Photo via Jacob Schwartz
Eventual winner, “Hamnet” star, Jessie Buckley arrived at last night’s 2026 Oscars red carpet with an all-new “Sparkling Blonde,” care of her trusted colorist, Jacob Schwartz, Schwarzkopf Professional’s U.S. Hair Color Trend Ambassador.
The shade marked the final step in a carefully planned transformation Schwartz began months ago as Buckley entered awards season. Starting from deep brunette tones late last year, he gradually guided her lighter throughout the shows (while she swept them no less) — moving from black to light brown and eventually into blonde — revealing her brightest look yet at the Oscars.
By working slowly across multiple appointments, Schwartz was able to preserve the integrity and of Buckley’s hair while steadily building brightness and dimension. The result, “Sparkling Blonde,” is a clear, radiant blonde with subtle root depth and light-reflective luminosity through the lengths. Schwartz put Schwarzkopf Professional’s advanced color system — including Igora Royal, BlondMe, and Igora Vibrance — to the test at each stage of the transformation, allowing him to establish the base, lift the hair safely, and refine the tone while keeping her hair strong, glossy, and always red-carpet ready.
To achieve the look, Schwartz first established a balanced base color to create depth and coverage while maintaining a natural-looking foundation. Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Royal was essential at this stage for its reliable pigment performance and even coverage, creating the perfect canvas for the blonding process to follow. Highlights were then placed throughout the hair using Schwarzkopf Professional’s high-lift lightening formulas to build brightness while preserving softness and control during the lift. BlondMe Premium Lightener 9+ was used through the ends to refine and elevate the blonde to its brightest point — its integrated bonding technology helping protect the hair while delivering clean, luminous lift.
A carefully calibrated root gloss adds seamless dimension, with cooler neutral tones around the hairline to softly illuminate the face while slightly deeper tones at the root maintain a natural transition. Finally, a quick all-over gloss delivers the signature “sparkling” finish. Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Vibrance was key here, enhancing clarity, shine, and tone while leaving the hair silky and reflective — so the blonde catches the light from every angle on the red carpet.
Read on for the exact formula Schwartz used.
Get the Formula:
Base Color: Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Royal (20 vol, 35 min)
Hairline: 8-1 + 8-0
Grey Patch: 8-0
Base: 7-1 (30g) + 7-0 (15g) + 8-0 (15g)
Highlights: Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Vario Blond Super Plus (20 vol)
Ends: Schwarzkopf Professional BlondMe Premium Lightener 9+
Rootgloss: Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Vibrance (6 vol, 10 min — hairline last 5)
Hairline: 9-0 + 9-1
Roots: 8-0 + 8-11
All Over: Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Vibrance 10-1 (6 vol, 2 min)
If you use this formula for your next color client, we want to know about it. Tag @readthetease on Instagram and TikTok.
