THE “NEW LOOK” IN HAIR COLOR TRENDS

This year it’s all about making a change!  Have you ever dreamed about being a mysterious brunette?  Suspected "blondes really do have more fun”, but have never found out for sure?  Has the image of that redhead on the magazine cover got you craving a spicier look?  Then it’s officially time to “go for it”.

According to Rodney Cutler, owner of Cutler Salons NYC, this season’s hair is all about “bold colors, making a change and having a look”.  Creating much of this “colorful” stir among fashion insiders was when some of today’s hottest runway models showed up on the catwalks collections with their famous manes dyed a completely new color.

Sarah Brown, beauty editor at Vogue magazine, describes the trend as “fresh, extreme color”, and that changing your hair color is all about “confidence, courage and making a statement”.  So what are these cutting edge shades that colorists around the world are buzzing about?  We put out our color antennas and here’s what we spotted:



NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL


Color that is natural (even when it isn’t) never goes out of style.  This season the natural palette goes gourmet with shades of rich chocolate brown, sweet honey or caramel, and spicy cinnamon.

DEEP HUES

With the arrival of fall’s cooler air and earthy colors, rich brunettes and smoky brown shades are grabbing attention.  Brad Johns, Global Color Director for Clairol agrees the time of year often dictates what shade are being focused on. His advice: “color should always be seasonal - lighter and brighter in the summer, darker and warmer in the fall and winter”.

There has never been a better or trendier time to go darker.  Celebrities love to reinvent their look and flaunting a brown mane signaled a new look this season for Lindsay Lohan, Nicky Hilton and Sarah Michelle Gellar.  These celebs know that today’s darker shades are much more playful and sexy than the serious browns of yesterday.  The hottest shades adding depth to brunettes include cappaccino, caramel, toffee and walnut.  While deeper tones, such as eggplant, burgundy, mahogany and ebony add rich dimension when used as “highlights” throughout the hair.

Love the allure of dark hair but don’t want to go dark all over?  Then "double-sided coloring” may be for you.  It involves dyeing the underside of your hair a shade of deep brown complimented by lighter shades on top.  This allows for versatility, as the color changes depending on how you choose to style your hair.

Brunettes that inspire us this season include Maggie Gyllenhaal, Audrey Tatou, Clive Owen and Cristina Gallardo-Domas, the Chilean soprano appearing in the new production of Madame Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera.

LUMINOUS LIGHTS

At the other end of the spectrum, clear pastel shades of pearl blondes, neutral beige and ash tones frame the face softly creating an ethereal glow, while butterscotch, wheat, and sandy shades add a touch of warmth.

Warmer blonde tones (often referred to a “buttery blondes”) are ultra-hot this year.  They look fantastic on everyone, including women and men of color.  Just take a look at Beyonce, Nicole Richie and Eva Mendes’s latest styles - a modern mix of golden blondes, caramels, and toffees that perfectly complements their eyes and skin tones.

Looking luminous this season are classic blondes - Jamie Presley and Kirsten Dunst (on screen as Marie Antoinette and off), modern blonde super model Stella Tennant, who took the runway by storm this year appearing with her signature cropped haircut dyed an intense platinum blonde and the new James Bond, Daniel Craig.


OPPOSITES ATTRACT 


The excitement of opposites attracting is what Igora Hair color referred to as their “mega trend” for 2007.  For this trend “It’s about the VISUAL STRENGTH and BEAUTY of CONTRASTS. It’s a CELEBRATION of what excites, an INCLUSIVE concept of VARIETY”.

A process called “minking” in which light, bright tones of blonde are added under layers of darker hair illustrates this theory.  When the hair moves, flashes of brightness pop through the darker strands, creating a flash of unexpected dimension.  The effect can be subtle or dramatic, depending on the amount of highlights and the intensity of the colors you add.

Placing “highlights” and “lowlights” of color throughout the hair remains a popular choice for those seeking just a boost of color.  Today’s highlights are rich and glow from within, replacing the obvious streaks of color we’ve seen in the past.  With the emphasize this seasons on “less styled” hair, the highlights and lowlights are often placed underneath and away from the part line.  This allows for a more natural, asymetrical wash of color and requires less touch ups as the hair grows out.

