12 Questions With Beyoncé’s Long-Time Colorist Rita Hazan
Get To Know Rita Hazan; The Colorist Behind “Beyoncé Blonde”
Rita Hazan is a salon owner, brand founder (of her eponymous label; Rita Hazan) and the stylist behind the beloved “Beyoncé Blonde.” The celebrity colorist has been coloring Beyoncé’s hair for over a decade and has created one of the most sought-after hues of our time. In an exclusive interview, Rita shared her must-know color tips for achieving “Beyoncé Blonde,” how to match extensions to natural hair and healthy hair hacks when using heat tools is inevitable. Here’s everything you need to know about the decade-long client-colorist relationship and the BTS of every shade along the way.
What year did you and Beyoncé start working together?: 2013.
What is Beyoncé’s natural base color?: Dark brown.
How many levels of lift is Beyoncé’s current shade from her natural?: Her base is 3 to 4 levels lighter, her highlights are 5 to 6 levels lighter.
Your favorite look?: Smooth, straight and buttery blonde.
What is your favorite moment with Beyoncé?: First time I worked with her. You never know what to expect, but she was exactly who you want her to be: Funny, respectful and a “girl’s girl.” Just great energy and she gave me full creative control.
How do you decide which hair color to go with?: Usually we discuss what she is working on and we discuss what the color vibe should be, but [then] she usually just trusts me to be creative and do my thing.
How would you describe “Beyoncé Blonde?”: It’s a multi-dimensional blonde with many shades that work together in harmony. Creamy, bright sun-kissed highlights.
Here’s A Look Beyoncé’s Different Blondes Throughout The Years, Courtesy Of Rita:
Tips for matching extensions to the natural hair?: I like to get dark hair [extensions] and lighten it to the perfect blonde (instead of getting blonde hair and darkening it). Highlights then look more natural and the color matches better which makes it more realistic.
Tips for perfecting hair color for stage lighting?: You have to know the color of the lighting on stage and compensate properly.
What products do you use to maintain Beyoncé’s color while she’s on tour (and thus styling and using heat often)?: I use the Rita Hazan Shine Gloss in “Breaking Brass” mixed with “Sun-kissed” to keep the color vibrant and shiny.
Before Beyoncé, who was the client that catapulted your career?: Mariah Carey—she had a bad experience with color and needed it to be fixed. Her stylist told her that that was my expertise: Making dark hair blonde with no brass and fixing color-gone-wrong. She called me right away and we worked together for many years.
Describe your hair career in a few words: Driven. Creative. Fun. Disruptive.
