Not for nothing, but after doing "Ambush Makeover" for more than a couple of years I have only gained more respect for hair color. I am constantly overwhelmed by the power and importance of hair color. I think that hair color is the quickest way to dramatically change your looks. You can look younger, prettier, sexier, completely natural, or incredibly chic and stylized. The true miracle of hair color is that in most cases it takes less than an hour to complete the process. On the Today show's Ambush Makeover I color hair in less than half that time. Hair color truly is the quick fix that works. I am fully aware of that hair color is only one part of "Ambush". I truly believe it is the most significant change that sets the tone for the makeover's cut and style, make-up, and clothes. I know this statement might ruffle a few feathers in the fashion and beauty community, and maybe even with the other members of the "Ambush" team. I am not trying to emphasis my importance or underplay the significance of a great haircut, perfect make-up, and a great looking outfit. I am solely talking about the power of hair color.

I have made many dramatic color changes on young girls over the years. Many times the change was for young actors playing a movie role or an attempt for a real girl to look like her favorite "it" girl of the moment. I think hair color on young girls is fine but I do suggest subtle changes. I always think of hair color as make-up. You and your hair color are most likely beautiful as a teen. Very little needs to be done, you are perfect already. But if you want to have fun and color your hair I only have one comment. Color it! A touch of hair color is no different than trying on a lipstick. It's a fun way to try a different look. It always grows. Now is the perfect time to experiment. By the way, you can also get away with color choices that probably won't work when you are a bit older.

Did you ever feel like you were fading away? You know that horrible feeling when you look in a mirror and you feel as invisible as a ghost. This usually happens when your hair color and skin color are the same tone. This can occur when your hair color starts to go grey or simply when your natural hair starts to fade as time passes.

It can also happen when you pick the wrong hair color. When your skin color and hair color blend together, you have made a wrong color decision. Most people think about hair color when they start to go grey. The actual reason most people start to color their hair is because their skin and hair color turn a similar shade, making them feel washed out. The usual solution to this problem is to pile on more and more makeup until they look alive again. This is simply a Band-Aid to hide the problem. The best solution is to pick the color that will provide contrast with your skin color. This will instantly put the color back in your complexion.

Blah brunettes are boring. Brown hair is one of nature's most beautiful colors. Darker hair colors almost always have more shine than any other color. Upon closer examination, you realize that dark colors are multidimensional and often include subtle warm chestnut and chocolate tones. This makes brown hair anything but boring. In fact it can be one of nature's most flattering shades.

But brown hair does change over time. The hair color you have at 20 is different from what you have at 30, and it only continues to dull with passing years. It is essential that you maintain your vibrant brunette color. This is an instant age-eraser that will keep you looking young. You probably should not color your hair as dark as it once was, but you must keep it a rich brown to maintain the perpetual glow of youth.

Botox, fillers and peels, which at one time seemed to be accessible to most everyone, now seem like a fantasy exclusively reserved for the rich and famous. This is the year we are all tightening our financial belts. No one is exempt from the fallout of the financial crisis. Everyone has fewer beauty dollars to spend on maintenance routines. Does this mean we are doomed to looking dull and dreary until the financial markets turn around? The answer is no!

It has never been more important to look our best. Looking good is vital for our self-esteem. Whether you are one of the many looking for employment in this horrible job market or are just trying to put your best face forward, looking good is essential. Your hair color and style can erase years from your looks. Going to your local hair salon is guaranteed to be less expensive than a visit to your dermatologist, and it's a far easier alternative to rejuvenate your appearance. When you take care of your hair and make the right style and color choices, it is simple to create a younger and more vibrant image.

The condition of your hair is key to looking young. Nothing is more aging than dry brittle hair with little or no shine. It is important to maintain a conditioning routine and trim hair as necessary. If you start to notice split ends, it's time for a haircut.

Grey hair is not the only reason to color your hair. Almost all hair color turns dull and ash over time. Adding a pinch of warmth to your color will instantly turn back the hands of time. Remember that ash highlights look more like grey hair than blond and should always be avoided.

