Tune In: The Secret To Glossy, Shiny, Healthy Hair, From A Celebrity Colorist

Have you ever seen a photo of a celebrity—one with shiny, full, healthy looking hair—and wondered: How? Followed quickly by: And how can *I* get *my* hair to look like that? If you were really enamored by the look, you may have even taken it to your next hair appointment and asked for that exact color or cut. 

If so, this episode of Clean Beauty School is for you. In the episode, I spoke with celebrity colorist and salon owner Abby Haliti, whose work you may have seen on Olivia Palermo, Sigourney Weaver, and most recently, me. 

She's an expert at achieving that lived-in, soft, natural hair color that's so sought after at the moment. By her own account, she's a believer in "less is more" when it comes to hair color and subscribes to a more European aesthetic. 

If you are after that natural, healthy, glossy hair color, the most important step happens well before any dye is painted onto your strands. It's picking your colorist. 

"My biggest advice for folks is not just to go after an end result—meaning whatever photo you bring in with you—but to do a bit of homework [on the colorist]. What products are they using? How many years of experience do they have? What's their Instagram look like? Are they doing just color, or do they offer extensions, cuts, and a bit of everything?" she says. "You have to be cautious. Do a little research to make sure the work they do actually aligns with what you want." 

And then from there, it's about being consistent with who you go to and what you're getting done. 

In the age of microtrends, it can be tempting to try on new aesthetics every few months and test out new colorists—but be warned, you're harming your hair health in the process. 

When Haliti says her approach is "less is more," she means it. "My clients get a little bit shocked when I tell them this, but they should wait as long as they can between appointments so more of their natural color comes in. It's better for me, and it's better for them."

Granted, Haliti specializes in balayage, a method of hair coloring that doesn't have a clear line of demarcation. This means the growing-out phase is less noticeable and more low-maintenance, which is exactly the point, she says. 

Hair color is inherently emotional. As someone who has dyed their hair every color from blue to blonde, hair color can change your mood and attitude. It's a conduit for how you want to be preserved in the world. 

"I often create a space between me and my client so she can express her feelings. I would say most of the time, I can feel her emotions are a bit low, so I am there to listen to her, give her my best advice, and hopefully lift her spirits," she says. "But other times, a client may come in for a lot of services because she's being impulsive. I also have to give her the space and listen very carefully—but maybe offer other services that will help her feel better without going so extreme."