Last week I visited my colorist for the first time in months for a few highlights. I've been a client for a few years now, and love her work. I tend to go darker in the winter and highlight in the summer with subtle highlights.

The last time I went to the salon was in November and I got a nice rich chocolate shade that wore well for months. But as most women do … I got bored. So I told Rachel to change it up a little with some highlights and didn't give her much direction beyond that.

She achieved a gorgeous caramel shade that looked great against my dark chocolate base (I just got hungry writing that).

But she also went fairly extreme on the placement of the highlights with a lot in front, especially in the bangs. She told me I could come back for more toner if it was too light for me and I almost did. But after a few days, I found I loved it! The shade has completely warmed up my winter-white skin and is a nice change from my usual dark strands.

Rachel took a chance on a different look for me because she knows me and my likes and dislikes. This is part of what makes her such a great hairdresser. When I first started seeing her, she was very subtle in her work and as she grew to understand my preferences, she has become more outgoing and creative every time I see her.

Personally, I love this! In fact, I think it's an important part of her job. Although, it's also a scary part of being a hairdresser, I think it's up to you to push your clients in new directions, keep them on trend and show them new looks they never would have thought of on their own.

It's always good to play it safe with a new client. But after a few visits, break her out of her rut. She'll appreciate it. I know I did!