Making your hair too light or dark is WRONG! This is one of the most common hair-color mistakes made today. Excessively light hair will drain the color from your face and give you a washed-out look. Hair that is colored too dark will make you appear tired and haggard. It is best to stay within two shades of your natural hair color.

Whether long or short, layered hair gives you a younger look. Face-framing layers will emphasize your good features while disguising age-revealing features. It is essential to keep layers at proper length to maintain a youthful appearance.

Bangs can hide a multitude of sins. The easiest way to disguise those first annoying brow lines is to wear bangs. Remember that bangs can be cut blunt or in a delicate fringe. They can be worn straight down or to the side. It is important to pick the right bangs for your face shape and facial features. Your hairdresser will help you make the right choice.

Looking young doesn't have to cost a fortune. Having the right cut and color will make you appear years younger. It truly is the quick fix that works. Make your hair salon appointments today.

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My hectic day was over. I was home, had already picked out my suit and tie for the next day's TODAY show segment and was mindlessly watching TV in my favorite old sweats and a tee shirt. Just as I was finally feeling relaxed, my blackberry buzzed on my night table. Being a total "crack"berry addict, I automatically grabbed the phone. It was an email from my sister, Sandy, in Washington, DC. It read as follows:

NEED YOUR ADVICE

Louis, I am emailing you because I am too embarrassed to call. About a week ago I needed to brighten up my look and knew I couldn't get to New York for a while.

I picked up some over-the-counter color (permanent, of course). Needless to say, it turned out terribly. I lost all my beautiful highlights and now my hair has an awful brassy orange tint. You are not going to believe this, but I have tried to fix it using different colors. The color won't move (still has the awful orange tint). Also my hair is now super dry, though I've been using your Instant Deep Conditioner, which helps.

Is there anything I can do now without damaging my hair any more than I already have? Since I can't get to see you in New York for a while, I have to go to someone locally, but I don't even know what I should tell them. Can you help?

Sandy

P.S. I am going to Hawaii in a month and I want to look fabulous!

As I read the email, my stomach turned. My own sister--a phone call away from a VIP appointment at the salon--wrecked her beautifully salon-colored hair with at-home color.

I immediately called her...

Just a few short years ago the word "green" was never uttered above a whisper in hair salons. The thought of a clients hair turning any shade of this hue would send shivers up the spine of both the hairdresser and client. As the hairdresser would scramble to remedy this horrific situation the client would often have tears welling in her eyes wondering, "Why me?"

Then Al Gore made a movie called "An Inconvenient Truth". The movie won Gore an Oscar and made the rest of the world instantly aware of how our lifestyle was stripping the earth of its natural resources. The word "green" suddenly had a new connotation and became the new buzz word attached to the most savvy products. "Green" was no longer a dirty word in hair salons. Everyone wanted the green experience to be integrated in every part of their life.

No, you don't have to stop styling or coloring your hair to be green. The good news is that there are many simple beauty solutions that are environmentally friendly. Most of them are common sense.

1. Color your hair less frequently by choosing a shade close to your natural color. This will allow your new color to blend with your natural color while avoiding a strong root line.

2. Keep your coloring time short. Unless you are over 20% grey you don't have to leave the color on a full 30 minutes. The color can be left on for 15 minutes and still make your color vibrant and blend away the grey hair.

3. Keep the color off your scalp. Start your color 1/4" off your scalp. Let color develop and then run color through root area for the last 3-5 minutes. This will give the illusion of depth at the roots and allow color to blend with the rest of the hair color.

4. Rinse hair thoroughly after coloring. There is a cleansing agent in all hair color that is activated when wet. This will be sure to rid you scalp of any residual hair color. This is also a great way to prevent stains from hair color on your pillow cases.

5. Save water, save time, look sexy. Don't shampoo everyday unless you have fine, oily hair. Most hair has more body on day two. Place shampoo on roots only and never rinse and repeat.

6. Rinse hair with cold water. Using cold water requires less fuel consumption and decreases pollution. Cold water is refreshing to the scalp and helps to add shine to your hair.

