Easy Tips for Dyeing Your Hair Dark This Fall

Without fail, each year Hollywood celebrates the fall season with a parade of darker hair colors. Already, Kylie Minogue, Chloe Sevigny, and Rihanna have shown off brunette locks.  The annual tradition provides inspiration for switching up your entire look, plus a darker hue is a fun way to coordinate with the season's bold fashions. We chatted with celebrity colorist Marko Tomassetti of Sally Hershberger Los Angeles (clients include Kelly Clarkson and Jane Krakowski) and learned some easy tricks for transitioning tresses successfully.

B: Why is dyeing your hair dark so popular in fall?

Fall is the perfect time to go dark. My clients are often feeling blue that the summer is over and they’re looking to make a change. Hair is usually washed out and dry from the season past, and going darker gives strands a break from highlights and adds new life. Plus, rich brunettes are super sexy hues!

B: Do darker shades work with every skin tone?

Yes! Anyone can go darker, but I recommend consulting your colorist so they can tailor a shade that’s right for your skin tone. Those with olive skin should ask their colorist to add warmth to their hue so that it doesn’t look one dimensional. If you have a lot of yellow if your skin, stick with a medium brown, as a really dark shade will wash you out and make you look pasty. Women also shouldn’t be afraid of a little red in their hair—it adds shine and can help make the dark hue look more natural.

B: How can you keep your color from fading?

If you’re a brunette who’s going even darker, you can go up to eight weeks between coloring appointments (unless you have grays—then you should go about every month). However, blondes may need to visit the salon every four to six weeks as their lighter roots come through. Whatever your natural color, try not to wash your hair more than twice a week, and use a color-protecting shampoo and conditioner to ensure the hue remains lustrous.

B: Have any DIY recipes?

This is a little trick I share with my brunette clients: Brew a really strong pot of coffee (avoid instant), let it cool, then put the coffee in a spray bottle. Once a week after shampooing, spray the coffee throughout your hair, let it sit for five to ten minutes, then rinse and condition. The coffee helps to boost your color and add richness!

Is the Clarisonic Aria Worth the Splurge?

Clarisonic, the beauty brush renowned for its sonic technology, is well on its way to becoming a cult classic in the industry. Beauty lovers of all ages love it because it’s a gentle but thorough way to keep skin healthy, smooth, and more radiant. With the Mia, Mia 2, and Plus in its arsenal, the brand recently welcomed a new addition to the family: Clarisonic Aria. Clarisonic’s popularity ranges from skin care professionals to teens, and each one works for virtually all skin types—even if you suffer from acne, rosacea, or seborrheic dermatitis. By removing impurities like dirt, oil, sebum, and bacteria, the skin is able to breathe, allowing your favorite moisturizer or serum to easily absorb into the skin. Each Clarisonic is unique to a person’s individual needs, including their own skin concerns and lifestyles. The new Aria has all the great features we love from the brand (with a few additional surprises!), but is it really worth the splurge at $199? Here are the pros and cons to consider.

What We Love

TRUE TO ITS ROOTS. Like all Clarisonic brushes, the Aria is still gentle enough to use twice a day, and at 300 movements per second, it also removes six times more makeup and twice as much dirt and oil than just using your fingers. It also uses the same oscillating motion as the Mia, Mia 2, and Plus. That just means that it moves back and forth really fast without rotating all the way around, so it won’t tear capillaries like cheaper alternatives.
GREAT FOR TRAVEL. Like the Mia and the Mia 2, the Aria is a great travel companion. Its sleek design is less bulky than the Plus, and it can be charged through your USB port if you hate carrying chargers. If you’d prefer to use its drying station or magnetic charging attachment, the Aria also has universal voltage, making it ideal for travel.
A LONGER BATTERY LIFE. The Aria has the longest battery life after the Plus with 28 uses, compared to the Mia’s 20. Unlike the other Clarisonics, this one also has an indicator that changes color to inform you when your battery is going to die.
WE HAVE OPTIONS. The Aria is equipped with a T-Timer that can be adjusted for one or two minutes. It’s perfect for those nights when you need an extra deep clean and don’t want to keep pushing the little button. It also has three speeds like the Plus, which men will love for those pesky ingrown facial hairs. What We Can Live Without

What We Can Live Without

THE PRICE. At $199, the Aria is most definitely a splurge. The Mia is only $119, and the Mia 2 retails for $159. Sure, the Aria has nifty new features that are great for jetsetters, but if you don’t travel much, it may not be worth it.
THE EXTRA SPEED. The third speed is a plus, but it’s not necessary for everyday use. If you have sensitive skin, you’ll never use the highest speed because it might be a little too harsh. And just because it has the option of three speeds does not mean that the Aria is meant for the less delicate skin on the rest of your body. The Aria is still for the face only.

Verdict

Buy the Aria if you’re new to Clarisonic or you travel often. If you already own a Mia or Mia 2 and you love it, stick to it. But since the holidays are around the corner, keep the Aria in mind for that special someone.

This Easy Step Could Extend the Life of Your Hair Brush

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You wouldn’t dream of forgetting to clean your makeup brushes, but what about your hair brushes? Most of us will periodically remove the hair that collects between the bristles the same way we dutifully clean out the lint trap in the dryer, but what about sanitizing them? What about cleaning oil from the bristles, which can cause rubber deterioration? What about dead skin cells?

It may seem like overkill, but a sanitized brush can help keep your hair shiny and clean that much longer. But don’t just throw your plastic brushes in boiling water and call it a day—warping or melting can occur. And if you’ve shelled out almost $200 for your Mason Pearson, you’re going to want something a little gentler than a bleach shower.
PLASTIC BRUSHES AND COMBS

Hair salons and barbershops swear by Barbicide, the blue solution you see combs and brushes soaking in on the counter. The salon staple has been around since the 1940s, and luckily it’s available at any beauty supply store. The antiseptic uses a combination of isopropyl alcohol, sodium nitrite, benzyl ammonium chloride, and water to disinfect, and can kill surface germs, fungi, and viruses. To make your own DIY hair brush cleaner at home, mix one cup vinegar and three cups of hot water in a bowl. Remove all excess hair from your comb or plastic brush, and let the tools soak for 20 minutes.
OTHER BRUSHES

It’s fine to use Barbicide or vinegar on plastic, but brushes with natural bristles and rubber pads caution not to use alcohol or oils, which can compromise the rubber. Some tools come with a special cleaning brush that sloughs off any residue on the bristles, but a toothpick and toothbrush can work just as well for dry brushing and scrubbing. Fill a bowl full of lukewarm water and soap (either dish soap or hand soap should work), dip your cleaning brush or toothbrush into the water, and softly scrub the hair brush, including the rubber. Since water can get trapped beneath the rubber, remember not to dip the tool in.

Worried About Your Body Odor? Try This Deodorant Candy

    

Have you heard the news? All-natural deodorant creams are one thing, but how about chewing on a deodorant candy for fresh breath—and odor-free skin. The new European confection Deo Perfume Candy claims to leave your body smelling like roses. The science behind the sweet treat lies in geraniol, an alcohol in rose oil which aromatizes the scent as it evaporates through the skin. Depending on body weight, the fragrance should last on the skin around six hours per 12mg serving, but we're still left wondering how sweat factors in. Is this more Willa Wonka than real science to you? Experts are skeptical about the substance and its effects, but the functional fragrance is on our to-try list as of right now. Vote below and let us know if you'll be chewing on this caloric cologne in the near future.