Candy-Colored, Pastel Sweets for the Hair

A reverse lavender ombre

Bright, funky haircolors have trended in and out of style over the last three decades. It probably started in earnest during the punk years with the introduction of “Manic Panic” do-it-yourself haircolor, which is just as popular today as it was when musicians as diverse as Nina Hagen, Poly Styrene, Poison Ivy, Siouxie Sioux, Debbie Harry, Joan Jett, Cherry Vanilla, and Beth Ditto were bleaching and dyeing their hair outrageous, never-before-seen colors.

Pastel green

Today, haircolor is a true art form practiced by highly trained Master Colorists like myself, and the chemistry and technology has evolved beyond anything imagined even just a decade or two ago. Hair colorists paint with dyes, and hair is their chosen canvas.

Charlotte Free on the couture runway

The latest trend is not as in-your-face; in fact, it is sweet, adorable, beautiful, and terrifically high-maintenance: pastel-colored hair. 

Pastel hair in fashion editorial

We’ve seen it from the couture runways to the glossy, high-fashion magazine editorials, from celebrities and musicians, to the girl in the next cubicle at the office.

A candy-colored Olsen twin

But as beautiful as these candy-colored, marshmallow-Peep haircolors may be, keep in mind that in order to achieve these looks, the hair has to go through a process to make it even possible to look this way, and it has to be done without damaging the colorist’s canvas – that is the fabric of your hair. 

Katy Perry, celeb color chameleon

The hair has to be lightened to a very pale lemon-yellow blonde before we can apply those pinks, purples, blues, aquas, pale peaches, and greens. 

Baby blues

Otherwise, if there is any color left in the hair it will act as a catalyst to counteract the pastel color we apply, and it will not be as vivid or true.

Coral ombre

When we’re working with deeper colors in the red family, lightening your hair does not have to go all the way to that pale lemon stage, but that’s about the only difference. 

Peach pixie

And all of these colors are going to fade and wash away much more quickly than conventional permanent and even semi-permanent haircolor. You will see bleeding of these colors on your towels, pillowcases, clothing, and even your skin when you perspire.

Aqua up-do

Also keep in mind that once you commit to these cotton candy colors, you will need to use the proper shampoo and conditioner to take care of your hair, both to preserve the color and nourish hair that has been through a lot of chemical processing. 

Aqua dip-dye

Plan to spend more time in the salon than you ever have before refreshing these colors, even if you have colored your hair in the past. 

Lavender bob

Many colorists will create a custom batch of shampoo and conditioner for you in your shade to help you extend your color a while longer, but the fading is inevitable and the maintenance ongoing. And, bottom line, you have to be willing to bleach your hair to that almost-platinum color as a base to get your pretty pastel.

Pink ombre

There are alternatives – you can buy a wig, or get clip-in extensions in any of these beautiful colors (and many others, including brights for dark hair), and avoid damaging your hair. Then you can also take them out when you want, and never worry about fading or ruining your clothes or your linens. 

Peach and pewter 

 And you may not want to show up at work with permanently lavender hair if it turns out it’s against company policy, because going back to your natural color also takes money and multiple visits to the salon, unless you're willing to  go to a darker shade.

Icy blue and pale purple

Finally, the most important consideration when contemplating avante garde haircolors like these is that you really must have the personality for it. You have to OWN it, feel good about it, look in the mirror and feel like you’ve expressed your true identity. 

Very verdant

If you have doubts about it, you won’t look good in it. You absolutely have to have an excess of attitude to go with hair like this.

Shades of pink and smoke

Purple pixie

Most of these images come from the Pinterest board "Not Your Ordinary Haircolor" maintained by Latest-Hairstyles.com. The rest are from haircutshairstyles.com.

Until next week, ciao...

Ten Things You Need to Know About Your Hair…

Even celebrities like Nicole Kidman have fast-growing gray roots.

1. A lot of people wonder why they start seeing roots around their hairline, especially those who are covering their gray, the week after they get their hair colored. It isn’t that the color didn’t “take.” It’s that the hairline grows faster that the rest of the hair on the head, because it is really facial hair. If you think about a man’s beard, and how he only has to stop shaving for a day and you can see growth, then you begin to realize why your roots show so quickly around your hairline. Also, remember that your hair grows at least ½ inch a month, sometimes faster during the summertime!  

2. A question I am asked about constantly is hair falling out, when my clients are “seeing a lot of hair on the floor.” 

Stress, medications, and even pregnancy can add to hair loss.

