Did you ever feel like you were in a rut?

I don't think that there is anything more depressing. A rut can be a bad relationship, a dead end job, or just the dismal feeling that this is life as good as it gets. Well, I am not a shrink, so I can't help you with these life issues, but I can help you with another horrible rut that we sometimes fall into.

You know that feeling when you let yourself go to seed? You really don't even realize it's happening until one day, you look in the mirror and say, "Who the heck is that?" or, "Oh, no. That can't be me." Staring back is usually a woman who hasn't cut or colored her hair in over a year, and probably hasn't even put on a pinch of lipstick.

My guess is that when women stop caring about their looks, it is a subconscious effort to "disappear." This allows them to "check out of life" for a while when things become a bit difficult, confusing, or just boring. Most hairdressers would agree that if a loyal client's maintenance schedule has become more than a bit lax something is usually not right in their personal lives. In fact, it's almost a shout for help. That's when friends, families, and hairdressers can group together and take the first step to help bring someone back to their life.

TIP - A hair cut, hair color, and a bit of makeup can be the quick fix that works to put on an instant smile, which is the beginning of a total new attitude about life.

The first thing I want to say about the makeovers for today’s segment is they are all wonderful, open minded, and bright women who's lives where forced to take some detours.

Junith home schooled her children and the children of others for a number of years that led to years of an isolated at home existence. Beth relocated to Florida to pursue a successful online relationship, but is still feeling out her new "digs." Diane entered nursing school after the death of her husband to start her life over. All three women are bold and brave. All three women needed complete makeovers.

Junith's hairline had become progressively grey over the years. She liked a warm brown hair color, but it would become a yellow-orange color around her face after a few shampoos.

TIP - Use a darker formula on the hairline where her hair is very grey, and another softer formula on rest of the darker hair. The end result is now more of an even shade and will look natural longer.

Vanessa, a talented stylist in my New York salon, cut many broken ends from Junith's hair to make it instantly look healthy and then gave her a soft wave. Junith now looks so fresh and young that I don't think her students would recognize her!

Diane let her hair grow long and grey after her husband’s death. Then she started nursing school and her looks went to the bottom on her list of priorities. She is a real care giver. She helps the elderly and Alzheimer’s patients. She spends no time on herself. I could not wait to get my hands on her hair!

Her grey hair washed her out, aged her, and gave her that "earth mother" look. You didn't have to be a genius to realize that restoring her brown hair color and cutting her excessively long hair to a chic bob would instantly transform Diane into an attractive and elegant woman.

TIP - Making Diane’s hair brown brought her complexion back to life. Vanessa's bob hair cut showed off Diane’s face shape. She now looks classic and timeless.

Beth moved to another state for love and never found a hair cutter she liked. She wore a classic mistake: She had two haircuts on one head. Short on the top and long hair in the back.

WARNING - Two hair cuts on one head are never allowed. You must blend the cuts together.

Vanessa cut over two feet of hair (!), blending the short and long of Beth’s hair. This cut shows off Beth’s beautiful face that was lost under all of her hair. I added more depth to her very blond hair and instantly emphasized her blue eyes and beautiful pale complexion.

These three women where open and ready for change. They were not only ready, but anxious to re-enter the world. I have a feeling their lives have just begun to change.

If you missed it live this morning, here's a clip from TODAY to see these life changing transformations. I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring for them!

• Try on hairstyles by Louis Licari on Makeover-O-Matic!
• Fall Hair Makeovers
• Teacher Makeovers
• Father's Day Makeovers

Highlighting is and has been the most popular blonde-ing process for many years. Probably because it is the most natural way to add color and dimension to your hair. Every set of highlights is unique to you, your hair color, and your hairstyle. Highlights can look like you were lucky enough to be born with them or like you live at your hair salon. They can look youthful and naive or sophisticated and elegant. This is exactly why they are so popular. No two highlights look exactly alike.

