Elizabeth Taylor – Dark Brunette
What would “Butterfield 8” be without Taylor’s smoldering brunette locks? With legendary lavender eyes and trademark tousled waves, the actress ensnared the love (and diamonds) of seven husbands, as well as the once-in-a-lifetime starring role of Cleopatra.
Get The Look
“The hotter the water in the shower, the quicker the color will fade down the drain,” says San Diego stylist and salon owner Jet Rhys of Taylor’s rich hue. Try to keep rinses closer lukewarm, especially the week following a fresh color, and cold rinse when possible to close the cuticle and amp up brunette shine. Paul Mitchell Color Protect Locking Spray contains sunflower seed extract to prevent fading from shampooing and sun rays, while silicone and panthenol lock in color and gloss.
Lucille Ball – Bright Red
As comedy’s grand dame, Lucille Ball was just as renowned for her fiery red locks as she was the comical situations she tripped into every week with gal pal Ethel on the popular 50’s sitcom, “I Love Lucy.” “Once in his lifetime, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead,” Ball once famously said—though it was truly an entire country that fell for the famed jokester.
Get The Look
“Lucy’s fabulous vibrant red works best on alabaster skin,” says Rhys—and the warm hue looks especially vibrant with blue and green eyes. Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Crème in Light Reddish Blonde #94 combines color with fruit oil and avocado conditioners for a vibrant finish.
Christie Brinkley – Blonde
This life-long blonde is best known for a three-peat: scoring a trio of back-to-back Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covers, plus snagging musician-hubby Billy Joel after the two met on set of his music video, Uptown Girl. The couple may have parted ways in 1994 (with two more husbands to get the same heave-ho), but the supermodel’s sunshine locks power on.
Get The Look
Wheat and butter blonde looks best on complexions touched by gold, says Rhys, though the shade is prone to turning brassy due to the process of oxidization. To preserve color, use a gentle shampoo and conditioner like Alterna Bamboo UV+ Color Protection Vibrant Color Shampoo, which is free of stripping sulfates and sodium chloride, and strengthens hair with pure organic bamboo extract and Kalahari melon.
Helen Mirren – Champagne Gray
From stage to screen, this royally-anointed dame has given award-winning performances as epic characters ranging from Queen Elizabeth I to Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III in “The Madness of King George.” Most brilliantly, the Oscar winner has done much of it in blazing gray locks—transforming the shade from what was once hidden as a sign of aging by Hollywood actresses to a symbol of pride, beauty and strength.
Get The Look
To strike a blended gray shade, go for a pale ash blonde base to maintain a hint of color, and then tone with gray, like a fifty-fifty mix of Wella’s White Lady and Silver Lady toners, says Canale. The resulting shade is perfect for light to medium skin tones, with deeper skins needing a stronger proportion of gray. “Avoid all serums and waxes when you style, or else you’ll turn yellow,” adds Rhys. Instead, try Rene Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo to add volume and texture while maintaining the pristine shade.
Diana Ross – Black
From electric lead singer of Motown group The Supremes to the incarnation of cultural legend Billie Holiday in “Lady Sings the Blues,” Ross is beloved as one of the first African American stars to turn naturally textured hair into a stylish statement. Is it even possible to imagine this star without her trademark halo of curls and slash of black kohl that seemed to define the entire era of disco?
Get The Look
Skin tone is key for a shade so rich, and is best worn by deeper olive to dark skin tones with an undercurrent of mahogany. If applying the color yourself, be particularly careful to apply the shade precisely behind the hair line to avoid difficult-to-remove staining, says Rhys. Try Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Color Blend Foam in Black, for a drip-free formula that provides full coverage color exactly where you place it.
Julia Roberts – Dark Auburn
When Vivian Ward transformed from downtrodden Hollywood prostitute to sophisticated socialite in “Pretty Woman,” her wardrobe, makeup and manners changed completely—but her flaming red locks did not. Could it be the secret behind Roberts’ command of the day’s highest paycheck price for an actress (no doubt adding to her estimated $140 million fortune) or the force behind her record-breaking 11th nomination as People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in the World?
Get The Look
“Julia’s variations of rich auburn and maple tones always makes it look like the sun is following her,” says Rhys. Best for light to peaches ‘n cream complexions, the key is to look for an auburn shade that has depth, like Samy Fat Foam Hair Color in Medium Reddish Brown.
By Grace Gold
