive a Recession

2009-01-28T10:10:00.004-05:00

The Houston Chronical recently printed an article about coloring your hair at home to save money. According to Proctor & Gamble, about 65% of women color their hair. With the current economic conditions, the question is if you can color your hair at home to save money without damaging your hair or ending up with a funky color.

Home hair color kits used to be extremely harsh. In fact, the chemicals were so harsh, a urine test could show whether or not you colored your hair! Thank goodness things have changed and home coloring kits are now much more sophisticated in addition to saving you money.

As an example of what you can save by coloring at home, Clairol Nice N Easy Perfect 10 sells for about $13.99, which is substantially less than have your hair colored at a salon. It takes about 10 minutes to color your hair and does not have any harsh chemicals.

If you are going to color at home, here are a few tips.

1. Touch Up Your Roots
If you're roots are showing, its a dead giveaway that you color your hair and haven't redone it in a while. There are several products specifically made for root touch ups. The range from $6.99 in your local drug store to $23 in retailers like Sephora.

2. Gloss
Using a hair gloss about a week after touching up roots gives your hair an extra boost. Not only will you see richer color, it will help keep your hair healthy.

3. Don't Shampoo So Often
Frequent shampoos can cause color to fade. Jason Backe, Clairol color director and master colorist at Ted Gibson salon in New York, recommends shampooing every 3 days. Use a shampoo and conditioner specifically for color treated hair in cool water. The cool water keeps the hair cuticle smooth, thus locking in color. If you need to rinse more often than 3 days, just condition and rinse with cool water.

4. Read the Directions
You can avoid most home hair coloring disasters by reading the directions. Make sure you do not leave the color on too long.

5. Be Realistic
Stay within 2 shades of your natural color if you are doing the coloring at home. Anything more than that will lead to less predictable results. If you do want to make a major change, you're still better off spending the money to go to a salon.

If you're not sure how far you can go with color, The Hair Styler has an extremely helpful tool where you can try colors on before you commit to the dye. You can check it out by going to The Hair Styler.

Why Is Red So Hot?

2008-05-21T19:07:00.000-04:00

The one great thing about red hair is that it works for everyone....depending on the shade. Natural blonds can go with a more red-gold color and brunettes do well with deeper copper, chocolaty reds. According to Marie Claire magazine, red hair color ideas are influencing all of the other colors right now and is in high demand.

The best thing about red hair color is that its a great way to look younger. A lot of women will look for lighter hair colors thinking that will make them look younger. If you go too light, it can wash color from your face and actually make you look older. Reds add warmth, color and youth to your face.

Reds are good at any age. For a little warmth, use reds to highlight your natural color. For more drama, go all the way with red. Red is literally a head turning color so you need the confidence to deal with all of the attention you'll get! Lindsay Lohan's former colorist sums it up the best by saying "Red hair is like a sequined dress - it walks into the room before you do."

As a case in point - think of all of the actresses that are famous for their red hair. Just to name a few...

Lucille Ball
Sophia Loren
Julia Roberts
Cynthia Nixon
Kate Walsh
Deborah Messing

And here's the best part - did you know none of these actresses is a natural redhead?! This also goes to show that there are a variety of shades of red and this is a hair color that looks good on everyone.

Hair Color and Hair Lengths

2008-05-19T19:02:00.001-04:00

Before coloring your hair, you also need to think about the length. If you have really short hair, all over color is your best bet. Highlights won't blend as well in shorter hair. One thing to remember for short hair is that all over color needs to be touched up every 4-6 weeks. Depending on how short your hair is, this is probably close to your schedule for hair cuts.

That being said, highlighting short hair can be done depending on the cut. As you can see in this photo of Mariska Hargitay, a short cut with long hair on top looks great with highlights. The key is having longer layers on top so the highlights blend.

For medium to long hair, highlights around the face can be especially flattering. Highlights require less maintenance than all over color. You can go 2-3 months between touch ups. However - if you used permanent color for your highlights you also need to watch regrowth so you don't end up with one color on top and a different color at the bottom of your hair.

Summer and Hair Color

2008-03-18T10:30:00.000-04:00

Summer is just around the corner and the weather is finally getting warmer. All of us are itching to get outside now that the weather is nice! But did you know being in the sun for a short time can affect your hair color? The sun can do as much damage to your hair as it can to your skin. If you've taken the time to color your hair, or even if you haven't, here are some things you need to know.

