How to COLOR YOUR HAIR without completely messing it up

YOU CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES, YOUR NAILS, YOUR MAKEUP. SO WHY NOT SWITCH UP YOUR SHADE, TOO?

- ERIN REIMEL AND ERIN SARGENT

No doubt, coloring your hair takes a little more commitment than applying a cat-eye or a bold lip, but trying a totally new shade or just a few baby highlights is a great way to express yourself (hi, every model and celebrity we follow). So we asked hair color experts for their pro tips on dyeing your ’do without it ending in disaster…

BE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT.

The shade you were born with will tell you a lot about how to achieve the color of your dreams. “The rule of thumb is to never attempt to transition more than a couple of shades outside of your natural color without the help of a professional,” says celebrity hairstylist Phillip Nathaniel.

So if your hair is naturally super dark and you want to go icy blond, make that salon appointment ASAP (read: Def don’t DIY). Just hoping to try a shade lighter or two darker than your natural color? Box dye can do it.

HONOR YOUR HAIR’S PAST.

“Hair that’s been colored will always react differently,” explains Aaron Bradford, colorist at Cedric Salon in New York City. So if you’ve already bleached your locks (or your tips are a different color than your roots), that will affect the approach needed for your new look. Make sure you let your stylist know what you’ve already done (psst: If your hair history is, well, colorful, best to leave your next look to the pros).

FIND A SHADE THAT FLATTERS.

Use your skin’s natural undertone to clue you in to your ideal hair color. “Warm undertones are red, pink or yellow and cool are blue or purple,” says Bradford. If you have warm undertones, consider colors like gold or copper, Nathaniel suggests. If you are cool, try an ashy tone.