status roots; There's no longer any reason to stress between color appointments.

Byline: Julia Reed

Not long ago I was in a well-known Manhattan hair salon getting my nails done. It was a slow summer afternoon and none of the top colorists were on the premises, so I watched and listened as a young staffer consulted with a walk-in client who was dissatisfied with her current hair color. She could have been anywhere from 40 to 50, with a pale complexion, nice high cheekbones, and big greenish eyes. But her hair was a disaster-dyed an all-over pale apricot, with no roots or darker pieces visible anywhere-that made her features appear indistinct and her face in general seem old and washed out. She was having a hard time telling the inexperienced ...