Stop Everything: Selena Gomez Is Blonde Now

Well, folks, it seems another celebrity has undergone a major hair change. Selena Gomez is blonde now — and no, it’s not a drill or courtesy of the hair color-changing filter on Instagram. The former brunette revealed her shocking transformation on the @rarebeauty account in a stunning mirror selfie, along with the caption: “New look. Need to pick new Rare Beauty lip and blush shades now 💓.” Naturally, the unveiling took fans by surprise, as she hasn’t given any hints about wanting to change up her hair color recently.

For such a major metamorphosis, Gomez went to see two of the industry's most respected colorists: Nikki Lee and Riawna Capri of Nine Zero One salon in Los Angeles. “We’ve been doing Selena’s color for over a decade now [and] she typically keeps it pretty natural, but this time she went for a big change,” explain the stylists via email. “This blonde is unique to her as we had to make sure there was an equal balance of cool and warm for her skin tone. It’s an edgier look and perfect for summer.”

The color masterminds also shared how they achieved Gomez’s specific shade of blonde. “We started by prepping her hair with In Common’s Crystal Serum to add protection [and] then highlighted every hair on her head with Joico’s Blonde Life lightening powder and 30 volume developer,” they explain. The duo then let this process for quite a while, until her hair turned to a pale yellow, before finally taking the lightener off.

Of course, the transformation didn’t stop there. “We [then] tapped down her root with LumiShine Demi-Permanent Liquid 5NA with 5 Volume; then an all-over pre-tone with LumiShine Demi-Permanent Liquid 8NW + 10NW equal parts with 5 Volume, and a second toner with LumiShine Demi-Permanent Liquid 10V with 5 Volume.”

Finally, they applied In Common’s Crystal Cashmere treatment to lock everything in and make the star’s hair look — and feel — shiny and healthy. “The entire process took 200 foils, several bowls of bleach, and 8 hours of hair magic!” the hairstylists say. “Her hair looks and feels amazing!”

If you, too, just went blonde and are looking to avoid any brassiness, Lee and Capri highly recommend using a purple treatment, like Joico's Color Balance Purple Shampoo, every third time you wash your hair as maintenance. Additionally, they advise using a hydrating leave-in treatment to help keep hair nourished and strong.

Congrats to Gomez on the gorgeous new hue — it couldn't be any more perfect for the warm-weather months ahead.