If you're thinking of a hair color change, you've come to the right place. Here, you'll find the year's hottest hair color trends, gorgeous photo galleries, plus a ton of tricks and tips to help you find the shade perfectly tailored to you.
Check out 20 Great Hair Color Choices to see gorgeous hair color and figure out which ones you're drawn to.
The 5 Hottest Hair Color Trends for 2012
Drum roll please! The 5 hottest hair color trends include the following:- Bright hues including streaats, washes of pastels, dip-dye and more. Learnmorein 20 Amazing Bright Colors for Hair.
- Ombré hair color has been popping up on red carpets for more than a year and is a great color option for brunettes (see model Lily Aldridge pictured on this page, she's sporting ombré color). Learn more in this photo gallery of 20 amazing ombré hairstyles.
- Bronde is that perfect shade between blonde and brunette that was first made popular back in 2007 by supermodel Gisele Bundchen and remains popular into 2012. Learn more about the technique in this photo gallery of 20 luscious bronde hairstyles.
- Balayage is taking the country's salons by storm and works on all hair colors, but is especially great on blondes with a beautiful base. I've been getting balayage for many years now. Find out more about balayage in this article and in My Best Blonde Hair Tips and Tricks.
- Platinum blonde hair remains popular going into 2012. Keeping hair this blonde is high maintenance, however, and won't suit all skin tones. Find out if platinum hair color suits you in Can You Get Away With Platinum Hair?. And see my favorite platinum blonde hairstyles.
Brown Hair Color
If you have super pale skin and brown hair, consider going lighter or at least having some highlights painted or foiled in. Super dark shades can wash you out and even make you appear older. I love the uber-trendy "bronde" and "ombré" styles for brunettes for the perfect sun-kissed look. See my examples of them above.More for brunettes:
- Photos of famous brunettes
- My favorite dark, short haircuts.
- Protect your investment with 8 best products for colored hair.
Blonde Hair Tips & Tricks
Some women look good in any color (remember Linda Evangelista?) but most women don't. If you had blonde hair as a kid, you'll likely look good as a blonde adult. Find out more in My Best Blonde Hair Tips and Tricks and in Hair Color Mistakes Women Make.Galleries to inspire you:
Can I Go Red?
Almost everyone can go red, what's most important is finding the right shade of red. If you want to go red, I suggest not trying it on your own. Get a professional consultation. You won't believe the number of emails I get from women whose hair turned out orange when they went the box route.More for redheads:
Gorgeous Black Hair
African-American women have many options when it comes to coloring hair. You can tint your hair, add highlights of color or try wigs and weaves to change it up without having to opt for permanent-never-washes-out color. More for black hair:Gray Hair
Many women with gray hair choose to dye their hair. If you are all gray, you may choose to go blonde because blonde is easier to achieve (and maintain) than going dark. More and more women with gray hair are actually learning to embrace the grays (see She's 55 & In Love With Her Graying Hair). And it's no wonder. Grays and silvers are gorgeous colors, so much so that a couple years ago, young models were dyeing their hair gray and it was a trend of the moment.For inspiration, see this gallery of 20 gorgeous gray hairstyles.
Should You Do It Yourself?
Home-color kits have come a long way in the past few years. They are perfect for busy people and those who want cut the cost of professional colorings. (We know of a couple top fashion editors who color their hair themselves). But if you plan to color your hair more than 2 shades lighter or darker than your natural shade, you should head to a pro.
For 12 tips on do-it-yourself coloring, see Should You Color Your Own Hair?
Should I Get Highlights or Full Color?
When it comes to hair color, you basically have 3 options: highlighting, single-process color or double process. In this article, Should You Highlight or Get Single Process Color?, I share a few tips to help you sort out the best option for your hair.Liked this article? Check out 20 Great Hair Color Choices to see gorgeous hair color.
