If you’re wearing a short hairstyle, or are considering one, this year’s hair color trends give you loads of options to choose from! Go bright and bold, or soft and sexy with dimensional color.

This years hair color trends for short hair deliver everything from edgy to classy sophistication… purely creative coloring!

When choosing a new hair color, you already know your natural coloring and skin tone matter but, the length of your hair changes the color equation too. Short hairstyles open up a huge variety of hair color options that fit “different strokes for different folks.” But, there are also certain hair color techniques that don’t work well at all with short hairstyles (think of the skunk like effect.) Here are few coloring techniques trending with short hairstyles now:

Subtle Blending of Highlights and Lowlights

Subtle, blended highlights or low-lights look classy and sophisticated on short hairstyles. They add a sense of dimension and reflection that really makes a shorter style shine. Find a hair color that is only a few shades lighter or darker than your natural hair color and ask your hair stylist for fine, thin streaks of color for this subtle effect.

Bold, chunky streaks also look great on short hair, but make sure your hair is not too layered or the color can look forced, thick and choppy. If you have a layered hairstyle that’s a bit longer, have thick straps of color applied only on the bottom layers so that they peek out through the upper layers.

Solid block colors look great on short hair.

Since short hairstyles look fresh and should be maintained with routine trims, you can dye your hair a bright red, strawberry blonde, or platinum blonde without having to worry so much about damage. If you keep your style freshly cut, bold blocks of color will look freshly dyed and even. Since many short styles are fun and trendy, you can use bright temporary colors for a drastic change that will eventually fade away.

Short hairstyles that are a little longer and graze the chin can handle two-tone colors just as gracefully as longer hair. You can dip your ends in fun colors or you could try the increasingly popular ombre hair color.

Your “regrowth” area will not be as long as most ombre styles, but the faded effect still looks just as pretty on short hair.

Overall, most short hairstyles will look great with many of the same coloring techniques used on longer to medium-length hair. But, with short hair you can wear more bold colors or try techniques that don’t typically work as well on longer hair styles. Old hair color gets cut off sooner on short hair, so it’s easier to maintain healthy hair.

Short hair styles allow for lots of fun with the new creative color trends showing up this season. Why not take a chance on a fun new look, if you aren’t happy with the results you are not far away from getting your natural color back.

Guest author Barb Quinn has been a professional hair stylist for over 30 years and has established herself as a nationally recognized hair designer, educator, and freelance writer.

Barb has been chosen by her peers to serve on the advisory panel of Cosmos C International the global hair stylist network. Thousands of women each day follow Barb’s hair styling wit and wisdom on her highly successful blogs Hairstyle Blog and Visual Makeover. In 2011 The Hairstyle Blog was selected as Top Beauty Blog by BeautySchool.com.

There’s always been a lot of debate about what really is the best hair color.

Blondes will tell you that they have more fun, brunettes will tell you that they have all the style, whereas redheads will tell you that they have the only color that truly stands out from the crowd. So, who is right??

Well I don’t want to disappoint, but of course there is no right or wrong answer in this debate.

Hair color is something that is totally personal to every individual, which is what makes the ability to change our color so amazing! I don’t want to leave you empty handed though, so hear is my guide to my favorite hair color shades currently on the market.

Best blonde hair color

Blonde is the color that will never go out of style, however certain shades seem to make their way in and out of the spotlight. Although I have been tipping white blonde to be one of the most popular looks of the year, my personal favorite blonde comes in more of a subtle shade.

Natural Extra Light Neutral Blonde 98 from Clairol’s Nice ‘n Easy range is a stunning color, and because Clairol use multi-tones in their formula, the end result is so natural looking that I constantly hear comments of disbelief when I say it’s from a bottle.

Best brunette hair color

Whoever said brunettes are boring has definitely had their head stuck in the sand. The moderate brown look has been extremely popular over the last year, in some part due to the regal trends emerging from the Royal Wedding and the beautiful Princess Kate Middleton.

Long gone are the days when going brunette is seen as a safe option, and instead it has become the epitome of style and elegance. To achieve this look, my favorite brunette color comes from the team at Garnier and their 530 Natural Golden Brown colorant.

Best red hair color

We all remember the dark days where red heads bought brown hair dyes by the gallon in an attempt to hide their natural color, so it’s amazing to see how far this bold look has come.

Nowadays everyone wants to get in on the firey siren look, and with the media coining the phrase ‘Red Bombshell’ we are seeing style icons and celebrities adopting this vibrant color. If you want to take the brave step to go red, or if you want to add more life to your current red look, I would recommend Manic Panic Vampire Red hair dye.

Best black hair color

Black hair has been a symbol of style and sophistication since the 1920’s, and the look is still going strong today. Black hair has a real daring air of mystery, and has become a timeless classic worn by film, music and fashion icons.

If you think you have got what it takes to pull of black hair, you should take note of one of our many mantras at HairColorCode.com HQ; ‘the key to great black hair is high-shine’. To achieve a black hair color with plenty of shine, I recommend L’Oreal’s Feria Black Leather Multi-Faceted Shimmering Color.

There you go, my current favorite four hair colors.

If you have found a fantastic shade which you think should be included in my best hair color list, I would love to hear from you. You can leave a comment below, send me a tweet, or drop me an email.

2011 was a fabulous year for celeb hair color with the birth of many original and unique color trends.

