Q. What’s the best way to determine the right color of highlights for my cut and face shape? Marina Heflin; Hammond, IN

A. Great question! In general, highlights that are two to three shades lighter than your overall color are most complimentary. Keep in mind skin tone plays a huge role. If your complexion is rosy, for example, it’s best to stay away from redder shades since they’ll just contribute to an allover ruddy look. Choose colors you feel beautiful in as a guide (ie: the color matches or enhances your look as opposed to making you look drab or worn out). They tend to be the ones that blend best with your hair color, too.
As far as face shape goes, there are various techniques your stylist can make use of to enhance or minimize specific features. For instance, you can slim down a wide face by placing highlights on top of your style and leaving the hair on the sides darker. If your face is narrow, do the opposite. Concentrate the highlights on the sides and leave the top darker.

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