Blonde

Do blondes have more fun? The jury's out, but according to a recent study by The Motley Fool, they do earn more money. On average, flaxen-haired women in the UK take home the equivalent of $1,556 each month, while brunettes make about $1,432. Redheads earn even less, with an average of $1,357. But does this mean blondes are richer? Yes and no. The study found that 35 percent spend more than they make, mostly splurging on chocolate, shoes, and bags. We're taking these findings with a Costco economy-sized gallon of salt, but at least the study makes for conversation fodder this weekend.

Ali Larter's enviable blond highlights take center stage in the August issue of Lucky magazine. And it's thanks to the clever techniques of Redken Creative Consultant For Color, Tracey Cunningham.

To get a similar effect, first have your colorist highlight your hair. Then, ask him or her to tone the lightened portions by using the following formula: equal parts of ammonia-free clear glaze and violet toner. (Tracey used Shades EQ Crystal Clear Glaze with 09V Platinum Ice.) These formulations combined will not only help lock in shine and counterbalance unwanted orange or yellow hues, but are gentle on hair that's just been bleached.

At the recent BET Awards, Keri Hilson walked the red carpet as a newly transformed blonde thanks to the skills of celebrity colorist Rita Hazan of the Rita Hazan Salon in NYC. Knowing that Keri wanted a fresh look for the season, Rita took the singer from a medium brown tone to this fun and trendy multitonal blond style. Find out Rita's tips on how to get the look, along with a few pieces of styling advice, when you read more.

Want to do something fun to show your lighthearted side during these warmer weathered months, but don't want to go the shocking pink route? Take a tip from reader PrettyShinySparkly, then, who recently wrote me about her new pastel pink and purple strands featured on her blog of the same name. Find out how she got them below:

• A natural blonde, PrettyShinySparkly typically has her stylist put both highlights and lowlights in her hair, but due to time constraints, she pulled a DIY, using L'Oréal's Superior Preference in Glistening Magnolia ($15) in hopes of attaining a beachy-white blond. When the color turned out a little bit too buttery-yellow, she applied Wella's Color Charm Toner in #T18 ($5), a subtle lavender, to counteract any unwanted golden-toned pigments. "After rinsing out the toner, shampooing, and deep conditioning, I was shocked and flabbergasted to find that I had accidentally created the most perfect, subtle, barely-there version of the lavender highlights I was so coveting," she said.
• Then, a few weeks later, as the streaks faded into a silver-toned lavender hue, she decided to keep the pastel theme going, applying Manic Panic's Cotton Candy ($7.50) and Mystic Heather ($9). The outcome? Fun and funky pink and purple semipermanent highlights that are perfect for Summer.

Do you have a hair color story to share? Tell us all about it in the Do-It-Yourself Beauty group on the BellaSugar Community. Your at-home stylings might just be featured here on Bella.

Source

Do blondes have more fun? You can be the judge of that, but in the beauty department, blondes can often experience barely-there brows — and that's really no fun at all. Blondes, however, are the only bunch that actually look better with slightly darker eyebrows. To try to go lighter or completely match your brows to your hair color can result in a monochromatic look. For the most natural effect, pick a shade one to two tones darker than the hair, matching the undertones of your brow product to the warmth or coolness in your hair color. Look for: light taupe, wheat, sable, ash blond, golden blond, lightest brown, dark blond, or soft gray.

There's a whole slew of blonde-appropriate brow shapers to suit your shaping needs. But to customize your brow color even more, work with two different shades to get the perfect one for you. You may even find that a darker shade will work best for filling in sparse areas, while the lighter shade will be perfect for sweeping over the entire brow to bring it all together. Stay tuned redheads, brunettes, and darker-haired beauties. I'll have tips for you, too, over the next few days.

Many of us have, at some time or other, lightened our hair, and more than a few have probably gone blond. But although a lot of us have been flaxen-haired at some point or another, I'm betting our reasons for doing so vary pretty widely. Some people go blond to cover up gray hair, some just want add a little contrast, and some want to feel like Marilyn Monroe. I've been blond for a whole host of reasons personally, from needing a change after a breakup to trying to copy Gwen Stefani's amazing hair. Why have you been blond? And if you've got a funny blonding story, please do tell!

Recently, I made my yearly — OK, it's been more than a year — trip to the eye doctor. I've worn glasses for about 14 years now, and from one "trendy" frame to another, I've had lots of different looks. Since some were good, and others I'd prefer to forget, that was the inspiration behind this series of posts on choosing eyeglass frames. Since we've already looked at face shape, eye color, and skin tone, for the final installment of this series, let's look at how your hair color can help guide you when making a choice between those funky green shades or whimsical yellow specs. To check out some tips, just keep reading.