The truth is that your hair is always falling out at a rate of about 50 to 100 strands per day. And if you have long or curly hair, it will seem like even more because of the volume of the individual hairs.  So, just accept the facts that those 50 to 100 strands every day is perfectly normal, and remember that they’re being replaced and growing back. On another note, stress, medical problems, going through difficult emotional times like a divorce, certain medications, and even pregnancy can add to hair loss – but with the right treatments, that abnormal hair loss can be stopped and it will grow back.

Lather, rinse...and stop

3. You should know that the directions to suds up twice when you shampoo were written back in the days when women only washed their hair once a week and sprayed their hair heavily every day. Under those circumstances, you really did need to shampoo hair twice to get it clean. But today, most people wash their hair daily or every other day, and in that case, lathering up once is enough. Remember that hair is a fabric, and the more you wash it, the more it wears out. So, if you wash your hair every day you only need to lather once, but always remember to condition.

Aquage

4. Another question about shampooing I get is whether people need to switch shampoos occasionally because hair gets used to it. As a professional colorist, my recommendation is that you make sure that whatever colorist does your hair recommends the right shampoo and that you use it. If you experience product build-up, which is not uncommon, you should use a clarifying shampoo once in a while – no more than every 4^th or 5^th time your shampoo, and then you should condition well, and go back to your regular shampoo. The most important thing today, since most people shampoo so often, is to use a shampoo that is sulfate-free with UVA/UVB sunscreen protection, and Thermal V-Complex that seals in your color and prevents thermal styling damage. One of the companies that makes a superior line of products that meet these requirements is Aquage and its SeaExtend line.   

Brrr....but it works

5. Clients often ask for a cold-water rinse to make their hair shiny. Just like heat opens the pores of the skin and cold water will tighten them, so will hot water open the hair’s cuticle and cold water close the cuticle. Rinsing with cold water will cause that closed cuticle to reflect more light and make the hair look better.

Haircolor done right doesn't damage

6. I am often asked, as a Master Colorist, whether coloring the hair damages it. Like everything else, you can get damage if it is done the wrong way; in the hands of a professional with training and knowledge you can get beautiful and healthy results. And part of those healthy results is what you do after you leave the salon. If you like to shampoo every day, your color will fade more quickly, and you’ll need protective shampoo and conditioner, and special products for home maintenance to keep your hair healthy and your color vibrant and true.

The only sure cure for split ends

7. Here’s one that’s coming up a lot lately due to advertising for new drugstore products that focus on split ends – can you actually repair split ends? I always tell people that hair, as it grows longer, is like a rope and once it starts unwinding, the best thing to do is cut it off. There is no conditioner or product that is going to stop it or repair it. But proper trimming will help you get ahead of split ends, and healthier, stronger hair will be able to grow longer over time.

Hot rollers work wonders on fine hair

8. There are a lot of “fine” women who come into my salon – and by that, I mean women with finely textured hair. Their chief complaint is always that their hair is flat and they cannot get any body into their hair. There is an art to cutting fine hair in order to achieve the proper texture that will support its length. If it’s too long, it collapses the texture and makes fine hair look even thinner and flatter. I also find that coloring and highlighting fine hair will add texture and body. Using the proper products like volumizing shampoo and conditioner, and amplifying and body-boosting styling products like light whips, uplifting foams and thermal sprays help. To give more volume and bounce to fine hair, set it for five minutes in hot rollers, then hit it with a light finishing spray, and voila! Big, bouncing volume.

Product, product, product

9. Everyone wants to know, “Why doesn’t my hair look the same when I do it at home than when my stylist does it? What am I doing wrong?” The answer is “Product, product, product.” Stylists use products according to your style and you hair type, and then utilizes the right professional tools, the best brush, the hottest dryers, curling irons and flat irons; but unfortunately may stylists are lousy at prescribing the right products for their clients to take home. So, they go off to the drugstore or the supermarket and buy the wrong thing for their hair – it’s too heavy or too strong or not strong enough for their hair – and it doesn’t work. I strongly suggest that before you leave the salon, you ask your stylist what was used to wash and condition your hair, what was used to style and finish your hair, and take home whatever you can afford so you can come as close as you can to the same results.

The consultation is priority #1

10. This last thing you should know should be the first thing that you do – the consultation. Make it the #1 priority when you book an appointment. At D Laudati Salon, the consultation is our most important meeting. It’s just like taking a trip – you want to start at the beginning, know where it is you want to go, find out how you are going to get there, and how much it is going to cost not just to get there, but to stay there. You stylist should tell you about payment, and about how much it will cost you to maintain the look you want, how long it will last, and how often you’ll need to come in. At D Laudati, we always offer a complimentary consultation so we understand what you like and what you don’t, we look at pictures, we visualize the target and goal and color, and then I give my point of view on what color I believe will look good with your skin tones, what cut will work with your hair’s texture. I take into consideration things like whether you’re a working professional who does not have a lot of time to fuss with your hair in the mornings nor the time for lengthy and frequent visits to the salon. I want to know all of this before the scissors ever touch the hair. We must get to know each other before we start this very personal relationship!

