How To Go From Nicole Richie's Buttery Blonde To Brunette Haircolor?

Nichole Richie Buttery Blonde Hair - DC Media

Dear Karen,

I adore Nicole Richie and loved her hair best when it was that beautiful chocolate brunette with lots of highlights and low lights she had in 2010.

I have several questions about Nicole's hair color.  Do you know the name of the colorist who colored her hair from buttery blonde to chocolate brunette in 2010?

Also, do you know what exact hair color brand and shades were used on Nicole's hair so I can tell my own hair colorist what to look for?

Any details would be so much appreciated.

Jess

Answer

Dear Jess,

Master celebrity hair colorist George Papanikolas who works out of the Andy LeCompte Salon in Hollywood, created Nicole's stunning chocolate hues in 2010.  Papanikolas also creates his amazing hair color masterpieces at the famed Rita Hazan salon in New York on a regular basis.

Richie and husband Joel Madden at the 82nd Academy Awards on March 7, 2010 - Photo by Sgt. Michael Connors - Wikipedia

Papanikolas is a celebrity hair expert for Joico and loves all of their products.

To create the beautiful highlights and low lights on Nicole's hair in 2010, the master colorist, famous for his Balayage work, used Joico's Vero K-PAK Chrome hair color.

He hand-mixed several different shades of demi hair color in order to achieve the brilliant variations of the milk chocolate tones interwoven throughout Nicole's hair.  If you look closely, you will notice that the last few inches of Nicole's hair are lighter and more copper colored than her roots.

In essence, Papanikolas designed Nicole's color palette so that the ends would look very natural and have an Ombré feel (lighter at the roots and darker down towards the ends).

Nicole's Blonde To Brunette Transition

When asked about his work creating Nicole's blonde-to-brunette transition, Papanikolas reported he "used several different shades in order to achieve subtle variations giving the hair richness and shine that a brunette would have naturally."

George started with a filler applied to all of Nicole's blonde strands.  He separated the hair into 1/2 inch sections using 1/2 ounce of Vero K-PAK Chrome G6, which is a chocolate brown, along with 1/2 ounce of G8, which is a golden copper.

Nicole Richie In-Store Appearance David Jones Photo Call 2012 - Eva Rinaldi - Wikipedia

He mixed both hues with a shot of RO, which is a developer.  After processing for 10-15 minutes, he rinsed off the filler and then completely dried Nicole's hair.

On 1/2-inch sections, Papanikolas applied 1/2 ounce of N4 and 1/2 ounce of G6.  Using the long tail of a comb, the celebrity colorist selected target strands for low light.

Papanikolas attached a color palette to Nichole's hair and hand-painted the low-light formula from roots to ends.  He strategically painted the low lights throughout Nicole's head, alternating the weaves and heavy slices.

Papanikolas processed the low lights for 20 minutes at room temperature, and then he completely rinsed out the color.   He then added a gloss coat to Nicole's hair in G6 in 1/2-inch sections to tone down the highlights.

Your hair colorist should be able to transition your own blonde tresses to a gorgeous chocolate color by following the brilliant color scheme Papanikolas created for Nicole with Joico Vero K-PAK Chrome hues.

As you can see, Nicole looked amazing in her chocolate brunette hues, but for 2011 she transitioned back to a richer golden blonde with a classic Ombré look of darker roots.

Best wishes,

Karen Marie Shelton

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