Styles ranged from the classic warm-toned, romantically cut tresses of both Brit ‘Princess’ Kate and fashion icon Kim Kardashian, to the likes of Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj with their ever evolving looks combining blunt bangs mixed with layers of sheer pastel tones.

2011 certainly had plenty of ‘highlights’ (see what we did there), and we are expecting 2012 to be bigger, bolder and brighter. As 2012 is upon us, we thought we would give you the run down of this years biggest hair color trends.

So what hair colors are hot in 2012?

Ombre Hair Colors

The 2011 trend of Ombre hair is also set to return but in a bolder fashion. The contrast between the dark roots and lighter ends will be stronger and tones of brighter copper and red will be used at the root to add definition, giving a two or three colored staggered effect.

Jewel Tones

Jewel tones are set to be huge by the Spring, including vibrant pairings of turquoise, blues, reds, purples and pinks. Big and bold multi-colored highlights will give a vibrant contrast to darker hair, whereas blondes and redheads will be sporting pastel tones of yellow, duck egg blues and baby pinks.

Dip Dyed Multi Lights

For those not wanting a complete color overhaul, dip dyed multi lights, as seen on Lauren Conrad, are set to take off this summer. These are a unique and colorful way to update hair that is stuck in a rut without going overboard. By using multi-colored tips on just a few strands of hair, the result is an ethereal and bohemian style, perfect for the summer sun.

Warm Coppers

Fall will see the return of soft, warm multi-colored tones of coppers, auburns and chestnut browns contrasted with semi-permanent shimmery and icy glosses to create a healthy sheen. Subtle brunette hues and soft textures suited to most skin types will be bang on-trend and create a demure and chic style perfect for those who are feeling less bold on the color front.

Major Reinvention

2012 is another year of reinvention, with celebs like Lady Gaga leading the way. We all know she is never seen in the same outfit twice and the same can be said for her hair. In 2012 we will all jump on the bandwagon so get set to wear a different style and color every week! Hair is the new accessory, meaning you can match it to each and every outfit using new wash-in wash-out hair colors.

Gray Hair Color

Finally we will see the color gray step into the limelight, as seen on the likes of model Kate Moss who recently showed off her blonde bob with contrasting gray streaks. High-lights and low-lights of white and gray will be the biggest (and possibly most innovative) hair color trend of 2012. Celebrities will now be able to grow old gracefully as this new take on highlights is born. But this isn’t a look just for the over fifties, silver blonde and gray streaks are set to take off as the next big thing for old and young alike.

So that you have it, that HairColorCode guide for the hot color trends of 2012. Are you feeling inspired to go jewel, ombre, or even (whisper it) gray? Leave us a comment and let us know your hair color plans for 2012!

To go red or not to go red – that is the question. Redheads create a seductive, fiery mystique, yet there are a few things to consider before reaching for that bottle.

Aside from selecting the proper shades or choosing the best red to go with your skin tone, it’s wise to know that red hair has a few quirks that you may want to consider before taking the plunge.

Getting started with red hair

You should know up front that red is not a “try it and see” color. Red is a vibrant and dominant color that has a tendency to linger.

Even if you are able to get most of the red subdued, there will still be evidence of a red in the underlying pigment for some time unless you go considerably darker to cover it (and even then it can still play peek-a-boo in certain light!)

The science behind red hair dye

Since red hair color molecules are usually larger in molecular structure than their counterparts, it can take an application or two to get it to really ‘take’ to the hair. This is especially true in the case of ‘stains’ and semi/demi permanent applications. So if you choose to baby-step into a red hair color, be patient for the first few attempts.

To get better saturation and vibrancy, a higher strength developer will do the trick, so if you do opt for the permanent or more vibrant reds, a stronger product is warranted. However, this uses peroxide to remove more of your natural hair color to allow for greater penetration of your new shade.

This will give you a more noticeable regrowth and also greatly increase the fadage potential for some hair fabric. By opening the cuticle of the hair to allow for reds to come in, it also leaves the door cracked for the reds to leave sooner.

Thinking of going for an extreme red?

For those of you who go for the primary or ‘red-reds’ (fire engine class), these colors are often achieved by products you find in novelty shops and boutiques and are for the more extreme hair color fans. The warning here is that some of these products create the shockingly red colors by using a textile dye as opposed to a professional hair color.

They are meant to stay in the fabric for a long, long time.

They are nearly impossible to remove without major (and expensive) salon treatments, and they make it difficult for future colors to take to the hair. If you buy one of these hair colors at a local boutique that plays the loud music, sells t-shirts and spiked dog collars, we urge you to re-read this paragraph before dumping the product on your head!

A (brief) word of warning…

Here is the truth behind red hair dye. Red pigment lingers even after the initial luster starts to diminish, however the dye will leave its evidence behind for some time.

Red dyes fade to their bases which are often less flattering and completely different than the original shade chosen.

That is why you see some people with pink or orange hair – they didn’t choose it initially, they simply chose not to maintain their original color. If you are also a fan of the sun, use a lot of hot tools and blow-dryers, or use low-quality hair care products, you will put the red fadage into hyper-drive.

Now I didn’t say that to discourage you, I just want to stress the point that red hair dye require TLC. Hope lies in the fact that red hair colors are not difficult to refresh with color washes, color-complementary shampoos, and color sealers.

As I mentioned – reds are beautiful, brilliant, and eye-catching. They have a sexy allure all their own. They just require attention specific to the shade and will be quick to show the world if the wearer is neglectful.