7. Buy large size shampoos and conditioners. This will allow you to refill your small size containers as needed. You will use less plastic and almost always have your favorite shampoo and conditioner on hand.

8. Have a beer with every shampoo. Beer is a great way to add body and shine to your hair. Put your favorite beer in a spray container. After shampooing spray hair with beer and proceed with styling. The smell of beer will dissipate as the hair dries.

9. Chamomile tea is a natural golden blond toner. If your highlights oxidize to frosty ash color you can add gold with chamomile tea. Simply brew a strong tea and let it cool to room temperature. Rinse tea through your hair and style as usual.

10. Beware! Not all natural remedies work. People often ask me if olive oil is a good conditioner for dry hair. Olive oil is heavy and almost impossible to shampoo out of your hair. By the time your hair is clean it will be dryer than it was before your oil treatment. It's much better to use a product especially made to condition your hair.

Being green doesn't mean you have to forget about your pretty self. Looking good and taking care of your self is living green. Be smart! Be beautiful! Go green!

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Can you believe that summer is almost over? Time really does fly! September is just a few weeks away and that means it's time to rethink your hair color for fall. Almost all hair color needs repair after a long hot summer and this summer is no different. In the sun, hair color often gets oxidized to a shade not found in nature. What looked sun-kissed in July often looks dry and brittle by fall. Now is the time to take action to repair your hair color and restore its condition.

There is another reason to re-evaluate your color: The look of hair color has taken a new direction. Hair color for fall 2008 is the most natural palette we have seen in years. Gone are the exaggerated blonds, garish reds, and opaque browns. If your hair color doesn't look natural, you've picked the wrong color.

Perhaps the most shocking color news of all is that highlights have become less important. Highlights used to be the universal color solution to make every color brighter. Highlights now seem to look best on hair that is light brown or blond. All other hair colors look best with a subtle, single-process color that enhances your natural shade. Does your hair coloring look streaked or frosted? Does it have excessively ash tones? Do your highlights need to be maintained more than every three or four months? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it's time to make a change.

Semi-permanent colors are the best way to restore your natural color after a sun-drenched summer. Semi-permanent colors tend to be more translucent than permanent colors. They will restore faded color and tone down excessively highlighted hair. Most importantly, the translucent quality of semi-permanent colors will maintain your hair's natural color nuances. It is key for all hair color to have subtle shade variations to keep it looking natural. Avoid using the darker shades. Remember hair is more porous after it has been sun-bleached and will have a tendency to absorb color. Pick a shade lighter than you want and leave the color on for only five to ten minutes. This will prevent excessively dark and opaque shades.

Warmer hair colors continue to be a major trend this fall. They instantly give hair a more vibrant look and complement most skin tones. Ash tones can drain color from your face and are often aging. If warm colors clash with your complexion, pick a neutral shade. This will keep your hair from looking dull and you from looking older.

I know that August is just about to begin, but now is the time to think about your look for fall. A hair color change is the easiest and fastest way to update your look. Get ready! Your fall color countdown has begun!

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You are walking down the street and you find yourself staring at a woman's mane of hair. You feel a bit like a stalker because all you want to do is look at her hair from every angle. You almost want to touch it. It is the perfect texture. The way the light hits her hair is mesmerizing. It has a glow and a shimmer that seem to come from within. The combination of tones is perfectly balanced. Even the "too bright" highlight that perpetually falls in her eye is seductive. Her hair is perfect.

Then you catch a glimpse of yourself in a store window and your heart sinks. You feel like a total loser. Your hair just doesn't have the vibrancy of the woman's hair that made your heart melt. Yours looked great in the bathroom mirror when you blew it out this morning, but now you know it's not even close to the perfection of your dream hair. Your hair texture is very fine and it separates. Instead of a mane of hair, you have wispy hair that seems to become invisible as it grows long. And the color looks blah. It's not a strong all-over color or a tone-on-tone color with depth and dimension. It's just a blend of colors that mesh together and don't seem to be doing much to brighten your face.

