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Did you ever notice what these chosen few looked like before they became household names? In most cases they didn't look that much different from you or me. Their movie star looks evolved over time. They have had makeover after makeover after makeover. You, too, can look like the a star on the cover of a magazine. Star quality can be acquired. Just as they do, we have to work at it, and can borrow a few tips from our celebrity friends who have undergone these transformations.
Madonna has been around so long that we have forgotten what she looked like when she rolled around the stage singing "Like a Virgin" at the first MTV awards.
She was a bit, dare I say, chubby, and not nearly as refined as she looks now. I am not going to begin to guess if she has had cosmetic surgeries, and if so, what kinds (not my area of expertise!), but she has undergone many famous transformations. We have seen her body become more taut with each passing year, her hair go from blond to brown to blond again, from long to short, and from imitation Marilyn Monroe to dominatrix. She is constantly reinventing herself and, except for a few missteps, she always looks great. 
Pregnant women always seem content and fulfilled. This is especially obvious when a woman with child serenely touches her swollen belly. Undoubtedly, pregnant women often are at their most beautiful. Even with super-charged pregnancy hormones perking in their bodies, it is essential that they take care of their appearance. They will probably have to modify and adjust their maintenance routine as their body changes.
When you’re pregnant, the key to looking beautiful is accepting and dealing with the changes your body is going through. And everything does change. The amount of estrogen released in your body increases. As your belly grows, your may notice a change in your hair. Some women see that their hair has become limp and lackluster. If this happens to you, don't worry. This change is temporary. In the meantime, use styling products that add volume and shine, making the most of your new hair texture. On the other hand, you may be like most women and experience your dream hair during pregnancy. It grows faster, becomes thicker, and has a more radiant look. Luxuriate in your hair during your pregnancy, because you may well have some hair loss after the birth of your child or shortly after you stop breast feeding. Do not panic if this happens. Almost as soon as you notice you have less hair, you will see new growth around your hairline. It is simply a process of your hormones returning to their normal levels.
Some women feel the need to cut their hair to a more practical length during pregnancy or when they become new mothers. This is not always the best idea. Many women carry baby weight in their face. Hair that has long layers can give the illusion of a thinner face. Hair that is long enough to tie back is also easier for those days when you are too tired to be bothered with your hair.
Pregnancy and hair color has become a major issue for women, especially for women who have grey hair and become pregnant. The thought of a protruding belly and grey roots is more than many woman can handle. Even though there is little scientific evidence suggesting hair color during pregnancy is harmful to the baby, I always tell my clients to follow their doctor's recommendations. Some doctors suggest not coloring hair during the entire pregnancy; others suggest not doing it for the first trimester. Be sure to ask your doctor about highlights. Remind her or him that with this process, the hair color does not touch the scalp. Highlights can camouflage grey hair. Low lights (highlights with tint) can camouflage and cover grey.
The maternal instinct develops during the gestation period. The mother begins to protect her child even before birth. The instinct to take care of herself, however, can wane once the child is born. It is essential to take care of yourself to maintain a healthy mental attitude. This time with your child should be one of the most joyous times of your life. Look beautiful and be happy.
More from Louis Licari
- Try on new hairstyles from Louis Licari with Makeover-o-Matic
- Get more info from Today on iVillage
- Start with the right haircut. Shorter hair works best when you have fine hair. This will make hair with the finest texture look as full as possible. Extremely fine hair should be worn as short as your face shape will allow. If your hair is fine but has a bit of weight, a chin-length bob works best. The longest fine hair should be cut just above the shoulder with barely there long layers. If hair tends to separate or look see-through, it's too long.
- Use a light shampoo and conditioner. Heavy shampoos and conditioners will weigh down fine hair. Apply conditioner to ends of hair only, avoiding the scalp area. Be sure to thoroughly rinse after shampooing and conditioning.
- Hair color is the secret weapon to end flat hair. Besides covering grey or making your shade lighter or brighter, hair color adds body. Semi-permanent hair color coats the hair and permanent hair color is deposited in the shaft of the hair, making it feel thicker. Highlights or tone-on-tone color give texture that adds volume to hair.
