J.Lo Inspired Me To Dye My Hair For The First Time

You can't think about Jennifer Lopez without thinking about her signature honey-blonde hair. The perfectly highlighted, expensive-looking shade is synonymous with the star and has understandably become a popular request amongst fans and salon-goers alike.

Jessica Meador, the star of the newest Hair Me Out episode, went to stylist Larissa Benavidez of Salty Mane Studio in Santa Monica, California, to replicate Lopez's multidimensional caramel-blonde hair. "I saw this photo of J.Lo with caramel honey hair, and I was obsessed with it," Meador, a hair-color virgin, says. That's right: Before this transformation, Meador had never dyed her natural brunette hair, which features a natural gray streak right at the front of her head.

"It's a birthmark, and I've had it since I was young," Meador explains. "My mom has it on the opposite side [of her head], and it's the reason why she went blonde." Meador says that she grew up with insecurities about her hair's natural color. "Everyone would call me Rogue from X-Men, and I didn't want to be known for that," she says. "I became the 'girl with the gray streak' and I don't always want to be." So when the opportunity to try a new look came, Meador took a risk.

Benavidez specializes in creating rich, flattering brunette hair color, and wanted to work with her client's gray strands instead of masking them. "First, I'm going to cut her hair before I color, trimming off any dead ends that I see," she says of her process. "Then I'm going to mix her lightener using 20 and 30 volume and start in the back of her hair." Benavidez used foils beginning at the back of Meador's head and worked her way to the front. She let the chemicals process for up to 25 minutes, and rinsed her hair thoroughly before smudging her roots to match the level of her natural hair color for a seamless effect. To achieve the caramel tone, Benavidez glossed Meador's hair for 20 minutes.

The final look was a warm, honey-toned bronze that made Meador feel like "a different person." "I feel lighter and brighter, and I'm really ready for summer," she says. Click play to see her complete transformation.