Kate Fanto, Babel Fair Buyer, Explains Why She Ditched Her Natural Blonde Hair Color

"I'm actually a blonde ," Kate Fanto, a buyer we met recently, told us. "I've been dark for ten years! Strangely, I was born with jet black hair that eventually turned blonde. I decided to take the brunette route in college when I went through a silly rebellious 'punk rock' phase. I started out subtly, just going a few shades darker, then I went to stark box-dye black that my girlfriends and I would do over my sink. Gradually, it became this warmer shade of brown-red that I have now. It reflects my personality a little better. Adds a little mystery, I suppose. But realistically, I have fair skin and light eyes so it makes me feel less washed out. I see my wonderful colorist here in New York every few weeks -- it's a lot of upkeep, but I don't think I would be me without it."

To keep her hair shiny (and stave off damage), Fanto uses a DIY hair mask. "My hair gets really dry because I color it so often, so I do an olive-oil treatment every week or so."

Photo/Art: Raydene Salinas

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