This week, the Emmys officially kicked off award season, honoring the best in television. Behind any award show's show-stopping red carpet dresses and elegant styles are the hairstylists and colorists bringing every celebrity's look to life.
Schwarzkopf Professional gives us the inside scoop and techniques for some of the most eye-catching hair looks of the night.
Lemon Meringue
Celebrity colorist Kari Hill served a fresh take on The Pitt’s star Katherine LaNasa's signature blonde look, dubbed “Lemon Meringue” during the Emmys red carpet.
Katherine’s luminous shade skews slightly warmer and more golden than the icy platinum blonde she’s worn previously, but the secret behind the shift isn’t a new formula. It all came down to timing.
Get the “Lemon Meringue” Look:
- Kari began by creating ultra-fine, delicate highlights using Schwarzkopf Professional IGORA Vario Blond Super Plus, carefully weaving the hair to achieve soft, controlled brightness and dimension.
- Rather than changing the formula she typically uses on Katherine, Kari adjusted the lightener processing time, allowing it to develop longer before rinsing. That subtle shift in timing created a slightly warmer, more golden blonde versus Katherine’s cooler, icier finish.
- Throughout the process, Kari was careful not to overlap previously lightened hair, helping maintain the precision and consistency of Katherine’s blonde while prioritizing the integrity of the hair.
- To finish the color, Kari applied Schwarzkopf Professional IGORA VIBRANCE 9-0 + 9-1 as a subtle root gloss only, creating a seamless transition at the root. No gloss or toner was applied through the lengths or ends – the pearlescent, golden tone was achieved through the precise lift of the highlights themselves.
- The final result is a bright, pearlescent blonde with just enough golden warmth to soften the finish – a subtle example of how a colorist can shift the overall tone of a blonde through technique and timing without changing the core formula.
"For Katherine’s ‘Lemon Meringue,’ I stayed with the formula I consistently use on her, but adjusted the timing to reveal a little more of her natural golden warmth. Using Schwarzkopf Professional’s IGORA Vario Blond Super Plus, I created very fine highlights and allowed them to process slightly longer before rinsing to give it that golden sheen," says Kari Hill. "That subtle shift gave us a beautiful, creamy warmth while keeping the blonde bright."
Beach Blonde
For Love Story star Sarah Pidgeon, Hill introduced: “Beach Blonde” – a brighter, slightly more golden evolution of the transformative blonde that has become synonymous with the actress's role as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
Originally behind Sarah’s “Bessette Blonde,” Hill took her through the dramatic transformation into the cool, sophisticated blonde that helped define her look for Love Story.
Ahead of the red carpet, colorist Jeremy Cohen touched up Sarah’s hair in New York using Kari’s formula and Schwarzkopf Professional products, ensuring the signature shade was fresh and red carpet-ready while staying true to Kari’s original color concept.
Get the “Beach Blonde” Refresh Look:
- Hairline: IGORA ROYAL 9-0 + 20 Vol
- Base: IGORA ROYAL 8-11 + 9-1 + 20 Vol
- Lowlights: IGORA ROYAL 8-0 + 10 Vol
- Root Gloss: IGORA VIBRANCE 9-0 + 9-1 + 7-0
- All-Over Gloss: IGORA VIBRANCE 9.5-5
Using IGORA ROYAL, the formula balances brightness around the hairline with neutral and cool tones through the base, while strategic lowlights create depth and movement. IGORA VIBRANCE at the root and through the lengths refines the tone and delivers the creamy, high-shine finish behind Sarah’s “Beach Blonde.”
Golden Beige Blonde
The Comeback star Lisa Kudrow's stepped onto the Emmy red carpet with a fresh take on blonde: “Golden Beige Blonde."
Kari Hill and Kudrow's decades of work together built Hill's intimate understanding of Kudrow's hair, personal style and how her color has evolved over time – a reminder of the value of building lasting stylist-client relationships and the trust that comes with years spent in the chair together.
Lisa’s latest color is a soft, golden blonde with subtle dimension and a beautifully seamless finish. The shade blends warm, creamy blonde tones with slightly deeper dimension at the root and throughout the lengths, creating a polished, luminous color without looking overly highlighted.
