Embracing Red with Boston’s Salon Mario Russo

How to be a Redhead teamed up with Salon Mario Russo, a well-known salon on Newbury Street in Boston, MA.

Julie Balewicz, a stylist of eighteen years, transformed Victoria Desmond from a brunette to a stunning redhead!

Julie specializes in red hair and sat down with H2BAR to give readers the inside scoop on tips and tricks for redheads (natural or not).

H2BAR: What advice do you give to someone wanting to dye their hair red?

JULIE: A variety of factors goes into having red hair, the main one being: personality. If you are vibrant and don’t mind being the center of attention, then red hair is the right color for you! Other factors are skin tone and natural hair color. If you’re olive skinned, go violet toned and if blonde, go strawberry blonde.

H2BAR: What recommendations do you have for maintaining red hair,  natural or not?

JULIE: Wash your hair every other day because washing it too much will cause dryness and/or a depletion of the color.  I’m also a big fan of glosses in between dye jobs because it maintains the color and treats the hair.

H2BAR: What are your favorite products for women who dye their hair red?

JULIE: I can’t find a product line strictly for redheads that I like, but I do love Oribe, Shampoo and Conditioner ($36 each) and Kerastase, Chroma Sensitive ($42). The products are beautifully made and you’ll have no fading. Sometimes, women go too brassy, so it is important to use products that will wash out the brassiness but keep the color in place.

H2BAR: What is a common myth about red hair?

JULIE: You can get the same color red over and over if you keep proper records.