Her beau’s famous coif may have been named one of the “most influential cuts of 2011,” but Selena Gomez is enjoying a little time in the spotlight with her colorful new look. Right before she went on her South African tour, the pop star stopped by Nine Zero One Salon in West Hollywood, CA, to have some multicolored extensions added to her ‘do. “The color selection for Selena was based on her wardrobe for her tour,” says Nikki Lee, the salon’s co-owner. “She wanted to do something fun and different without damaging her hair. The Great Lengths extensions we added in were perfect for this!” When it comes to selecting color for a look like this, Nikki says there are a couple rules to consider. “Don’t choose colors based on your client’s existing shade of hair,” she says. “Instead, make sure to choose colors that will complement her skin tone and go well with her wardrobe.” Also, select shades from the same color family. “Selena decided on all jewel tone colors. If you do too many colors that don’t go with each other, your trendy new hair is no longer trendy—it’s tacky! I wouldn’t recommend adding in more than three colors,” Nikki says. Watch the highlights from the Great Lengths Challenge Stylist Contest!

The haircolor trend springing up this season? Pastel blondes! 2011 saw a haircolor revolution take place with more and more celebrities coloring their locks in every shade of the rainbow, and in true spring fashion, the shades are softening up into pretty powdery shades. According to the trendsetters at Schwarzkopf Professional, all kinds of blondes are having a moment this spring and summer—from pure and decadent golden honeys and ambers to soft blush tones. This look, from the Essential Looks Collection for 2012, was created using Schwarzkopf Professional BLONDME Premium Performance Lightener and BLONDME Toning Creams in Ice, Strawberry and Caramel. See more blonde inspirations for spring/summer!

Long-locked ladies like Maya Rudolph, Stacy Keibler and Kelly Osbourne were beside themselves (hah!) at the Oscars, opting for stunning side-swept waves and curls. With its popularity on the red carpet, this over-the-shoulder look is sure to be a hit come bridal and prom season because it’s a great way to show off a gown while still making a strong beauty statement. To create this Oscar-worthy wave, apply a styling cream to damp hair from roots to ends. Blowdry the hair with a round brush to ensure a smooth, polished finish. Once the hair is completely dry, create a deep side part. Starting at the back of the head, use a styling iron like the domed FHI Heat Platform Iron to twist sections of hair all in one direction. Pull all the curled hair over the shoulder opposite from the deep side part to complete the modern yet Old Hollywood glam style. Check out the Platform series irons from FHI Heat!

Last week on American Idol, the top 10 boys and girls performed, Steven Tyler teased Jennifer Lopez about a wardrobe malfunction and Randy Jackson said the word “yo” approximately 322 times. All jokes aside, J.Lo looked fab as usual and her haircolor made our hearts swoon. Want to recreate the look on clients begging for her balayage? Welcome to the stage Doug Macintosh, Color Director at John Sahag Workshop. “This shade bridges the gap between blonde and brunette,” he shares, “so it’s an appealing look for a lot of women.” To get the look on a Natural Level 5 client, flash lighten the base with Wella Koleston Perfect 10/1 + 30-volume then rinse, shampoo, condition and dry the hair. Next, foil in Clairol BW2 Powder Bleach + 20-volume, starting at the ears and working up, creating fairly large weaves in the foils. Work through the top and crown areas. Process to a pale blonde; remove the foils, shampoo, rinse and towel dry. Apply Redken Shades EQ 1 oz. Clear + 1 oz. 09NB + 2 oz. SEQ Processing Solution at the sink, process 5 minutes and rinse. Get another color formula and how-to for Jennifer’s balayage!

With her mega-sized voice and now a mega-sized trophy case for all those new Grammys, it’s only natural that Adele completes her look with mega-sized, voluminous locks. The singing sensation single-handedly brought big hair back, and we can’t get enough of her style; she always looks classy, feminine and downright lovely. To create an Adele-inspired ‘do on your client, roll sections of hair onto hot rollers, starting at the top of the head. Spray each section with hairspray and allow the rollers to cool. Once cool, remove the rollers, create a deep center part, then brush the curls out to create waves. If your client needs a little boost in the volume department, recommend extensions! A basic rule of thumb for applying extensions to create believable volume, says Great Lengths Technical Director Celeste Lucero, is to add 3 to 5 rows at the sides, 2 to 5 rows at the nape and 2 to 5 rows at the perimeter. Find out the three finalists in the Great Lengths Before & After Imagery Contest!

