Heat Up this Spring with the Hottest Hair Color Trends!

You don’t have to go with a total hair style change to get a new look for spring. Instead, consider adding a small twist to your usual hair color–with some of the hottest color trends of the season! Hair pros agree that spring is the season to lighten up; whether it’s your ends for a subtle ombre, or some face framing highlights, lighter and more vibrant colors can compliment skin and open up your face.

Blended Ombré

Debi Dumas of the gorgeous Byron Salon in Beverly Hills, summed up the concept of the new ombré look, “if the old ombré was a scream, then the new ombré is a whisper.” Without a doubt, Jessica Alba is whispering something sexy with this gorgeous and subtle ombré look. While 2012 featured a more drastic contrast between root and ends, the new blended ombré “is all about bringing the lighter color strands closer to the roots, creating a blended, softer look,” Dumas explains. If you’re looking for a soft, understated look for spring, then let your hairstylist give you a whisper of ombré that will scream sophistication.

Orange(y) Red

Gingers everywhere can get excited as “orange(y) red” colors make a fierce come back for spring 2013. International Aveda Color Specialist, Gary Pellici confirms “fiery red hair is most definitely one of the stand out hair color trends of 2013.” Whether you’re a natural ginger, or have ginger envy, now is the time to embrace your fiery side with this bold and red-hot color.

Bold Streaks

Pastels were a fun and sweet interlude for the winter months, but hair color is heating up for spring and summer with bold, warm colors. Dumas says, “The washed out, pastel shades really only work on icy or baby blondes, but bold color is a great option for a brunette who wants to try something fun.” From vibrant red and rich copper to more exotic colors like purple and magenta, bold streaks are a great way to add flair and style to any look.

Hello Lowlights

Blondes can get a taste of color with compliments of bold chocolate lowlights. Lowlights can add dimension and depth to an overall look, while still embracing your beautiful blonde. You can opt for more dramatic panels of chocolate brown, or a more subtle weave, to achieve a dynamic look for spring.

Brazen Brunettes

Brunettes don’t have to stay in the dark! Dark-haired girls are favoring warmer colors for spring, adding dimension with touches of caramel, copper, golden, and cocoa undertones to their locks. Celebrity hair colorist and Redken color consultant, Tracey Cunningham, explains,”This effect creates the illusion of hair that has been naturally lightened by the sun, and opens up the face.”

Whether you’re looking for drama or a more natural change, there’s a color trend for you for Spring 2013! So what are you waiting for? Heat up your spring look with one of these sexy new trends: they have a seal of approval from all the hottest hair pros!

Contributing author Lindsay Hausch has provided clients with professional cutting edge color and cutting techniques at exclusive Paul Mitchell and Bumble and Bumble Signature Salons for the past seven years. She co-founded Sedona Beauty Team, which represents a team of artists that offer luxury, on-location beauty services. She enjoys writing articles that share her expertise. You can follow Lindsay on Twitter and FaceBook.

The Ultimate Guide to Dyeing Your Hair

Want to learn how to dye your hair at home? Doing your homework ahead of time may save you more heartache than you might imagine. Bookmark this guide, and take these steps to help you make good hair color decisions.

Being a professional and trying to describe, ‘how to dye your hair at home ‘ is kind of oxymoron. But, I remember all those years I dyed my hair before getting into the business and I did alright, no major faux-pas. I was a cautious user though, always staying within two shades of my natural hair color, and only used henna dye at first and semi-permanent colors later.

I’ve since that time come across many faux-pas made by DIY’ers that have left them devastated and tearful. My best advice for those of you who want to dye your hair is to take your time, do your homework, always read directions and start slow. Start with a temporary or semi-permanent color and don’t go more than two shades darker than your natural color . . . if you make a mistake, it’s not permanent and your hair won’t break off!

• Check out my article dedicated solely to types of hair colors

How do you find the perfect hair color?

