“Don’t Speak,” we already know what you’re saying: this may be the most dramatic hair change we’ve ever seen on Gwen Stefani. The singer debuted a multi-color dyed do for her performance at Riot Fest in Chicago on Friday, and it’s so good we’re still talking about it! Which is why we reached out to her go-to mane man of 19 years, Danilo, for all the exclusive details on the dye job.
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The singer, 45, took the stage with one of her craziest (and coolest!) hair styles to date — purple and black hair dye feathered into her signature platinum shade for the punk rock music fest.
“It’s funny because I suggested we kick it up because we were going to the Riot Fest — and it’s such an interesting festival and the talent there is so cool — so I was like, ‘Let’s bring on the badass!’,” Danilo tells PEOPLE. “And I always thought that color would be really quite pretty, cosmetic and fun on her. I’m just glad we got to try something different for us.”
The colorful tress transformation, which featured two vibrant hues — Manic Panic’s Ultra Violet and a standard black — only took about 30 to 45 minutes to perfect, says Danilo. (Yes, you read that correctly — Gwen Stefani is a big fan of at-home color conditioner.)
“This the bottom line: I created the color technique in 1980, and it’s a technique we call limelight, and it’s basically a linear — the horizontal, not vertical — placement of color,” he explains. “And there is a difficulty to it; it’s very technical. What it relates to in the now, really, is ombré — it’s almost stacking of ombré. It’s different, because the pattern actually adds up. I intentionally create the feathering of the black to make it look tie-dye.”
Danilpo adds: “And if you notice, one of the amazing things about the technique is that when you go into the hair, the line of the black hair is lined throughout — imagine like fur and feathers, basically — the hair would be colored at the same point. So when you move, you always get the continuity of the placement of the color. So when she throws [her hair] around, it always falls back into pattern.”
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The hair guru also points out that no one can quite wear color as well as Stefani has done over the years.
“It’s Gwen, it’s me, but I definitely have to honor the fact that [wearing bold color] is hard,” he tells PEOPLE. “Fifty percent of accomplishing the beauty of the look is Gwen Stefani. Gwen always wears it. It doesn’t wear her. And that’s a big difference, too.”
Not quite ready to go so bold? The No Doubt singer wasn’t the only star to step out with a colorful hue this weekend. Orange Is the New Black star Dascha Polanco (and recent People Style guest Instagrammer) also has a bold new do — a pale pink bob with blunt bangs — which she showed off at the Custo Barcelona show during New York Fashion Week.
The jury is out on whether or not the new do is just a fun experiment with a wig or the real deal since days before the star was rocking her signature long ombré locks. Either way, we’re loving the switch-up for fall.
So happy to join the summer trend! Yay pink hair! Thank you @seanjameshair pic.twitter.com/Ml9QvNIHFA
— Jennifer Love Hewitt (@TheReal_Jlh) September 4, 2015
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Even Jennifer Love Hewitt joined in on the colorful hair fun with a subtle pink hue — just in the time for the last few weeks of warm weather.
The pink highlights shade are a sassy switch-up from the actress’s usual brunette waves. Perhaps blue (for new baby Atticus) is next?
What do you think of the stars’ two colorful dos? Which is your favorite? Share below!
–Sarah Kinonen
Follow @sarahkinonen
RELATED VIDEO: Gwen Stefani’s Changing Looks
