Mysteriously Marvelous Brunettes

Eva Mendes

Jessica Alba

What is it about dark hair that says “femme fatale” more than any golden blonde ever could? Seductive and lively, its depth and richness implies unknown depths of the woman’s personality. There are so many shades of brown that virtually any woman can come over to the dark side, and play up all the mysterious sexiness we attribute to iconic dark-haired sirens like the late Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner, and Sophia Loren.

Rachel Weisz

Sadra Bullock

Anne Hathaway

Demi Moore

Today’s iconic brunettes run the gamut from brown sugar (Eva Mendes and Jessica Alba) to mocha and mink (Rachael Weisz and Sandra Bullock), from cinnamon brown (Anne Hathaway) to dark chocolate (Demi Moore), to the deepest cool brown that is just-this-close to black (Salma Hayek, Halle Berry, Lucy Liu). 

Salma Hayek

Halle Berry

Whatever brown you choose, whichever movie star you wish to emulate, the dark colors must be treated with special care and the proper products designed to protect color-treated hair. But most of all, it is the choosing of the right hair colorist to help you find the right shade of brown for you and execute it. 

Lucy Liu

Single-tone brown can be too blah on its own; the most beautiful browns are infused with multiple brown tones, like a cocktail of chocolate and cinnamon intermixed to create just the right shade for a woman’s skin tone. As a general rule, the lighter the skin tone, the lighter the shade of brown (cinnamon, milk chocolate, copper browns) and the more reddish the family of tones; the more ash tones, the darker the colors (think sable, bitter chocolate, espresso). 

Courtney Cox

Megan Fox

Eye color is also a big determinant in what shade of brown will flatter – lighter eyes, lighter brown. But there are many stunning exceptions to the rule, like Courtney Cox’s and Megan Fox’s ice-blue eyes and almost-black hair.

Finally, with dark hair, shine is very important, so take good care of your milk chocolate, mocha, cinnamon, espresso, dark chocolate haircolor by using the right products and treating it well. Blonde hair is bright and conveys the idea of shiny, new, gold – it seems to have its own light. Brown hair needs to be shiny and reflective as well, and for that we rely on our colorist to steer us to the right products that will give darker tones the necessary shine.

Until next week, ciao my beauties!  

Is It Time For You To Find Out If Blondes Really DO Have More Fun?

Kate Winslet: Ultra-Blonde

Michelle Williams: Platinum Pixie

If you want to have a “blonde moment,” spring and summer is the perfect time. The question “do blondes have more fun?” can be answered simply: Only if it’s a great blonde. 

There's the double-processed platinum blonde like Kate Winslet’s amazing new color and cut, or Michelle Williams angelic platinum pixie. 

There's the buttery gorgeous golden blonde like January Jones, Claire Danes, and Sienna Miller.  

Golden Girl, Sienna Miller

There are  the combination highlighted blonde tones like Emma Stone, Diane Sawyer, and Naomi Watts. 

January Jones' Golden Blonde

Whether the cool, ladylike ash blonde of Kate Bosworth and Diane Krueger; or any other blonde, nothing turns heads more than glamorous, gorgeous, shiny, healthy blonde hair. 

Claire Danes' Sunny Strands

Emma Stone, new member of the Blonde Brigade

A golden blonde can be achieved with a single process if your natural color is light enough; naturally dark and grey hair will require a double process.  

Diane Sawyer, Perennial Blonde

Naomi Watts, Multi-Toned Blonde

What I work to achieve when I take a client blonde is richness in the various multi-dimensional array of blonde tones, which must work with her natural skin tone. Certain shades work with certain skin colors, and going the “wrong blonde” creates disharmony, makes you look washed out, sallow, or just tired, and the eye perceives that it is unnatural even if you don’t really understand why. 

Kate Bosworth, Park Avenue Blonde

Diane Krueger, Cool Blonde

For those of you who are prepared to take the plunge, a combination of highlights and lowlights will put a splash of blonde into your life. So, for the upcoming warmer months, take a chance and walk on the blonde side – but remember, you need plenty of attitude to carry it off. Are YOU ready? 

Straight from the Hairstyling Catwalk: Spring Hair Styles from Intercoiffure

As a long-time member of Intercoiffure, I have the privilege of working with some of the most talented and creative people in the beauty industry.  Next month, my staff and I will be attending the annual Intercoiffure Spring Atelier at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, where we will be the first to see the hair and make-up styles for Fall/Winter 2011/2012. 

In the meantime, I am pleased to share with you the Spring/Summer 2011 trends release from my friends and colleagues at Intercoiffure America/Canada. 

Titled Celebrating the Romance of Luxury, Intercoiffure’s new collection is called “Lady of the Manor,” a fantasy rendering of what it would be like to dress the hair of a lovely aristocrat, to have the freedom to set off  my own hair designs with the height of couture, and to see my creations moving gracefully among the guests at a candle-lit dinner party – which, with so many clients from Palm Beach, is not unknown to us at D Laudati.  

The hairstyles in photos accompanying this blog were created by Vivienne Mackinder, who made history last year when she was appointed the first female Fashion Director of Intercoiffure America/Canada. 

