Pastel hair is definitely having a moment. Altough the first spots come from Giles and Proenza Schouler Fall 2010 fashion shows, today it is Marchesa (with beautiful and wild Charlotte Free), Thakoon (they used a special brightly coloured clay powder), and Narciso Rodriguez (who showcased short pastel slicked-back hair) to continue the pastel hair trend.

The cutting-edge strands have also been popularised by various celebrities, including Katy Perry, Kate Bosworth, and Rachel McAdams. In 2014 the trend strikes back thanks to Nicole Richie, Rita Ora and Kylie Jenner. In one of the recent interviews the Notebook star, Rachel McAdams said:

“I always wanted pink hair. I wanted to do my whole head, but my hairstylist, Robert, was like, “How about we start small?” I absolutely loved it. I still think about doing blue at some point, but I don’t like to change my hair before I’m about to do [a film]—you never know what that character’s going to be.”

This sounds quite familiar, a young lighthearted celebrity who is fond of hair experiments. Quite reasonable why Victoria Beckham and Kate Middleton aren’t sporting pastel hair.

Want to look like your favourite celebrity? This is a great hair makeover idea for spring and summer 2012! But how to get the playful rainbow hair though? At first, you need to plan exactly what effect you want and how you’re going to achieve it.

Get your hair coloured professionally

Think about having your hair dip dyed semi-permanently in the salon. Unless you’re bleached blonde, your colourist will first pre-lighten the sections they’ll be dyeing. The reason is to make sure your hair is best prepared for the pastel hair dye.
Pros: the tones are vivid, and you rule out the risk of not pulling it off
Cons: money

Hair chalking

 

The safest option is hair chalking, an easy way to get cool tie-dyed streaks without any serious commitment. Perfect if you want pastel highlights or just pastel tips.

Pros: it is cool, nonpermanent and gives an instant effect
Cons: the effect vanishes after three washes

Pastel hair clip ins

Clipping into your hair some fake pastel streaks (for example bought online) is another method giving instant effect.
Pros: time-saving and a commitment-free, does not require pre-lightening which is always harsh
Cons: fake looking

Also, note that the best effect is maintained on blond or light brown hair. That’s why Katy Perry ditched her trademark wavy black hair in favour of blonde-and-pink bob. Let’s face it, pastel highlights require a subdued background which also means…your work.

Let’s face it: the trend is playful, and very girly but it will never let you be a nameless face in the crowd. It can go beyond a strict dress code especially when you work with the clients. Take it into consideration before your boss asks you to change your hairstyle or sacrifce your professional life.