RUNWAY REDS

Intense reds, not as subtle as the red-browns of past years, are leading the pack.  Redken has created a new line called “runway reds” in their honor.  Shades include bold cinnamon, fiery brick, cherry and garnet.  These reds are a perfect compliment to the grays and jewel tones that we are seeing right now in fashion and this is no accident.  Redken drew it’s inspiration from the colors they saw on the fashion runways and ran with the idea that hair color is the ultimate accessory.  The color of your hair can enhance the overall impact of the colors that you wear! Hair color is an important part of your overall style package; it can and should be changed with each season!

On the lighter side of red - tones of warm copper, saffron, apricot and golden strawberry blonde add romance.

Head turning redheads of the moment include Drew Barrymore, Julianne Moore, and Marcia Cross.

EXTREME COLOR

Extreme hair colors, in past reservered only for the bravest at heart, are finding their way into a more mainstream market.  With punk rock, and the grunge music scene once again inspiring fashion, the hair colors associated with these trends are making waves - Ebony black, platinum blonde, deep burgundy and pink are showing up again.  This time around though, the colors are more sophisticated than in past generations.  Hair may still be bleached the palest shade of blonde, but instead of looking over processed and messy, a la Courtney Love, it is slicked back into a clean, feminine silhouette.  Today a model with a fire-engine red bob looks completely proper wearing couture in Vogue magazine, and even jet black hair (a color often associated with the “Goth” scene), when mixed with a few indigo highlights, looks more fashion forward than frightening.

Using these more extreme colors as an accent color can add a lot of drama to your look.  One style gaining momentum these days is “dip-dying” a technique where just the ends of your hair are dyed an intense shade.  It is a fun way to experiment with the use of bold color with out the risk; after all, if you don’t love the way it looks, you can always cut off the color.

THE BOTTOM LINE ON HAIR COLOR TRENDS

Color can update and add dimension to an already favorite haircut or be the start of an entirely new style.  A light application of color can brighten your face and soften your age, while a more intense, all-over hue can completely change your image and make a dramatic fashion statement.

Hair color trends are an exciting aspect of fashion, ever-changing and always inspiring.  This year’s trends include rich new colors, exciting new application processes and a philosophy that today the color of your hair is just as important as the colors you wear. 

Born with a natural sense of style, Julie Hoylen is a fashion stylist and consultant working in the New York City area. Julie's professional experience in both the fashion and music industries has allowed her to develop a unique perspective on personal style that keeps her clients turning to her whenever they need help defining their look personally or professionally. 

Julie is the Lifestyle Editor and Chief Style Maven.  You can see the latest from Julie on Live In Full Color.

Nail Color Fall into Winter

As the mood in fashion this fall turns luxurious, with its rich colors, textured fabrics, furs and leathers, the mood of your manicure should follow suit.

This season's nails get glamorous in dark indulgent colors, metallic sheens and high glossy finishes, that perfectly complement the jewel tones, moody grays, browns and lush blue-reds seen in fashion right now.

A fusion of opulent locations and eras influenced designers this season, ranging from Victorian England, to old Russia, to the jazz age to the over-indulgent 1980’s.


This opulent attitude goes from head to toe to fingertip, as nothing scream indulgence quite like a dark polished fingernail against a fur trimmed tweed coat or velvet cocktail dress.

At the moment sporting black nail polish, a trend that started popping up on starlets and fashion “it” girls throughout the summer is continuing to go strong into the winter months.

Chanel’s “Black Satin” is leading the pack as the trendiest color of the trend, selling out almost everywhere it is sold.  Being on a waitlist for this coveted shade is not unheard of, as the polish is so hot, even the New York Times dedicated an article just on its shade alone.

Why is the trend of wearing black nail polish so newsworthy?  Maybe because even the executives at Chanel were shocked by the shade’s popularity in the United States. After all, one would think that black polish would appeal to a small, specific market.

But the buzz surrounding this color trend has lent itself to admirers in all ages of women, regardless of economics or geography.

Now that wearing black nail polish is getting so much hype will the trend slow down?  It doesn’t appear so.  Rescue Beauty Lounge, a nail salon in NYC’s trend conscience SoHo neighborhood, tells me that there own private label version of black, “Revamp,” a shade with speckles of ruby undertones, is by far the current favorite choice among their customers.  At a recent visit to the salon for my own “research” manicure, the topic of conversation among the clientele - you guessed it - “who would and wouldn’t wear black nail polish.” (Those who voted “no” all agreed, though, that they would consider this bold color for their next pedicure).

