Blue hair used to be a bad thing — toner for gray hair gone wrong. But for the past few seasons, tints of blue, not to mention pink, purple and other bright colors, have been spotted on stylish celebrities, models and women on the street.

Not-of-nature hair colors are nothing new — many a punkster during the '80s rocked a pink mohawk — but the current trend is to wear color not necessarily all over, but in interesting ways.

In The New York Times T Magazine's women's fall fashion issue, a model sports an elegant updo with soft highlights of lavender and fuschia throughout her platinum hair. And many women opt for slivers of color peeking out from beneath layers of hair.

Shannon Rue Picklesimer, creative director and stylist at J. Allen Studio and Spa at 527 South Upper Street, says that just a hint of a hue is a versatile look.

"It's convertible color because based on how you direct the hair you can have a more conservative peek-a-boo color, or you can, for a night out on the town, pull it up" and show off the color, she said.

Ombre color — where the tips of the hair are painted a different shade, looking almost like it's been dipped in dye — has been around for several seasons, and it's still going strong. In Hollywood, celebs including Alexa Chung, Rachel Bilson and Drew Barrymore have tried the look in natural tones. At the extreme, wild-haired rapper Nicki Minaj has been spotted with bright green tips on platinum blond hair.

To make the ombre current, the application of highlights is key for a soft, seamless change in color from root to ends.

"There have been a lot of variations in placement" of color, Picklesimer said. "People are embracing a more low-maintenance grown-out look. We're seeing a lot more full, soft pieces starting at the mid-shaft rather than the roots."

Reach Harriett Hendren at (859) 231-3324 or 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 3324.