Pastel Colors

When musing upon the topic of pastels, we invariably imagine one of two items: cotton candy or Easter eggs. Yes, dear readers, the images that come to mind are sweet foodstuffs and odd seasonal rituals, neither of which is exactly known for being the epitome of coolness. But these immediate associations are finally being challenged, thanks to a fresh beauty look from Proenza Schouler's S/S 10 show and the intriguing interpretations of said style, as seen on trendsetters like Ashley Olsenpastel hair.


Olsen, unsurprisingly, was one of the first fashionable celebs to try a hint of pastel highlights. (To clarify, we mean this time around, obviously loads of ladies have rocked this look throughout the years.) Just a couple of months after the Proenza Schouler show, she arrived at the MoMA's Second Annual Film Benefit, which honored Tim Burton, wearing a smattering of blue and purple strands in her hair. While Olsen went for a subtler look, Pixie Geldof ramped things up for the ELLE Style Awards in London last month when she showed off a head of minty hair. Geldof often tweaks her hair color, so her statement-making pale green coif was definitely not as surprising as Olsen's look. Also in the bold color choice corner: dancing queen Kelly Osbourne. The DWTS finalist tweeted about her hair hue update, then attended a Vanity Fair and Hudson Jeans party at Palihouse on Tuesday night with her lightly lavender locks.

Of course, while many of our spotlighted subjects prefer the cooler hues, hot pink streaks are also a cool option, as Becka Diamond demonstrated at a private screening of Kell on Earth at the Tribeca Grand. Her numerous neon pink extensions (souvenirs from a recent photo shoot) are a lovely non-permanent way to try this look. In fact, this will probably be the way we dip into this trend, as your WhoWhatWear.com editors tend to be a bit commitment-phobic.

But for those daring readers who want to try the exact surf-punk look at Proenza Schouler, we got the scoop from Didier Malige, lead stylist for Frederic Fekkai. The hair guru started by coloring the models' hair with pale green or violet dye. To achieve the pastel color without bleach, you need to have either a fairly light base or very light natural streaks, while darker hair requires bleach, followed by color (we'd leave that to the professionals). In addition to the pastel dye, Malige used Fekkai Beachcomber Leave-in Conditioner ($23), followed by a spritz of Oceanique Tousled Wave Spray ($23) and Magnifique Ultra-Light Finishing Crème ($23) for a tousled sexy look.

Of course it's easier to take the faux route and simply add a few small strips of pastel extensions. Manic Panic's Glam Strips ($14.80) are one fun option; try the 14-inch strips in Pretty Flamingo to simulate Becka Diamond's look. You could also try the Manic Panic Glam Strips ($6.30) in Atomic Turquoise or Electric Lizard. If adding hair pieces freaks you out, you can always give your locks a smidge of temporary color via a spray. For example, Jerome Russell's BWild Temporary Color Spray ($5.99)which is cruelty free!comes in some hot colors like Jaguar Green and Panther Purple.