1. Determine the current tone and level of your hair color. A tone describes the shade of your hair, and the level describes its lightness. You can find these factors by comparing your natural hair color to the color swatches in a store. Try a beauty supply store like Sally’s Beauty Supply where they have both the color swatches and trained staff to help you.
2. Decide on a desired tone and level.
3. Calculate the difference in levels ( lightness) between your current hair color and the desired hair color.
4. Compare the difference in tones (shade), and use a color wheel to decide what shade of hair color will deliver your desired results. Colors close to each other on a color wheel will enhance a hair color, where colors directly across from one another will create neutral results. For example, if you have orange hair, and you would like to create a natural brown shade, you will want to choose a hair color with a blue base.
5. Determine the percentage of gray. This is important if you want to cover gray hair. Because natural hair color shades generally contain all the primary colors, using the same percentage of a natural shade is usually quite successful. For example, if your hair is 50% gray, adding 50% of a natural shade to your formula will help you cover gray hair.

• Every hair color brand is different. Read and re-read the directions before going forward. And, yes, you should always do the recommended allergy test.

What type of hair color is best for you?

Temporary

• Very little commitment lasting only until the next shampoo.

Semi-permanent

• A moderate commitment lasting 5-12 shampoos.

Demi-permanent

• An average commitment that lasts anywhere from 20-28 shampoos.
• Effective at blending gray hair.

Permanent

• Huge commitment because the color is permanent.
• Permanent hair color is the only type of hair color with the ability to lighten hair and cover gray hair.

Find the right developer for your permanent hair color

Because permanent hair color is able to lighten virgin hair, you are able to choose which volume developer is best for the amount of lightening you desire. The higher the volume the developer the more damage can be done to the hair.

10 volume

• Good for depositing/darkening color
• Can lighten hair up to 1 level

20 volume

• Best for covering gray hair
• Most common volume found in box hair color
• Can lighten hair up to 2 levels

30 volume

• Can lighten hair up to 3 levels

40 volume

• Can lighten hair up to 4 levels

Applying the hair color

1. First apply petroleum jelly around your hairline to avoid staining.
2. Apply the hair color, a color bottle is the easiest way to apply hair color.

More tips on dyeing your hair at home

• Always, always, always follow the manufacturer’s directions.
• Do the allergy test.
• Wear protective gloves when you are mixing and applying hair color.
• Hair color does not lighten artificial hair color.
• Use a quality color care shampoo and conditioner to prolong the life of your hair color.

Barb Quinn on Google+  

The 39^th Annual American Music Awards gave pink hair styles another trend boost. Who else is a more fitting audience for pink hair than the eclectic music lover types? Pink hair dye isn’t a new whim, it’s been creeping up on us for a while now, but it’s still is a novel idea for most humans, no?

Just because pink hair isn’t on my bucket list doesn’t mean I’m against it. Some pink hair styles I’m into like these . . .

Pink Hair – 5 reasons why not to go there

This may go without saying, but if you are sporting the idea of a pink hair dye . . . a wig, or hair extensions may be your safest bet for many reasons. If you prefer your hair long, do think twice before dying it pink. The longer your hair is the more complicated, costly and damaging a pink hair dye will be.

If you must dye it pink though, please, please, please . . . do it professionally, it will likely save you many tears, many dollars and likely many hairs on your head!

1. Bleaching will be required, unless your hair is naturally a light blonde.
2. Pink hair dye won’t hold worth a c#@p!  Prepare for lots of upkeep!
3. Consider your wardrobe . . . everyday . . . what goes well with pink hair?
4. Think new makeup base, lips and eye shadows.
5. Getting your natural hair color back will be costly and hard on your hair. This is especially true if you needed to bleach your hair heavily to remove color to get it to pink and if you have long hair.

Pink hair even on the best looking celebrities is  a . . . s-t-r-e-t-c-h. Maybe for one big glorious evening in front of adoring fans a pink wig or extensions would be nice, but  . . . dying your hair pink?? Do think twice!

For more discussion on unusual hair colors you might want to visit these other articles:

• Funky Hair Color?
• Trendy Hair Color and Haircut
• Funky Hair Color Ideas
• Funky hair styles don’t get better than this!
• Temporary Hair Dye
• Hair Color Ideas for New Temporary Hair Color Highlights!

