Trend to Try: Wild Hair Colors

By InStyle.com
Mar 14, 2012 @ 1:50 pm
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Trend to Try: Wild Hair Colors
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Trend to Try: Wild Hair Colors

FilmMagic; Ramey Photo; Splash News
Looking for a statement-making hair color? We've gathered the best tips on how to experiment with brighter hues like Katy Perry's bright blue strands, Selena Gomez's rainbow highlights, and Chanel Iman's dynamic ombre. Read on to find out how you can work technicolor strands, whether you want them for a month, a week, or just a day!
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Technicolor Extensions: Get the Look

Richard Chavez / Picturelux; Ramey Photo
If you want Crayola highlights minus the commitment to hair dye, extensions in cool colors like Ashley Tisdale's and Selena Gomez's are the way to go. "Selena really wanted to use colored pieces in her hair for her South African Tour, and the temporary pieces were perfect so she could change them according to her wardrobe," said hairstylist Nikki Lee, who used Great Lengths Jewel Tone extensions on the star. "Ashley liked the look on Selena so much that she was inspired to wear the burgundy shade!"

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Technicolor Extensions: Key Products

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For easy, changeable highlights, snap on the POP Color Strips ($10 each; hairuwear.com for locations). "Just be sure to keep your wardrobe, skin tone, and hair color in mind when choosing a few wild shades," advised Lee. "Limit yourself to just one or two colors, otherwise the effect becomes overwhelming."
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Dynamic Ombre: Get the Look

Byron Purvis/AdMedia/Sipa USA; Demis Maryannakis / Splash News
Ombre tones like Shailene Woodley's and Chanel Iman's are less intense that candy-colored additions, but they're a baby step in that direction if you're a hair-dye rookie or looking for a low-maintenance color routine. Thanks to the gradual lightening in the mid-lengths and ends, root touch-ups are a thing of the past.

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Dynamic Ombre: Key Products

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To keep your highlights looking healthy, hydration is a must. The dynamic duo of Sebastian's Color Ignite Shampoo and Conditioner ($15 and $17; sebastianprofessional.com) combats dry-looking color by identifying the different highlight tones, then reconstructs the damaged gaps in hair follicles to lock in moisture.

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Tie-Dyed Tips: Get the Look

Noel Vasquez/Getty Images; Andrew Evans / PR Photos
Watercolor hues like Lauren Conrad's blue and Chloé Moretz's pink can temporarily be achieved by rubbing soft pastel chalks onto your ends, but head to the salon for a longer-lasting option. "Trend colors can end up blotchy if you apply them yourself. Ask your stylist for a dip-dye effect, but be specific about the color you want to achieve," said Ronnie Dietrich, lead colorist at Ted Gibson Salon. "Use deeper colors if you have dark hair, and if you have light hair, opt for pastels."
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Tie-Dyed Tips: Key Products

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Dietrich recommends using a sulfate-free shampoo like Ted Gibson's Clarity Color Shampoo ($20; beauty.com) on dyed tips, but if upkeep is an issue, rub the Kevin.Murphy Color Bug ($20; kevinmurphy.com) on your ends for a temporary day-glo effect. "The color will get on your clothes during the day, so wear clothes in the same hue, or gather hair into an updo," advised Lauren Conrad's hairstylist Kristin Ess. "A deep conditioner like Wella's Brilliance Treatment ($12; wella.com for locations) is a must, since the colored pigment sucks moisture out of hair."

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Red Fade: Get the Look

Joe Corrigan/Getty Images; Apega/Wenn
Consider Jordin Sparks's and Lake Bell's fiery highlights as ombre's edgy, trend-setting sister. "This color is an awesome twist on ombre," said L’Oreal Professionnel celebrity colorist Jason Backe, who works with Bell. Sparks's hairstylist Varo Lopez recommends asking for a dark to light gradation. "You want the colors to graduate and melt together," Lopez said. "It shouldn't be just a dark base on top of red ends, each shade should blend with the next. Since this style has a root to it already, maintaining it is easy."

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Red Fade: Key Products

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Because the color particles in red dye are bigger and are more prone to slide out of the hair follicle, crimson hair washes out faster than other shades. Celebrity hairstylist Rodney Cutler, who works with Emma Watson, suggests using Redken's Color Extend Shampoo and Conditioner ($14 and 15; redken.com for locations) to protect your hair from minerals in tap water that accelerate fading.
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Full Color: Get the Look

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic; Nick Davis/Photo Image
Katy Perry's cerulean and Kelly Osbourne's pale violet strands are only for the daring-and those who can handle the upkeep. "This type of color is for someone doesn't mind a few trips to the salon, because truthfully, it isn't easy to maintain," said hairstylist Judd Minter, who created Osbourne's look. "Visit your colorist regularly to keep your hair looking fresh. Because the shades are so temporary, it's always fun to see the changes that happen with each wash."

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Full Color: Key Product

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Perry's hairstylist Rita Hazan recommends her Ultimate Shine Foaming Clear Gloss ($26; ritahazansalon.com) to keep fading to a minimum. "Try to wash hair only a few times a week-the less you wash, the better-since rainbow shades have a short lifespan," Hazan said.
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