Season 2 of “The Pitt” is here and, with it, star Katherine LaNasa as Nurse Dana once again commanding attention via her signature “Pearlescent Blonde” hair. The luminous look is expertly crafted by her longtime colorist and Schwarzkopf Professional Ambassador, Kari Hill.
Hill tells The Tease, “Working on Katherine’s hair for The Pitt was such an exciting experience because it was incredibly technical and so important to her character. Since the series is shot to appear as a single 15-hour shift in an ER, the hair color had to be perfectly consistent and seamlessly matched for visual continuity across every episode. That meant I couldn’t overlap color at any point in the process; every foil had to be placed with absolute precision so the color would read the same in every shot.”
She adds, “Using color products that could deliver that level of control and craftsmanship was absolutely essential, which is why I trusted Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Vario Blond Super Plus. I needed a lightener that would perform consistently from foil to foil, lift cleanly without unpredictability, and maintain the integrity of the hair under such exacting conditions. It gave me the precise lift and placement control I needed, while also allowing me to blend greys seamlessly with zero visible line of demarcation. Production paid attention to every frame, so even a single strand out of sync could show up on camera. Having a formula I could fully rely on made it possible to create a flawless, consistent result that held up through filming.”
Technical Details
- Every touchup that was done had to match the touchup from the previous filming session to reflect the show’s continuity. Hill had to root gloss LaNasa the exact amount of minutes and place the color in the same place (2 to 3 quarters of an inch) every time.
- To maintain the health of LaNasa’s hair, Hill created a super fine delicate weave of foils that were true bleach highlights. Hill got the process down to a science where she could apply a partial highlight in 45 minutes and a full highlight in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Hill colored her hair every 5 weeks for roughly 3-4 months while the show was filming. Hill mostly did partial highlights because there was not a lot of root underneath.
- Hill couldn’t overlap with any color during the process to ensure the color matched in every shot. Production paid attention to every frame and every foil had to be perfectly placed. Any strand of hair that was out of sync could potentially show up in filming.
- Hill did not tone LaNasa’s hair to achieve her blonde in “The Pitt.” Glosses and toners can often cast a shadow via the bright lights on set. They did not want LaNasa’s hair to have any gold or warm tones so the result is a platinum, almost icy finish.
Read on for that exact formula, directly from Hill.
Get the Formula:
- Schwarzkopf Professional Vario Blond Super Plus + 20 vol
- Start fine weave at nape, working vertical sections under until top back/crown
- Continue in partial
- Rinse pale — not white, not gold
- Heat for first 7-minutes
- Rinse, apply shampoo + conditioner, towel dry
- Hairline balayage: Schwarzkopf Professional Vario Blond Super Plus + 40 vol
- Rinse, apply shampoo + conditioner, towel dry
- Root Gloss: Schwarzkopf Professional Vario Blond Super Plus
- 9.0 + 9.1 + 6 vol gel
- Gloss for 7-minutes — do not drag, bring hairline in last 30-seconds
- Shampoo and condition
If you recreate this formula for your next client, or have it done by your colorist, we want to know about it. Tag @readthetease on Instagram and TikTok.