What is wrong with this picture? Why don't you have the hair you long for? Are you genetically deficient or totally incompetent with a hair brush and spray? I suspect that neither of these things is true. You may not think you have the hair you deserve, but I bet you have the hair that is right for your face.
TIP - Accept your hair's texture and color family to let its true beauty come through. Your motto to true beauty should be: "Lose the battle and win the war! Accept your God-given hair, and make the most of it."

One of the biggest problems that women have with their hair is their own reluctance to accept its texture. You might think it's too fine and flat, or frizzy, kinky or curly -- or a combination of the above. Basically, what this means is that many of you probably torture your hair daily to make it look like something it's not. Most women become bored with their look and like to play dress-up or dress-down with their hair. There is nothing wrong with this if it's done on an occasional basis. Change is exciting and fun. But it becomes a problem if you can't leave the house without an hour-long blow dry, or if you have to visit your salon more than three times a week. This means you have a serious problem and it's time to rethink the style and cut of your hair. Tortured hair is damaged hair. Damaged hair is never pretty. It should be avoided at all costs.

Lusting for another person's hair color, especially when it doesn't relate to your own color at all, is the best reason to proceed with caution. Everyone's hair takes to color differently. The color you end up with depends on varying factors. These can include your natural hair color, hair that has already been colored, the amount of grey hair you have, and the texture of your hair. Everyone's hair color is unique.
WARNING - Even though we can make dramatic color changes with today's hair color technology, it's usually not a good idea. More dramatic change usually results in hair that is more difficult to maintain, turns brassy quickly, and ends up in rough condition. It is almost always better to pick a new hair color that relates to your natural color. This will guarantee that it will complement your complexion. Besides the obvious reason of covering grey, this is why we color our hair. We want our skin to look radiant. We want to look the best we can.

If you do find yourself in love with someone else's color, and you find yourself lusting for a change, always proceed with caution. The color you are dreaming of is probably not the color you should have. Some of our best fantasies are best left alone. Remember the expression, "Always be careful what you wish for." It's usually true.

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Rehabs have been one of the biggest trends of 2008. We have seen our most famous celebrities go into rehab for drinking, drugs, sex addiction, racial slander (I still don't get that one), and exhaustion. I am most amazed by the short duration people spend in rehab. People tend to be in and out of rehab in a few days. A month seems like an eternity, 3 weeks is a lifetime, 2 weeks is the norm, but there is always the Berlitz course that takes five days or less. Usually there is the rather rough entry photo that appears in the press (remember Britney’s famous bald umbrella attack), and a more glamorous quick picture upon departure. The paparazzi are well rewarded for their most awkward shots. Substance abuse used to require months in rehab and often repeated visits. After release from rehab there would be the mandatory AA meetings and the 12 steps to keep them on the straight and narrow. This is now apparently old school thinking.

Hair color can be addicting. I have known many women who have been powerless over hair color. There are women who can't be blond enough, (Christina Aguilera, Pam Anderson, Donatella Versace), red enough, (Tilda Swinton, Marcia Cross, or Debra Messing), or dark enough, (remember Ashlee Simpson with her raven hair and prominent nose, Cameron Diaz in her post J.T. look, and who will ever forget Angelina Jolie with her raven black hair the night she planted one on her brothers' lips).

Before you make one of these dramatic color changes it is time to seek out the color expert in your town to be sure you are making the right color decision. Once you have made a dramatic color change and it proves to be the wrong color choice you have to seek the help of a power greater than yourself: the color professional. The color specialist will slowly bring your hair back to a more appropriate color. Any attempted rush hair color corrections will result in hair that is in desperate need of repair. Hair that is not healthy does not take color as well as hair in good condition. Rush jobs could make the color correction take twice as long.

Take a picture of yourself with the hair color that did not work. This will stop you from making any other rush decisions when you see a hair color that looks beautiful in a picture but is not appropriate for you. It will also help you to understand why the hair color choice did not work, which usually means it did not relate to your skin color. Dramatic hair color changes can be too invasive for some hair textures and result in bad condition hair. There is nothing uglier than hair in bad condition no matter what the color.

