Johnny Ramirez

Recently, colorist Johnny Ramirez shared with us his tips for achieving the impressive, gradiating color tones he creates for The City's Whitney Port. And now I've got the lowdown from Whitney's resident colorist on choosing the most flattering shades for your skin tone.

Ramirez, who keeps his main base at the Chris McMillan Salon in LA, now also moonlights at Serge Normant at John Frieda in Manhattan. While the celebrity colorist avoids dishing out advice on using box color ("I end up fixing it," he says.), he did give us the scoop on choosing a shade. Check them out when you read more

You might remember my interview with celebrity hair colorist Johnny Ramirez, who has styled the likes of Victoria Beckham, Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Pompeo, and Amber Valetta — just to name a few. Also among his celebrity clientele? Whitney Port, the cordial, soft-spoken, lanky blonde from MTV's The City.

Whitney will soon have an old friend in New York, as Ramirez, who works at the famed Chris McMillan Salon in LA, is about to go bi-coastal. The first week of each month, the talented colorist will also be waving his magic color wand at Serge Normant at John Frieda in Manhattan. Check out what he had to say about Whitney's hair color, along with tips on preventing hair color from fading when you read more

After chatting with Posh's colorist, Johnny Ramirez, I learned he is a mayjah proponent of soft and natural looks. With high-profile clients such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Mariska Hargitay, and Hilary Swank, it's clear to see that Ramirez's take on hair color certainly lives up to this simply sophisticated approach. Take a look at his tips for having beautiful color.

Do

• Pack in the color: After coloring a client, Ramirez coats the hair from the outside with a gloss. "It stays really, really soft and pretty," he says. "This makes the color stay for a long time."
• Get a conditioning treatment: "I do Kérastase conditioning treatments afterwards to everyone that walks out of my chair," he says. "When they are due to come back for their color or highlights, their hair is always thick and healthy."

For what not to do, read more

The other day, I had a chat with the ultrafriendly celeb colorist Johnny Ramirez, of the Chris McMillan Salon in Beverly Hills, about techniques and products he used for his high-profile client, Victoria Beckham. Ramirez, who trained under famed color guru Michael Canalé (of Jennifer Aniston caramel highlights fame), also talked about where he gets his inspiration, along with color trends for Fall. Here's what he had to say:

On his approach to hair color:

• "I look at my 4-year-old daughter's hair. She's got Gisele [Bundchen]'s hair color. It's an illusion. It looks really, really blonde, but when you crack it open, it's dark blond underneath. It's so natural — she's born with it. So I take that (inspiration from my daughter) and do it on someone that's older."
• "When someone comes back from vacation, and they have virgin hair (meaning they have no artificial hair color), I always look to see their hairline and how their hair around their face looks. I duplicate that. Sunkissed highlights around the face are so subtle. I'll do (bleached) tips at the bottom, too. . . and comb to blend. When you do this it creates the illusion of soft, beachy hair — like you've been hanging out at the beach all month."

Regarding trends for Fall:

• "Soft and natural hair colors just make your skin glow like you were born with it. Soft and natural — you just can't go wrong with that. Anytime you go really light or too dark it just doesn't look right, so just keep it very soft."

Photo courtesy of Johnny Ramirez.

Last year, upon the Beckham's much-anticipated arrival to the States, Celebrity colorist Johnny Ramirez welcomed Posh to her new home by "Californizing" that famous graduated bob to platinum blond levels.

Just this past weekend, Ramirez, who works at the Chris McMillan Salon in Beverly Hills, gave the petite trendsetter's chic pixie some extra zip, and I've got the exclusive details on what went down. Check out my interview below, and look out for some more of Johnny's hair-color advice to come:

Is Victoria just as funny in person as she is on TV?
"Victoria is the most generous, warm person. She's considerate, and super nice — not just to me — but to anybody."

Can you tell me a little about what you did do enhance Victoria's chestnut-brown hair?
"After discussing what she wanted, we decided to keep her a brunette. Victoria's ends were faded to a reddish warm color — this happens to most brunettes. To keep her a soft, natural medium brown, I started with her roots by applying a permanent hair color. Once the color was done processing, I combed it through the ends to break up the line at the shampoo bowl. Then . . . two different types of toners were used to tone the warm ends. I always finish my hair color with a gloss to lock in the color and seal it with shine. That's what makes color look healthy, natural, and beautiful."

To learn more about what products Victoria took home with her to maintain her look, read more