The sun causes hair to shed the outer layer of the hair shaft. When this happens, your hair will look faded since the color pigments have been removed. The ends will also dry out. All of this removes the shine from your hair. Here's the surprising thing - all of this can happen within one hour of being in the sun!

How do you avoid all of this? Wear a hat or use a hair treatment that will protect your hair color.

Hair Color Ideas for Winter

2007-11-27T18:11:00.004-05:00

Now that winter is here, hair colors will shift to darker, warmer colors. In particular, colors will lean towards red and auburn shades. Why is this good news? Everyone can pull off red! You just need to find the right tone for your skin color.

The summer’s multi-tonal colors are over. Hair naturally darkens and skin gets paler in the winter when people are spending more time indoors. Opt for simple shades and low-lighting, which will complement winter looks. Elegance is in for the season, so take the shade a little darker and a little warmer to find your look can be just a touch more sophisticated.

If you have dark hair, opt for hair colors ideas involving chocolate browns and cinnamon tones. If your hair is light or medium brown, don't go too dark. This will give you a "gothic" look you may not be going for.

Blondes - brighten your natural color using soft, darker tones for depth and dimension. And be careful! Don't go too light! A very light blonde will make lighter skin appear even paler and look out of season.

With holiday parties and events, it's the perfect time for a new, richer hair color!

Click here to try hair color ideas on before you color your hair!

When Good Hair Color Ideas Go Very Bad!

2007-10-15T22:34:00.002-04:00

Here is what happens when good hair color ideas go bad!

As you can see, dyes you buy at the store don't work on all hair colors! At most, you can accent your natural color. If you want to try a dramatic hair color idea or make a major change, leave it to a professional!

Another major mistake - don't make a major change before a big event!

Here is a way to avoid mistakes like this.

The Gray That Started The Quest for Hair Color Ideas

2007-08-30T18:33:00.003-04:00

I never considered hair color ideas until I finally found one. Actually my sister found it while I knelt down to tighten my roller blade.

"What's that in your hair?", she asked.

"I don't know. I don't have eyes up there," I said, "Get it out....Ouch! I said get it out - not yank out my hair!"

"You said 'get it out' so I did. And look what it is!" she said with a bit too much glee. "A gray hair! You've got gray hair!"

Are you kidding me? I'm not old enough for gray hair. I was getting ready to roller blade 12 miles and people with gray hair are too old for that. AND - I don't have kids so I really can't have gray hair.

Once I admitted they were there, they had to be dealt with - immediately. I thought this would be a simple trip to the store for a box of dye close to my natural color, but that was not to be. First I had to figure out what brand to go with. I could rule out the one just for men. But then what? Do I go with the one that's nice and easy or the one that makes me feel like I'm worth it? Once I got that sorted out I had to find a shade.

There are unlimited shades of brunette. Am I Natural Golden Brown, Natural Auburn Brown, and exactly what is Natural Medium Neutral Brown? It sounds so "average." I decided to find a color by holding my hair against the picture on the box. That worked until I noticed the pictures on some of the Medium Spice boxes didn't match. I finally decided I wasn't ready for a commitment and bought a "glaze"(or semi-permanent color) that would only last about a week. After coloring, my hair was a kind of muddy reddish brown, so I wasn't thrilled with the results. I can't prove it, but I suspect someone switched the colors in the box.

After this debacle, I wanted information before another attempt at coloring. As you read this blog, you'll see there's lot of information to think about (types of dyes, how long they last, how much they change your color, benefits or drawbacks, coloring techniques, etc). We've all seen botched dye jobs, so you need to know this before thinking about hair color ideas.

Did you know permanent dye is the only way to completely change color or lighten hair? If you want to go lighter, cover grays or dye your hair purple, now you know you need a permanent dye. Once you know how things work, you can think about hair color ideas and techniques. I never knew about lowlights and then learned they're good for blending grays and great for brunettes!

As the saying goes - knowledge is power, so you can make informed decisions. Also, the more you know, the better chance of getting results you want whether you color at home or go to a professional. An even better solution - try hair colors on before you make any decisions.

Hopefully you'll find this information useful and avoid wasting an hour and a half of your life standing in a drug store perplexed by hair dye.

Temporary Hair Color Ideas - For the Commitment-phobe

2007-08-26T18:20:00.000-04:00

One of the easiest hair color ideas is temporary colors. These usually come in rinses, gels, mousses or sprays. They usually wash out in 2-3 shampoos, so there's even less of a commitment than with the semi-permanent colors.

