Desire to achieve that flawless hue, a la Beyoncé? Look no further than celebrity colorist Rita Hazan. At age 17, Hazan jumped feet first into the beauty industry. Now, after nearly 20 years in the biz, the pro has helped craft the hair colors for beauties like Bey, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Christie Brinkley and Mariah Carey.
“Keeping the hair healthy was a major thing for me, and I think people recognized that and they saw that the hair always looks good. I mean you have to imagine, these women blow dry flat iron, curl their hair every day. It comes down to maintenance and care,” Hazan recently told People of her philosophy on hair care.
She also dropped four keys tips for dying your hair:
1. Select a hue that suits you – “A consultation is the most important part of the process. I find that when clients describe what they want, they don’t say what they mean! I have to listen, pay attention to their body language and go with their personality. Like, with Jessica Simpson, I feed off her energy. I know if she’s in the mood to be ‘Jessica blonde,’ which is what I call her baby blonde with some golden pieces in it, or make a change.”
2. Be realistic – “Use celebrities as inspiration, but do something that’s right for your lifestyle. With Beyoncé, the placement of her highlights is very important to me, so I do homework. I go to her concerts and I watch how her hair moves in the wind! But it’s important that your hair color be customized to you. Look for images of women who has the same skin tone and eye color as you so that you’re confident the color will work.”
3. Invest in products – “The reason why I created that was because it was the number one question people were asking me was, ‘What could we use in between appointments to maintain my color?’ I suggest using shampoos and conditioners that have been created specifically for color-treated hair. They should be hydrating, sulfate-free and have UV protection. I’ve always given my clients homework, which is to condition their hair overnight twice a week either with a mask or an oil. Even J.Lo has gotten into the habit of doing treatments.”
4. Keep up with upkeep – “I see every one of my clients once a month, if not more. Beyoncé likes to change it up constantly! But if you’re not onstage like her, you can go a bit longer between touch-ups. Try a root concealer to cover grays, so you can go weeks without coloring your hair. But the truth is, your color is going to fade. That’s why I created a gloss that you can use two to four times a week before conditioning to help with vibrancy. You should have beautiful hair all the time.”
Of course, if you’re located in the New York area, you can always visit Hazan’s N.Y.C salon for an expert consulatation.
