She is the lady responsible for Jennifer Aniston’s enviable honeyed locks and Kate Hudson’s beach blonde tresses. When it comes to celebrity hair, Negin Zand is Hollywood’s go-to colourist of choice. With this in mind Online Editor Alexandria Gouveia visited JetSet salon in Emirates Towers to try the Balayage A-list colour treatment and get the hair guru to answer all of your questions…
Iranian born Negin Zand has spent much of her career in Sydney and Los Angeles, mastering her skills that eventually saw her become one of the most famous colourists in the business. Negin is renowned for using the Balayage technique – an ancient French hair colouring method that emphasises sweeping motions and a free-form style of highlighting the hair.
Her client list reads like Elton John’s party guest list from Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Angelina Jolie to Cate Blanchett, Scarlett Johansson and Sarah Jessica Parker… and now Emirates Woman. Check out the results and see all your hair colour questions answered…
How can we protect coloured hair in the hot and humid Middle East weather?
Using a serum before styling your hair will help to remove some of the frizz. Try to work with your natural texture instead of fighting it. You can use beach sprays for natural waves and also braid your hair to keep it out of your face and stay cool during the hot summer days.
Shower water in Dubai is harsh on blonde hair, striping off toner, and causing hair to turn yellow. How can we avoid this?
Getting a water softener installed in your house or a filter for your showerhead will really make a noticeable difference to your hair. It also helps to rinse your hair with bottled water instead of normal shower water. Keep in mind, these solutions are not just for blondes, but also beneficial for brunettes and redheads.
Top tips for protecting hair against seawater?
Protecting your hair prior to getting in the sea is very important. Leave-in conditioner will help coat the hair making it more resistant to the damage of seawater. In addition, rinsing your hair with bottled water once you have gotten out of the sea will counter the harming effects to your hair.
Clockwise from top left: Negin Zand in action; before my treatment; after my treatment; getting prepped and finally getting styled by Negin
Why does ketchup correct your hair colour, after being in the pool?
Some blondes get a greenish hue to their hair from being in chlorine water. Ketchup and v8 tomato juice neutralise that green hue. The best part is that these household items are not harsh on the hair because there are no chemicals in them.
Do you recommend SPF for the hair?
Of course. The suns rays can be very harsh on the hair, fading the colour as well as drying it out. SPF products protect your hair.
Does it matter what shampoo you use?
Definitely, you should personalise the shampoo you use for your hair to meet all the requirements that you feel your hair is lacking.
How often should you wash your hair?
Every other day is ideal for fine hair, but if you can go longer than that, it’s better. The thicker the hair, the longer you can go without shampooing so, in my opinion, twice a week is good. You should always condition the ends as conditioner is mainly meant for your ends.
Advice to women thinking of changing their hair colour?
Always bring pictures to your colourist so they have a concrete idea of what you are looking for. Having a consultation with your colourist is very important. It’s also important to ask your colourist how to personally maintain your hair. It’s not a good idea to do it at home as the colour on the box is never what it will really turns out to be.
Is there a trick to knowing which hair colours you can pull off?
There’s no trick really. It’s just important to choose what is ideal for your personal hair care. I tend to not go against what Mother Nature has given you. It’s best to only go two shades lighter or two shades darker for your base colour.
What is the most bizarre request you’ve received?
A man with beautiful salt and pepper hair requested me to colour it jet-black.
What hair colour trends are going to be big in A/W14 and S/S15?
With colour I don’t tend to follow trends unless it seems suitable for the clients skin tone and eye colour. I still believe the ombré will stick around although it won’t be so two-toned. It will be more of a natural grown out look. The trendiest and most beautiful style in my opinion is a more natural style, imitating child-like hair.
Is the ombre hair colour trend fazing out?
Yes it is. I’ve been doing the ombré for years, but not in such a drastic contrast. I stick to finer balayage at the root with a more natural sun-kissed technique.
What’s your most popular request?
I live in California where the sun is out most of the time. The most popular request is the natural beachy blonde hair.
Are there any colour trends that are fail-proof?
Every head is like painting a canvas and placement and timing are everything to me. Foils can leave a hard line with more frequent visits to the salon. With balayage you can go without a visit for up to four months in most cases.
For blondes, it’s feathered at the root and natural balayage. I love to do the baby hairs framing the face to give a person that natural sun-kissed look. It’s never frosted or white and there’s no line of separation.
For brunettes I like to keep it darker at the root, incorporating honey and caramel highlights without making it look stripy.
For red hair I usually like to stay within the golden and copper family.
Who has the best hair colour in Hollywood?
Sarah Jessica Parker, Gisele Bundchen, Diane Lane and Cat Deeley. One of my newest clients is Nicola Peltz, who I recently took from foiled highlights to a more beautiful beachy California blonde.
What’s the most disastrous hair colour trend of recent years?
I’ve never been into these pastel colour trends, unless they are used on the runway fashion shows or for editorial work. It’s great for the younger generation, but not for the middle aged women.
JetSet is now taking appointments for cut and colour treatments by Negin Zand and Benjamin Mohapi at (050) 2988787 and bookings@jetset.ae .
