News: George Papanikolas Joins Matrix

Celebrity hairstylist George Papanikolas, known for transforming the haircolor of Hollywood’s most high profile blondes and brunettes, has joined Matrix.  According to VP/ Matrix General Manager Paul Schiraldi, George will bring his talent for creating “must-have” trends for his vast and impressive roster of celebrity clients to the Matrix family, allowing fellow stylists and loyal Matrix customers to get sneak peeks, first looks and insider information instantly on all of the hottest hairstyles and color design innovations.
 
As one of Hollywood’s most in-demand hair professionals, George was recently responsible for the beautiful color transformation of Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell. George’s celebrity clientele includes many of Hollywood’s trendy young “it” girls, including Miranda Kerr, Megan Fox, AnnaLynne McCord, Jessica Stroup, Minka Kelly, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Maria Menounos, Hannah Simone, Miley Cyrus and Hayden Panettiere.  He was responsible for Britney Spears’ locks when he traveled with her team during her worldwide Circus Tour and also created the hair looks for Spears’ Candies campaign. His celebrity clients have sported his haircolor on the covers of Cosmopolitan, ELLE, InStyle, Lucky and Allure and for campaigns for Guess and Lee.  He has also been singled out as one of the country’s top colorists by InStyle, Allure, and People Magazine.
 
In recent months, he has also been responsible for the high profile color transformations of Khloe and Kim Kardashian, setting off unprecedented “buzz” for their new honey-kissed and caramel tones.  His work for the members of the Kardashian “klan” has prompted millions of brunettes to head to their salons for similar lightening services.
 
Inspired by his sunny, Southern California hometown, George pioneered the “beach-style” highlighting techniques that have evolved into today’s popular ombré and balayage techniques. Over time he has perfected his techniques--creating natural-looking, sun-kissed color that looks, as George notes, "like you've spent a summer at the beach rather than three hours in the salon."  George also earned a marketing degree at USC, which provides him with a unique ability to marry the artistic and business aspects of the beauty profession.  In his spare time, the versatile artist loves to renovate and design home interiors, and he says the design fundamentals he uses for that type of work such as proportion, scale and color composition are translatable to his work in the salon.
 
When not traveling for a specific client or project, the in-demand, bi-coastal color specialist can be found in West Hollywood at the Andy Lecompte Salon and in New York City at the Rita Hazan Salon.  And as a testament to his world reach and impressive talent, he has been invited to be a guest colorist at one of the top salons in Dubai, where he works with some of the world’s most sophisticated women.
 
“I’m really excited about joining the Matrix family,” George says.  “I’m honored to be part of such an incredible brand and to have the opportunity to contribute my experiences, skills and insights to the salon clients seeking to embark on an adventure with their hair. I also look forward to spreading the word about Matrix’s high quality, professional hair care, styling and haircolor products.”