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!