Be The Best Blonde Ever

1. Avoid alcohol. Bottle blondes may suffer from dry, dull hair, and using products that contain high amounts of alcohol can make the problem worse. Common alcohol-containing culprits: hairspray, gel, and mousse; check the label.
2. Have a few tricks up your sleeve. Inevitably, there will be times when you need to get to the salon but just can't spare the time or money. Rather than surrendering to long, dark roots, try this trick: To combat visible roots, pick up a box of dark, ash-blonde hair color at the drugstore. Apply it carefully to just your roots with a toothbrush and leave it on for no longer than three minutes. This will take the edge off dark roots and will buy you a few more weeks sans salon.
3. Keep it cool when coloring at home. If you elect to lighten your hair on your own, opt for a cool or neutral shade rather than something warm often marked 'golden' or 'honey'. Lightening naturally warms up your hair; if you choose a warm-colored dye, you may end up too orangey gold."
4. Let a pro handle the hard stuff. If you want to take your color more than two shades lighter than your natural hue, visit a salon. Attempting a job this delicate yourself is risky and you may end up more banana than honey-blonde.
5. Leave the whitening to your teeth. Many women equate cool, white strands with elegance, but the reality is that having overly platinum hair can leave you looking tired. A better approach? Ask your colorist to create a golden base, then add cooler highlights.

Makeup tips for blondes:

• If you opt for red lips, keep them sheer and limit the hue to evenings.
• Peach tones are universally flattering to blondes.
• Opt for brown mascara rather than black; it contrasts less with your hair color.