The Hair Conversation: October 2010

You know you're “blonde at heart” when it doesn't matter what colour you dye your hair you always know you'll go back to blonde again...

There is just something enchanting about blonde - something captivating. So let's take a closer look at this eye-catching colour... even brunettes want a taste of it!

Blonde Ambition

Source: Kim Gray

SOME TIPS BEFORE GOING BLONDE/R
(1) Use your natural base colour as a guideline
           Is it ash, golden, reddish, light brown or darker? Try to stay within 2 to 3 shades of your natural shade and tone for the best results. On the other hand, you could try contrasting colours or colours which complement each other like shades of toffee with creamy highlights.
(2) Your skin tone & features
           Does your skin look warm or cool? Will the new colour match your eye colour, eyebrows and current make-up? Sometimes we need to change our make up routine to keep in sync with a new colour. Some blondes look soft and need simple, clear make up while others need warmer make up with a little blush, and yet others look great with strong bold make up to contrast with the pale hair.
(3) Take special care
           Below are some hints about avoiding potential disasters with blonde hair. Also lots of inspiration for the latest trends and how to achieve these results.
Once you've achieved your desired colour, remember to look after your hair with special care.

Light, Bright Blonde with Pale Tips

Blake Lively rocking a classic natural-looking blonde

Source: Twolia

Golden Blonde
A warmer blonde looks great on warmer skins tones

Source: Hair On The Brain

Source: AAA Fashion

Pic Source: Hair Products Pro

HOW TO AVOID BRASSY HAIR
Although strawberry blondes and auburn can be lovely, brassy blondes might not look so great.
(1) First prize is to get a professional to do your hair colour in the first place.
(2) Second prize is to remember that your hair might hold a lot of orange pigment and this may take a while to lift. Only remove the hair colouring once all the brassy colours have lifted. Brassy hair usually indicates a lack of patience or a fear of over-processing the hair. To be honest it is best to get it right the first time than to keep trying to correct a colour, but like I said there's always second prize :)

Two-tone Blonde
Jessica Simpson showing two different types of blonde hair in one.
Pic Source: AAA Fashion

To imitate this style be sure to make it obvious that you meant it and it isn't just a mistake. Ensure that both shades of blonde are crisp and definite.

And remember that because this is such an obviously unnatural colour, you'll need to take extra care to treat and protect the ends of your hair from damage and split ends which are emphasized with this combination.

A glimpse of brunette

Fearne Cotton shows how dark brunette roots and underneath panels give contrast to blonde hair.

Pic source: Monsters and Critics

CARING FOR BLONDE HAIR
1) Shampoo for blondes: Different types do different things. Some will tone out coppers tone, others will tone out yellow and others are specially formulated to make the hair look as white as possible. If you buy one of these be careful that you get the right one for you as some of them can leave a blue or purple tinge in your hair if used incorrectly.
2) Treatments: Blonde hair can be thinner, dryer and more prone to damage so treatments target these problems and help to restore the hair's strength and moisture. Some are even designed to target damage through ionic technology because highlighted and damaged hair has a positive charge whereas healthy hair has a negative charge.
3) Remember that the sun can lighten your hair even further and this can be damaging to your hair and change the colour, not necessarily in a good way.
4) Blonde hair is often more fine than most. If you have naturally fine hair be very careful not to over-process the hair colour and make sure you always protect the hair from heat damage by using a silicone serum when styling.

Grown-Out Hair

Source:
The Diet Junkie

A Summer look for brunettes:
Add highlighted sections and ends to give a sun-kissed / grown-out feel.

Visible Roots

At stylelist.com, this article reports on the trend towards visible roots: http://www.stylelist.com/2010/06/04/visible-roots-a-growing-trend/

Shaggy Blonde
The beach lovers dream....

Source: AAA Fashion
Very Pale Blonde

Source: Hair Products Pro

Scene Hair

Source: FashionInorOut.blogspot.com

Snow White

This hair actually has a slight blue tinge - my guess is that might have been an over-compensation.... ;)
Pic Source: Photobucket

HOW TO AVOID GREEN HAIR
(1) Protect your hair from chlorinated water.
..and if all else fails wash your hair with tomato sauce / ketchup :)
(2) Don't try to add a brown hair tint straight on to very pale blonde hair as it will come out khaki.
The hair needs to be pre-pigmented with a red pigment by a professional before you colour your hair darker.
Essentially, green hair only happens when you don't have enough red pigment in your hair so that's why it's only a concern for blondes.

Covering Grey

If you want to keep a youthful blonde as you go grey then this base colour that Scarlett Johansen has is a beautiful one to use to cover greys before touching up your highlights.

Pic source: Makeup Trends And Style Blog

LASTLY, TRY TO AVOID THESE SINS AS FAR AS POSSIBLE
(1) Highlighted hair is more prone to heat damage. Rather let your hair colour process for longer without too much heat than blast the hair when processing. A professional should know best how to care for your hair when colouring but don't trust anyone who's in a hurry and has a careless attitude towards you.
(2) There is a definitely a perfect amount of time for every hair colour to process. For blonde hair this is much more variable than for other hair colours. Different hair types respond differently and while some hair is quick to process, other hair takes longer than average. Over-processing (too much time) and under-processing (too little time) are both disastrous.
(3) Hair colour for blondes also comes in different strengths and this will affect how fast the colour will work and it is best handled by a professional who will know what this means for your colour and the condition of your hair.
(4) If your natural colour is darker than a blonde or light brown level, it will probably be more complicated to create a good result and would best be left to professional hands :)
(5) Always use heat-protection products when using heat-styling on blonde hair. For example, silicone serum is known to provide a protective film on the hair and aid gloss, shine and styling for straight or curly hair. It can be applied to wet or dry hair.

For more trend ideas for blonde styles this season check out Hairstylezine.
And with that I will love and leave you. Happy blonding! Mwa x

Care-free & Go-with-the-flow

According to the Hairdresser's Journal (UK), "This season's hair should be left a little undone, for a fun, non-fussy finish.... looped quiffs.. left to flop over one eye in a rough bow shape - it's young, it's cool, and it can be customised to make it your own."

Valerie Benavides from Brooks & Brooks, London, explains: "[It's] all about having loose, soft texture... you could see lots of soft, baby hair... It's cool because it's playful with an unkempt, seductive finish."

"Forget about immaculate updos - incorporate the texture trend, for a relaxed, youthful feel," says Valerie.

Playfully Teased