Selena Gomez’s Blonde Transformation: 3 Tips From Her Colorists
When Selena Gomez—Instagram’s most followed person—transformed from dark brunette to rooty platinum overnight, the internet went crazy (her post hit 4.3 million likes!). Nine Zero One Salon’s co-founders Riawna Capri (@riawna) and Nikki Lee (@nikkielee901) were behind the newsworthy makeover they’re calling #NirvanaBlonde, and we’re dishing out their best tips!
1. Be Patient & Take Baby-Fine Slices
Using eight bowls of lightener and 300 foils, Selena’s lightening process required long hours of patience to maintain the integrity of her hair. Riawna and Nikki took baby-fine slices throughout, then went back in and opened each foil to reapply more lightener. They started with 30-volume developer and gradually moved up to 40-volume, and the total lightening process took 9 hours.
2. It Takes Two
Riawna’s best advice for taking a client from Level 2 to a rooty blonde? Collaborate with a trusted coworker. Riawna and Nikki worked simultaneously throughout the 9-hour process, so they could accomplish the dramatic transformation in one session.
3. Clear Your Schedule & Charge Hourly
How would you price this makeover in the salon? Riawna recommends charging hourly as long as you aren’t working with other clients in between the process. Since her typical haircut usually takes an hour, she uses that price as her hourly rate for pricing color corrections that don’t allow you to book other clients.
