In need of a hair color makeover, but not willing to take the plunge into a fiery red hue? Follow in the footsteps of celebs like Katie Cassidy and Kirstie Alley, who recently made the switch to the dark side, and dye your hair a rich brunette.
Need further convincing? Celebrity colorist Jennifer J., who dyed the locks of Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and other Twilight Saga stars on the set of Breaking Dawn: Part 1, tells Us Weekly how easy it is below.
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Q: What's a key rule to choosing a shade that will complement my skin tone?
A: Never try and go too dark for your complexion because it can look goth and unflattering to your skin tone. Anytime you are going darker, make sure that you have some warm tones in the color to add some variation in the hair. So whether you use a lighter color at the ends of the hair or paint on highlights to get the variation, either will work and make the color more vibrant. And if you're doing it at home, always use a semi-permanent color.
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Q: What maintenance and care tips should I follow to keep my color rich and glossy?
A: First, you should definitely use shampoo and conditioner especially for color treated hair, preferably sulfate free. A gloss treatment is key for deep shine and richness. Deep conditioning is a must for smooth and frizz-free hair and a shine spray will add extra shine after styling.
Q: What went into perfecting Bella Swan's hair color and how can I recreate it?
A: In doing Kristen's color for Bella Swan, there was a lot of layering in color involved. Kristen definitely has warm tones in her hair and if you wanted to achieve this look, you would need to end up with a chocolate brown base color with warm, amber and auburn brown-toned ends. This is all done by layering semi-permanent color and glosses.
Q: Whoops! My end hair color is super dark and isn't the shade I was aiming for! How can I fix it?
A: If it turned out too dark, using a clarifying shampoo or Head & Shoulders will lift the color out a little bit. Also, if you put a deep conditioner or an oil treatment in your hair and cover your hair with a shower cap and a hot towel from the dryer, it will also help pull the color out of your hair, but in a more gentle way. If you did make a more extreme mistake, you should definitely see a colorist that specializes in color corrections. Typically you can color your hair again right away, but I would not recommend doing this yourself — you should really get an expert's advice!
Jennifer invites anyone who has dye questions to hit her up on Twitter: @JenniferJColor.
"Good luck and enjoy changing your color," Jennifer says. "It's fun and a great way to change your look!"
