Beyoncé’s Hairstylist Says Her New ‘Shadow Highlights’ Will Be Everywhere This Spring
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Since Beyoncé didn’t walk the red carpet, we didn’t get a great shot of her pre-Oscars. But once the show started, BAM, she opened the 94th annual Academy Awards performing her nominated song “Be Alive” from King Richard live from tennis courts in Compton, California. To say it was epic would be an understatement. Beyoncé looked beautiful too, with “shadow highlights,” as her colorist Riza Hazan is calling her multi-dimensional blonde.
“For this specific look I focused the highlights on her hairline and ends to brighten up and create the multidimensional color,” Hazan tells STYLECASTER. She works with the singer to conceptualize each look. This specific highlighting technique helps make the hair look fuller. First, she lightened the base to a more toffee blonde with ribbons of highlights. She then went into the face-framing highlights and blended the same ones through her hair and underneath so Beyoncé’s ponytail would look cohesive.
Hazan sees this multi-dimensional color trending for spring. She especially loves “peek-a-boo highlights” which pop out when you pull your hair back. (Such as in Beyoncé’s ponytail.) Considering Y2K beauty looks are bigger than ever, it makes sense a heavier highlight would be making its way back. We’re just hoping that Kelly Clarkson’s high-contrast highlights from 2002 stay deep, deep in the past.
If you’re curious about the rest of Bey’s stunning look from the show, we know she wore a custom Valentino gown with the coolest Judith Leiber tennis ball-shaped bag. Her classically chic makeup (with the thick black cat-eye) was by her longtime fave artist Sir John. It’s possible he used L’Oréal makeup since he’s a spokesperson or he could have used her favorite Pat McGrath Labs. Her side ponytail (with the ultra-sleek part!) was created by Neal Farinah and Nakia Rachon. We’d say they all seriously killed it.
