Transform your hair colour for the new season. Lisa Haynes reveals how to get glossy autumnal tresses

She began the current X Factor series as a brunette, picked her contestants as a platinum blonde – and then kicked off the live shows by returning to the dark side.

Tulisa Contostavlos clearly likes to experiment with her hair colour, but switching up your tone for the new season doesn’t have to be quite so dramatic.

Talking at this year’s home of the X Factor contestants, London’s Corinthia Hotel, where he has a VIP suite, celebrity stylist Daniel Galvin says your crowning glory shouldn’t actually be the big attraction.

“When you have the perfect hair colour, the first thing other people should notice is not the hair colour but the eyes,” he said.

“The hair colour makes that possible. When you have the wrong hair colour, the first thing people notice is your hair.”

Beware if you’re heading towards a Tulisa-style drastic transformation. You'll require a friendly (and affordable) colourist on speed dial.

But with new techniques like ‘finger painting’, ‘hot fringes’' and ‘chalking’ on hair colour menus, you can decide on your level of commitment.

“Hair colour needs to be as low-maintenance as possible,” Galvin advises, “but grey hair will need to be covered every four to six weeks. Condition of the hair is also paramount. You can be a little more experimental with short hair as it’s less damaged.”

Be wary of home colour semi-permanents. Galvin warns: “Use a ‘pure’ semi-permanent. Level 2 has peroxide in it, which means it’s a longer-lasting semi permanent but it alters the natural hair colour and doesn’t fade back.”

Learn the lingo

Latest techniques in colour virtually require their own dictionary. Here are the hottest hair crazes explained:

  • Hot Fringes: a solid fringe in a contrasting colour to the rest of the hair.
  • Dip Dye: only the ends, usually the last few inches of the hair, are coloured.
  • Finger Painting: using fingers instead of foils to give a natural, ombre effect.
  • Chalking (pictured): a non-committal way to experiment with bright colours using chalk that lasts until you next wash your hair.
  • Double Glazing: a refresher for tired, dull-looking hair.