Hair Color

It is no secret that here at StyleList we love Kate Bosworth's fresh face, casual tresses and impeccable style. Her most recent look, however, has us questioning her sanity. Bosworth left a Coldplay concert last night with green locks. We are hoping that her new do is merely the product of spending too much time swimming in chlorine or, at the very least, a temporary phase. What do you think of her dip dyed 'do?

And if you think Bosworth's look is extreme, remember this blonde babe's rainbow locks?

Don't call it a comeback!

Dip-dye hair reminiscent of the bold manes grunge girls rocked in the '90s has grown increasingly fashionable. However, this look is no longer reserved for the rough and tough as rainbow-colored hair has made its way to the runway (Proenza Schouler Spring 2010 and Jeremy Scott Fall 2011) and the red carpet (Katy Perry, Drew Barrymore and Lauren Conrad).

Celebrity hair colorist and Wella ambassador Aura Friedman, who has styled the locks of Lady Gaga, MIA and Sky Ferreira, believes there are three distinct reasons behind this tress resurgence.

"One: Lady Gaga has helped open mainstream people to the idea of unusual colored hair; two: the use of colored pieces and wigs in many editorial stories in all magazines and amongst many celebrities; and three: the DIY aspect. When I do a fun color on my client's pre-lighted hair, I will mix some of the direct dye color with conditioner and give it to them to take home as a refresher," Friedman explained

Manic Panic is still the go-to hair dye among the neon-haired set, but like any professional, Friedman suggests sitting down in a stylist's chair to get this 'do. "The grunge days in the '90s, everyone did their hair themselves, which led to a lot of mishaps and extremely dry hair texture," she said.

To perfect this "pretty complicated" look, she starts with lightening the ends to mid-shaft area of the hair. Friedman's painting technique consists of Wella Professionals' Blondor Extra Cool Blonde Powder with at least 40 volume peroxide and 3D Color Effects. Saran wrap is her simple, yet smart trick to separate sections that are different colors.

Friedman's final words of advice on how to maintain this electrifying hairstyle: "Wear a hat and try to avoid washing often. Use Wella's new Brilliance shampoo, conditioner, and treatment mask once a week -- this will protect your color and keep your hair smooth and shiny."

What do you think about the dip-dye hair trend? Would you wear multi-colored strands?

Tell us in the comments section and for more '90s revival see Maison Martin Margiela's scrunchie-inspired bracelet!

Check out where Aura Friedman gets her inspiration on her blog Color Makes All the Difference.

When 21-year-old Alyssa Campanella was crowned this week as Miss USA 2011, her shimmering cascade of vibrant red hair broke the pageant mold of many a blond and brunette predecessor before her.

Yet this Manalapan, New Jersey native has a little secret: she's actually a natural blond.

As a high school sophomore, it was the opportunity to play Cherry Valance -- a saucy character so named for her flaming cherry-colored locks -- that inspired Campanella to first dye her hair red.

And she has never looked back.

"Every girl has something that is unique and special about them, that separates them from everyone else," Campanella tells StyleList. "You'll know it when you hit it. I knew I hit it with red hair. I was quiet and reserved as a blonde -- but it's like the red hair immediately unleashed this fiery personality I had inside."

Though mom took the future pageant queen to a professional colorist that first time, Campanella has dyed her own hair ever since. After experimenting with different brands and formulas, the redhead says she favors drugstore color by L'Oréal.

But let's make one thing clear: it takes some grit to attain that perfect shade of rouge. Just ask Aura of Color Makes All the Difference--the blogger and colorist has a great eye for hard-to-attain hues.

"When I dye my hair red, you'd swear I murdered someone in my bathroom. I'm messy, and it's splattered everywhere. I call it the 'crime scene bathroom,'" laughs Campanella.

Attributing the distinctive shade as part of her success as a model and pageant queen, Campanella says the hue is something that you can pull off if your personality is most importantly a fit first.

