Get Your Dream Hair

Step 4: Get Salon-Quality Color...at Home

Can gorgeous hair color really come out of a box? Although Anne E. Martin is vice president of global beauty and cosmetics marketing for Procter & Gamble, the parent company of Clairol, she was always a salon loyalist — until she decided to take our color challenge. When time came for her regular appointment, she used Clairol instead — Nice 'N Easy Ultra Light Natural Blonde #87. How was the quality? Great, thank you. In fact, she feels she achieved the high-shine blond she always got at the salon. The biggest difference she noticed: The Clairol treatment took a lot less time and cost a whole lot less.

Find the Best Color Kit for You

Facing shelf upon shelf of hair-color products is enough to make a person panic. But don't. There are only two choices you need to make: which formula and which shade.

- Formulas: Do you want something temporary and gentle (read: no peroxide)? If so, look for a box labeled "semi-" or "demi-permanent." Either will cover a few grays, subtly enhance your base color, and last about four weeks. For longer-lasting results, choose a box that says "permanent." This formula lifts some of your natural color with peroxide then deposits pigment so color goes into each strand, says colorist Giselle, of Pierre Michel Salon in New York City. "This gives you more impact, but it also means more maintenance as hair grows."

- Shades: To find the right color, don't go by the photo of the model on the package, says Julia Youssef of the L'Oréal Technical Institute — consult the guide on the back of the box. Look for tones that closely match your mane — then go one or two shades darker or lighter. If you want a bigger change, you may need a colorist after all.

Step 5: Be Bold (or at Least Think About It)

How do you know when you're stuck in a style rut? If you've had the same cut for so long that you can't remember how you looked before, it's time to consider a change. If you're not ready to commit to a huge change, here are three ways to make a noncommittal coif change:

- Add faux bangs or length with easy-to-clip hair extensions (try Put on Pieces from Hair U Wear).

- Give your blow dryer the day off and go with your natural texture.

- Try a new (semipermanent) color that will shampoo out in 28 washes.

Step 6: Get Help from Great Products

It may look all-natural, but don't be fooled — most women with great 'dos owe a small debt of gratitude to certain trusted products and styling tools.

Try on a new hairstyle now.