The style of highlights is always changing. Audrey Hepburn was the first to make platinum stripes her trademark in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Farrah Fawcett's streaks made her the Charlie's Angel we will never forget. Christie Brinkley looked perpetually kissed by the sun, Cindy Crawford wore two face-framing chunks of obviously fake blonde around her face and Gisele Bundchen only bothered to highlight the bottom half of her hair. They all looked fabulous.

You ask who are my favorite celebrities with highlights this season? I'd have to go with with Reese Witherspoon, Ali Larter, Portia de Rossi, Natalie Morales, Giuliana DePandi, Heidi Klum, and let's not forget the incessantly beautiful Michelle Pfeiffer.

Now that we decided that highlights are a great way to color your hair, let's talk about the easiest and the least expensive way to maintain this color. The answer is to do it yourself at home. I can see your eyes crossing as you are reading this blog, but I am going to walk you through this process step by step. Now take a deep breath and continue to read. I am going to keep this really simple.

The first decision is whether to use a hair painting kit or a highlighting cap. The color mixture for the cap is stronger and can make your hair blonder. The cap does make it more difficult to place the highlights exactly where you want them because you are pulling the strands from a general area through holes in a "hat".

Hair painting kits simplify the process. There are hair painting kits made especially for blondes, brunettes, and red heads. The color mixture is not as strong as the cap and they automatically develop to the appropriate shade to brighten your base color. You can also apply the hair color mixture on the exact hair you want highlighted. The hair painting kit delivers more "sure fire" natural results. Hair painting kits also prevent the aging "frosted" look from highlights that are too white. Always keep at-home hair color as simple as possible. Use a hair painting kit for at-home highlights.

TIP - Skip the highlighting cap. Go to a salon if you want a more dramatic result than a hair painting kit can provide.

Now it's time to read the directions on the color box. (I know! Boring!) Reading the directions can make the difference between looking like you are ready to walk the red carpet or like you need to wear a baseball cap.

Directions will tell you how to mix the color correctly and remind you not to forget to use your gloves. Pretty hair color and stained fingers don't go well together. Directions will explain how long to leave the color mixture on your hair. Usually, the lighter you want your hair to be the longer you leave the mixture on. I think all highlights should be within two shades of your base color.

Here is the TRADE SECRET to have your hair come out the perfect shade: Do a preview test. A preview test is mixing a small amount of the hair color together and doing a test on a tiny strand of your hair. This will allow you to see exactly how long it takes for your hair to become the perfect shade. The guess work is now gone and you are ready to highlight your hair.

The next step is to figure out what you want your color to look like.
TIP - Think of a celebrity’s hair color to give yourself a mental picture or a map of where you are going to place the highlights.

Style and dry your hair as you will wear it, or cut it first if you are going to sport a new style. This will allow you to see the natural nuances in your hair and where they fall. Most likely these are the strands of hair you will want to exaggerate with a brighter color. The strands to highlight are usually around the face or the focal points of your hair cut, i.e. Where your hair parts, where it is layered, or on the bangs.

TIP - To make the focal points of hair brighter you can always add a few more highlights on a second go-around. Remember, less is more, and contrast with your base color is what gives your hair color dimension.

Applying the color is easy. Dip the brush that comes with the kit into the highlighting mixture. Place a small amount of color on the tip of the brush and paint strands on as evenly as possible. You know how long to leave the color on because you have already done your preview test. Set your timer and shampoo and condition when the alarm goes off. You're done! It's that simple! Now dry your hair and get ready to fall in love.

I helped a model do her hair live on the Today Show on Tuesday, September 25. Watch the segment again (or for the first time if you missed it live!) to learn all my tips:

Tune into TODAY on Wednesday to watch Louis help some women who are "stuck in a rut" become fabulous!

• Why Less Is Definitely More!

