1. First Consider Your Skin Tone. You need something that complements your complexion, adding the right highlights is all about differentiating between warm and cool undertones.
• You’re cool if icy silver and platinum brighten your face. Go for beige, white or cool gold highlight tones.
• You’re warm if…gold is more your jam. Go for shades of warm gold, honey and caramel accents in your hair.
2. Then Assess Your Base Shade. Whether you’re working with your real hair color or have already altered your base tone (lighter or darker), it’s best to only go about two shades lighter with highlights to create dimension in a natural-looking way.
• If you have auburn hair I like copper touches.
• For brunettes, try chestnut or caramel accents.
Blondes, in general it’s best to go with warm, buttery highlights à la Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth because they look the most natural. Icy cool beige tones like January Jones is a very specific look most people can’t pull off.
3. Next Look at Your Eye Color. Look into a mirror in bright, natural light and really examine your irises. Notice all those little flecks and marbleized colors? Your natural highlights will reveal themselves in your eyes. Nature has already played its hand here.
• Darker eyes (often accented by hints of caramel and copper) work best with warmer highlights.
• Very light blue or gray eyes (which tend to have buttery yellow or pale beige flecks) pair perfectly with cooler highlights.
• Blue or green eyes with neutral skin tones can pull off any highlights.
4. Make Sure You’re Not Doing This. While hair color is fun, there are also a few rules to keep in mind.
• Adding too much warmth to the hair of someone with a darker warm complexion will result in brassiness.
• Going too light will clash with darker shades, making the end result look striped instead of sun-kissed.
• Adding reddish touches next to pink-tinged skin can make you look ruddy.
Blondes need to be careful with how light they go, or else risk looking like a 1980s-era soap opera star. I’d say that 99 percent of blondes need to stay away from ashy-toned highlights, which makes it look frosted and can even create a greenish tinge under strong light.
5. Go Pro. This is not the time to enlist a friend to slap on some from-a-box goop, no matter how easy it may look. Find a good stylist. Even if you bring in pictures of your desired result that’s not enough. I explain how different shades will change your skin tone for better or worse. I will be better able to accentuate your features and give you the right cut and color, taking into account how you style it every day and for special occasions and guide you in the direction you want, but in a way that will complement you best.
For more information: call master stylist Nicole Ruggeri 661-373-4234 and check out www.vipcolorandcut.com.