There are solutions for bad hair color decisions. You are not going to like all of them but they will help you retrieve your color.

1. See a professional and be open to their advice. Listen to how long the rehab will take and what it will involve. Write down the questions that you want answered. Listen closely to their answers. I know that people often have selective hearing during consultations. This can lead to more heartache and disappointment.
2. Cut your hair if you are emotionally ready for another change. This is the quickest way to speed up the color removal process.
3. Condition your hair with heat. Hot conditioners will help to remove hair color. I know that not too many people have bonnet hair dryers at home, but conditioning your hair in a plastic baggie and then wrapping it in a hot damp towel will do the trick. Change the hot towel after ten minutes and repeat procedure.
4. 4) Let your hair see the light of day. Use a sun block on your face but throw away your hats. Nothing will fade hair color quicker than the sun. Your new conditioning routine will keep your hair healthy.

Avoid impulse coloring. Make sure the color you choose is right for you. iVillage.com has a "Makeover-o-Matic" that will let you see how you will look in your fantasy color, cut and style before you apply the first drop of color or take off the tiniest snip of hair. It makes trying on a hair color as easy as slipping in and out of a dress. If you think you are powerless over the constant desire to change your hair color, the "Makeover-o-matic" is the perfect tool for you.

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Tonight I am teaching a single-process class to the assistants at my Beverly Hills salon. I often learn as much as they do because teaching class forces me to rethink and pare down hair color theory to its simplest form so it becomes easy to understand.

Class night was full of action. There was a Paris Hilton sighting at the restaurant Mr. Chow's which is directly across the street from the salon. People are still fascinated with her. The paparazzi went crazy. I am personally amazed her 15 minutes lasted this long. Janice Dickinson stopped by the salon to say hello. She made a grand entrance and was actually very sweet to all the clients. She might be a bit eccentric but she is a spirited woman that puts a smile on everyone's face. She was helping the assistants critique the coloring of models scheduled that night. The models and assistants loved every moment. She actually has a very good color eye. She breezed in and out and then we got down to serious business.

Color class models often color their hair at home. This provides me with a chance to see what makes at-home color work and all of the most frequent at-home color mistakes. As you all know, I believe in at-home color. I think that it provides a viable way for people who can't afford the time, money, or both to take advantage of the wonders of hair color.

The big tips for surefire results for at-home users are things I said many times before.

1. Always stay within a few shades of your natural color.
2. Avoid frequent color changes.
3. Do a preview or strand test to see the results before you begin.
4. Never use at-home color over hair that has been previously chemically processed (i.e. permed, relaxed or straightened)
5. Never try to color your hair black or platinum blond at home.
6. Hair to be colored at home should be in good condition.

The biggest mistake I see in coloring is when people become obsessed with covering every grey or try to be the blondest or the reddest they can be. They will bring in pictures from magazines that are too light, air brushed, and photo shopped. These colors are impossible to achieve unless you wear artificial Dynel wigs. This is why class models frequently color their hair at home in between class touch-ups. They are attempting to achieve impossible results. This can result in a number of gross errors that might take a long time to repair. If you find yourself strolling down the hair color aisle every time you are in a drug store you are probably a hair color addict. Don't allow yourself to walk down the hair color aisle. It is too tempting and easy to pick up another box of color. This is called flirting with the substance. It will only result in a large bill when you have to go to your beauty salon to have your color corrected.

Another reason people color their hair too frequently is because of grey hair. No one notices your grey hair more than you. It could be a single strand that blends with your own color but when you look in the mirror it stands out like a big wart at the end of your nose. You can easily be obsessed with covering a few grey hairs. This results in people coloring their hair way too often. I have known clients to color their hair every five days to rid themselves of grey hair. When you color your hair too often this results in dark walls of color around their face. This is a major beauty faux pas. It makes your face look harsh and uneven. Natural hair color contains many nuances of color. The darker the color, the more difficult it is to see variations in color. If you have one or two strong grey hairs on brown hair use an eyebrow applicator. This will help to keep the hair color specifically on the grey hair only and help to avoid dark spots.