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Marbleizing- the new way to add dimensional hair color!

Are you marbleized yet??? Don’t you love it when a beautiful hair color makes you stop and really take notice! Great hair color is like a notable piece of art, it demands attention and admiration. Hair coloring techniques are always being improved on and the new method for hair color application to watch for this season is called, “marbleizing.”

What is marbleizing?

Marbleizing is a new method of hair color placement so colors sort of melt together. Rachael Bodt, celebrity hair colorist at Cutler Salon in Manhattan, whose work includes, “The Rachel Ray Makeover Show,” Seventeen Magazine and “Make Me a Supermodel,” says “It’s all about the proper placement of transitional tones and ribbons of hair color so it looks beautiful.” A redhead for example, may wear a mix of strawberry tones and lily blonde hues for a contrasting cool effect.

I love the description Blackwell Preston, L’Oreal Professional Portfolio Artist, had to say about hair color trends for fall 2011; “The colors were all melting tone-on-tones with ribbons of opposing shades to create a unified luminous glow.” Marbling involves placing complementary or contrasting hues in such a way that they merge into each other.

Hair color is a great way to totally update your look. Professional hair colorists suggest deeper shades for fall hair color with added high lights and low lights to create new hues and dimensional tones. Summers sun, salt water and chlorine leave hair looking faded and damaged, so a color refresher like marbleizing will really brighten your look.

Marbleizing hair color is so new you may need to search out high-end, fashion forward hair salons to find it offered. But, isn’t it always fun to be on the cutting edge (so to speak) when it comes to hair color and cuts? The changes you make don’t need to be drastic in order to update your look, but even the slightest adjustment in your hair color for fall can be all it takes to make you feel totally refreshed!

Stay up with all the happenings in hair trends by following our Pinterest Hair Trends and Hair Coloring Ideas Boards.

Barb Quinn on Google+  

A Celebration of Hair Color . . . Eye Candy for Us Humans

Nothing can lift your looks and your spirit like a new hair color! A sassy new hair color changes the way you look at yourself. There are many, many ways to add coloring to your hair:

Hair colors can add spice and enhance many hair styles. It’s fun and rewarding when a much-anticipated color change comes out dazzling, but it is also completely devastating when it works out wrong.

Good color treatment can add shine, drama and fun to your hair style. It can make some hair types easier to style. Although the majority of women color their hair to cover gray hair, not all women who color their hair are gray. Many women try a  color change for the fun of having a new look, and the pizzazz it can add to your hair style.

If you decide to add a new color, it would be wise to first educate yourself. Taking the time to learn about hair colors can save you tears and disastrous results. (Read some of the hair color horror stories) Remember, if your hair is in damaged condition before a hair color treatment, it may very well become worse afterward. Make sure you have your hair condition in the best possible shape before adding any chemical treatment. For the best results, stay within two shades of your natural hair color.

Semi-permanent hair color

Want a gentle boost of color with no “roots”? Semi-permanent hair color is an easy way to create a change and is gentle on your hair. Also called glazing, color stains or washes, these products can boost hair shine and texture by coating the hair with a non-peroxide hair color. The semi-permanent hair color gradually washes out naturally in about 4-6 weeks. Semi-permanent hair color can only darken the hair and it will only cover gray hair temporarily. These rinses can help tame frizzy hair and actually may make the hair appear healthier. I strongly recommend that you use semi-permanent color, as long as it can produce the results you want, before going on to permanent hair dye. It is by far the most gentle on your hair, and a low risk way to “try out” a new look. An added benefit: there’s no monthly maintenance with touch ups.

Permanent hair color breaks down the hair cuticle and deposits pigment into the hair shaft. Unlike semi-permanent hair color, permanent hair color can be used to lighten your hair. It accomplishes this by bleaching hair and depositing color in a one-step process. Permanent hair color is more effective for covering gray hair. Although the hair color will fade over time, it can’t be washed out or removed to get back to your natural hair color. Permanent hair color can be damaging to hair, and long-term use can result in permanent, irreversible harm to your hair. Long-term damage that results from the use of permanent hair color can be minimized by being extra careful with your daily hair care regimen.