- Sparingly use styling products that add volume without weighing hair down. Root lifts, mousses and hair sprays work best on fine hair. Pomades and silicone serums can weigh down fine hair. Apply styling products to roots of hair only. This will keep ends of hair light, full and touchable.
- It's all about the blow dry. A good blow dry is essential to having full hair. The easiest way to add volume is to tilt your head over and blow dry hair. When it's dry, flip head back and you will have instant volume. To add additional lift, use a brush to raise roots from scalp, section by section. The roots must be completely dry.
More from Louis Licari
- Try on new hairstyles from Louis Licari with Makeover-o-Matic
- Get more info from Today on iVillage
Who doesn't want to look younger? I guess there are the 15-year-old girls like Miley Cyrus who are trying to look older. But short of that group, I don't think I ever knew anyone who said she wished she looked older. Think about it. Women tighten their faces, plump them up, and use miracle make-ups to create the illusion of youth. They literally exercise their butts off or invest in a drawer full of Spanx to have the young-looking bodies they had as teens. Do you think Madonna, Demi Moore, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ellen Barkin or Susan Sarandon are couch potatoes? They work hard to look vital and vivacious and young. Have you ever seen better-looking post-fifty women? They'd be hard to find. This is the A-list. There are always the women who go too far in their quest for youth. I could make a list here, but the names are too obvious to mention. These women end up looking like mutants. You can't tell if they are old-looking young or young-looking old. This is an easy line to cross and must be carefully avoided.
Your hair is the easiest way to maintain a youthful appearance. It is also the best way to look your most beautiful. The right hairstyle complements the shape of your face and can actually give the illusion of a mini facelift. The wrong hair style - which is usually the one you have been sporting for more than five years - can actually drag your face down.
I would suggest you avoid extremes. Hair that is excessively long or very short is hard to wear. If you wear your hair long, be sure it has shaping around the face. I know I have said this before, but I still see this beauty faux pas all the time. If you are over a certain age, be aware of the length of your hair. There is nothing more horrible than someone who looks young from the back and old from the front. If you notice young guys doing a quick whip around after they see your face, you most likely need to rethink your hair style. Short hair should never look suburban, whatever your address. It should have style, flattering layers and a fringe to keep it looking soft and sexy. The rule here is that if it looks like a practical hair cut, it's the wrong hair cut.
Now it's time to talk about hair color. There is a myth that permeates American culture that blond hair looks young. Color that is a little softer and brighter can make you look younger, but it is not always the answer. Hair that is too light can drain the color from your complexion the same way grey hair can. To me, excessively blond hair is like carrying a sign that says you have turned grey. Did you ever wonder why there are so many blondes in Miami Beach? I will never forget a cartoon I saw in "The New Yorker" magazine of a bride being carried across the threshold by her groom saying, "Will you still love me when I am old and blond?" I think that cartoon said it all.
Color must flatter your complexion. It must make it come alive. I think the biggest problem with hair is that as the years go by it, looses its vibrancy. This can happen for two reasons: The number one reason is grey hair. I believe grey hair steals the life from hair color. The second reason is that hair color just fades over time. Hair color can start to lose its vibrancy as soon as puberty occurs. Brown hair loses its warm tones, blond hair becomes dull because it loses its golden tones, and red hair just fades to a no-color brown. The answer to young-looking hair is to put the rich color tones back. This can be done with semi-permanent or permanent hair color. Minimal highlights not too different from the base color can also solve this problem.
Everyone wants to look the best they can. There is nothing better than looking healthy and vital. The tip here is to keep it simple and do what's right for you. Trends are for teens, not people who want to look a few years younger than their years.
It can be a perfectly brilliant day. Everything is going great, the sun is out, and you feel good about yourself. You are loving life. ...Then it happens.
You are walking down the street and glance at a pair of "must have" shoes in a store window. As you feel your body becoming full of desire, your heart stops. You see your reflection in the store window. You notice your hair. You are horrified. Your roots are out.
I am not talking about dark "rock star" roots. I am talking about "Oh no! I'm grey!" roots. Grey usually starts right at your hairline around the age of thirty something. How unfair is this? Thirty isn't old. You don't feel old. But there it is, like a breaking news bulletin for the whole world to see. You're not a kid anymore.