This morning's segment on TODAY is fall hair trends. At first I thought this would be an easy entry to write because I just got back from the Emmys and I personally witnessed the latest and the greatest moments in fashion and beauty. As I was sitting at LAX waiting for my plane back to New York I was organizing my thoughts about the trendsetters and the fashion faux pas from the night before. And then it hit me and I made a sudden realization. How does this effect us, you know, "we the people?”

We all like to look good, stylish, sexy, pretty, handsome, and somehow show a bit of our personality. At the same time our look has to work with our lifestyle, budgets, and our day-to-day schlepping around. Does this mean we can't look like a movie star? I don't think so! I think we can look great, trendy, and like a million dollars for a lot less. It does take a little effort, but the rewards and response from friends and co-workers are priceless. Nothing is a greater luxury as an adult than having a few moments to take care of your self. Halle Berry, George Clooney: move over! The people that buy the Twizzlers and the popcorn at the movie theaters are about to take over.

TODAY sent three ladies to my New York salon to illustrate today’s beauty trends. All had tons of personality. They just flew in from different states around the country, and they never had met each other before. They had one thing in common however, and that was their attitude. Cindy Lauper described it best in her song, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun." With a few snips of the scissors, a bit of hair color, and a few Cosmo’s, the women had a totally new look.

My first future trendsetter was Sherry. Sherry's hair was a fine texture with a dark blond base and lighter blond highlights. She had so many highlights that her overall color looked solid blond. This color provided no texture, depth or volume to her hair. Full hair is in; flat hair is out. One of the easiest ways to give the look of "more hair" is to introduce a deeper base color at the roots and have hair lighter on the ends. This is called "texturizing color" and one of the most flattering looks for fall.

TIP- Use a darker formula on roots and do not work color through ends.

Trendsetter number two Kathleen was so excited and eager to update her look. She has been married for ten years, is about to renew her wedding vows, and was ready to get her sexy back! Hair color is one of the biggest trends for African American women. Hair color on this texture must be handled with care. There are often other chemical processes on this hair type that make the hair too delicate to color. The solution to this problem is simple and is the newest trend for African American hair color. Highlight extensions adding different shades of color, especially around the face where hair is most delicate, is a most in demand procedure.

TIP- To keep your hair color totally natural, add a few real hair color highlights and supplement them with extensions to maintain your fantasy color.

My third trendsetter was Heather. She walked in with long fine blond hair. Two words that should never be together in the same sentence are "long" and "fine." Trend three; fine hair should always be cut to have the illusion of body. Long, fine hair only looks good for five minutes after the blow dry. Adel cut her hair in a timeless bob that will look fuller longer and extremely chic even when it is worn straight. I made heather a soft golden red. It was much more flattering to her skin tone looked natural, and instantly gave her that "star" quality.

TIP- Fine hair requires more products. Mousses are especially effective on thin hair.

Trends for “real people” are what make us look good. The buzz words this season are waves, fullness, and glamour. Hair can be long or short, and any believable color as long as it looks good on your complexion. Be who you are, look the best you can look, and you will be on trend.

Can you relate these ladies' hair before and afters? What do you think?

Before & After Gallery:

• Celebrity Fall Hair Tricks

Here I am in Los Angeles on the day of the Emmys. You have to be in a coma not to realize that it's a special day. The gym was as busy as Grand Central Station at 7:00am. Every hairdresser and make-up artist in town has been booked weeks in advance and is packed and ready for any beauty emergency.

There is not a root or grey hair to be seen in Hollywood. Everyone looks fluffed, buffed and polished, even if they are going to watch the show on TV. Of course the people in the biz are concerned with the outcome of the awards, but as for the rest of us, we want to watch the fun, fashion, and the eye candy. The big question for us is who is will dominate the red carpet? It's almost 3:00pm. The first of the nominees are about to arrive. Let the games begin!