Glee cutie Chris Colfer added some serious sex appeal to his style at this weekend’s SAG Awards, rocking a look worthy of its own song. His stylist, Solo Artists’ Charles Dujic, shares how to get his look: “Chris wanted to add a bit of edge to his look tonight to complement his Vivienne Westwood suit,” Charles explains. “So I styled his hair in an asymmetrical modern pompadour.” Charles first prepped Chris’ damp hair with Bumble and bumble gel, and then blow-dried it into the shape with just his fingers to give it direction. He followed up by applying Bumble and bumble sumotech to add texture, definition and shine then once again worked the style into place with his fingers. And with that, Chris had a look to take him from the halls of William McKinley High School to the glitz of the SAG Awards! See 5 more styles from the SAG Awards!

Sunday night’s Golden Globes saw stars “Puttin’ on the Ritz” for their red carpet photo ops and American Horror Story’s Connie Britton looked anything but horrifying in her vintage gown and tousled waves. Solo Artists’ Charles Dujic created the look by applying Bumble and bumble Surf Spray to the roots of her damp hair, then added Moroccanoil to the lengths and ends for moisture and sheen. “I blow dried her hair using a large round brush, and in preparation for the set, I sprayed her hair section by section with Bb. Spray De Mode,” Charles explains. Next, he set just the top and crown in large Velcro rollers to lock in some lift at the root, and then set the rest of her hair with a 1¼-inch barrel curling iron. “I alternated the iron in different directions so the waves would bounce off each other,” he adds. He removed the Velcro rollers and curled the hair “barrel style” with a 1½-inch iron for extra lift at the crown then flipped her hair over and shook it out, working Bb. Brilliantine into her hair with his hands. “She flipped her hair back over and I back-brushed it where the rollers were placed earlier, just at the root, and locked her look in place with another blast of Spray De Mode!” Get 10 more style how-tos from the Golden Globes!

Say your client is the adventurous type who wants a new look for new year, but has absolutely no idea what she wants. What are you to do? Suggest this updated pixie seen on Ashlee Simpson. With its asymmetrical, swooped fringe in front and shorter lengths in the back, this cut works well for clients of all ages and is particularly stunning on oval and square face shapes, according to our good friend Phillip Wilson. It can also be styled in many ways, and gives the stylist the option to customize each cut for the client. “This cut is so hot right now because it’s so versatile” he adds. “The key to this look is to create a soft, flirty and feathered texture rather than solid lines. Cut into the perimeter to customize the shape and create details to highlight your client’s best features.” For a flawless finish, Phillip recommends using Pureology Nano Glaze Styling Cream to piece out or smooth the texture, depending on your desired result. Check out Pureology’s new packaging and initiatives!

At the LA premiere of her new flick New Year’s Eve, Hilary Swank looked beautiful in a glittering blue gown and cascading curls. Her hairstyle, created by Robert Vetica, celebrity stylist and Moroccanoil Global Brand Ambassador, was glamorous, sexy and spirited—everything we look for in a New Year’s Eve look. Create the look by prepping damp hair with Moroccanoil Treatment then create a deep side part and dry in large sections. Use a ¾-inch curling iron on the hair behind the ear. In the back, take larger sections and direct the curl down, making sure not to spiral the hair on the barrel. Continue around to the other side behind the ear. At the top of the part, take 2½-inch sections and curl in the opposite direction. Pin these sections along the front hairline and spray with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray. Allow the spray to sit for a bit then release the pins and brush out. Pull the hair on the parted side back and to the side and pin in place with bobby pins and a hair comb. Work Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream into the remaining hair with your fingers to frame it around the face then finish with more hairspray. View this entire step-by-step!

The perfect party style for any of your client’s holiday happenings is luminous, romantic waves. These gleaming locks are a chic, elegant look for any special occasion and Leonardo Mannetti for L’Oreal Professionnel gave us the scoop on how to make waves. First, prep towel-dried hair with L’Oreal Professionnel Mythic Oil and then apply Texture Expert Mousse Volupte from roots to ends. Dry hair smooth, concentrating on the root area, then lightly spray hair with Texture Expert Infinium 2 hairspray to provide a workable, moveable hold. Wrap large sections around the outside of a 1-inch curling iron away from the face to create soft movement. Work curled sections of hair into loose rings (about 1 inch in diameter), but leave the ends out and secure with pins to create volume. Mist hair with Texture Expert Infinium 3 hairspray. Remove pins and loosely separate curls with your fingers. Accent pieces of hair with Texture Expert Perfect Shimmer for a holiday shine. Win a full-sized sample of L’Oreal Professionnel Mythic Oil!