What is even more annoying is that you notice your grey hairs before anyone else. When you look in the mirror to comb your hair or touch up your lipstick, the first thing you see are those first coarse, wire-like grey hairs that literally pop out of your head. Not only did they show up overnight, they look like they belong to someone else's head. To make matters worst, you know more greys will follow. None of this puts a smile on your face.
But let's get real! It's not the end of the world. We just have to learn how to deal with our dreaded first few and incredibly annoying grey hairs.
Sometimes grey hairs come out in one spot. This is a good thing. This makes it easy just to cover the grey hairs and color the rest when you want to, not because you have to.
TIP - Buy disposable mascara brushes. They make it easy to apply color specifically to your new grey hairs. This is especially important at touch up time.
WARNING: Don't overlap hair color. The hair around your hairline is a finer texture than the rest of your hair. This means it will absorb color quicker and darker. I would use a permanent color, a shade lighter than your natural color. Use a color with a neutral base. The base color is labeled on the bottle. This will provide the best grey coverage. Since you are covering only a spot of grey hairs, there is no need to mix the entire bottle of color. Mix only as much as you are going to use.
Remember, once the color is mixed it will only work for a half an hour. Reseal the unmixed color and developer in their own bottles and they should last at least a year. I promise you will use the color faster than its expiration date.
Sometimes grey hair grows in scattered throughout your head. There often isn't enough of it to read as grey hair, but it does make your hair look dull and lifeless. The solution to this problem is to apply a semi-permanent color all over your hair in a lighter shade than your natural color. This will cover the grey hairs and emphasize your natural highlights. When you pick the right hair color shade, the grey hairs will appear to be highlights. This looks great and will avoid an obvious root line.
WARNING: Semi-permanent colors can appear darker and more opaque than their color description. Always color a few strands of hair at the nape of your neck before you apply color to your entire head. This will allow you to see your new color and avoid any surprise endings.
The most difficult grey to cover is usually people with dark hair who seem to have gone grey overnight. They usually have a high percentage or a large streak of grey. This color combination shows no mercy. It can require touch-ups as often as every two weeks. You can make your hair a bit lighter, so the grey hair isn't as obvious as it grows in. This only works if a lighter hair color works with your complexion.
If lighter hair washes out your skin color, you must maintain your dark hair. The solution is to cover all the roots with the appropriate color every four to six weeks. You can cover the grey you notice, usually around your face and on part of your hair, more frequently. Remember to do a shade test before you use any color on your hair. A dark hairline almost always looks harsh and artificial.
Color companies have made between time touch-up kits for this specific purpose and they do work. Read the web sites or the charts on the color boxes. Be sure to pick the right color shade. Take your time so you don't over lap color. It's easy to do and you will be loving life again when your grey is covered.
Blondes go grey too. They usually have an easier time with grey, because it's not as obvious on lighter hair. Highlights will blend away grey hair initially, but at one point you will have to do an all over color.
TIP: Don't go too blond. Your face will blend with your hair color and you will disappear. Contrast is the key to looking vital. If you look like Casper the Ghost before make-up, it's time to go a shade darker.
There is no doubt that covering grey hair is a bore to maintain. The good news is that nothing you do will make you look prettier, younger, and more vibrant than covering your grey. Some at home kits only take 10 minutes and at the most a half an hour. It is the quick fix that works! Now why where we panicked about a few grey hairs? I barely remember!
Hair Credit: Arsen Gurgov
More from Louis Licari
- Try on hairstyles by Louis Licari on Makeover-O-Matic!
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:
Watch the segment from TODAY:
Tune into TODAY on Wednesday to watch Louis help some women who are "stuck in a rut" become fabulous!
More Coloring Tips from Louis:
Over the years standing behind the chair I have heard many hair myths. Many people take them as absolute truths because they have literally been passed on from generation to generation. Some myths are totally absurd, such as: "cut your hair on the full moon to make it stronger". If this were true, salons and hair dressers would have lunar calendars posted and circled on full moon days. Some are half truths: "switching shampoos will keep your hair healthier". Switching shampoos will not keep your hair healthier but if you change from a heavy conditioning shampoo to a lighter and cleaner shampoo it might give your hair the appearance of more body and fullness.
There are more old wives tales about hair than old wives. Today I will separate fact from fiction.
Here are a few of the most frequently told myths.
