Last week we saw Fergie turn brunette and Angelina go blond: While the M.A.C Viva Glam spokesmodel debuted chocolate locks at the March of Dimes 34th Annual Beauty Ball, Jolie wigged out on the set of her spy movie, Salt. Thinking of giving your hair color an extreme makeover too? Unless you're donning fake locks like Jolie, there are a few things to keep in mind. First off, if you have blond ambition and a penchant for at-home bleaching, consider yourself warned: Finding that perfect pale hue is super-tricky and involves removing your darker color with lightener and enduring an awkward red-orange stage. On the flipside, if you're going from blond to brown, skip the bottle of drugstore hair color—even if it's semi-permanent. While semi-permanent formulas wash out in 6 to 12 shampoos, this rule only holds true for natural, chemically untouched strands. On faux-blond hair, semi-permanent brown color will cause residue, staining, and possible discoloration.
The moral of the story? When exploring the opposite end of the hair color spectrum entrust your locks to an experienced professional. Also keep in mind that doing a complete color overhaul will require new makeup. "Blonds are better with paler eye shadow and lip color; brunettes are better with richer shades," celebrity colorist Rita Hazan tells ELLE. And if you're keen on a white-blond hue or mega-light highlights, Hazan says you'll need more makeup than usual since these can "wash you out and make you look sallow, pale, and old—if you have no color in your hair, you'll have no color in your skin."
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