Source: BananaStock/Jupiter

Coloring your hair at-home can be a daunting task. What shade to choose? How to highlight? That little box can either save you a good deal of money, or have you speed dialing a stylist to sort out what you’ve started.

To ensure your hair always looks 'naturally' gorgeous, I’ve enlisted the help of celebrity colorist Rita Hazan.

Her expert tips and techniques:

- Always pick a color that you understand and that sounds natural, and stay away from anything that sounds fake, like "Cherrybomb."

- Try to stay within two shades of your natural color for the best results, and be sure to follow the directions.

- Set the timer from when you start, and not finish, as at-home color tends to turn out a little darker than you think. If you leave it on too long, it can get really dark.

- When highlighting, always style your hair the way you wear it and then choose the strands you want to highlight- It saves a lot of time and you have control over what you're doing.

- If the end result doesn't turn out the way you want, you can always call the telephone number on the back of the box; They are generally very knowledgeable and can help you with your dilemma.

Have any of your own at-home hair coloring tips? Do share!