Hairstyles How To: Nelson Chan's Tips for Summer Blondes

"This summer, I prefer golden medium blond, and warmer tones, which are great for helping women look younger because they make complexions look alive and youthful," says celebrity stylist Nelson Chan, founder of Nelson j Salon in Beverly Hills (nelsonjsalon.com), which recently launched a new Color Touch Up Bar for retouching roots in 15 minutes. "I suggest going for a blond shade with warm, golden undertones like Naomi Watts," says Chan. "Or else using Ombre to achieve a more natural look."

For actress Heather Graham's recent promotion of Hangover Part III, Chan gave her hair a light sandy golden blond color with soft Ombre, baby blond highlights. "I wanted to give her a sexy, beachy look, as if she had spent some nice hours in the sun and achieved her highlights naturally. While Ombre continues to reign supreme this year, it is a much less dramatic look than last year. It's best to keep hair light on the ends but avoid going too dark at the roots."
 
Chan advises women over 40 to avoid ash blonds. He says, "They looked amazing when you were 20 but now that you're a little older and wiser, it's time to move on. The problem is ash color has cool undertones, which can look almost gray, and very unappealing when you're already old enough to have gray hair."
 
Chan also advises that women over 40 not go too blond, which is a mistake. "Going too light ages the face more because it makes a woman look too pale and unnatural," he says. "Plus, there's so much damage caused by bleaching. Women can keep their blond ambition in check by applying a medium golden blond gloss, which tones it down and restores youthfulness to the face...and it only takes 10 minutes."

[Images courtesy of Carolyn Kamii Public Relations]