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When you were younger, did you ever colour in your Barbie's hair with felt tips? Or get a little too creative with the vivid eyeshadows on your Girls' World tresses? Well, thanks to the hottest hair trend of this year, you can indulge your passion for contrasting colours on your own hair!
Abandon any ideas about simply putting lemon juice on your hair to lighten your locks. This season is all about bright brash colours, and the more unusual they look, the better. And it seems the celebs are enthusiastically embracing this trend.
The look first took flight – where else? – on the s/s 2010 catwalks. It was at the the couture shows, of all places, where we first spotted the super-saturated Crayola colours.
At young couturier Alexis Mabille's show, models wore their hair with centre partings, with just one side dyed a bright blue, yellow or red hue. Over at Chanel, Lagerfeld's ladies sported greyish-white highlights in their blonde and brunette Minnie Mouse-style 'dos.
Then, for a/w 2010, designers Vena Cava and Cynthia Rowley were at it again, this time pulling hair back into messy ponies and adding a bright streak of bold colour. Rowley took the hair homage to the 80s even further, by crimping the coloured strips of hair.
Catwalk colours. Left, a look from Alexis Mabille s/s 2010 Couture, Roberto Martinelli/ABACA/PA and right, Cynthia Rowley shows bursts of colour at her a/w 2010 catwalk show, David Goldman/AP/PA
Over the summer, the look has stepped off the catwalks and can be found on the heads of our favourite celebs. Lady Gaga was one of first spotted sporting the trend with her neon yellow barnet, while Sarah Harding plumped for a baby pink bob and Rihanna rocked a bright red Woody Woodpecker-style quiff. Over the pond, the Olsen twins briefly flirted with neon hair and Juliette Lewis went for a Smurf blue wash.
If you decide to follow the daring look, remember there's no need to feel precious about it – both RiRi and Lewis have left some clue about their natural hair colour - Lewis has made no attempt to cover up her brown roots - so it's the perfect low-maintenance hair change. This trend is about embracing a favourite colour you've always wanted to try and not taking yourself too seriously.
The best part is you don't actually need to dye your hair. Katy Perry's 'California Gurls' image is all about candy-coloured locks, so she's been sporting the most vivid wigs she can find, leaving her own beautiful barnet unscathed by potential colour disasters. Wigs mean you can experiment with a new style and colour at the same time – it may even inspire you for your next haircut.
Colourful women: Katy Perry goes purple as she performs on Germany's Next Top Model, Roberto Pfeil/AP/PA; RiRi's red hot at the Capital FM Summertime Ball, John Phillips/EMPICS Entertainment and Lady Gaga's neon yellow hair as she performs in Atlantic City, Donald Kravitz/Getty Images
If a neon dye job or bright wig sounds too dramatic - or best left to the professional rockers - you can always go the Rowley route and get a subtle streak painted in your hair. Unsure about the colour you want to commit to? Try a clip-on from Hot Hair first, until you find one you love. The best thing about temporary colours is you can unleash your wilder personality away from work without missing out on this hot hair trend. With all the colours of the rainbow to choose from, which one will you go for?