Highlight envy goes something like this: Without thinking, you find yourself checking out the woman walking by whose hair catches the light in a way that makes it look gorgeous. Highlights can be magical and make a stunning impression. But unlike a simple color change, highlights can be tricky and require careful attention to your hair's shade and tone.

Successful highlights also depend on your hair's health and texture, the amount of time the chemicals stay on and the number of highlights you want. We asked two veteran New York colorists, Valerie Ahms of Arté Salon and Carmen Rossi of Kim Lépine Salon, to give us their must-have advice on the best way to achieve that chic, head-turning highlighted coif, whether at home or in the salon.

Getting Highlights at Home

Most stylists agree that giving your hair an allover dye job at home is much easier than giving yourself highlights. So just because you're good at at-home color doesn't mean you'll be successful at giving yourself highlights. In fact, highlights can be so tricky, most suggest you get them done in a salon. (Commonly, at-home highlights can be too yellowy or bleached-out looking.) Nevertheless, if you choose to try highlights at home, follow this advice: