After eight months living as a brunette, Nicole Richie returned to blonde this week. Nic tweeted and blogged about her new look, with a pic of the new blonde bob, calling it “makeover madness.” I love a good makeover, and love it even more when celebs blog about their hair! Nicole went to Hair On The Brain favorite, celebrity hairstylist Andy Lecompte for the cut, and her color was done by George Papanikolas at Andy Lecompte Salon. (She should go to Denis De Souza at Andy Lecompte next time, just because he’s awesome!) I really loved Nicole as a brunette, so let’s take a look back at some of Nic’s greatest hits with dark hair…

Some of you guys might hate this look… Too ratty/sloppy, but I think Nicole pulls it off so well. Ugh! She’s perfect to me!

Slightly undone side ponytail. Nicole’s jewelry and makeup is great here too!

Typical ‘Hollywood Hair’, with loose waves. So pretty though.

Total “Ballerina Girl”. Too much! Loves.

That said, I think Nicole looks fantastic as a honey blonde too, and I love a celeb who changes it up….

What do you think: Is Nic better as a blonde or a brunette? Or are they both equally fab?

Hair Knot – Diane Kruger’s braided hair knot is a great way to keep your hair in place and out of your face for a big event. I think this style would look so gorgeous at a beach wedding. And those drop earrings are just perfect. (I still need to figure out my jewelry + shoe situation!)

Side Braid – Obviously, if you’re reading this blog, you already know Zoe Saldana’s side braid is a major hair trend. This look is super cute, easy to do, and very summery. It would be great for a casual, outdoor wedding. However, you need to have a lot of hair to pull this style off. If you don’t come by it naturally, consider using clip-in extensions. You can get them dyed to match your natural hair color.

High Bun - Kate Bosworth is right on trend with this super high ballerina bun. If you’re not afraid of being bold & fashiony, this could be the wedding hairstyle for you. You know I love risk takers…

Bun With Blunt Bangs - I am dying to know how Nicole Richie wears her hair to her wedding. And what she wears! It’s going to be a big deal. Here she plays up her gorgeous eyes with this bun and blunt bangs combo. Simple and perfect.

Much more wedding hair inspiration from Jennifer Aniston, Lauren Conrad, Scarlett Johansson and many more, after the break!

Ponytail with Side Bangs - When done right, a ponytail can look super polished and dressed up. Adding side-swept fringe, like here on Jennifer Aniston, makes it even more flattering.

Soft Pony – A ponytail without bangs and a little volume at the crown instead, is a perfect choice with a simple, classic dress. Model Chanel Iman looks so fresh and lovely.

Textured Updo – Worried about your hair frizzing up in the summertime humidity? Do what Scarlett Johansson did–don’t fight it, embrace it. Let your natural texture do its thing and pin it up in a chic updo.

Side Pony – Side ponytails are always a cute and easy choice. This would be great on a bridesmaid, don’t you think? I like how Mila Kunis has a bit of wave to her ponytail and undone bits of hair around her face.

Faux Bob With Barrette - Lauren Conrad’s faux bob gives the illusion of short hair without the commitment. A fake hairstyle–what a perfect way to celebrate life’s ultimate commitment! Hee. Add a touch of sparkle with a vintage clip or barrette on one side.

Undone Chignon – This not-too-perfect version of the classic chignon would be perfect for a more casual affair. Pull out some pieces of hair around your face, like Olivia Wilde did, to soften the look.

Pumped-Up Updo – A simple updo with a little volume at the crown can look super elegant, just check out Hilary Duff’s chignon here. This is a timeless look that would work with any dress.

Slick Bun - Too truly showcase your face, slick back your hair into a “wet” bun like Heidi Klum. These type of updos were big on the spring 2010 runways at shows like Emanuel Ungaro and Zac Posen. Rock this high-fashion look and confuse your MIL.

Face-Framing Strands - A center part with face framing waves is romantic and sweet. How ironic that it’s favored by The City super bitch Olivia Palermo.

Side-Pinned Roll - Another romantic look is worn here by Lydia Hearst. A center part with sides rolled under and pinned into an almost old-fashioned style, yet paired with the right dress and makeup, it looks super cool and new.

For even more of the Best Summer Updos for 2010 and to get more great wedding hair inspiration, check out Elle.com.

With warm weather right around the corner, tis the season for a ponytail! A side pony is a cute and casual alternative to the traditional style. Best of all, this style is super easy to do. Find out how to:

Step One: Prep - It can be helpful to start with second day hair, because it will help the look hold longer. Or you can create texture and volume by applying a little styling product on dry hair. Apply a dime size amount from the roots to the ends, running through with your fingers instead of a comb. If you want your side ponytail to be wavy or curly, add movement with a curling iron.

Step Two: Pony Up - Choose what side you want your part to fall on or follow your natural part. The ponytail will fall on the opposite shoulder as your part. Lightly spray some quick drying hair spray at the roots of your hair and backcomb lightly at the crown to give the hair more volume. Use a snag-free hair elastic to create a pony tail at the chosen side. Keep your ponytail on the nape of the neck or as low as possible.

Step Three: Face Forward - Don’t slick back all of your hair in front or the style will look too matronly. Let the front of your hair fall around your face naturally or swoop down lower on your forehead, like Lauren Conrad above. If you have blunt or side-swept bangs, style as normal.

Step Four: Wrap It Up - Take a small amount of hair from the underside of the ponytail and wrap it around the base of the ponytail to cover the elastic. Secure with a bobby pin.

Step Five: Finish - Apply a small amount of shine serum to smooth the end of the ponytail. Finish with hair spray to hold the style. I like L’Oreal Paris Elnett Hairspray.

Our girl Taylor Swift. Love her hair or hate her hair, you can’t help but being somewhat obsessed with it. Mostly found in spiral curl form, but every once in a while Girl Taylor changes it up and wears a straight wig with bangs. At least we think that was a wig. Let’s take a look back at all the glorious hairstyles Miss Swift has rocked over the years!

Taylor is best known for her curly styles, but which do you like best? The brushed out look she wore in ‘06, allover curls in ‘06, or smooth on top in ‘08?

Taylor loves her hair accessories! She wore this cute knit hat in ‘08 and the sparkly headband in ‘09.

More Taylor Swift hair, after the break.

And while Swifty has always been blonde, she has been, well, more blonde some times. Do love the light blonde of ‘07 or the darker blonde of this year?

Updos are a staple in the Taylor Swift hair repertoire, thanks to all the fancy award ceremonies she gets invited to (and sweeps!) these days. But which texture do you think in more on point: Smooth in ‘08 or wavy in ‘09?

Sometimes a girl has to change up the old updo! Taylor loves an off-center or side-swept style. She wore this side pony in ‘08 and side chignon in ‘09.

For more of Taylor Swift’s Hairstyles and to vote on your favorites, check out ELLE.com.

CYNTHIA ROWLEY: Natural ponytails were accented with the striking contrast of artificial colored hair extension placed off center for an added tuft of textured fringe.

The Hair Color: Wella Professionals Koleston Perfect Special Mix shades were used to completely saturate the natural hair extensions with rich, vibrant, jewel-toned shades of the collection. The sophisticated nuances of the Special Mix collection allow for creativity without limits – turning any color fantasy into a reality on the runway or in real life. The multi-dimensional tones and layers reveal sensuous colors in a range of shades, while embedded with an element of surprise.

The Products: System Professional Ultimation: Strong-hold hairspray with long-lasting hold and maximum shine.

Cynthia Rowley How-To and Backstage with DKNY after the break!

Step-by-Step Styling

1. Section hair off and working from back of the head to the front, prepare hair with System Professional Ultimation hair spray for added texture and shine.
2. Create texture within each section by using a combination of a curling iron and crimping iron for non-uniform waviness.
3. Place Wella colored hair pieces that have been crimped within sections of the natural hair so that the extensions blend in seamlessly.
4. Pull the hair back into a soft ponytail at the nape of the neck with the ends flowing naturally, while allowing the streaks of color to show through for added dimension.

The Finished Product: Cynthia Rowley model on the runway sporting some icey blue extensions. I love this! Wouldn’t this be so fun to wear in real life? The combination of color/texture. I truly die.  ;)

DKNY: Refined side-swept ponytails project a sexy equestrian vibe with a subtly strong look.

The Hair Color: Using Wella Professionals’ new Blondor collection to achieve the palest of blondes, and both the Koleston Perfect permanent and Color Touch demi-permanent collections to create a gorgeous palette of naturals.

Handpainted extensions were created within the natural color palette of the models’ hair. The range reflects beautiful dimension in a variety of hues – from medium brown to a beautiful spectrum of blonde shades.

The Products: System Professional Volumagic: Natural hold styling foam for long-lasting volume, and System Professional Hypercurl: Provides texture and definition to curl patterns.

Step-by-Step Styling

1. Prepare damp hair with System Professional Volumagic and blow dry with a large round brush, creating a soft wave and giving direction for the side part.
2. Rake hands through hair to loosen the waves, pulling to the side of the part and fasten the low side ponytail.
3. Leave hair on the opposite side of the ponytail loose around the face to balance the asymmetry of the look.
4. Lightly smooth System Professional Hypercurl on the length of the ponytail for separation and added texture.

The Finished Product: So gorgeous. The extensions blend seamlessly with the models’ own hair. Amazingly shiny but not too perfect through the ponytail, which gives it a cool, intentional edge. Love this too!