The all-star players are arriving. They include Ali Larter, Kyra Sedgwick, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Hayden Panettiere, Eva Longoria, Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi, Julia Louis Dryfuss, Debra Messing, Elizabeth Perkins, Katherine Heigl, Marcia Cross, and Kate Walsh. They are doing the meet and greet with Ryan Seacrest, and E!'s other Hollywood fashionistas. This is the perfect moment to notice trends, taste, and new directions in fashion and beauty.

The big hair news this evening is body is back. It doesn't matter if you wear it straight or wavy, hair must have body, bounce, and movement. It is officially time to throw away your flat irons and embrace your curling irons and rollers. Yes ladies, I said rollers! I know you won't throw away your hair spray but use it sparingly and force yourself to put it away. If your hair doesn't look like you can run your fingers through it you used to much spray. Brush it out and pray for the best.

Probably the newest and most flattering look of the night was glamorous waves. Eva Longoria, Teri Hatcher, Portia De Rossi, and Kyra Sedgwick all wore what looked like effortless waves. They looked beautiful and were right on trend. Their hair looked finished but soft and touchable.

The new straight hair had a strong showing at the Emmys. Julia Louis Dryfus, Marcia Cross, Eddie Falco, Debra Messing, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Ali Larter all wore straight hair that was either set in rollers or blow dried with large round brushes to make full manes of hair. Hair was full bodied even if it is was worn straight. Straight flat hair looked like last season's award shows.

Elizabeth Perkins, Hayden Panettiere, Heidi Klum, and Katherine Heigl's updos all had the glamor of old Hollywood but looked totally new. The tip to old Hollywood glamor looking new is to keep it simple. Groomed looks right, but every hair in place looks wrong.

Hair that tried to look like something it wasn't was the biggest mistake of the evening. Felicity Huffman tried to make her thin hair look full. It didn't quite work, but she still looked gorgeous. I think an inch off her hair with longer layers may have solved the problem. The beautiful Kate Walsh made the "too much hair spray" mistake. Remember: If your hair doesn’t look like it can move, it's probably not right. Get out the brush!

The show is about to begin. I can't tell you who the winners will be, but I can say that glamor is the trend. Looking pretty looks right.

Watch closely and learn from the pros! The best of the best are out tonight.

• Best & Worst of The Primetime Emmy Awards 2007
• Best & Worst Dressed: Emmy Awards 2007
• Emmy Winners 2007: The Complete List

I know the New Year begins January 1st, but Labor Day always felt like the start of the year to me. Kids are back at school, adults are back at work, long weekends and casual Fridays are over. We have bought or are buying new fall clothes and are waiting for the first chill to wear them. September's fashion magazines are the size of phone books and filled with new looks. Fashion week has started and the Emmy's are days away. Actors are on the talk show circuit promoting their Oscar-worthy movies and their new looks. What happens this month sets the trends that affect the way we all look at beauty and fashion for the rest of the year. I know at this very moment you are thinking, "Louis, I don't look or live like a model or an actress" and this might be true. But guess what! One of the women attending these events will have a hair-style or color that will send you running to your hair salon with her picture in hand.

I have been schmoozing with fashion designers and talking to hairdressers that create today's looks for this season's "it girls". The two words I kept hearing over and over were glamorous and sexy. Who knew Justin Timberlake’s single "Sexy Back" would be a fashion forecast? I know this doesn't sound like an easy fit in everyday life but don't be intimidated. Looking sexy and glamorous can be subtle and simple. It doesn't mean excessive prep time, but it does require a change of your routine.

Glamorous hair can be any length or texture. It looks controlled but never stiff. It always has movement, looks beautiful, and longs to be touched. Here's how you can have glamorous hair.

Glamour hair is easiest to achieve if your hair is naturally wavy. Apply a styling crème sparingly through your hair. Press hair to head and hold for ten seconds and then release. This will push wave in place to create a more controlled glamorous look. Let hair dry completely and then fluff with fingers.

