If you're going to dabble in dye, there's no better colorist to call upon than New York City maven Rita Hazan. Remember when J.Lo first stepped out with honey-hued highlights? That was Hazan. Or when Carmen Electra went from brunette to baby blond? You guessed it. Hazan's retro-fabulous 6,000-square-foot turquoise-and-white salon on Fifth Avenue (which she humbly calls "just a fun place with a chill, cool vibe") recently celebrated its two-year anniversary, and she's gearing up to launch a customized product line for color-treated hair in March. Her trend prediction for 2009? "I think people will want multidimensional color, not chunky, stripy highlights," she says. "I'll be glad to see those go."
Why do people often dye their hair when undergoing a big life transition?
It makes you feel like a different person: It changes your energy if you're feeling frumpy, and it pushes you to get new makeup and clothes. So many women come in and say, "I'm getting divorced—make me blond." Or, "I need to find a serious job—make me brown." But it's not the color that matters, it's the confidence it gives you.
Does a new hair hue always mean new makeup?
Absolutely. Redheads shouldn't wear pink lipstick. Blonds are better with paler eye shadow and lip color; brunettes are better with richer shades; and redheads are best with neutrals.
How do I determine what color suits me?
It should match your complexion. People with olive skin should never have red hair, and people with pink in their skin shouldn't have anything ashy or beigy. The trick is finding the shade that gives a
glow to your skin.
Terms such as warm can be vague—how can I know that my colorist and I are talking about the same shade?
Bring a photo. If you ask, "What color is this to you?" and they say, "Gold," and you think it's orange, then you have a problem. Another mistake women make is saying, "I want to be my natural color." Trust me: You do not want to be your natural color. It's darker than you think, and it's not as pretty as you remember.