Get the “Golden Beige Blonde” Look:
- Base: IGORA ROYAL Hairline 7g 9-0 + 4g 10-1 + 20 Vol; Base 10g 9-00 + 10g 0-11 + 30g 9-1 + 20 Vol
- Highlights: IGORA VARIO BLOND Plus + 20 Vol
- Root Gloss: IGORA VIBRANCE 9-0 + 9-1 + 6 Vol Gel Developer
The result is an elevated, effortless blonde that has plenty of movement and depth while maintaining a soft, cohesive appearance – particularly beautiful under the red-carpet lights.
Satin Brunette
Schwarzkopf Professional U.S. Hair Color Trend Ambassador Jacob Schwartz created a rich, dimensional “Satin Brunette” look for Pluribus actress Karolina Wydra.
Schwartz used Schwarzkopf Professional IGORA VIBRANCE to create subtle lowlights. He then customized the root and hairline with IGORA VIBRANCE, layering neutral and cool tones for seamless dimension. He then finished the look with a customized IGORA VIBRANCE all-over gloss for lasting shine and radiance.
Get the “Satin Brunette” Look:
- Lowlights: IGORA VIBRANCE (6 vol)
- 5-0 (20g) + 5-1 (20g) + 6-12 (20g) + 6-0 (10g) + 4-0 (10g)
- 7-55 + 7-0
- Root gloss: IGORA VIBRANCE (6 vol, 20 min)
- Hairline: 6-0
- Roots: 5-0 (20g) + 6-0 (20g) + 6-1 (20g)
- Zone 2: 8-11 + 9-12 + 7-21
- All-over gloss: IGORA VIBRANCE (6 vol, 5 min)
- 9-55 + 7-0 + 9-0 + 8-0"
Defined by a deep, neutral foundation, subtle dimension and a high-shine finish, the look demonstrates how strategic placement and tonal refinement can give brunette color depth and luminosity without feeling overly warm or heavy.
Bombshell Blonde
Schwartz elevated with a fresh, sun-kissed “Bombshell Blonde” look for Brooks Nader.
To create the look, Jacob began with an IGORA ROYAL smudge to soften the base before adding highlights with Schwarzkopf Professional IGORA Vario Blond Super Plus and 20 Vol. He then used IGORA VIBRANCE to create a seamless root gloss, keeping the hairline bright while adding subtle depth through the roots. A quick all-over gloss completed the color, adding golden reflect and high shine.
Get the "Bombshell Blonde" Look:
- Smudge – IGORA ROYAL, 30 Vol, 10 min
- Hairline: 9-1
- Roots: 8-11
- Highlights: IGORA Vario Blond Super Plus + 20 Vol
- Root Gloss – IGORA VIBRANCE, 6 Vol, 5 min
- Hairline: 9-0 + 9-1, applied for the final 2 minutes
- Roots: 8-0 + 9-1
- All-Over Gloss – IGORA VIBRANCE: 9-55 + Clear + 6 Vol, applied on/off
The result is a luminous, dimensional golden blonde with soft depth at the root and beachy brightness through the lengths — finished with the high shine and polish of a red-carpet color.
Warm Platinum
Celebrity colorist Tracey Cunningham, Schwarzkopf Professional’s U.S. Creative Director of Color & Technique, created a fresh, dimensional "Warm Platinum” look for Carey Mulligan.
Carey’s sophisticated shade sits between blonde and brunette, pairing a natural-looking base with delicate highlights and soft brightness around the face. Rather than creating an overly contrasted blonde, Tracey used strategic highlights and hairline balayage to create subtle dimension, before refining the tone with Schwarzkopf Professional IGORA VIBRANCE for a seamless, glossy finish.
Get the “Warm Platinum” Look:
- Tracey began with 10-volume highlights, using 7 volume through the tips, to gently build brightness while maintaining softness through the ends. Around the face, she incorporated 20-volume hairline balayage for additional illumination and a natural, light-catching effect.
- To refine the finished color, Tracey customized the hairline and base with IGORA VIBRANCE, processing for just five minutes. She kept the ends clear, allowing the existing brightness and dimension to shine through rather than adding additional pigment.
Formula Details:
- Highlights: 10 Vol + Olaplex; 7 Vol on tips
- Hairline Balayage: 20 Vol + Olaplex
- IGORA VIBRANCE Hairline: 10-51 + 9-0 + 10-1
- IGORA VIBRANCE Base: 9-00 + 9-12 + 8-0 + 9-1
- Processing: 6 Vol, 5 minutes
- Ends: Clear
The result is a soft, dimensional bronde with strategic brightness and a glossy, natural-looking finish that catches the light beautifully on the red carpet.