Take a dash of Lauren Hutton style 70’s hair mixed with Blake Lively’s waves, and you get the inspiration behind the hairstyles at the NIMA Fall 2010 Fashion Week Presentation. “We tried to create a look that was very modern and Soho chic, yet still had a 70’s feel to it,” says hairstylist Sam Brocato. Check out Sam and Matthew Fugate from the Sam Brocato Salon’s step-by-step tips on how to achieve this style at home.

Step One: Set For Prime Time
“I prepped hair with Brocato Back to the Beach Spray to give it volume,” says Sam. After spritzing the models’ hair with the spray, Sam used a blow dryer to set the wavy look. Matthew Fugate used dry shampoo to add texture to the models’ hair. “I wanted to dirty it up and give it that ‘I just got out of bed look’,” says Matthew.

Step two and three after the break!

Step Two: On The Side
“Nima’s collection had strong design elements on the right shoulder and we decided that a low ponytail that fell on the left side was a perfect complement to the clothes,” says Sam. “Using a large barrel curling iron, I took different strands of the hair and curled it to give it more volume and texture, “explains Matthew. “I created a deep side part and used a clear elastic to secure the low ponytail.” To give the ponytail added chic factor, the stylists used strands of the models hair and wrapped it around the elastic.

Step Three: Lock It Down
“Since this was a two hour presentation, we had to make sure that hair could keep its shape and style,” says Sam. He used Brocato Moveable Hold Hair Spray to set all of the models looks.

Jackie Braverman, Whitney Port’s Cousin/Hair Stylist, not only styled Whitney’s sister Ashley Port Bogart’s hair for the 2010 Grammy Awards, she also did Genevieve Tedder’s hair–wife of OneRepublic front man Ryan Tedder. Ryan, along with Ashley’s husband, Evan “Kidd” Bogart, was up for Record of the Year and won for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance as co-writer of Beyonce’s “Halo”.

Jackie gave HOTB a step-by-step guide on how she styled Genevieve’s hair for the Awards. “Genevieve’s look was a little more simple as far as the steps went then Ashley’s,” Jackie says. But it turned out just as glam. “Her natural hair is fairly straight, but holds curl very well,” Jackie adds. “While her hair is a little on the fine side, she has extensions to add volume and thickness.” To achieve her side-swept style, Jackie used the same 1 ¼” curling iron as she used on Ashley, only this time she wrapped one-inch sections of hair around the curling iron while pointing the iron downward, hair spraying each curl as she finished. “This technique creates more of a wave then a curl,” Jackie explains.

“After Genevieve’s hair was curled, we decided that since she was wearing a backless dress that we’d pin her hair to one side so she could show it off,” Jackie says.

Check out Genevieve’s finished Grammy look after the break!

While pushing her hair to the chosen side, Jackie secured a few bobby pins towards the nape of Genevieve’s neck.

Looking gorgeous in hair, makeup and dress, Genevieve is ready to head out the door.

Genevieve and Ashley pose for one last pic with their husbands, Evan “Kidd” Bogart and Ryan Tedder, before heading out the door. Evey one looked super cute!

Thanks, Jackie!!

When I was home over the holidays, my mom was for some reason full of information about Carrie Underwood’s engagement to Ottawa Senators hockey player Mike Fisher. According to various reports, the ring is either five carats and worth $150,000 or 12 carats and worth $1 million or three carats and worth six figures. Maybe it’s actually cubic zirconia! That would make more sense then spending a million dollars on a ring. Do Canadian hockey players even make that much money? I have no idea. Anyway. Her hair looks super cute in the above pic, though. I love the loose curls. Do you think she used hot rollers or a curling iron? Or, rather: Do you think her stylist used hot rollers or a curling iron?

While we’re on the subject of Carrie Underwood, let’s take a look back at the American Idol winner’s hairstyles from over the years. She’s actually had quite a few different looks. Which bangs do you prefer, side swept in ‘07 or straight in ‘08? (By the way, some serious extensions going on in the ‘07 hairstyle. But it looks nice.)

Carrie got all mall-girl on us with the volume plus headband look in ‘06. She wore the curls and headband in ‘08.

She looks really cute with the curly side-pony. Carrie wore this casual style in ‘06 and a more polished version in ‘09. I think she needs to loose a few accessories in the pic on the left, but she looks really good with this hairstyle.

Lots more Carrie Underwood hairstyles after the break.

Another side-swept look on Carrie. This time she’s rocking side-pinned waves, both in 2009. I think the proportions are a little better in the photo on the left.

Classic country singer hair: a curly half-updo. No bangs in ‘08 and side-swept bangs in ‘09. Not my fav.

Wow, Carrie looks so different with themall perm hair in ‘05! I prefer the softer curls from ‘07.

More pictures of Carrie Underwood hairstyles and vote on your favorites at ELLE.com.