1) Pull one grey hair and three more will grow. FICTION! Grey hair is a different texture than your natural hair. It is courser and more wiry. This means it will not lay down smoothly with the rest of your hair. When you pluck a grey hair it will grow popping straight out of your hair like a little antenna. Your grey hair does become more noticeable but plucking does not promote the growth of other grey hairs.
2) Once you start to color your hair you will color it forever. FALSE! Hair color can grow out gracefully. This is usually done by slowly changing your colored hair closer to the shade of your natural hair color, slowly reducing the amount of color, or switching to a semi-permanent hair color until your natural color returns. Most people forget their natural color quickly and like the look of their colored hair. The thought of going back to natural sounds good but usually doesn't work. This is especially true if your hair has started to go grey. Can you go back to your natural color? Yes! Will you choose to go back to your natural color? Probably not!
3) Cut your hair to make it grow. FALSE! Hair grows about one half inch a month. Cut it one half inch and your hair will stay the same length. If you want to grow your hair leave it alone and it will grow. Small trims will keep your hair in shape as it grows and help to avoid awkward stages but they will slow down the growth process. Hair that has excessively split ends is never pretty and should always be trimmed.
4) Split ends can be repaired with conditioning and tender loving care. FALSE! Once hair is split it will remain split no matter how much you condition your hair. A hair cut is the only "cure" for split ends. I would suggest that you trim your hair if split ends are a problem. A small trim can avoid bigger problems. The split end can continue to split up the hair shaft.
5) My hair turned grey over night after a stressful life moment. FALSE! I have had women tell me this for years. There is no reason to disagree and add more stress to their lives so I keep my lips closed. Your greying pattern is predisposed in your genetic gene pool. When you go grey and how grey you become has already been determined. Accidents, illness, financial worries, or any other hard times have nothing to do with grey hair.
6) Brushing your hair 100 times is good for your hair. FALSE! Brushing hair can easily rough up the cuticles of your hair and make it look duller. Brushing can also cause split ends. This is why we have natural bristle brushes or synthetic brushes that are especially designed to be gentle on the hair. Brush your hair gently in place and leave it alone
7) Cold water rinses add shine to your hair. FALSE! The theory is cold water closes the hair's cuticle and makes it smooth and shinny. Sorry to say this theory is false. Cold water will keep you alert and refreshed but it will not add shine. You must use a conditioner to add extra shine.
8) Frequent shampooing can dry out your hair. TRUE and FALSE! Everyone's hair is different. Fine hair tends to be oily and thick course hair tends to be dry. You must shampoo and condition accordingly. Frequent and improper use of hair dryers, curling irons, and flat irons that often follow the shampoo are harmful to the hair. Use with caution.
9) Hair is most fragile when wet. TRUE! Hair is elastic and breakable when wet. This is why I always talk about the importance of using a wide tooth comb. Be gentle with your hair when it's wet. Even the strongest hair texture can snap with a rough quick combing.
10) Women can experience hair loss with age. TRUE! Women's hair does tend to become thinner with age. It is not as obvious as hair loss in men but a woman's hair often becomes less dense around the fiftieth birthday. A new haircut and body building products are the best remedy.
I think those are the top ten hair myths. There is no need to consult your astrologer or to bring your lucky charm to the hairdresser. A little knowledge and a lot of common sense will help you maintain a great looking head of hair.
Cameron Diaz is back to blond. Praise the Lord! She was a good-looking brunette, but now she is the blond goddess she was always meant to be. Jessica Simpson’s brown hue seems to be slowly lightening to a softer shade. She wore her John Mayer "look-alike brown" well, but her new highlights are making her brown hair go from pretty to gorgeous.
Did either one of these stars make a beauty faux pas? Hardly!
We are seeing stars change their colors more than ever before. I think Linda Evangelista took the top off the tint bottle forever when she changed her color four times in four days. Women were in awe of Linda, the supermodel who made a fortune from her looks and would change her hair color on a whim. Hair color had officially become the number one fashion accessory and, as we all know, fashion constantly changes. Gone are the days of having one hair color formula for the rest of your life. Your hair color formula isn't forever, it's for right now. Your formula can change from touch up to touch up. Your color should always be changing, from season to season, or hairstyle to hairstyle.
