Wedding day hair to dye for
Phyllis Schneider
Your wedding is definitely not the time for a bad hair day. A terrific cut and style are musts. “But color is just as important,” notes Muriel Maneyrol, a senior colorist at Kim Lepine salon. “Color-in the form of highlights, lowlights, color glazes, or intense glosses-can create a complexion-enhancing frame for your face, which gives your skin a special radiance.” “Highlights photograph beautifully, so your hair will look glossy in wedding pictures,” adds Elsa Serra, color director for the Roy Michaels salon. Here, Maneyrol and Serra share their highlighting secrets for brides: FROM HAIR TO THERE “Start by getting your hair into good shape,” advises Maneyrol. “You get the best results from color when it’s applied to healthy hair.” Damaged, dry hair can result in uneven color. Do you suffer with abused hair? That's hair that's been fried by blow dryers, curling irons, flattening irons, overexposure to UV rays or chlorinated pool water. The solution? Regular deep-conditioning. THE COLOR QUEEN If possible, choose a salon that has a coloring staff — with experts who specialize in hair color, not just cuts & perms, says Serra. “People who specialize in color know what products are available and work with them regularly,” she explains. “They can choose a particular brand of product for your hair type and color needs. Certain companies make wonderful reds; others make great burgundy products. Also, while one brand of color may work beautifully on your hair, another might not. An experienced colorist can tell by examining your hair which product will yield the best results.” IT STARTS WITH A DREAM “Schedule a consultation to discuss possible styles and complementary color with your stylist and colorist as soon as possible — six to 12 months before your wedding,” says Maneyrol. Describe the style and color of your dress, and take your headpiece (minus the veil) to the salon. The colorist can create highlights that complement your face and complexion, as well as your hairstyle, gown, and headpiece. HEADS UP! If you prefer a lot of highlights, ask for a “whole head.” Rather than using just one shade, the colorist may blend two or three hues throughout your hair for a very natural look. “For someone with dark blonde or light brown hair, I may use a warm, but slightly pale, blonde around the face to brighten the complexion, and alternate that color with a honey blonde for warmth,” says Maneyrol. “To enrich the base color, I'd then paint a deep, dark gold gloss in various places.” The effect: Lots of depth, richness, and shine. WHEN LESS IS MORE If you’d like just a hint of color, consider a “hairline,” in which minimal, subtle highlights frame the face, like a halo-and prevent the dark shadow around the face that a veil can cast. If your ’do is up, make sure the colorist adds highlights underneath the hair at the back of your head as well, says Serra. “Remember that you’ll be seen and photographed from all directions, so you shouldn't leave the hair by your neck dark if you have highlights in the front.” Color glazes and glosses are another option for brides who want just a bit of color but lots of shine. “These one-step products sit on top of the hair shaft and catch and reflect light,” says Serra. Glazes and glosses deposit color on the hair, for instance, a red glaze can create glossy red highlights in brown hair. But under artificial light, or beneath big veils or intricate headpieces, the color and highlights from glazes and glosses don't show up as well as regular highlights do. “They’re better for outdoor weddings (the sunlight will pick up the color and shine) and for brides who wear simple floral garlands in their hair,” Serra notes. ZERO IN ON THE BIG DAY Assuming you and your colorist have been working for months to achieve the perfect color for your wedding day, “have your final highlights done five to seven days before the wedding,” says Maneyrol. “That way, you won't have pesky roots to deal with.” Also, your hair needs at least a week to calm down-to regain its natural “bend” and texture-after being colored, Serra points out. Before then, it can be a little stiff and difficult to style. LIGHTS OUT! Your colorist can suggest highlights or lowlights (a darker version of highlights) that will complement your complexion, but "the number-one rule is to avoid too-light, ‘white’ highlights,” says Serra. “Those can make you look washed out, especially if you’re wearing white or ivory, and they don’t photograph well.” For medium to dark blondes, Maneyrol suggests highlights in shades of honey blonde, reddish or cinnamon blonde, or buttery blonde. Depending on skin color, brunettes can opt for lowlights in deep, dark golds, deep red-golds, or burgundy tones (especially pretty in darker hair). “It’s important for brunettes to have lowlights around the face,” she adds. “Otherwise dark hair can look like a cap, particularly in photographs.” Since regular highlights can make curly hair look and feel even wilder, Maneyrol suggests that curly-tops stick with glazes and glosses that are gentle, but add shine and subtle color. SPECIAL-NEEDS HAIR What should you do if your hair has been over-highlighted and looks almost white-and your wedding day is just around the corner? “Have your hair professionally deep-conditioned, then a few days later ask the colorist to apply a warm-toned glaze or gloss to give your hair depth and richness,” says Maneyrol. HONEYMOON HAIR The wedding may be over, but your hair-and highlights-still need TLC! • If you plan to be out in the sun a lot, use a hair spray or gel containing sunscreen. UV rays can fry highlighted hair, turning it brassy and brittle. • If you’re in and out of the pool, be sure to wash your hair after swimming, or later that day, with an anti-chlorine shampoo (available at drugstores). In a pinch, club soda-poured over the head-will "bubble out" some chlorine. Chlorine can leave hair (colored or not) dried out, and it adds a greenish cast to colored hair, dulling highlights. • If you spend time in saltwater, wash your hair with a conditioning shampoo. Salt is a drying and bleaching agent and will leave your hair looking and feeling like straw.