The Beauty Girl

Hair bling is so 2010. I first spotted this questionable trend on “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Adrienne Maloof. Then, Oprah had a guest on her show and interrupted the serious interview to ask about the sparkly hair extensions in her guest’s hair. They caught Oprah’s eyes, and suddenly that guest’s smart decision to wear her own product called Hair Flairs on national TV took her business to the next level. Even A-listers like Beyonce have stepped out wearing hair tinsel. The idea of putting shiny adornments in your hair may sound girlie and fun, but unless there’s a fairy princess in your midst or it’s Halloween, sprinkling glitter throughout your strands doesn’t cut it for everyday affairs.

However, there’s a new twist on this trend that does. Feather extensions are as fresh as Steven Tyler’s comeback and free of cheese factor. Credit West coasters and hipster-filled music festivals like Coachella for putting these plumes into flight. Their popularity has soared this spring and now they’re migrating east. Salons are adding feather clip-ons from popular brands like Featherlocks (click here to find a salon near you), which can be washed, dried, cut, flat-ironed and curled, to their menus. They only take 10 minutes for the stylist to insert, cost about $25 for a set of three, last about eight weeks (most stylists will remove them free of charge), and come in just about every color of the rainbow. For a look that’s cool and fashion-forward but won’t get you called into the boss’s office, my recommendation is to start with earthy shades that blend with your mane and create a peek-a-boo effect every time you flip your hair or catch a gust of wind. Need inspiration? Mr. “American Idol” himself (shown above left), Jennifer Love Hewitt and Hilary Duff (pictured below) highlight three different ways to look good in feathers.

Now that “feathered” hair is back, I asked stylist Joy La Rosa, who works at New York-based Sam Brocato Salon, to offer her tips on what works best for different hair types.

If you have short hair: Try more feathers in different places on the head.

If you have long hair: Ask for larger clusters of feathers so they don’t get totally lost in your hair.

If you have curly hair: Pick a mix of varying lengths, textures and thicknesses such as stripes and solids to help accentuate curls.

If you have straight hair: Follow Hilary Duff’s lead. Tame, thin, subtle feathers look best.