Hair high lights can be added to the hair by any of the above methods. Any hair can be high lighted and the hair is usually given more depth and texture by this process. You can add lighter, brighter strands of hair overall or just create a few high lights in specific areas. This is a great process for the timid or first time blondes. I should also mention “hair lowlights” here. The same basic processes are used in both hair color treatments. However, instead of lightening the hair, creating lowlights involves adding darker shades of blonde high lights or warmer brown hair color high lights. Hair high lights have come a long way in recent years and a talented hair colorist can weave two or three different natural looking high lights and lowlights into your hair, creating beautiful effects.

Hair bleaching had a big resurgence in popularity after Marilyn Monroe became a cultural icon. Her iconic image has been copied by celebrities, musicians and women from all walks of life. Hair bleaching is almost always a two-step process. First, the hair is bleached to remove the natural pigment and then a hair toner is applied to achieve the desired result. This double process is quite rough on the hair and very damaging. It is also a time-consuming process. Expect to spend at least an hour in the hair salon every 2-3 weeks for hair color touch-ups. On brown hair colors, in addition to being hard on the hair, it is particularly difficult to keep up this look. If your skin tone is olive or dark, it will look very unnatural.

After the process, the hair is so fragile that extreme care needs to be taken with hair styling. Use protective creams and be very careful when blow drying, curling with a curling iron or using a straightener. Keeping the length short is probably the best way to go, as you can cut off damaged or split ends often. When the hair is shorter, the damage is also less noticeable.

You will get consistently better results leaving hair coloring to a professional hair colorist. A good hairdresser will be able to pick out the hair colors that work best with your skin tone, so the result will be natural looking. A professional is also experienced in the correct application and timing for hair colors, bleach and high lights. Application and timing can be tricky and is influenced by the natural hair shade, type of hair color and the condition of your hair.

Your hair’s porosity will determine how long hair dye should be left on. Even touching up roots can be tricky. Almost all hair will benefit by using a clarifying shampoo before you add hair color. A professional hair colorist can navigate all these issues at once to produce natural and beautiful results. I realize some of you just don’t have the time or money to spend at a hair salon and will decide to do home hair color. If you do decide to do home hair color by using a store-bought hair color product, remember that the actual hair color shade you will achieve will vary from the picture on the box. I would recommend following the directions exactly, and taking the time to do a strand test to determine if you will get the result you expect before any damage is done. The instructions that come with the hair color will have a section describing how to do a strand test.

Whatever type of hair color you opt for, choosing the proper range of shades—warm or cool—is the key to a great look. Determining whether you are warm or cool in terms of coloring must be the first consideration in choosing a hair color. The right hair color shade will brighten up your hair style . . . and your life. A shade in the wrong range will be totally and completely wrong.

What is the most basic principle of hair color theory applied to hair? It’s choosing between warm and cool shades and with the dizzying variety of color for hair available, choosing can sometimes be confusing. The best way to make pleasing hair color choices is to determine whether your natural coloring of hair, eye and skin tones is in the warm or cool range of colors. Answer these questions, or better yet, have your best friend give you her opinion, since her opinion is likely to be more accurate:

My eyes are:

• Deep brown or black-brown (Cool)
• Golden brown (Warm)
• Gray blue or dark blue (Cool)
• Green, green-blue or turquoise (Warm)
• Hazel with gold or brown flecks (Warm)
• Hazel with white, gray or blue flecks (Cool)

My skin is:

• Very dark brown (Cool)
• Brown with pink undertone (Warm)
• Brown with golden undertone (Warm)
• True olive (most Asians and Latinos) (Cool)
• Medium with no color in cheeks (Cool)
• Medium with faint pink cheeks (Cool)
• Medium with golden undertones (Cool)
• Pale with no color in cheeks (Cool)
• Pale with pink undertones (Cool)
• Pale with peach or gold undertones (Warm)
• Freckled (Warm)
• Ruddy (Warm)
• Brown or bronze when I tan (Cool)
• Golden brown, when I tan (Warm)

