For most of us, the New Year is all about reinvention. And we all know that reinventions are often the catalyst of starting something great! A new color leads to an extra dose of confidence, and who couldn’t use some of that? Confidence leads to energy which leads to activity which leads to success.  This is not to say that coloring your hair a new shade of auburn is going to lead to world peace, but hair dye can make all the difference!

Blonde

Lighten up and give your hair a sunny makeover! Unfortunately for most of us, going blonde is a little bit harder than going darker. Many women with medium brown to black hair(such as myself) have to result to using bleach-based products to see real results.  And unless your hair is dark blonde or light brown, the boxed hair dyes won’t work so much. If you have really dark hair but you want to really lighten up, you’ve got two choices. You could go to a salon and get your hair lightened by a professional, or you could buy a box of hair bleach from Sally Beauty Supply and do it yourself. I do the latter. Of course, my sister helps with the actual hair coloring process, but it works for me! If your going to follow my lead,  I would recommend the following.

1- Have a friend help you. They don’t need to be a professional colorist, they just need to follow instructions.

2- Do not attempt to bleach hair that  previously colored. This rule does not apply if you’re just touching up your roots.  True story: many years ago when I went to a salon to get my hair bleached and because my hair was previously colored(I really forget the color and brand) months ago, my fresh roots were lightening up but my colored ends were turning black! To make the long story short, she had to color my hair a shade of dark brown.  Yeah, just don’t go there!

If you do end up going to a salon to get your hair colored, I would highly recommend bringing a picture or two to the colorist so he knows exactly what you want. Also, don’t forget to use the proper lingo when it comes to selecting your perfect shade. Check this link from Stylelist for the most common terms.

Going blonde? Try these products

Clairol Herbal Essences Color Me Vibrant in 16 Knockout Blonde, Feria Multi-Faceted Highlights C100 Star Lights, and Beyond The Zone On/Off Radical Bleach Kit

Brunette

Virtually anyone can go brunette with the right hair color products. As a bonus, many of your favorite hair color brands(including Garnier and Clairol) have a variety of nourishing hair color products.  So if you crave a new look and long to pamper your hair, going brunette could be just the thing for you!

The next step to make after your decision to color your hair is to find the perfect shade. It does not matter if you’re going a little lighter or a little darker, you want a color that is going to make you look and feel terrific. Take a cue from your natural skin tone, are you warm or cool? You obviously won’t want to try a new color only to end up shocked because it doesn’t complement your skintone. Also, try to stick within 2 to 3 shades of your natural haircolor.

Dare to go darker with these haircolor kits.

Garnier Nutrisse in 30 Darkest Brown, L’oreal Paris Healthy Look in 5G Medium Gold Brown, and L’oreal Paris Excellence-to-Go 6G Light Golden Brown.

Red

Thinking about going for a ravishing red color? Or maybe your hair is naturally auburn or chestnut and you want to enhance the redness. Either way, when it comes to selecting the right shade of red, you’re going to want to pay attention to the same rules as above. If you have naturally light hair, try a warm strawberry blonde; if you have naturally black hair, consider a rich burgundy or mahogany. Another thing to consider should you consider when it comes to dying your hair red is the maintenance factor. The redder the shade you have, the more time you will have to spend on protecting the shade.  Red hair fades fast! Invest your money in a quality shampoo, conditioner, and color glaze. If you don’t have the patience or money to deal with the upkeep, I suggest getting reddish highlights or choosing a shade of red that is closer to brunette. While you’ll still have some color upkeep, it will be more manageable.

Perk up your look with a fresh shade of red.

L’oreal Paris Couleur Experte in 5.5 Cinnamon Stick, Garnier 100% Color Vibrant Colors by Nutrisse in 660 Intense Auburn, and Garnier HerbaShine in 426 Dark Burgundy.

Black

For most people, particularly those with lighter hair and paler complexions, black hair seems so drastic! But when you look at celebrities like Dita von Teese or Megan Fox, black hair suddenly becomes a glamorous temptation. If your up for the challenge, you could try one of the following products below. If you want to try black hair but your not sure its for keeps, then I suggest using Manic Panic NYC(also below) which is semi-permanent.

From rock star to fashionista, black has never looked more glam.

L’oreal Paris Feria Multi-faceted Shimmery Color in 21 Starry Night, Clairol Natural Instincts in 36 Neutral Black, and Manic Panic NYC Classic Cream Formula in Raven

L to R: 16″ Straight easiXtend Clip-in Extensions (8 pc) by easihair, 16″ easiXtend Elite Remy Human Hair Clip-in Extensions(8 pc) by easihair. Both products are available at Hair Extensions.com

I was wondering why they have so many types of hair extensions? What are each type used for? Thanks!

-Sarah

The reason that hair extensions are so popular right now is the incredible styling versatility they give you. For instance, your current hairstyle could be the classic bob, but you want medium length wavy hair one day and long straight hair with bangs the next day. So what does a girl do? She gets hair extensions.

Once you’ve decided to try hair extensions, you need to find out which hair extension type is right for you! There are lots of different styles and types but they all really fall into 2 categories: synthetic hair extensions and real human hair extensions. The latter is most expensive but the former can also be on the pricey side too. Most women prefer human hair extensions to synthetic hair extensions because they work and look better with your own locks. However that doesn’t mean that you should skip over all synthetic hair extensions. Lets take a better look at some of the most common methods and debate the pros and cons of each.

Professional Hair Extensions: If you want the most natural looking hair extensions then you might want to go to a professional hair stylist who specializes in this. That said, you’ve got to be careful when you select a stylist because you want someone who will give you quality looking hair extensions. The most common methods include bonding, weaves, and adhesive-based fusion. Do your research and go with a consultation beforehand. Ask about what they offer, the methods they use, and how much its going to cost you. Don’t forget to ask about the upkeep and care.

Clip-On and Other DIY Methods: The cheapest and often most easiest method of hair extensions are clip-ons. You can buy small wefts or large wefts, both of which you simply clip on in the back of your hair. Clip-ons are available in synthetic, human hair, or select blends of both. These are a better option for those who don’t want to commit to a style for a few months.

There is no right way or wrong way, the only thing that really matters is finding the hair extensions that are right for you. Here are some extra resources I think you might find useful.

Modern Enhancement Hair Extension Studios Fiber Extensions ProHair Sally Beauty Supply

Images from HairExtensions.com