Beyoncé’s Colorist Reveals the Secret to Beyoncé's Oscars Hair
Two words: Shadow highlights.
If you found yourself transfixed by Beyoncé’s performance at the 2022 Oscars, you weren't alone. Wearing a lime-green dress and accessories during her inimitable performance of "Be Alive," Beyoncé wore her straightened hair in a middle part, with coloring that started as brown at her scalp before growing gradually lighter as it cascaded past her shoulders. It created a halo-like effect that we're absolutely obsessed with—so we hit up celebrity colorist Rita Hazan, who was responsible for Beyoncé’s look, to discover how the rest of us can achieve this angelic look.
“This look is actually a little more natural because of the multilayered highlights,” says Hazan. “It looks like the sun naturally lightened her hair around the frame of her face and the crown of her head. Whether natural or pin straight hair, like at last night’s performance, this technique of shadow highlights looks so natural, no matter the texture.”
Wondering what you can do to look like this in the sun this summer? First, Hazan lightened Beyonce’s base to a toffee blonde color. Next, she placed ribbons of sun-kissed bright highlights throughout, focusing on framing the face and the ends. “I ended up weaving more highlights throughout the rest of her hair but I also added something really unique,” she says. “You didn’t see it in her performance, but as she wears her hair up in a ponytail, I placed ribbons of highlights underneath that to offer a more comprehensive and polished, yet edgy look.”
“The shadow highlights trend is going to be huge this spring and early summer," she adds. "It’s a shading technique that, if done correctly, anyone can wear and can evolve outside of just blondes—this can also be used on brunettes and redheads.”
If you’re thinking about trying the look at-home, think again. Hazan suggests leaving hair coloring to the pros. “Please do not lighten your hair at home,” she says. “If you are going to recreate this look, please do it with a professional who has a skill in working with blondes.”
The Products She Used
"To keep it from getting brassy and to keep it shiny. "
"I designed [this product] to repair severely damaged color treated hair. It's an innovative and lightweight treatment that works immediately to repair hair from the inside out, leaving it soft, manageable and frizz free for up to 24 hours."
