After a tumultuous year of both DIY and salon color disasters, Emily was ready for a professional to take on her over-dyed hair.

"I used to get really natural-looking highlights, but then took matters into my own hands about a year ago. I decided I wanted a strawberry blonde color like Rachel McAdams in The Notebook," said Emily. "I was born a ginger, and although I grew out of it, I've always felt like I should have red-ish hair. What I got (out of a dye box) was way too brassy and looked unnatural in most lights, and it definitely didn't match my eyebrows."

As most red-tinted colors do, Emily's new shade faded quickly. After trying another box job, she finally decided she wanted her original dirty blonde back.

"I found a Groupon for a salon in Beverly Hills -- I should have known not to use coupons on my hair. The woman dyed my hair bright orange. Even her supervisor told her she should have used something else," she said.

She went back the next day so they could fix it, but about a month later decided to get rid of the bright color altogether. "I was tired of the roots and looking like my hair was dyed," she says. So Emily went to a colorist and showed him pictures of her hair from the year prior. The results:

"He dyed my hair dark brown. I don't know how that got lost in translation, but it was a dingy dark brown that looked awful with my fair Irish skin. I tried to wash it out as soon as I got home because I hated it. That left me with slightly green-tinged brown hair. I was devastated. I convinced myself it was a lesson in vanity and vowed to never dye my hair again."

Emily says she didn't trust the stylist who gave her the dark brown hair enough to go back and have him fix it, but things seemed to work themselves out. "Somehow, I think my hair has faded to my original color. Being out in the sun so much has given me some lighter natural highlights," she aid.

While Emily was open to change and eager to speak to a professional about her hair, it was clear she didn't want anything crazy.

"I want something that looks like it grew out of my own head," she says. And one thing is certain: "No orange hair! I don't want to look like a highlighter."

Emily put her hair in the capable hands of Paul Desmarre, colorist at the Christophe Salon in Beverly Hills.

"He's from Paris, and I've always wanted to look effortlessly chic like a French girl. I trust him," she says.

Paul immediately took control of the situation and explained that Emily's current color is too ashy for her skin tone. "I wanted to take out the ashiness, and add hints of copper to bring out her skin tone and the colors in her eyes," he said. When Emily voiced concern about upkeep, Paul assured her, "My clients in Paris don't touch their hair for a year after I see them."

For the color application, Paul employed a French technique similar to Balayage called "Vernissage." He painted the color on like an artist, using a feather-light touch and wispy strokes. He carefully selected the strands to paint, explaining that he's "trying to act like the sun in Emily's hair." In between strips of hair he placed cotton, to keep the color from seeping into her fine hair. DesMarre let the product set for about 30 minutes before brushing the cotton out of her hair. The rest is washed out with water, a toner is applied and sets for about 15 minutes, then washed out with shampoo.

Emily was adamant about keeping some length, but wants to change the shape of her long, straight cut. Stylist Jeffrey Jagged wanted to give her a little variation in the front. He cut off about three inches all around. From there, he cut layers in the front to "add movement and fluidity" point-cutting with texturizing shears. Jagged also gave Emily sideswept bangs to give her face more structure. He cut her hair wet, then dried it. After Jagged revisited the cut to "check the natural movement" of her hair, he chopped a few more angles. He considered adding layers to the back of her cut, but decided against it because her hair is too fine and straight for layers to make a difference.

Jagged dried Emily's hair with a round brush, giving the ends a natural curl. He used a one-inch Hot Tools curling iron (his favorite, because it heats up so fast) on small sections all over her head, pinning the coil to her head to set. This makes the curl last longer.

Coils still in place, Emily headed over to makeup artist Taylor Chang-Babian for a glam, smoky cat eye. Chang-Babian explained a cat eye is necessary with a smoky eye on Emily because it lengthens her almond-shaped eyes. She added a bit of shimmer to reflect light around Emily's eyes, and finished by applying small clusters of false lashes from a strip that she custom cut.