The other reason at-home colorists end up with the wrong color is because they pick the shade because of the picture of the great-looking girl on the box. That is how the hair color looks on her natural color. Remember your end result will be a combination of your natural color plus the shade you chose. Your natural hair color can be darker, lighter, more warm or ash than the model on the box. Hair texture will also change the results of the final color. Coarse hair is more resistant to accepting hair color. Read the tips on the back of the box. They will help you to achieve the hair color results you desire.

I love teaching class to the color assistants. It forces me to keep thinking about how to make hair color simpler and easier to use. If hair color becomes too complicated you are doing something drastically wrong. Always remember our model (KISS-keep it simple, silly) and you end up with your perfect color.

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You don't have to be a business genius to realize it's time to be frugal with your dollars. Almost all financial experts are warning all of us to save our money and pay down our credit card debt. It's great advice, but sometimes it seems impossible to follow. How do we maintain the quality of our lives when we should be spending less and everything seems to be costing more? I can't help you figure out your daily budget during this cost-of-living crisis, but I can tell you how you can look better for less. There is no reason for you to give up any of your beauty routine. It is time to be smarter with your beauty dollars.

Did you know you can have your hair cut for free or for minimal cost at most top salons? Call the best salon in your area and ask if they have a class night. Class night is when the top assistants cut hair to hone in on their skills. They are supervised by the hair cutters at the salon. The results are almost always salon quality.
WARNING! It does take longer for a class night hair cut. The assistants are being watched and stopped to explain their cuts as they proceed. Bring a book and never book when your schedule is tight.

If you can't find a salon that provides class night, you can at least stretch out the time between haircuts. The easiest way to do this is to learn to cut your own bangs. Watch your hairdresser cut them. Notice the length of the bangs after they have been cut while your hair is still wet.
WARNING! Bangs will appear much shorter as they dry. To prevent too short bangs cut half as much as you think you need to trim. You can always cut more later.

You can also find a class night to have your hair colored, but today’s at-home hair color kits have made it easy and foolproof.
TIP - Make sure you read the directions before you start your at-home color process. They will help to guarantee the results you desire. Avoid dramatic hair color changes. The more dramatic the hair color change, the faster the roots will show and more frequent touch-ups will be required.

You can always extend your touch-ups with one of the new touch-up kits. They are easy to use and are sold at most drug stores. You apply the color only where the re-growth is obvious which is usually the part or hairline of your hair.
TIP - If you are using a touch-up kit for your hairline, pick a slightly lighter shade. Using a slightly lighter shade will prevent a dark rim of color around your face. This will give you another two to three weeks between touch-ups.

Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. Buy the proper hair dryer, brushes and hair products that your hair requires. This will make it easy for you to have a salon finish for your styling.
TIP - If possible, work with the texture of your hair. This will prevent a difficult blow dry and be faster and easier to maintain.

Looking great and saving money can be done. It takes a little more time and effort, but it's not that hard to do. Pick up your phone book and let your fingers do the walking to find the best class night in your area. If you are in New York or Beverly Hills, call me (here's the salon information). We have class night for color and cut every Monday night.

 

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I am at the airport waiting for yet another flight. The TV is on CNN. The talk is all about the elections. Everyone is trying to guess who will be the democratic candidate for president. Both candidates look better than they ever did. Hillary has softened her look through the campaign. She still uses about a half can too much of hairspray and is a bit over highlighted, but looks much softer than she did at the beginning of her campaign. Barack looks as much like a GQ cover guy as a presidential candidate. Chelsea looks like she had a "Ambush Makeover". Her hair is now blonder with bold streaks of color around her face, accenting her long layered cut. She is now officially a pretty woman. Michelle Obama always looks good and totally together. Both candidates realize the importance of looking good and the edge it can provide for them in the election. I am not saying you have to look like a movie star to become president. I am saying that looking the best you can makes you look like a winner. The candidates realize this and have tweaked their looks over the last year. This immediately creates the illusion of confidence, success, and in this case, hopefully a presidential aura.

