From her role as Alex in Charlie's Angels to her spin as Dr. Joan Watson in Elementary, award-winning actress Lucy Liu has always maintained a signature hair look: long, jet-black, and shiny. And why not? It works for her. But everyone gets a little hair fatigue after decades in the spotlight — including Liu.
This week, the 49-year-old actress pulled a Selena Gomez and went blonde in one day, debuting the final look at the Obie Awards in New York City. According to Victoria Hunter, co-founder of Whittemore House salon and the colorist behind the actress' new look, the blonde decision was simple: Liu was ready for a change.
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Like many other celebs before her — Emilia Clarke, Kim Kardashian, Leighton Meester, to name a few — Liu was ready to ditch her dark hair for something lighter. And, like her peers, she also wanted the major transformation to happen in just one salon visit. Hunter told TODAY Style that because of Liu's ultra-dark roots, she underwent four rounds of bleach, balayage highlights, and a root smudge (to soften the harsh root growth later).
Even after all that work, Liu appears to be happy with the result. She posted a photo to Instagram with the caption (and appropriate Missy Elliot quote), "Flip it and reverse it." But how did she do a 180 on her hair without damaging it beyond repair? Hunter told TODAY that she avoided the breakage that often comes with going blonde so quickly with the salon's own hair lightening powder, Whittemore House Hair Paint. The special tonic marries the benefits of Olaplex mixed with peroxide and was instrumental in keeping Liu's hair long and shiny — just the way she likes it.
So... when do we make our appointments?