My hair color is:

• Blue black (Cool)
• Deepest coffee brown (Cool)
• Medium ash brown (Cool)
• Deep brown with gold or red high lights (Warm)
• Medium golden brown (Cool)
• Red (Warm)
• Strawberry blond (Warm)
• Dishwater blond (Cool)
• Golden blond (Cool)
• Salt and pepper (Cool)
• White (Cool)
• Gray with a yellow cast (Warm)

What were your answers

Did you check mostly cools? If so, your natural tones are in the cool spectrum. Mostly warms? Then you’re naturally “warm.”

Cool
Naturally cool people should avoid gold, yellow, red and bronze tones, which have a tendency to make you look sallow and drawn. The best hair color shades, depending on your skin tone, are shiny raven-wing blacks, cool ash brown hair colors, and cool blondes in shades ranging from mink to platinum and icy white. You’re fortunate to be able to wear many exciting “unnatural” colors . . . for lipstick try reds, burgundies, and orchids, for a more daring look.

Warm
Naturally warm people should avoid blue, violet, white and jet-black hair, which will seem to “wash out” your natural hair color. Depending on your skin tone and your preference, you’ll find that deep chocolate, rich golden brown hair colors, auburn, warm gold, red high lights, and golden blond shades enhance your “sunny” look. Hair weaving and hair high lighting are great ways to add warm tones to your hair color and natural-looking corals, oranges and reds look dazzling on you!

Covering gray hair

Make sure you don’t look incongruent. What do I mean? We age as a unit. If your hair color (or any other feature, for that matter) is out of sync with the overall aging process, it may look unnatural. When our eyes see a 60-year-old woman with jet black hair, our sensory acuity will begin screaming “what’s wrong with this picture.”

Think of the “comb-over guy.” You know the guy who is nearly bald, but lets a few strands grow to three feet long and then plasters them over the bald spot. Believe it or not, he goes to the mirror each morning and says, “This works . . . look how young and virile I look.” Don’t be the female version of the comb-over guy!

Go slowly with full head hair color changes, and certainly get lots of advice and consultation with a professional hair colorist before you start. Never, ever, make this decision by yourself. It will almost always be a mistake. This is the time to call on your best friend for advice and counsel.

No single area of the hair styling business brought me more heartache than to see the horrible results that occurred from attempts to correct hair coloring mistakes. Never, ever, try to fix or adjust hair color by yourself . . . this is the time for a professional hair colorist. Even as a hairdresser with over 25 years of experience, I always passed these clients on to a professional hair colorist. I knew that all I would likely do was make matters worse.

The earlier you get the professional hair colorist involved in the correction process, the better chance they will have of getting your hair color back to normal, with little cost or hassle. The more you attempt to correct it on your own, the less likely the hair colorist can help. In this situation, even if the hair colorist can do it, you can bet it will be expensive. It will also cause irreversible damage to your hair.

To find a professional colorist, just call any hair salon and ask for a referral. Believe me, you are not alone. The best hair salons get several of these type calls a month. When its time for the appointment with the professional hair colorist, bring everything you can to the appointment, most importantly the product containers and documentation of the hair color product you used. It will help the professional hair colorist greatly if they know what chemical brew went into your hair color attempts. Fess up and be honest, even if you are embarrassed. Tell the hair colorist exactly what steps you took (and every product you used in your hair), even if they were really, really dumb.

For further discussion on choosing the Best Hair Color for Your Hair Type.

You might want to check out these other articles that refer to hair colors:

• Chart of Hair Colors
• The Right Hair Colors for Your Skin Tone
• How to Color Your Hair at Home: The Ultimate Guide
• Hair Color Experts Advice
• Hair Color Correction-This Hair Color Can Be Corrected At This Point
• Chart of Hair Colors Can be Deceiving!
• Marbleizing! A New Hair Color Technique

Barb Quinn on Google+