We know we sound like a broken record, but DIY hair color is a risky proposition. It seems simple when you read the package, but in real life people leave chemicals on for too long, pick the wrong color or mix processes that should always, always be separate, like bleach over henna'd hair.

If it's at all possible, we recommend -- STRONGLY, yes, we're yelling -- that you go to a pro to get your hair dyed. This goes double if you make a mistake coloring your hair yourself. Do not try to fix it at home, get help!

We practice what we preach and see our colorist regularly. In fact, it was under the dryer at our hair salon last week that we read about the latest home craziness: Color Oops Home Color Remover.

Alright, alright so at home hair color isn't the best way to go we admit. However, with the dollar floundering around like a fish out of water, $200+ salon trips just ain't happenin. So we've had to resort to that $10 box with high hopes that one day, just maybe one day, we'll get that at home color right.

We all love the sunshine, warmth, and good times that the summer brings. We don't love the sweaty, oily, frizzy hair. But fear not friends, it doesn't have to be that way! There are a few pieces of advice that will get you through the summer sans frizzes.

A friend received a review copy of Charla Krupp's How Not To Look Old, and gave it to us as a joke because, pshaw, we are so not old. Obviously we don't need any of that advice.

Except...every single woman who walked into our living room picked up that book and sat, engrossed, reading it from cover to cover. And so did we. Looks like Charla is on to something after all.

We have kind of a girl crush on Amanda Bynes. She's beautiful, funny, knows how to dress, and seems to be a great role model for her young fans from What a Girl Wants and Hairspray. Or, at least, she manages to stay out of the tabloids and keeps her naughty bits covered.

I'll be honest with you -- I have seriously botched my hair color with at-home products. I've turned it green and I've turned it brassy gold, and I've definitely learned that hair color is something to leave to the pros. Most of the time.

With summer coming up, many of you will be heading to the salon to get some highlights, and chances are it won't be cheap. Personally, I love the look of subtle highlights, but I'm not into roots, and I hate having to spend $140 every six weeks. And so, I've found a great solution -- Clairol Natural Instincts semi-permanent hair color.

Natural Instincts has loads of shades and it's easy to find the right one for you -- their Find Your Shade function is excellent. It actually gave me the exact three colors I switch between (Amber Shimmer, Toasted Almond, and Navajo Bronze, depending on time of year and how light my highlights are). What makes this product even better is that it smells great, cleans up easily, only takes 10 minutes, and leaves my hair feeling really soft.

Of course, if you're preparing for an event and your hair has to be just right, see a professional or at least try the product out months beforehand to make sure you'll get the result you want. In my experience, though, Natural Instincts is a huge time saver, and, at under $10 a box, it's a big money saver, too!

Do you have an trick to extend time between visits to the salon? Do tell!

Surely you're heard the phrase "red-headed step-child" before. If you haven't, hopefully you can get the drift of what it means.

For those of us who have heard the saying or -- for shame -- even used it, you have to wonder how red-heads managed to get such a bad reputation.

Historians suggest that contemporary anti-red-head sentiment largely stems from the 19th-century clash between the British and the Irish. Surprisingly, evidence of gingerism (like racism, but based on hair color) can be found as far back as the Egyptians, who used to sacrifice red-heads.

According the BBC, red-head hating is still going strong around the world, but especially in the UK. Based on anecdotal reports, nearly every natural red-head has faced at least some kind of discrimination ranging from childhood taunting, to sexual rejection to violent hate crimes. (The most extreme case of anti-red-head sentiment, of course, being the 2003 stabbing of a red-headed 20-year-old man.)

So what do you think? Do the red-heads you know tend to get more flack?

And if you are a red-head, have you ever faced hardship because of your hair color?

Over the past few days, multiple people have asked me how I've managed to keep the pink/red in my hair vibrant for so many months. It's a bit tedious to explain each and every time, so I thought it'd be cool to not only share all that I've learned, but to put my knowledge about the process in a handy post, so that I can just share the link whenever I'm asked again.

And please feel free to share your own hair color expertise in the comments! It's always good to learn more, right?

Starting September 15, Clairol will offer a feature on its website that enables consumers to virtually find the perfect shade. By uploading a photo, users can consult with company colorists for expert advice on hair color. The so-called "Shade Aid" will select the ideal shade and tone -- just like you would get at the salon, but for free.

I have to say that it's about time someone figured out how to do this. The new function on the site was probably a very costly technological investment, but it's one that will be worth it in the long run. Provided that word gets out, Shade Aid could conceivably have a huge impact on Clairol sales. After all, who wouldn't use it? I'm dying to know how I'd look as a red head.