With the mercury rising and colors shifting from chunky contrasts to softer, yet still vibrant hues, Let fashion go straight to your head, or rather your hair, this season by wearing the latest warm weather shades. The newest colors are like adding cream to your coffee. If you wore a chocolate brown hair color this past winter, you can easily step into this season's color palette with a soft mocha hue.

The newest hair fashions resemble a slice of pastel paradise. Colorists are doing this by adding panels of closely related colors. For those who crave pate hair, this means wearing a trio of lighter shades such as caramel, gold and pate golden blonde. And if you are a brunette, a warm brown base that is overlaid with auburn and light golden red is guaranteed to energize your appearance this season.

In stark contrast, salon professionals are also busy creating a brighter side to this warm-weather palette by playing up to the strength of reds whether they are warm, coot or somewhere in between. And if you have wild hair that you would never dream of taming, consider making a big splash by adding just a piece or two of citron, fuchsia or blue. You can do this and still took up to date. The key is moderation. The newest hair color trends are all about being eye-catching and interesting, without screaming for people's attention."

Hair color can fade from view long before you are ready to bid adieu. Even so, Joel Dyer, international. colorist and educator for PureOlogy, says that you can easily have brilliant hair color in-between regular salon visits simply by following these six golden rules:

SHAMPOO YOUR HAIR LESS FREQUENTLY, and when you do, use a color-safe shampoo like PureOlogy, a new professional-only product that guarantees longer-lasting color or your money back (for the shampoo, that is, and not your color service).

CONDITION YOUR HAIR WITH A PROFESSIONAL PRODUCT for color-treated hair. Always look for label claims regarding antioxidant and/or sunscreen ingredients to help protect your hair against UVA-UVB rays.

RINSE YOUR HAIR WITH COOL--NEVER HOT--WATER to close the cuticle (the outside layer of your hair) and encourage real staying power.

GIVE YOUR HAIR SOME COVERAGE when you are having fun in the sun by wearing the latest head gear--like a wide brimmed hat to deflect damaging UVA-UVB rays.

WET YOUR HAIR BEFORE SWIMMING to prevent it from absorbing too much chlorine or salt water.

SEE YOUR STYLIST REGULARLY, and always follow his or her advice when it comes to preserving the vibrancy of your hair color.

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