The main reasons to use a temporary hair color are to restore hair to it's natural color if it's fading, neutralize a yellowish tinge in gray or white hair, tone down hair that's been over-highlighted so you don't have to do another chemical process or to boost your natural color. Results on gray or graying hair will be very subtle, so this is probably a good option if you have the few random gray hairs to disguise. Temporary color is not the way to go for big changes or to really cover/color gray.

The good thing is that you can really play with temporary colors. A lot of temporary colors come in sprays, gels and even hair mascara in some really funky colors. Some of them even work well on really dark hair. However, these products don't look remotely close to natural but are a lot of fun to play with!

The bad thing about temporary colors is they may not evenly cover your hair. They can also rub off on pillows or clothes and can also start to run if you get caught in the rain. (This happened to me in high-school when I was experimenting with blue hair. I ruined my favorite shirt, so that was the end of that.) Temporary color doesn't have much impact on dark hair but it can stain your natural color if you use it on light hair. The best bet is to stick to something close to your natural color if you use a temporary color.

If you're looking for temporary, fun hair color ideas, you'll find a lot of options in your local drug store. You can easily do these on your own and if you don't like it - just wash and rinse!

Semi-Permanent Hair Color Ideas Are A Good Way to Test the Waters

2007-08-26T18:03:00.004-04:00

If you're looking for hair color ideas that aren't as permanent or you're just starting to explore hair color ideas, semi-permanent may be for you. These are also knowns as "glazes." Most semi-permanent colors last 6-12 shampoos (depending on what type you use), so if you don't like it it will be gone in a few days. In addition, you won't have to deal with the root problem since the color will just fade away.

Semi-permanent color basically justs coats the hair shaft with color. Since semi-permanent color doesn't have to strip your hair to deposit color, it's less damaging than permanent color. However, since it doesn't remove the original color, you won't get a dramatic change if your hair is dark and you want to go lighter. (Remember - only permanent dye can lighten your hair or drastically change the color.) Semi-permanent colors don't use ammonia or peroxides, and those are the agents you need to lighten your hair.

If you want to deepen your natural color or add a layer of color to make it "pop," semi-permanent color will do that for you. I used a semi-permanent color for my first (and only) attempt to color my hair on my own. My hair was redder than I wanted, but I was impressed that it really did boost my natural color. I was also very glad that it was gone in about 2 weeks and I could go back to square one!

Semi-permanent also doesn't really cover gray hairs. What it does do is coat them with color so they blend with your hair and don't stand out as much. If you have only a few grays popping up, semi-permanent may work for you. As a rule of thumb, if a third of your hair (or less) is gray, you'll still get good results with a semi-permanent color. In fact, since the grays are lighter than your natural color, they may actually look like highlights once a color/glaze is added to them.

Semi-permanent is an easy and low risk dye process that you can do at home since it doesn't last long. There are still tips and information to help with the coloring and maintenance. You can also have a "glaze" done at a salon to add shine and pump up your color.

So What the Heck is Demi-Permanent Color?!

2007-08-26T17:47:00.003-04:00

In my quest for hair color ideas, I finally ended up at my salon. I came to the conclusion that it was just better for everyone (especially myself) if I left this to the professionals. This was my first encounter with demi-permanent hair color.

So what is it exactly? It's sort of like a semi-permanent color but lasts 4-6 weeks instead of a few shampoos. It does have hydrogen peroxide in it (like a permanent dye) to deposit color, but at lower levels. That means it's not as damaging to your hair. Demi-permament colors adds shine, blends grays like a semi-permanent color and enriches the color overall.

Even though demi-permanent dyes have the hydrogen peroxide, they don't really lighten your hair. Once again, these dyes will boost your color or darken it only.

After a lot of discussion and going through several hair color ideas with my colorist, I ended up using a demi-permanent color. It perfectly disguises the few little pesky grays that have sprouted up on the top of my head. My colorist blended 2-3 colors with my natural color, which I never would have been able to do on my own in a million years. It gives me wonderful depth and shine.

Here's another bonus feature if you color your hair - more volume and fullness. Who knew?!

Even though I went to a professional, it's easy to work with demi colors at home. The key is having try colors and get information to get the results that you want and be able to maintain them.

Permanent Hair Color Ideas - Are You Ready for A Commitment?

