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The easiest way to change your hair color is to choose an all-over color. Drugstore varieties of hair dye are inexpensive ($4 to $15), and handy photo swatches on the box show you what you'll start with and what you'll end up with. To ensure a flattering result, the experts at Lucky magazine advise staying within two shades of your natural color. If you're a natural brunette, for example, don't expect to go platinum blond your first time out. You can get there eventually---but it may take a cycle or two to get there (brunette to honey blond to platinum blond, for example). New York City colorist Jason Backe tells InStyle readers to go with a rich cocoa color, since it "has a dramatic quality that you just don't get from lighter shades."
Before you pick your shade, consider your skin tone. Pale skin can look washed out next to hair that's at either end of the color spectrum: white-blond or Morticia Addams black. Pick a medium blond or light brown in shades of honey or caramel for a natural look. Medium skin can handle darker brunette shades, but should avoid white-blond hues. Dark-skinned women can handle shades ranging from black to burgundy to chocolate. An overall light color should be avoided; use highlights to add blond color if you want to lighten up. -
Highlights and lowlights add strips of complementary color to your hair. Highlights blend several lighter shades throughout the top layer of your hair, while lowlights blend darker shades. Recent developments in home hair color allow you to add highlights at home, although many women prefer the sure hand of a salon stylist. The goal here is giving you a natural, sun-kissed look---as if your time in the sun had artfully faded your hair in places.
If you use a home highlighting kit (approximately $7 to $10, in drugstores everywhere), you'll "paint" thin sections of hair with a complementary color of dye. Begin about a quarter inch below your part, and paint each desired strand all the way through to the tip. If your hair has already been chemically lightened, highlights are not recommended---the possibility for damage is too great. Try lowlighting instead, to add depth and sheen with shades one to two hues darker. - If you are not satisfied with tame shades of blond, brown or red, you can visit beauty supply stores (such as Sally Beauty) to buy funky shades of dye in primary colors, pastels and neon brights. Not for the faint of heart, these colors are usually seen in face-framing streaks instead of all-over color. If you have dark brown or black hair, you will need to bleach your hair with hydrogen peroxide before applying the dye. Celebrities who have tried these eye-catching colors include Gwen Stefani (pink, aqua), Kelly Osbourne (pink), Amber Rose (blue) and Rachel McAdams (pink).
