Joi Rooks has been styling hair and makeup for more than two decades, with a resume that includes platform work, theater, runway, photo shoots, video and New York fashion week, and has been published in Allure and Vogue. Owner of Fresche Salon & Boutique and a member of the KMS Artistic Team, Rooks continues to nurture her artistry, like with the autumnal look seen here.
“We wanted the look to feel very urban and real,” Rooks says. “We chose a location to reflect the mood outdoors on the train tracks. The look was inspired by a blend of culture, experiences and textures.”
Rooks says she wanted the color to appear as a natural ginger fading into a lighter butterscotch blonde. To create the hue, she pre-lightened the mid-shaft to the ends using a balayage technique and Goldwell Silk Lift and 30-volume Developer. Once she achieved the desired level—“about a 9 fading into a 10,” she says—Rooks used Top Chic 8KG with 20-volume Developer as the base color. She then painted from the mid-shaft with 9 KG Colorance and left some of the ends out. Finally, she used Elumen GB@9 all over the ends.
Once the perfect shade was achieved, Rooks styled the hair by blow-drying strands with KMS Tame Frizz Taming Creme, keeping the top of the hair to the round of the head smooth. She then set large sections using a waving wand and KMS Free Shape 2-in-1. Next Rooks pinned up the hair with clips, and released the curls with her fingers, relying on KMS Tame Frizz De-frizz Oil for the finishing touch. ✂—Kristen Heinzinger