While it's best to consult with a professional to determine the perfect shade to accentuate your skin tone and coloring, here are some helpful tips the newly crowned Miss USA shared with me on how to sizzle in red, Jessica Rabbit-style.

Take baby steps. A shock of red can be a scary cliff jump right into color. The easiest way to discover if you like the tone first before committing to a deep shade is to try a sheer wash-out tint. "A red tint on a natural brunette looks beautiful, like a hint of auburn," says Campanella. Blonds may instead want to experiment with a light strawberry for a light kiss of color.

Use semi-permanent hair color. Red washes out faster than other hair colors, which causes most redheads to process their hair more often than other shades. Campanella swears by semi-permanent color -- which contains little to no ammonia, peroxide or other developer chemical -- so that freshening up a dye job is more gentle and forgiving on her tresses.

Plan for some natural fading. If you want your hair color to look brighter for a special occasion -- or perhaps softer for a more conservative situation -- a little advanced planning is in order. "Those first few days after I dye my hair, it's like this big red pow!" says Campanella. "But by the next week, it settles down into a calmer color."

Wash your hair less. To preserve that perfect red hue, the pageant queen washes her hair every two days -- a habit that doubles as a plus for hair health, too. "Dry shampoo is the best invention! I use it between washings. I've learned from my work as a model that hair actually styles and looks better dirty," says Campanella. Be sure to brush dry shampoo out thoroughly after application, so that you don't leave behind any tell-tale white powder.

Look to the seasons for tone guidance. Red can range the gamut in intensity, and Campanella says that the amount of sunshine she is exposed to determines which way she swings. "In the summer with more sun exposure, your hair is going to fade, so I keep it a lighter strawberry blond in warm weather so that it's less maintenance," says Campanella. Come cold weather, the queen goes for a deeper burgundy red, which also looks richer against classic fall and winter wardrobe palettes.

Experiment with a touch of green eye makeup. While Miss USA's natural hazel eyes are a beautiful complement to her red tresses, Campanella says eyes of any shade can enjoy the flattering nuance with a touch of eyeliner. "Use a hint of green eyeliner on the bottom rim of your eyes. It looks gorgeous with red hair," says Campanella. If you like the look, you can intensify the effect by applying an emerald or hunter green gel eyeliner on the top lash line instead.

Clothes can make red hair pop. The Miss USA 2011 pageant marked the first time Campanella sashayed in green for the evening gown competition. Though it turned out to be a winning choice, the beauty queen was initially hesitant. "With the green dress and red hair, I was afraid I was going to look like a Christmas tree!" confides Campanella. Yet it was styling knowledge gained on modeling jobs that encouraged her to go green. "The experts always put me in purple, greens and ivories for photos so that my hair color pops! But be careful of red on red. The deeper your hair color, the trickier it can be to pull off without clashing," advises Campanella.

While the rest of us will enjoy lazy beach days and barbeque burgers this summer, Campanella will be busy training for the Miss Universe 2011 pageant that will take place on September 12 in São Paulo, Brazil. The contender plans to sport her signature red tresses, with beloved CHI Flat Iron in tow as strategy to beat the city's infamous humidity that is known to hover around 89 percent.

And there's something else the pageant queen plans to add to her entourage: a runway coach.

"I want to show all those Latina girls my own fierce walk!" says Campanella.

Now those sound like the words of a winner to me.

Want more pageant queen beauty tips? Check out how Miss America gets ready for prime time in minutes.

Watch the winning moment again in the video below.

Do redheads really have more fun? Whitney Port is the latest celeb to ditch her blond locks for a new fiery look. Following the likes of Blake Lively and Emma Stone, who were also dyeing to go red, Port is rocking what she calls a "sun-kissed apricot" color.

"My colorist Johnny Ramirez and I have been having a lot of fun with my hair lately experimenting with different shades of red," Port wrote on her Celebuzz blog. "A few months ago, we went with a bright red which then gradually washed out to a strawberry blond, and now I've gone sun-kissed apricot!"