Finding yourself amongst the “would” bunch but can’t get your manicured hands on a bottle of Chanel’s famous black?  No worries, as The Time’s article goes on to lists beautiful alternatives such as OPI’s “Lincoln Park”, MAC’s ”Nocturnelle”, Essie’s “Wicked” and Cover Girl’s “Midnight Magic” that may be more readily available for you “of-the-moment fashionistas.”

Love the idea of taking your nail color dark, but don’t want the attention that wearing black polish may draw?  Then a deep rich brown maybe the perfect alternative.  Shades such as Creative Nail Design’s “Fedora”, a polish that is getting its share of editorial praise as well, Essie’s “Bitter Chocolate” and “Clutch Me If You Can”, as well as OPI’s “Oh To Be 25 Again”, are all beautiful choices.  These shades of deep browns mimic the dark leathers we’re seeing in the oversized “it” bags of the season from design houses such as Marc Jacobs, Gucci and Ferragamo.

For the holidays, paint the town and your nails red.  Deep crimson or purple-red hues perfectly compliment this season’s glamorous metallics.  Cosmetic guru Bobbi Brown’s “Ruby Shimmer”, a deep shimmery red was inspired by the sparkle of ruby gemstones against the skin.  Max Factor’s “Gilded Ruby” adds a burst of crimson sparkle while Anna Sui”s “303” gets the prize for giving your nails a most true “ruby slipper” effect.  Pinks this season are more sultry than sweet as they play off of smokey grey eye makeup. Chanel’s “Pink” and “Baby Satin Pink” promise to enliven your French manicure.

Layering nail colors is a fun way to create your own personalized shades this season.  Cover Girl’s “Boundless Nail Color” takes the trend a step farther by offering nail colors specified as solid colored base coats and glittery top coats.  Their website’s “Interactive Boundless Nail Salon” allows you to experiment with your favorite combinations on your own “virtual fingernail”, all before stepping in the store to buy a bottle.

Even nude shades dazzle this year, as they tend to glow from within.  Mega-design star Tom Ford makes his cosmetic debut with Estee Lauder this fall.  His nail color - “Amber nude” a beautiful neutral with a subtle tint of gold.  It’s a shade that's sure to take you from the holidays straight into the warmer days of spring.

Love the idea of your manicure and pedicure colors complimenting each other, but find yourself confused at which shades will work together?  Then perhaps Jemma Kidd’s “Intoxicating duos” are for you.  In her new make-up line, the former British model turned make-up artist, eliminates the guess work by presenting five different palettes of matching polishes that are sure to please.

Matching your lipstick to your nail polish, a nod to the properly made-up women of the 1940’s, has been spotted on runways and in fashion editorials this season.  The look is pure “old Hollywood glamour” and is an easy and fun way to add a little sophistication to your overall festive “look” through the holidays.

Whatever polish is your perfect shade this season, there are a few “rules of thumb” to remember - dark colors look best on a shorter nail length, apply a fresh protective top coat everyday to maintain shine and prevent chips, protect your manicure by wearing dish gloves when keeping house, and if polishing your nails is reserved only for special occasions - remember an unpolished hand can look just as beautiful this winter, as long as it is properly filed, buffed and well moisturized!



Former Newsworthy Nail Colors

This isn’t the first time Chanel has found success with dark polish. Their polish “Vamp”, a deep reddish-black, first made a splash when introduced in the early 90’s and remains one of its top 10 sellers today.

Urban Decay also made nail polish history by bending the color rules in the late 90’s when they introduced the mass market to nails painted in shades of blues, greens, purples and muddy metallics.




Born with a natural sense of style, Julie Hoylen is a fashion stylist and consultant working in the New York City area. Julie's professional experience in both the fashion and music industries has allowed her to develop a unique perspective on personal style that keeps her clients turning to her whenever they need help defining their look personally or professionally. 

Julie is the Lifestyle Editor and Chief Style Maven.  You can see the latest from Julie on Live In Full Color.