Until next week, ciao…  

When Country Went to Vegas: The Academy of Country Music Awards

Host Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, 
country music's hottest married couple

Recently, Marianne downloaded an app for her phone that allows us to listen to radio stations in my native Italy, and would you like to know what the most popular music is in my “home” country? Country!

That’s right. Country music is the most popular genre of music in Italy – in much of Europe as well, and of course here in my adopted homeland. There’s been an evolution/revolution in country music, which can now boast as many variations and interpretations as the category of “pop music.” Anyone who thinks country music is women in huge teased hair, too much makeup, and tacky clothes, or men in 10-gallon hats or baseball caps, pointy boots, and big belt buckles hasn’t been paying attention.

Hannah Blaylock of Eden's Edge

Sunday night’s Academy of Country Music Awards was a perfect example of just how much country music has changed in a generation. Yes, it does revere its icons – I think music has always been much better at this than some of the other performing arts – yet take a look at some of these absolutely lovely ladies, who may as well have been attending the Academy Awards with their understanding of fashion, hair, and makeup, and how to put all three together to create a total look.

Cherrill Green of Eden's Edge

Hannah Blaylock and Cherrill Green of the band Eden’s Edge are a beautiful study in contrasts, which no doubt works quite well onstage. Hannah’s glossy dark up-do and classic Old Hollywood Grecian-draped white silk gown are complemented by expertly applied makeup that further enhance “classic glamour” vibe. She looks like a cross between a young Elizabeth Taylor and Megan Fox. Her blonde bandmate, Cherrill Green, chose a very contemporary look with her ombre purple halter gown, loose beachy ringlets with multi-tonal highlights, and double-winged eyeliner – all very on-trend.

Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town

Another pair of bandmates played off their contrasting coloring was well: Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Rhodes Schlapman of Little Big Town. Karen’s look is very Sixties-inspired, with her dark Bardot-esque hairstyle, smoky eye makeup, and long plunging halter dress. 

Kimberly Rhodes Schlapman of Little Big Town

Kimberly’s naturally curly blonde mane is styled into a free-form modern shag, and her pretty pastel makeup is right off the Spring 2012 runways, as is her short white-on-white sequined mini with its tailored details

.

Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum

Next, we have a bevy of sexy brunettes. Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum enhances her striking green eyes with cool brown tones in her long, layered hair. No flat irons here – just tons of body and shine, beautifully applied makeup, and an understated black gown that makes the most of her generous figure.

Rachel Reinert of Gloriana

At the warm end of the brunette spectrum is Rachel Reinert of Gloriana, whose long disconnected layers and warm cinnamon highlights bring out the green in her hazel eyes.  

Katie Armiger

In the same color family is Katie Armiger, with her glossy all-over dark auburn color bringing out her bright green eyes. This is definitely a group of women who understand the power of long, luscious locks rather than too “done” up-do.

Shawna Thompson of Thompson Square

Thompson Square’s Shawna Thompson wore her long raven locks swept over one shoulder in a mass of loose, shining waves. Again, very Old Hollywood when paired with her dusty purple micro-pleated gown and vintage-inspired jewelry. 

  

Sara Evans' red carpet "don't"

Performer Sara Evans’ red carpet look was our least favorite of the night (an ill-fitting, Pepto-pink satin one-sleeved gown that would not have flattered ANYONE). 

Sara Evan's on-stage "do" --
what a difference!

But she completely redeemed it with her change into this sheer chiffon top and leather pants (WOW!), which brought out the warm highlights in her long center-parted hair. It really goes to show how the wrong color – even with the right makeup and hair – can throw a look off.

Taylor Swift

And then there were the beautiful blondes. America’s sweetheart, Taylor Swift, wore an haute couture J. Mendel white gown that was by voted by every fashion blog as the hand-down winner of the night.  Taylor wore one of her two signature looks: smoky eyes and nude lips, and paired it with a smooth blow-out of her trademark ringlets. She could have walked any red carpet from Cannes to Beverly Hills!

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland wore a neon pink gown with a bright yellow beaded belt that showed how pink should be worn. She also wore one of the night’s only ponytails, clasped low at the nape, but it was nicely undone and well-suited to her style. 

LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn Rimes and Laura Bell Bundy wore the few up-dos of the evening. LeAnn’s was gathered high with tousled ends, a smooth crown, and a side part with a few wispy pieces framing her face above a very short Stella McCartney dress. It suited the casual look she was cultivating nicely. 

Laura Bell Bundy

Laura’s low side-chignon was obviously meant to balance out her one-sleeved silver gown, but it was all a bit of a misfire. The chignon was a too messy in contrast to the rest of her hair, and the dress was perhaps too much of a good thing. Had both elements been taken down a notch, this one would have been a winner. Her makeup was gorgeous, though.

Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry

Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry wore her long layers in twisty mermaid waves that were much more rock-and-roll than country. 

Carrie Underwood

It certainly was quite a refreshing contrast to Carrie Underwood’s long blonde ‘do, which has remained essentially the same since her American Idol win. She’s a talented and beautiful girl, but she has a look and she sticks with it. 

Beth Behrs

One of the most attractive looks of the night was actress Beth Behrs of Two Broke Girls with her blush-colored Empire gown and matching makeup, and her artfully tousled waves and soft bangs. She was both angelic and sexy at once.

The night's "golden girl," Miranda Lambert

Finally, host Blake Shelton’s wife, the take-no-prisoners powerhouse Miranda Lambert, won not only ‘Female Vocalist of the Year’ and ‘Album of the Year,’ but was a vision in gold from the top of her head to the tip of her toes in a liquid gold sequined gown and cascading golden curls. Hollywood has absolutely nothing on these “Country Girls.”            

Mirror, Mirror…What A Celeb THINKS Is Her Fairest Look of All May Not BE Her Fairest Look

Model-turned-actress Jaime King

Sometimes a woman falls in love with a cut or color – or a combination of both – that she absolutely HAS TO HAVE. Celebrities are no different. Hopefully, there’s someone to talk you or your best friend (or you will talk your best friend) out of something doesn’t complement your best features, or worse, brings out features that a good style will help to camouflage. 

You’d think that celebrities would have handlers to do that for them, or that the very high-priced stylists and colorists who ply their trade on celebrities would perform that service, but sometimes the opposite is true: they are paid to do exactly as their celebrity clientele demands, regardless their professional opinion. I think you’ll be able to pick out the examples of the latter scenario below…  

Candy Stripers and Dip Dyers

Chloe Moretz

January Jones

Ashley Tisdale

Bright pops of color aren’t just a runway fad or a nightclub fetish; more and more celebrities are showing up with streaks of color in candy pink (Chloe Moretz), rose gold (January Jones), or merlot (Ashley Tisdale), dip-dyed or ombred ends in blue (Jaime King) or deep crimson (Lake Bell), or going for flat-out all-over My Pretty Pony shades of green (Willow Smith) and Smurf blue (the Grand Dame of the Haircolor Lightning Round for $200, Katy Perry).

Lake Bell

Willow Smith

Notice how each of them did (or didn’t) adjust her makeup to deal with the addition of the new color. Neither Lake Bell nor Willow Smith wear makeup (but only Willow Smith has the excuse of being 11, and today’s US Weekly reports she’s now dyed it bright Big Bird yellow, although we haven’t seen pictures yet.) 

Jaime King's before-and-after

Some, like Chloe Moretz, January Jones, and Jaime King, let the color do most of the talking and simply picked complementary shades that didn’t fight with the new additions. In particular, Jaime King’s new blue dip dye needed nothing else to bring out her intensely blue eyes. 

Katy Perry

At the other end of the spectrum you have Katy Perry, who never met a matching eye makeup she didn’t slather on. As if blue hair and blue eyes aren’t enough, she continues to wear matching blue shadow, heavy black eyeliner and false lashes. We still think her makeup circa the pale pink/blonde bob was the best and most flattering. She should be categorized with the "Cuts 'n Bangs" group -- her new blunt fringe is technically the news here -- but one almost overlooks her new "look." That's the power of blue... 

Closer-to-Normal Colors

Here we have celebrities who dyed their hair colors that fall within reasonably accepted “natural” ranges from blonde to red to brown, with nothing blue, green, purple, or pink involved. One the whole, we’re preferring their “before" pictures with the only two “after" pictures both changing their hair to red.

Emma Roberts

What can I say – I am a total sucker for red hair. And Marianne didn’t even have to tell me to say that.

Jennifer Lawrence

Emma Roberts’ transition from sunny blonde to brunette washes her out; Jennifer Lawrence’s continued transformation back to blonde from the rich brunette shade she wore in Hunger Games, plus the addition of layers and a curled bang are disappointing; we thought she was much more interesting as a brunette.

Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato seems to prefer trying out her new haircolors via Twitter pictures, and perhaps this transition back to blonde is prettier in person, but we really liked her with the red hair. It worked much better with her dark eyes and slightly olive complexion. 

Kaylee Defer

Actresses Kaylee Defer and the infamous Lindsey Lohan also went red, and it was a welcome choice, particularly for Ms. Lohan. 

Lindsey Lohan

Kaylee’s coloring is well-suited to this shade of red, and of course, red is actually Ms. Lohan’s God-given color, though that’s easy to forget with all of the mistakes she’s made veering from blonde to black and every shade between. Plus, her addiction to spray tanner and facial…”modifications” we shall call them, have had her looking like she was a hard 40, not a healthy 25. At least the move back to the much more vital auburn of her youth is a huge step in the right direction. Let’s just hope she didn't celebrate the termination of her parole yesterday with cocktails.

Ciara's questionable color choice

I kept singer Ciara’s color transformation for last, partly because my initial reaction to her picture was to blurt out “What the h*** happened to her?!?” Her “after” picture is usually someone’s “before” picture. It’s what a woman usually comes in to have FIXED, not what she walks OUT with. And Ciara takes all the credit for the idea, telling InStyle magazine that she wanted this lighter shade in her ombre ‘do. “I just wanted to have fun,” she said of the change. “I’m a tomboy at heart and I just felt like attitude, like not caring a little bit, to be honest.” And you really WOULD have to "not care," because it simply is unattractive. At least in her “before” picture, the root areas are dark but the ombre blends; in the “after” look she and her colorist just went entirely too far with the ombre. This is not a fashion statement anyone should want to utter.

Cuts ‘n Bangs

Katie Holmes

The trend toward cutting bangs has not slowed down in the least. Katie Holmes’ blunt fringe, which she debuted at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, doesn’t do her justice. Look at how gorgeous her hair is in the “before” shot. She should have left well-enough alone, but perhaps it wasn’t entirely her choice, if media reports are to be believed.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman is sporting a light side-swept fringe, which she debuted during New York Fashion Week. Her color seems a bit deeper and richer, too, and there’s a bit of layering around her face. She looks beautiful both ways, but it is nice to see her in the “after” picture, when she’s not at an awards show, with softer makeup and more casual hair, looking just as ethereal.

Shay Mitchell

Shay Mitchell, of the TV series Pretty Little Liars, seems to have had a whole makeover. Starting with the hair, she has a nice peek-a-boo bang that works well to disguise her high forehead. She has the perfect face shape for soft bangs like these, and both her haircolor and makeup are a lot softer as well, as if someone buffed off all the hard edges, adding a subtle ombre to bring a little golden warmth to the hair instead of the hard red highlights to go with the crimson pout. Gone is the fake-bake and the pouty look. Whoever helped with this transformation really asked all the right questions, and brought out her best features while minimizing those which could take a back seat.

Chanel Iman

Victoria’s Secret “Angel,” Chanel Iman, debuted brow-skimming bangs and a much lighter color (and perhaps a few extensions) for a very sexy little shag.  We like it, the color is nice, and she looks very pretty. This one’s a keeper!

Milla Jovovich

Model –turned-singer-turned-action star Milla Jovovich debuted an asymmetrical crop with a shaved side this week. Highly lauded for her soft and sexy finger-waved Oscar’s bob, she added a dose of edge to her look with the “super-easy, super-low maintenance” undercut, as she described it.

Victoria Beckham

Cut-and-color chameleon Victoria Beckham chopped off a reported 10 inches for this wavy, caramel-highlighted bob. We always think she looks best at about this length and with some curl and texture to soften her very angular and sometimes harsh face. Now, if she’d just smile more. She certainly has PLENTY of reasons to, as my female clients love to point out!

Viola Davis

Ah, the incomparable Viola Davis, who heeded her husband’s very good advice and stopped wearing wigs. She’s darkened the coppery shade she wore when she won “Best Supporting Actress” at the Academy Awards, and the whole package just works. I think her smile glows 1000 watts brighter when she doesn’t wear those wigs.

The moral of this post is that anytime you make a change, spend some time gazing into that "mirror, mirror on the wall." Look at the whole picture – your new hair and/or haircolor AND your makeup. Does your new look bring out your best features? Does it go with the makeup you used to wear, or do you need to change color families from cool to warm, or vice versa? Do you need to play up your eyes? Play them down? Does your new look complement your best features, or bring out those features you always were able to camouflage? Then take it from there…

Until next week, ciao…