I realize that very few of us will ever be running for office, but we live in a very competitive world. Looking good can help us land that dream job or help us in social situations. Looking good requires effort for almost all of us. The rewards of paying attention to our appearance can result in a much more fulfilling life. Once taking a few extra moments every day to look your best becomes routine you will wonder why you waited so long to make the effort. The first step to looking good is to start with a small change. Don't try to make dramatic changes all at once like we do on the Today Show. Dramatic changes can be difficult to handle even when they are beautiful. It takes most of us a while to process and appreciate change.

Does your hair color look as natural as a snowstorm in July? Does it look more like Barbie doll hair than hair that grows from your head? Can your color best be described as white, black, yellow, or a screaming red? Do your roots show in a week? Then you probably need a hair color make-under.

Most hair color make-unders often go hand in hand with hair style make-unders. Usually extreme coloring requires so much styling, hair products, blow drying and curling irons that you end up with an old fashion hair do, or should I say a hair don't. This makes any woman look way beyond her years. Who wants that? TIP - If your hair takes more than 15 minutes to style, you probably need a hair make-under. Hair color and texture that looks like it grows from your head is always the most flattering. I am not saying that everyone should be au naturel; I am saying that your hair should look effortless, even if it requires a little work.

Spring Fashion Week 2007 is winding down. It started in New York and went to London, Milan, and Paris. I attended events, read the newspapers, and perused the internet, watching for the newest trends in beauty. I found myself looking at the models so closely, as if they were under a microscope. The big news this season wasn't something new I saw, it's what I did not see. Highlights! There wasn't one streak on the runway. Is this the end of an era? Should I have my foils recycled into sandwich wrappers?

Wait a minute! I just did a segment on The Today Show last week on at home highlights, and the models looked great. How could this be? Am I becoming the "Jekyll and Hyde" of hair color? Not to worry, I think I still have my wits about me! The look of highlights and hair color in general has taken a radical change.

It is definitely the time for a revaluation of your hair color.

The way I see it is that there are three parallel universes: They are made up of the LA contingent (actors), the traveling gypsies (models), and we the people (you and I).

Actors are still having a love affair with highlights, but the romance might be on the wane. Think of some recent A-listers who have chosen a solid hair color. Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Scarlett Johansson, and most recently young Hollywood's Rumer Willis and Nelly Furtado have become all over blonds. Angelina Jolie, Hilary Swank, Kate Beckinsale, Teri Hatcher are various shades of brown without a highlight in sight. Susan Sarandon, Julianne Moore, and Julia Roberts have chosen to be quintessential red heads.

The model world is small and has fewer main players. They are usually so young and beautiful that they still have great natural color that needs very little help. Most of the time semi-permanents and glazes are the colors used on these girls to add shine and to make their hair colors rich. But this is not the reason why models are not wearing highlights. Highlights are not the look this season on the runway.

Then there are the "we the people" in the real world. You know, the people who work, maintain a home, occasionally have fun, and always try our best to look great. It's not easy. Who has the time to watch television, read newspapers and fashion magazines, and go to movies to watch for new trends? Not too many people I know. So let me make it easy for you and give you the 411 on hair color today.

All over colors are becoming more important. Hair color with high contrast to the base color is out of date. Your hair should never look streaked, ash, and above all, frosted. Highlights still work and are the prettiest and most natural way to make you and your hair color look brighter.

Highlights are not to be ignored. Anything that helps us look prettier, younger, less stressed and tired, is something we should take full advantage. The tone of today’s highlights are different. They must blend with your base color. Special effect colors, bold stripes, dark tips, or colors not found in nature are out of style. Color that looks like you where born with it (if you were incredibly lucky!) is what's in. Today’s lesson is to keep it real.

TIP - If you want a dramatic color change, don't try to do it with highlights alone. You must apply a single process color first.

Hair color should look like it is yours, not from your hair colorist. This season's hair color theme, "keep it real and keep it simple." (By the way, I am keeping my highlighting foils!)

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