2007-08-26T16:52:00.001-04:00

One of the first things you'll have to decide when considering hair color ideas is the results you want. Based on that, you can figure out what type of hair dye to use.

To start, there is permanent dye. The advantage of permanent dye is that it gives you 100% coverage and will take care of the nasty grays. It is also the only way to lighten you hair if you have dark hair. The other types of hair dyes can only darken your hair.

If you're considering dramatic hair color ideas, you'll need to use a permanent dye - especially if your hair is dark. The most common method is a "2 step process" that removes color in the first step and deposits the new color in the second step. The first step completely removes the natural (or previously dyed) color so the hair is white or very light blonde. The second step then deposits an entirely new color into the hair to get the desired results.

Since permanent color gives you 100% color, this is also the best option for creative hair color ideas or the most dramatic change. If you want purple hair, this is the way to go.

The bad news is that is that stripping your color can leave your hair dry and damaged. You'll want to use a shampoo and conditioner for color treated hair or something with extra moisture.

In addition, with permanent color, you'll have the problem of roots showing after about 6-8 weeks. If you're working with your natural color to cover grays, there won't be as much contrast between your roots unless you're really gray. You may be able to stretch more than a month before touch-ups are needed. Major changes are going to require major maintenance unless you don't mind your roots showing. This leads me to another downside of permanent hair color - if you don't like it, you have to grow it out or re-color it with another round of permanent dye/color remover.

Very important - since permanent hair color is such a commitment and involves a chemical process, it should ideally be done by a professional. Otherwise you could literally fry your hair with the chemicals. If you do decide to try this on your own, make sure you use a "single step" process and you really understand the how it needs to work. The original color is removed and the new color is added in one step making this easier for a novice.

If you're just starting to explore hair color ideas, permanent color may not be for you unless you're really sure about what you want to do.

What's the Difference Between Highlights and Lowlights?

2007-08-26T00:54:00.003-04:00

Highlights basically brighten your hair by adding colors that are 2-3 shades lighter than your natural color. Colors used for highlights are gold, amber, red and honey shades. You need to look at your hair and skin tone to determine what color to use to highlight.

Lowlights do the opposite by adding slightly darker colors that blend with your hair's tone. Lowlights will deepen your hair color and are usually deep reds, coppers and plum shades. Most of the time 2-3 colors are used throughout to add dimension and shimmer.

Lowlights make highlights look more natural if you're brunette. When brown hair starts to lighten, it goes through red shades first so using red, copper or tortoise lowlights will add dimension and depth to dark hair. Ideally you should use 3 shades for darker hair.

After my own feeble attempt at coloring and mad dash to a professional, I ended up with highlights and lowlights in my hair. My hair is naturally a dark walnut color so we mixed ash blonde, caramel and copper for highlights and lowlights. I get tons of compliments on it and it looks stunning if i do say so myself!

Blondes have more options for highlights and don't necessarily have to follow the 3 color rule. Gold and copper lowlights are best to avoid washing out your complexion or making your hair look brassy.

When working with highlight and lowlight hair color ideas, keep the season in mind. Go a little darker in the winter when skin is often paler. For the summer, try a shade or 2 lighter.

Since highlights and lowlights can get complicated, it's best to consult a professional for these hair color ideas or learn as much as you can about hair coloring before trying this on your own. This is particularly true if you're going more than 2-3 shades lighter than your natural color.

Even More Hair Color Ideas - Highlights vs Chunking

2007-08-25T18:16:00.004-04:00

Highlights can be a stunning hair color option but can be tricky since you really need to pay attention to your hair's shade and tone.

Most colorists agree that it's easier to color your hair one shade at home and highlighting should be done by a professional. It's very easy for highlights to look bleached or too yellow. If you have really dark hair, it can also be difficult to achieve a color that blends well with your natural color and skin tone.

Traditional highlights involve separating very small sections of hair to be colored. This can be done using a frosting cap, foiling or just applying color to the tips. When you use foil, you paint the hair with the dye and fold it in the foil. This technique is time consuming and requires precision, so it's best to do this in a salon.

Chunking is the same thing using larger sections of hair. Chunking can be done around the face or all over. You can also use subtle colors that blend with your hair or go with a stronger contrasting color for a bolder look.

Again, these techniques and hair color ideas can get complicated. A professional colorists will give your best results. If you want to try these techniques on your own, do some research before picking up a bottle.