Rethinking Hair Color for your Summer Wedding by George Papanikolas

by GeorgeJuly 11, 2011 2

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Lily Aldridge and Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill

Zankyou recently reached out to one of Hollywood’s most sought after hair colorist George Papanikolas to ask for advice on the importance of hair color for summer brides. Here are some essential tips and rules to follow courtesy of George, on how brides should wear their hair color the day of their wedding.

George Papanikolas with client

The bride’s hair color is one of the most important aspects for your look as it can make or break the photography.  My philosophy is that the hair color should look modern, fresh and effortless.  It should never be trying too hard, or too far from what is natural for you.

If you are naturally a brunette, don’t try and become a blonde right before your wedding, otherwise you risk a disaster.  Instead, opt for sun-kissed Ombré highlights.  Ombré is a process of dying fabric that fades from dark to light, so that is the effect we are doing with the hair color.  I love the way Lily Aldridge’s (above) hair looked at her wedding because she is still a brunette at her roots, but has beautiful soft honey-colored Ombré highlights towards the ends of the hair.  The look is totally clean and stylish.

Warning: an example of what not to do

Blondes and red-heads can also go with a similar look, but should not go any darker than their natural base color so that it doesn’t have too much contrast.  You don’t want your hair to look harsh and unnatural at your wedding (above).

Cameron Diaz

If you are a natural dark blonde, go with a dark blonde base that fades to light blonde ends.  Red heads will opt for a copper gold root color, fading to a golden blonde towards the ends.  Be sure you seek out a colorist who understands the look, as dark roots can be a foreign concept to a traditional hair stylist.  My best approach to achieving the look is with Balayage highlights, a French freehand technique that doesn’t use any foils.  Instead, the lightener is painted  directly onto the hair.  Also, you will want to be sure to follow up with a regular deep conditioning treatment as lightening the ends can make them fragile.  I recommend Joico’s K-Pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor once a week after a color service.

George Papanikolas

Guest Blogger: George Papanikolas
Celebrity hair stylist and colorist

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