Blowouts and fancy intricate braids are nice but sometimes they just don't suffice when it comes to spicing up your hair. When you're in a rut or feeling bold enough to try something new, hair color is most often the first thing that comes to mind. While coloring your strands is fun and exciting, most women don't realize the commitment it takes to care for colored hair. It's more than rocking a vibrant hue, it takes commitment, maintenance and upkeep to keep your color fresh and your locks healthy.
Gorgeous hair is forever the goal, right? We think so. And with all the time and money spent perfecting our hair color, it only makes sense to want to make the most of it. While we could go to the salon every four weeks for a touch-up, we prefer to focus on making our hair color last as long as possible and one of our favorite tricks is using a color-depositing product.
When it comes to maintaining a freshly dyed 'do, it's incredibly important to upgrade your hair care routine to suit your new mane's needs. After all, without the proper TLC, your color could wash right down the drain. One of the best things you can do to care for your color is stock your shower with color-safe shampoo and conditioner and a quality hair mask to revive your tresses once or twice a week. Outside the shower, keep heat tool styling to a minimum and sleep on silky pillowcases that won't disrupt your hair's cuticle.
If you're thinking of switching up your hair color for spring and summer, instead of opting for the usual blond highlights, why not have a bit of colorful fun? While vibrant hues in every color of the rainbow are still incredibly popular, there's something to be said about taking a more subdued route. One color scheme that's gaining steam on Instagram is a pale, peachy brunette — otherwise known as caramel rosé.
Take one scroll through Instagram and it's clear to see that a new hair color is dominating the beauty scene. The season's dreamy opal hair color can be best described as what would happen if you were to mix last season's pastel rainbow hair with this season's silver strands. The result? A shimmering, semi-metallic hair color that shines like one of our very favorite gemstones.
There are certain beauty trends that truly stand the test of time. Cat eyes are forever in favor. Red lips can't be beat. And soft waves? This old-school Hollywood hairstyle is still seen on red carpets year in and year out. When it comes to hair color, you can always count on balayage highlights to be a stylish choice no matter what (sun-kissed hair, FTW). But that doesn't mean there isn't room for slight variation within this uber-popular hair color trend. After all, sometimes the classics can get a little bit boring, right?
Did you ever go through a gothic phase in high school, when you couldn't stand even a slight fade to your jet black hair color? Those days, you probably thought highlights were meant only for the carefree blondes or the sun-kissed brunettes of the world -- tortured soul, much?
Here'a a scenario you might be familiar with: You just walked out of the salon with freshly dyed hair. It's vibrant, it's shiny, it's beautiful and you love it. But then, day after day, your pricey, gorgeous hair color starts swirling down the drain. Not pretty. So what's a girl to do? One word: condition. Okay, let's make it three words: color-protecting conditioner.
Trying to figure out how to cover gray hair can be stressful enough to, well, cause even more gray hairs to sprout. And while many of us would love to book monthly salon appointments to deal with our strays, the reality is that many of us don't have the time -- or money -- to run to our colorist every month.
Recently discovered a gray hair? Let us be the first to tell you — it's nothing to stress about. Stressing can actually cause more grays to sprout — so take a deep breath and relax already. Going gray (and keeping it that way) is becoming more common than ever. Even celebrities aren't hiding their silver hair anymore. Stars like Helen Mirren and Jamie Lee Curtis proudly walk the red carpet showing off their natural hair color, and younger celebs like Ellie Goulding and Kelly Osborne have dyed their hair gray to get the same look.
Because an estimated 50 percent of women (ages 25 and older) color their hair, we field an awful lot of questions about color-related concerns. To help get you the best possible answers, we went to color maestro Brad Johns, Color Director for Red Door Spas. Below, see his advice for five readers' most confounding hair coloring issues.
Did your attempt to try the latest celebrity hair color trend end in tears and a shade that was more Bozo the Clown than Rihanna? Or did that just happen to us?
Most women have the prerogative of being able to change their hairstyles and hair color whenever they feel like it. For actresses (especially ones that are newer to the game), however, it's not that easy. Not only do they have agents (who signed them looking a certain way) to answer to, but there's also the matter of those costly headshots to consider, not to mention that it could be very risky to gamble it all away on a whim.
Working mom Lisa is starting to see pesky grays sprout through her highlighted strands and, to no surprise, isn't thrilled about it. To help mask them, and put some fun and style back into her look, we called on our makeover team at the Warren-Tricomi salon in Los Angeles, Calif., which includes hairstylists Whitney Olson and Reanna Garcia, colorists Jherra Moreno and Ashleigh Childers, and celebrity makeup artist and co-founder of the Luxe Beauty Team Amy Hollier. See how a face-flattering trim and rich wash of color take years off this busy mom's face.
We all make sacrifices for various reasons, but the biggest one (as most moms will attest to) is the sacrifice made when you decide to bring a new life into the world. With that responsibility comes the giving up of time. Time to go to the gym, time to shower, time to apply lip gloss, time to eat dinner and, of course, time to have your hair color done and hair cut (among many other things). Because of this fact, many new moms end up with inches of obvious roots and so many split ends that cutting off the non-split strands would take less time.
Let's face it, we look to the stars (not the celestial objects) to find out what the "it" haircut is, what hairstyles are in vogue and what hair colors we must try. And though we may not have the funds or the resources celebs do, we can (and do) use them as our well of hair inspiration.
Celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Isla Fisher and Debra Messing are making us dream of becoming redheads (and I'm sure we're not alone). So before you head to the beauty salon, check out these tips (courtesy of celebrity colorist Tracey Cunningham and makeup artist Beau Nelson) and photos to help inspire your red shade, and prepare you to maintain your new color.
Our makeover dream team -- celebrity stylist Ted Gibson, owner of Ted Gibson Salon in New York City, and celebrity makeup artist and Beauty.com spokesperson Tina Turnbow -- will give Christine a shorter haircut and makeup worthy of a night out.