Naturally Wavy Hair # 1

Naturally Wavy Hair # 2

Fine straight hair can be glamorous too! TIP - You must be heavy handed with styling products on fine hair. Saturate your hair with a mousse. Let hair dry about 90% and set four to six rollers on each side of the part. Spray rollers with a setting lotion. Zap roller with a hot dryer for a few moments. This will set straight hair into a wave pattern. Remove rollers when hair is dry and place waves with fingers.

Fine Hair #1

Fine Hair #2

Thick straight hair without movement is the most difficult to hold onto a glamour wave. Apply a mousse, styling crème, or setting gel to your hair. Next use a wide barrow curling iron and wrap your hair around the iron holding it close to your head. Leave the ends of the hair out. After you have pressed in the wave, pull the hair carefully from the iron. Flip your hair over your head a few times and be prepared to fall in love with your new look.

Thick straight hair without movement

Glamour waves are the first new look of the fall fashion season and year. Glamorous hair might take a few more moments than the "my hair will dry on the way to work" look, but it is worth it. Get ready to turn heads and have men melt. Here's to a happy and glamorous New Year!

All styling done by Jennifer Lawrence of Louis Licari New York and Beverly Hills Salons.

You know I am always looking at people. It's my job. Checking them out from head to toe, watching for any new trend that has yet to surface. In fact, I must confess I often send my assistant, Lottie, out on the streets to photograph anyone that looks out of the ordinary. Most of the time she comes back with pictures of people with an interesting and unique sense of style.

Sometimes the pictures are scary, so I put them in my "Oh, no, you didn't!" file. Initially these pictures were never meant to be viewed by anyone else but me. I then realized we could all learn from these "Oh no!" pictures. Many people are guilty of these mistakes, but few are photographed. Here are some of the people in question, all anonymous, of course:

Woman #1

Her story: "I was in a hurry, so I jumped out of the shower and threw a clip in my hair."
My reaction: "Oh, no, you didn't!"

These plastic jaw clips were made to hold your hair while you are styling your hair, washing your face, or applying make-up. They were never meant to be worn out of your home. This is not a hair accessory.

TIP: Buy a hair elastic, made especially for hair, to hold your hair back. It just as easy to use and you won't look like you ran out of the house in your bathrobe.

Woman #2

Her story: "I told my colorist I wanted pale baby blond hair. I made her promise that I would not see any gold tones."

...Of course my reaction was "Oh, no!"

Highlights without the slightest shimmer of gold look like old fashioned frosted hair. Pale highlights on darker colors look like grey hair. Blond hair has pale gold tones that brighten your hair; grey hair has ash tones that make it look dull.

TIP: Next touch-up, wash the highlights off ten minutes earlier than usual. Your hair will start to look blond, not grey.

Woman #3

Her story: "I always wanted long hair so I bought some."
My reaction: "Oh no, it looks like you did!”

Extensions should be a believable length, appropriate texture and color for your hair. When extensions are too thick and long, too curly or straight, or an unbelievable color, you are not fooling anyone but yourself. They look fake! Extensions must be chosen carefully and with restraint.

TIP: Extensions should look like thin strains of hair before they are applied to your head. They will look much thicker when they are attached.

Make sure your hairdresser cuts and thins out the extensions after they are applied to your head. This will give your new hair a believable length and texture and keep it looking real.

Woman #4

Her story: "I always end up putting my hair in a scrunchie."
My reaction: "Oh, no! Not another scrunchie!"

I think scrunchies have had their day. I know they are gentle on the hair. I know they come in many fabrics. I also know that you look like you have an old sock in your hair when you are wearing one. They are great to sleep in, wear when you are paying bills or organizing your closet. Think of them like your oldest pair of sweat pants. They are only to be worn at home.

TIP: The simplest twist is just as easy to put in your hair and you won't look like you are stuck in the '80s.

I want to thank Lottie for taking the pictures for today's blog. I can't wait until she hits the street again.

We can all learn from others’ mistakes. I was just sitting here thinking about that Caesar haircut I used to wear. Thank God there where no cameras around!