Recently, I got cherry blossom pink highlights from Matt Rez, the global celebrity colorist for Moroccanoil. His clientele includes Hailey Bieber, Adele and Dua Lipa, so I felt pretty confident that I was in good hands walking into the appointment, but what really helped was the consultation we had before we got started. After showing Rez a few reference photos of what I was hoping for—baby pink streaks placed throughout my hair—we talked through what might work best and cause the least amount of much damage. So, in case you’re considering getting pink highlights yourself (or just lightening up dark hair in general), I documented the entire 5-hour process for you to see what it might entail.
I Got Cherry Blossom Pink Highlights from Hailey Bieber's Colorist (& I Have Extremely Dark Hair)
Here's how it looks one month later
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Published May 6, 2024
Jenny Jin for PureWow
Step 1: Since I wanted the color to peek out from underneath the rest of my hair, Matt went through and sectioned off thinner ribbons of hair to be bleached first. He then hand-painted the bleach onto each section, before folding them in foil to process for a bit.
Step 2: Because my hair is so dark and I wanted pink highlights, which don’t show up unless the base color is light enough, I was told we’d have to “lift” my hair to a “healthy nine.” In case you’re wondering, this pale blonde color is what that looks like.
Step 3: Next, it was time to apply the gloss (which made the sink bowl look like a crime scene, BTW). Matt took his time coating all of my hair generously with gloss and massaging it in. He then wrapped it up neatly in a plastic cap and set me underneath a hooded dryer.
Step 4: The heat from the hooded dryer helps speed things along, so I sat underneath it long enough to take a few amused selfies (pretending I’m a Jetson), but not so long that I got bored (about 15ish minutes). Then, I was taken back to the bowl for a very thorough double-wash and conditioning treatment.
Step 5: Here I am with Matt, showing off the final results. Note: We went for a deeper pink to start so that it would fade into a softer pink as the color washes out over time.
This brings us to present day, just over a month after my appointment. Most of the pink has since faded into this ashy brown you see here with subtle pink and blonde streaks in some sections. I’ll probably touch up the pink again soon, as I really enjoyed the color, but I’m in no rush because I don’t mind how it is now.
What’s the Upkeep Like?
Surprisingly, my hair doesn’t feel too damaged, especially considering how much it was lightened. I think the placement of the highlights helps a lot with this. Because they were sectioned off from the rest of my hair and added sparingly, as opposed to throughout, the overall health of my hair was preserved. I also load it up with moisture every chance I get—usually in the form of hair oils and leave-in conditioners.
My current plan is to refresh the pink one or two more times, so I can enjoy the fun hue through the summer, before transitioning to different colors like lavender and eventually blue.