“The Lady of the Manor” features seven unique designs, ranging from various hairdressing techniques to an abstract razor cut and a classic bob with an unexpected twist. 

“This is a whimsical, elegant riff on the romance of luxury, celebrating the art of hair design, creating looks that are rich and luxurious,” Ms. Mackinder notes. “I want these images to capture your imagination, to reflect upon and escape the madness of today’s life.”

While these styles may seem extreme to you, hair styling is much like couture fashion design – what’s seen at the shows is often outrageous and daring, but is then interpreted through the lens of each individual stylist/designer to appeal to the consumer/client. 

Enjoy the fantasy!   

New Year, New Look for a Number of Celebrities

Looks like some celebrities’ New Year’s Resolutions were to change up their look – and the easiest way to do that is with hair: cut, color, or both! Of course, as a Master Haircolorist and hair stylist, I love to change women’s  haircolor or haircut and give them a whole new look that makes them feel renewed, reborn, and revitalized. I will never tire of the look on their faces when we unveil their new look. One caveat though – when you change your haircolor, you’ll need to change your makeup. Your colorist is going to pick the right shade to compliment the warm or cool tones of your skin, but you will need to reassess your makeup to be sure it compliments your new color. 

Abbie Cornish/InStyle.com

Abbie Cornish: Her old color was unflattering, too dark and fake looking for her complexion, and it washed her out. Her new color is richer and much more natural-looking, and really brings out her eyes.

Ashlee Simpson/InStyle.com

Ashlee Simpson: The change from golden to platinum is nowhere near as drastic as some of her previous changes to red and black. She looks best blonde; the dark colors never suited her fair complexion. But a word of warning to anyone considering her new silvery shade: It is VERY high maintenance, and takes a toll on the health of your hair. For the average person, this is just too expensive to maintain. 

Emily Blunt/InStyle.com

Emily Blunt: She didn’t look bad with darker hair, but she compensated for it with makeup that was not flattering to balance out the dark shade. Her new color is softer and looks better lighter, and she changed her makeup to suit, bringing out her eyes and making her look years younger. 

Jennifer Anniston/InStyle.com

Jennifer Anniston: I may be in the minority, but I like her hair shorter. But it also seems much lighter and almost brassy, and I’d take her to a more beige-y blonde/light brown. It may be the lighting in the photograph, but the new color doesn’t suit her as well as the cut. 

Jessica Stroup/InStyle.com

Jessica Stroup: Wow, does red suit her! She looks fresh and sexy, and her eyes look brighter. This is another one who changed her makeup to suit her new color, and the combination works marvelously.

Julia Styles/InStyle.com

Julia Stiles: I like her with the bangs! She has a long face and high forehead, so the bangs really add a lot of softness and movement, and she looks much prettier. I also like her subtle color change – it’s golden and not at all brassy.

Kate Beckinsale/InStyle.com

Kate Beckinsale: Such a chameleon! She has looked beautiful in every color, from the dark cool brown of the “Underworld” movies, to all of the iterations of brown she’s worn for roles. She has the skin tone and face to carry almost any color, and this new blonde is no exception. It looks healthy, shiny, and gorgeous. I wish we could see her eyes behind those sunglasses to see if she’s carried the change over to her makeup. I’d guess yes. 

Khloe Kardashian/InStyle.com

Khloe Kardashian: I absolutely love her as a redhead, and wish she’d been able to stay that way. Her colorist chose the exact right shade to really bring out her skin tone, giving her a different look altogether. It was so sexy and suitable. Red works with her complexion because she’s not olive-skinned like many brunettes, and she wisely changed her makeup, too. So disappointing that she was forced to dye it back by her TV show’s producers!

Lauren Conrad/InStyle.com

Lauren Conrad: She looks good in both hair colors, which are very much variation on the same base. Although I do like it darker, it’s really just a matter of her going from a dark blonde with some highlights to a light brown with some highlights. Both colors are very believable on her. And I must point out that her blonde looked like it really needed to be done, with her ends getting very light. 

Leona Lewis/InStyle.com

Leona Lewis: No one did Ms. Lewis any favors here. The new color has no depth or variegation, and with such a heavy, too-long bang, it looks like a wig, not real hair. She has such lovely features, and if her stylist had at least woven in some dimension with different shades of brown, it would have looked much better and softer. And whoever did her makeup didn’t do her any favors there, either. It’s all too harsh and fake looking.  

Rachel Bilson/InStyle.com

Rachel Bilson: She looks good both ways, and the bangs add an overall more casual look. The bangs also add some softness and versatility, but she can carry either look quite well. The bangs add softness, and she’s kept the sort of ombred look that’s popular right now, with her hair getting a few shades lighter towards the bottom third of her hair. 

Rose Byrne/InStyle.com

Rose Byrne: Another one I love with bangs! She looks younger, fresher, and more playful, especially without the red lipstick, which really aged her in this photo. And this is the kind of brunette I was talking about when it comes to Leona Lewis. Ms. Byrne’s base color isn’t much different, but her colorist has added low- and highlights to make her a dimensional brunette. It has movement and catches the light, which is what makes Haircolor such an art.