Hair color is the quick fix that works. You can go brown, red, or even blond in less than an hour. Just because you can however, doesn't mean you should. Frequent dramatic color changes will affect the condition of your hair.
WARNING - No hair color looks good on fried hair. So what's the answer?
TIP - Change the color of your hair slowly. A few small changes later and you will have a new hair color.
Let's talk about changing color like the stars and not having to look like you are a star in a bad "B" movie.
Cameron and Jessica both went from blond to brown. Before you make a change like this, be sure it's something you really want to do. The finer the texture of your hair, the more delicate it is and the more color will effect its condition. It's usually not that difficult to go brown, but to go back to blond can be heartbreaking and hair-breaking. Don't try this much of a hair color change at home. Remember, the women we see in the magazines have the best of the best at their beck and call. Linda Evangelista and I were joined at the hip in her rapid color-change days.
The other thing you must realize is that stars cheat color with rinses, extensions, and wiglets to achieve an instant change. Did you notice that Lindsay Lohan’s hair became longer and thicker as a blond? Sarah Jessica Parker's hair certainly looks fuller with each new picture of her hair color campaign. Hair color does add body to hair, but I didn't know it added inches! What do you think that's about? Hmmm!
I believe in change, especially when you do it slowly. Small changes keep you looking fresh and up-to-date. If you decide to go for a big change, be sure your hair is healthy enough for your new look. Try on a wig in your fantasy color to get a preview of your new look. Remember, your hair will probably be a different tone than the wig, but you will get the general idea of what the new color looks like on your skin color.
Most important blog TIP - Small changes can be done at home. Big changes must be done at the salon.
Enjoy your new hair color!
I want to give you a "heads up" about Thursday’s TODAY show. I will be working with one of my favorite charities, Locks of Love. Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces for children suffering long term hair loss from any medical diagnosis. That's right, all women with long hair that has been growing forever! It's time to give it up!
You will feel great about donating your hair and you will look better too! You probably grew your hair long because you did not know what else to do with it. You know it's time for a change, but the thought of having a staid, boring, short haircut is horrifying. Calm down, Rapunzel! Short hair can be very chic and incredibly sexy. Concentrate on your breathing and let's look at some great looking short hair styles for Spring/Summer 2007.
First of all, I have to say that short hair this season is not that short. Short hair has never been longer, especially around the face. Bangs are flirty, swooping down foreheads and touching the eyes. Hair without bangs is shorter at the nape, with length and movement around the face.
The first new short hair cut that I must mention is Victoria Beckham's. It is an incredibly chic new haircut with a tapered nape, an asymmetric front, and long bangs. The girl always looks sensational and has more style than most of the glitterati. I just can't figure out why she never smiles. She has beautiful children, dream homes, and David “Bend It Like” Beckham. I mean, this girl has it all! Hey Victoria, what's that pout about?
The second long short 'do I want to talk about is Jenny McCarthy. Jenny has a short layered bob with longer hair around her face. This haircut changes her image from California blond girl to sexy chic girl. This angled hair cut is strong enough to give her style even when she is in her sweats and Uggs. Jenny is always smiling with her new style and so is her beau Jim Carrey.
I know the big argument against short hair is that it is such a nightmare to grow it out. Don't be so negative! You might love your new not so short 'do and want to keep it forever. Well, for right now at least! Sienna Miller cut her hair into a retro ‘60s “Twiggy cut" to play Edie Sedgwick in Factory Girl. The cut had a long, heavy bang with a short boy's cut in the back. Sienna has been having fun with her hair ever since and has never looked back. She has worn many different styles as her hair is growing and it always looks great.
Part of the fun of short hair is the styles that you discover as it grows. I noticed that Sienna has been making her “growing out hair” look short again. Do you think Sienna will cut her hair in another short style? I would not be surprised!
Short hair has style, and so will you if you choose to go short. If you decide to go short, you must be sure that your haircut is the right one for you. Bring pictures of your favorite short styles to your hairdresser. He or she will be able to tell you if you made a good choice for your face shape and hair texture.
Watch the show on Thursday and see if you fall in love with a new short style. Also, be sure to check out locksoflove.org. What could be better? A new you, and helping a child in need.
See you Thursday!
