Fire-engine reds, deep-sea greens, fairy-floss pinks - they look amazing, sure, but they might be a little hard to explain when you turn up at work on Monday with bright pink locks instead of brown.

So why not try hair chalking?

The colourful temporary trend, seen on the Prada and Marc Jacobs runways earlier this year, is taking off as people look for fun ways to experiment with their 'do without the commitment of permanent dyes. Whether you add violet tips to your waves or a rainbow of colours throughout an intricate braid, hair chalking is an easy way to add a point of difference to your usual daytime or party style.

Zoe Blackburn from Zoe Blackburn Hair & Essential MediSpa in Wollongong says it is a simple trend to embrace and many clients, including girls getting their hair done for their school formal, have asked how to achieve the multi-coloured hues sported by the likes of Katy Perry and Lauren Conrad.

Whether you want to go for a casual look or something more daring, there are a number of styles that suit hair chalk. Beachy waves with a balayage effect of pale pastels ooze laid-back coolness, while adding different shades to the tips of an angular cut give it some edge.

Blackburn says panelling work has also been popular, as has adding pops of colour to elaborate otherwise conservative up-dos.

Though many blogs suggest using craft pastel chalk, products not made for hair can leave it dry and brittle and either rub off very easily or are difficult to remove.

"If you're going to go down the road of using a product not made for the hair, I'd be very wary of staining, of not being able to get it out," Blackburn says.

Different beauty websites have slightly different instructions on how best to apply hair chalk, but Blackburn says the most effective way is to wash and dry your hair, apply products such as sprays, style your hair into the desired look and then add the chalk.

"It works better with product lying underneath, so the more product you use and the more of a base you've got, the brighter and more intense the colour will be. Without the product, it's more a lighter, natural effect."

Removing the temporary colour is as easy as a shampoo and condition once it has served its purpose.