David Stanko on Bridal Haircolor Trends

David Stanko

David Stanko

Here come the brides, and along with them, photographers, videographers and a slew of snap-happy friends. For photos that look great and stand the test of time, what every bride needs is hair with dimension and shine. For this to happen, even single-process color needs a few subtle highlights and lowlights. And when it comes to updos, they’re only as stunning as the highlight placement.

For brunettes, spaced-out highlights are mandatory to avoid a prison-stripe style in videos and photos. Even those naysayer virgin Level 2s will see the promise of a few Level 4 or 5 brunette pieces, placed on top and in front, or at the nape and the back perimeter when hair is swept up. Whether you create a simple pony or an elaborately interwoven updo, subtle, strategically placed highlights add the variations on tone that produce glimmer under several lighting conditions.

When it comes to blondes, the brightest pieces should frame the face and fringe. Don’t neglect to add lighter pieces in the nape, so that the hair design is balanced from front to back. For beautiful blonde brides, shine is pivotal, too. Seal the deal with Redken Shades EQ, which acts like a top coat that’s added over nail polish. Whether you choose Clear or a hint of tone, Shades EQ boosts shine so much, the camera crew will wonder if that was the flash bouncing back, or a woman whose hair simply reflects her inner glow.

David Stanko is a haircolor consultant for Redken 5th Avenue and a working salon colorist who has been featured in the pages of top fashion publications, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, InStyle, Latina and Elle. After inventing new ways to use color technology to transform individuals and teaching that art to other salon professionals, he was twice honored by HaircolorUSA: In both1999 and 2000, he was named “Best Educator†and “Most Inspirational Educator.â€