Famous Blondes: from Jennifer Aniston to Reese Witherspoon

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston is actually not a natural blonde, she's a brunette who dyes her hair, and she's famous for her cut and her color.

Gwyneth Paltrow

How do you know if you'd look good with blonde hair?

Easy. If you had blonde hair as a child, you'll likely look good with blonde hair as an adult. One of Hollywood's most famous blondes, Gwyneth Paltrow, has hair that's naturally much darker than this. She gets her hair colored.

Reese Witherspoon

So what shade of blonde suits you best? It's all about skin tone. If you have pink skin that burns easily and blue or green eyes, such as Reese Witherspoon (pictured here), you'll look great with blonde hair. Picking the perfect blonde hair color can be daunting, so visit a salon for your hair color, lest you end up looking too brassy.

Is Britney Spears a Natural Blonde?

Britney Spears has come a long way since the days when she shaved her head. She's been a brunette since and is back to her trademark blonde extensions. But what is her natural hair color? Reports point firmly to brown, actually.

If you want to color your hair yourself, remember this rule: never color your hair more than two shades lighter than your natural shade. If you want to go much lighter, go to a salon.

Famous Blondes: Charlize Theron

If you are doing your own hair color, remember that the pictures on hair color boxes can be deceiving. Go by the color swatches and the descriptions instead. Most boxes will call out the color (blonde, brown, black and red) and the shade of that color (light, medium and dark). There might also be mention of the tone (golden or ashy).

If you are getting salon color, consider this tip from Robyn Brown, a former senior beauty editor at Allure magazine:

The best blonde is actually a combination of bleached-out ends and a darker crown. To get it, ask your colorist to apply your highlights an inch or two below the roots using a natural-looking color that gets lighter as you move to the ends. To do this, he should use a stronger bleach on the ends so they look blonder.

Blake Lively

At one point, Blake Lively of "Gossip Girl" fame had the it-hair of the moment. In the 80s, it was Farrah; in the 90s, it was Jennifer Aniston. Now the hot hair of the moment apparently is long, messy and downright....stringy.

Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani is no natural blonde, but these days she's going darker than she's been in the past. Because her hair is naturally much darker, she has to get all-over color, rather than highlights. She's famous for her platinum hair color.

Keep in mind that due to root growth, all-over coloring will need to be touched up every four to eight weeks, while highlights can last up to two or three months.

Kate Gosselin

Reality TV star Kate Gosselin was skewered for her porcupine hair -- the short tufts in the back which offset the longer hair in the front. It was the soccer mom mullet of 2009.

In early 2010, the blonde mother of eight was in the press again, this time for getting hair extensions (pictured here). A freebie, 20-hour process done by famed stylist Ted Gibson.

Katherine Heigl

Katherine Heigl's blonde has some highlights in it.

If you have a great base hair tone, you're better off with highlights than all-over hair color. Why? You don't want to mess with nature, you want to enhance it.

Highlights look best when the stylist uses at least two different shades. Ask for more around your face, they can brighten your complexion.

Madonna

If you do your own color, save a bit in the bottle to fix your roots when they start growing out. Simply dip a clean mascara wand in the color and apply to the roots and your hairline at the crown. Follow the directions on the box and use Vaseline on your hairline to keep the color from bothering your skin.

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman is the perfect strawberry blonde. Not sure if this shade is for you? When you go to the hair salon, ask your stylist to bring out swatches. First pick out the colors you are most drawn to, then hold them up to your face near a window where natural light comes in. Ask the stylist to help you determine which shades and tones work best next to your skin.

Paris Hilton

Brassy blonde color like Paris Hilton's here on someone with a warm skin tone can be harsh. Opt for warmer shades instead.

If you have brown hair and want to go blonde, you don't want to go too light or you could look washed out. Opt for contrast: highlights and lowlights. And keep in mind that darker hair will actually complement brown or green eyes better than blonde hair.

Claudia Schiffer

You want to take care of your blonde hair by using a color depositing shampoo for every other washing.

Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson has always been as famous for her hair as she is her singing abilities. She launched (with her best friend and stylist) a hair extensions company and she's traveled all over promoting it (and her makeup line). She's gone from long and wavy to short and back to long and wavy again, which is her signature look.

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood shot to stardom on "American Idol," and her meteoric rise has yet to falter. She's always on stage performing for awards shows, and she's almost as famous for her long legs and blonde hair as she is for her singing.