Zsa Zsa Gabor's bleach blonde hair was ever so essential to her role as one of Hollywood's big screen temptresses. The Budapest-born actress' bright and shiny strands lured moviegoers, as well as nine husbands. And it appears as though some of today's most-talked about stars are taking a cue from Gabor's beauty book.
As she prepares to take the world by storm for her Mrs. Carter Show tour, Beyoncé teased her fans with new promotional images with her wearing bleach blonde bombshell hair. (And cherry red lipstick, of course). Nicki Minaj dumped her glam squad and ditched her Crayola-colored hair extensions in hopes to be taken more seriously. While the pin-straight, blonde strands she's recently sported on the red carpet still causes eye sores, it is one of her most toned-down 'dos.
Roc Nation hottie Rita Ora gave her hair quite the lift with a peroxide blonde color that is a stark contrast against her bold brows. Yet, DJ and model Leigh Lezark's dramatic transformation from jet black to blonde has left us in a complete state of shock. (We're still on the fence about her makeover.)
But before you run out to the drugstore to grab a box of hair dye, there are a few things you should keep in mind when going bleach blonde. For starters, it isn't as simple as painting your hair in the desired shade. "Many times people think that they will put a lighter shade of box color on their hair and they will achieve a lighter color," explains Pasqule Caselle, international creative director for IT&LY Hairfashion. "Color does not lift color and you will end up with hot roots and dull ends with no change to the darker shade already on your hair."
You need to first lift the old color (especially if you're a natural brunette or red head) in order to get the proper base to work with. "Do not attempt to go all over blonde or even make an extreme transformation at home," cautions Caselle. "Salon professionals know how to get your desired look without damaging the hair. If you attempt it on your own, you can end up with either green hair or hair that is so badly damaged that it needs to be cut short and grown out."
Another at-home hair color no-no: DIY foils. You could get blotchy patches from the lightener bleeding onto the scalp. The process that can take between 35-45 minutes at the hair salon, but it's worth it when you consider that the biggest mistake women make when doing it themselves is not paying attention to the clock.
When going bleach blonde, it's better to leave it in the hands of a professional. But Caselle believes there are seven ways you can keep your hair healthy once you leave the salon:
- Use a sulfate-free shampoo to extend the life of your color.
- Keep in mind if you have dry hair, a volumizing shampoo can be drying. Use a leave-in conditioner to put moisture back in the hair.
- A lightweight leave-in conditioner is essential for hair manageability and shine.
- For extremely dry hair in the colder months, when rinsing your conditioner out, leave a bit of conditioner on your ends. Make sure to rinse with cool water to seal down the cuticle and gain shiny hair.
- Once a week, do a deep conditioning treatment to retain elasticity and manageability in the hair.
- If using a lot of high heat tools, make sure to use a thermal protector before styling. This will save you from breakage.
- If using a shine product, make sure it is not full of heavy silicones that will weigh down strands.
See these stars' bleach blonde locks in the slideshow below, plus hair products to maintain your color at home.
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