The Hour

Celebrities change their hair colour like a leopard changes its spots. Cheryl Cole has recently become a buxom blonde, Jessie J is dramatically dark and Rihanna is a ravishing red head.

Hair stylist Leo McCallum is a hair colour expert and is named as the current fantastic hairdresser of the year. He used three models to show three very different celebrity inspired hair looks and shared his expert tips on how to get a great colour that suits you.

First up was Sophie, who was modelling a Cheryl Cole inspired hair cut and colour. Leo back-combed Sophie’s hair and added some lighter pieces through the middle and ends, and then he used a slightly darker colour at the root area to give Sophie’s hair a bit of softness.

Lastly he put a darker brown colour through the top of the hair and worked it through all the back combing to create a really soft and sexy look.

The next celebrity inspired look was shown off by Catherine, who had her hair cut and coloured in the style of Jessie J. Leo said:

“Jessie J’s new on the scene but her hair has been so asked for in the salon. The Jessie J fringe doesn’t suit every kind of face and what I’d probably suggest would be if you’re like Catherine and have an oval face shape go for it but if you have a slightly rounder face shape a fringe probably isn’t the best idea for you. With Catherine we’ve done a bit of a shorter version and tweaked it a bit.”

Catherine’s hair was blonde before Leo worked his magic, and the shade was draining and didn’t suit her skin tone. To get a really sleek, sultry look, Leo worked one colour through the roots and another through the middle and ends to get a really nice and shiny charcoal brown colour. With Catherine’s complexion of light eyes and light skin tone the look is absolutely perfect.

Last up was Samantha modelling a Rihanna inspired look. Rihanna is a colour chameleon when it comes to her hair, and just now she’s sporting a vivid red shade that really suits her skin tone. Leo has created something a little bit different for Samantha’s look and combined the Rihanna look with Frankie Sandford from The Saturdays.

To start off with Leo got rid of all the bulk through Samantha’s hair and dyed her colour from brown to red. He said:

“When it comes to reds you’ve got to get it right. If you’re paler and your eyes are lighter then you have to go for more cherry reds and plums rather than anything too orangey. Anyone can go red as long as you get the right shade.”

Your hairdresser should know how to design something around you so that you get something that suits you, and if you’re thinking of going for a big change it’s important to do it for the right reasons and in the right frame of mind. If you plan to dye your hair at home it’s a good idea to go and visit a salon to get advice on what shade you should go for to get the best results.

Leo McCallum is the manager and artistic director at Rainbow Room International. For more information or to book yourself a hair appointment, see the company’s website.