Sounds like Port and Ramirez have got the sultry styling down to a science.

But a perpetual people-pleaser, on and off-screen, "The Hills" hottie took to Twitter to show off her new sun-kissed 'do and ask her fans if they approve.

Would you dye your hair red, pink or purple?

Watch the video below to see Port before she became famous.

Did you know that less than 4 percent of the world has naturally red hair? Natural fire engine red, fuchsia and lavender hair is even more rare (aka impossible unless you are a cartoon character). This current trend demonstrates that women no longer mind admitting they dye their hair (an act otherwise associated with covering grays and - gasp- aging) but those showing off their flower and flame colored locks openly acknowledge that their color came from a bottle (Christina Hendricks and Karen Elson even admitted they share the same dye). Emma Stone, Scarlett Johannson and Selita Ebanks are among the many beautiful women who have switched to a bright red style recently. On the light pink team we have Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga and all of their fabulous wigs while Ellie Goulding and Kelly Osbourne explore the latest trend of lavender. Even Selena Gomez's horse that she used for a music video shoot is participating in on the trend.

In an attempt to figure out why brightly colored hair is on the rise (can we credit the recession with a desire to imitate a recessive gene?) I decided to go straight to the source and ask Lizzy Plapinger, founder of Neon Gold records and a pioneer of pink hair, about her decision to go pink:

Why did you decide to dye your hair pink?
I chose to dye my hair pink last August – I'm naturally a brunette and I was thinking about going bright red, when the hairdresser told me they would have to bleach it. Once I knew that I would be going through blonde territory anyway I knew this was my opportunity to do something frivolous...I could always go darker later, but pink was calling me...

How did you choose your shade of pink?
I always kind of wanted to go pink, not in a hot topic punk princess sort of way, but more like a bubblegum candyfloss fantasy pink. There is something softer and a bit cheekier about baby pink.

What is your favorite color?
My favorite color changes quite a bit (you should see my apartment). I feel like I never really have so much a favorite color as a favorite trio or palate at any one time. Right now I'm into baby pink, periwinkle, mint green aqua and dark gothic purple.

Are you loving it so far?
I LOVE it. It feels like the most "natural" extension of how I see myself and would like other people to see me. It's fun to so easily put your personality right out there.

What has the response been like?
I do get a lot of compliments but I also get the "what was she thinking?" stare...I kind of get off on both reactions. I have friends who have made comparisons to everything from looking like a milkshake to my little pony to someone who just lost a game of paintball.

What is the upkeep like?
Lets be real - the upkeep is kind of a pain. First, because I'm not blonde naturally so regardless of the pink I have to do my roots once a month. Second, bleaching your hair is guaranteed to bring out the worst in curly hair, which is a mess to tame anyway. Third, pink washes out pretty easily so I have to redo it myself almost every time I shower and while it looks fine it never looks as awesome as when my hairdresser does it. Fourth, nail in the coffin really, my original hairdresser moved back to Australia and no one has done as amazing a job as she did the first time...thank god she'll be back in September and we'll be reuniting her colors and my hair - we miss each other so.

What are your future plans for your hair?
I must sound mental after giving all the above reasons for why this is a TERRIBLE decision, but I definitely plan to continue to dye my hair. Being blonde so easily lends itself to so many color combinations and I love being able to go back and forth with extremes in a less permanent way than that of a tattoo or piercing (of which I have neither). Next I want some kind of mixture of colors all through the ends like I accidentally leaned on a wet watercolor painting, sigh, that would be awesome.

Who are your hair style icons?
Gwen Stefani, Pink Kate Moss, Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation, Blondie and other dip dye queens I see on tumblr... and by queens I mean the girls who think they are living princesses or at least in a total fantasy and like, actual drag queens.

What does having pink hair say about you in 5 words?
I don't work in Finance.