Paige Lorenze's Bridal Brunette: Soft Highlights & Glossy Fi | Behindthechair.com

Paige Lorenze's Bridal Brunette: Soft Highlights & Glossy Fi | Behindthechair.com

As Dairy Boy founder and it-girl Paige Lorenze, now Paige Paul, celebrated her wedding, she debuted a "vacation" brunette, softly brightened with dimensional highlights. Longtime colorist Lea Arpell (@leaarpellcolor) created the look using Wella Professionals products, prioritizing healthy-looking shine and effortless movement. Below, Lea shares how Paige's color evolved over the last three years, her best tips for creating an expensive-looking bridal bronde and the formulas behind the transformation.

Behind the scenes as Paige Lorenze's soft brunette highlights are styled into a sleek bridal updo on her wedding day.

Paige Lorenze shows off her soft brunette highlights in an elegant low bridal bun while sharing a kiss with her husband on their wedding day.

Q&A With Lea Arpell

Q: Can you tell us a little about your history coloring Paige's hair?

Lea Arpell: Paige and I started working together three years ago after she was referred to me by another client. Since then, we've had an incredible journey together and have become great friends. She is truly one of the kindest people I know.

Q: How has her color evolved over the years?

Lea Arpell: When I first met Paige, she was a solid blonde and absolutely loved it. She was in her early twenties and having fun experimenting with her look. However, the integrity of her hair had become compromised. Maintaining an ultra-light blonde without contrast or root shadowing can be challenging, both from a maintenance and hair health perspective.

I started having conversations with her about the health of her hair and the possibility of transitioning into something softer and more dimensional. Paige is a beautiful natural brunette, and I wanted to bring that back into her color story.

We began introducing lowlights using Wella Professionals Color Touch, which has always been one of my favorite lines because of its incredible vibrancy and durability. Over time, we played with many different variations and color combinations as we gradually moved toward a richer, deeper look. It was such a fun and creative process.

Q: What are your top tips for stylists creating a natural, expensive-looking bridal bronde that will look great in person and in photos?

Lea Arpell: For brides, I think it's incredibly important to have healthy, shiny hair. Dull, damaged hair never photographs beautifully. Paige started using the Wella Professionals ULTIMATE REPAIR collection as soon as we met, and I can honestly say the quality of her hair transformed very quickly. It gave me the foundation I needed to create the color work we envisioned.

I also believe hair color needs dimension to truly photograph well. Even if a bride doesn't regularly color her hair, I often recommend introducing soft, subtle highlights because they create movement and allow the hair to capture light beautifully. Dimension reflects light differently and brings a youthful quality back to the hair. Wella Professionals offers so many color and lightening options that support creativity and give artists the tools to achieve a truly customized result.

Q: What did the timeline look like leading up to the wedding?

Lea Arpell: With Paige, we are always planning ahead because she is constantly shooting for her brand, Dairy Boy. We have ongoing conversations about the story her hair needs to tell and how it fits into each season of her life and work. Once Paige got engaged, we naturally began discussing the vision for her wedding. I had taken her quite dark for the winter, and I knew we would want something softer and brighter for her outdoor summer wedding.

As the wedding approached, we looked through countless photos of her previous looks and colors she admired on others. We spent a lot of time getting crystal clear on the vision. Paige has a wonderful eye, and we work incredibly well together. She trusts me completely and is always open to my suggestions.

In late spring, we started introducing highlights again to bring light back into her hair. We had spent more than a year doing only lowlights and glosses. I always tell my clients, "I want to make it look like your hair went on vacation." That was exactly the feeling we wanted to create, keeping her a brunette while adding soft, sun-kissed pieces that looked effortless and natural. Between appointments, we only glossed her hair and did her final color touch-up three days before the wedding.

Q: How are you recommending Paige maintain the color after the wedding?

Lea Arpell: I always recommend glossing multiple times, both during the process and afterward. Shine is everything. To maintain vibrancy and preserve the integrity of the color, I always recommend the Wella Professionals ULTIMATE COLOR collection. The color preservation technology is incredible, and the built-in UV protection is such an added benefit. It provides the perfect amount of moisture without weighing the hair down, and it smells absolutely divine.

Save Paige's Soft Brunette Color Formulas

Formula A (highlights)

Wella Professionals Blondor Multi Blonde + 10-volume developer

Formula B (hairline gloss)

Wella Professionals Color Touch 8/03 + 6-volume developer

Formula C (root and midlength pre-tone)

Wella Professionals Color Touch 7/97 + 9/79 (equal parts) + 8/03 + 6-volume developer

Formula D (second root gloss)

Wella Professionals Color Touch 6/0 + 6-volume developer

Watch The Bridal Color Transformation Below

Get The Look: Follow These Steps

Create fine highlights using Formula A for a slow, gentle lift.
Lift to a warm Level 8-9 at the hairline.
Gloss the hairline using Formula B.
Pre-tone the roots and midlengths using Formula C.
Process for approximately 15 minutes.
During the final 5 minutes of processing, apply a clear gloss to the ends.
Rinse, then apply Formula D to the roots. Process for 15 minutes, keeping the formula off the hairline so the hairline remains soft.
Finish with Wella Professionals ULTIMATE COLOR Sealer Liquid Layer to lock in the color and rebalance the hair's pH. Formulated with Metal Purifier, Glycine and B5, the ULTIMATE COLOR line helps keep color vibrant for up to 10 weeks.