What It Really Takes To Be Tracey Cunningham: Inside the Systems That Keep Her on Top
Behindthechair.com Editors got an exclusive look inside celebrity colorist and OLAPLEX Ambassador Tracey Cunningham’s (@traceycunningham1) real-life awards-season grind—and it’s even wilder than you’d imagine.
Think 4 a.m. call times, house calls with Hollywood’s most high-profile names, back-to-back salon appointments, a red-carpet dinner, then straight to a red-eye… only to land in New York and start all over again. In Tracey’s own words, this is what it actually takes logistically, technically and mentally to stay at the top of the celebrity color world.
Timeline: Tracey Cunningham’s Awards Season Schedule
November 19: 4 A.M. Start, Kris Jenner’s Color, Glam, Then a Red-Eye Flight
Q: What time did your day start? What does your morning routine look like on such a long day?
Tracey: On November 19, I got up at 4:00 a.m. One of those quiet, peaceful hours when the world hasn’t quite woken up, and you feel like you’re getting a secret head start. I made coffee, did my makeup, grabbed a quick breakfast and by 5:00 a.m., I was out the door with my former assistant, Muy Nam (@soumuynam).
Burke Schoeppl (@burkeschoeppl), my usual partner-in-crime, was on his way to New York, so it felt like a little gift from the universe that Muy could jump in. She’s incredibly busy these days—now a full-fledged colorist at Meché Salon—so having her with me felt like a mini-reunion and a boost of good energy before the sun even came up.
Editor’s note: Tracey co-owns Meché Salon in Los Angeles, where many of her assistants go on to become full-time colorists.
Q: What was your first stop of the day? Tell us about the first appointment.
Tracey: We drove over to Kris Jenner’s house for her color—a fresh Schwarzkopf Professional® IGORA ROYAL® base and an IGORA VIBRANCE® gloss—followed by a quick blowout. Everything flowed: good energy, good conversation and that perfect “first client of the day” rhythm.
Afterwards, I headed home to pack, which is always comedic because, despite all the places I go, I remain a hopeless packer. Truly hopeless. My suitcase looked like I’d tossed things in during a small earthquake.
At 10:30 A.M., my assistant Jen picked me up, and we headed to the salon. First up was the CEO of Anastasia Beverley Hills, Anastasia Soare—the eyebrow queen herself—before she left to promote her new book in Romania. Then came Rebecca Romijn, bringing her always-warm spirit into the room. Back-to-back glamour, just how I like it.
Q: What happened next? Do you get a break during the day?
Tracey: At 12:45 P.M., I walked down to The Ivy, the West Hollywood favorite, for a business meeting and power lunch with creative power couple Ahmet and Shana Zappa. It was one of those lively, idea-filled lunches where time moves fast. By 1:50 P.M., I was literally running back to the salon for one more very important client at 2:00 P.M.
Q: You went home to get ready for the Hollywood Reporter dinner. What does that timeline look like?
Tracey: By 5:00 P.M., I made it home, realizing my suitcase still looked completely unbothered by my earlier attempts. And as I walked in, my makeup artist Craig was already set up—calm, organized and ready—while I was still mentally wrestling with my half-hearted packing. I sat down to let him work his magic because I needed to leave the house by 6:30 for The Hollywood Reporter dinner sponsored by OLAPLEX.
Q: Tell us about the dinner. What was it like inside that room?
Tracey: I was, naturally, a little late. But thankfully, they were still in the cocktail portion of the evening. And the room… the room was full of everyone I adore in this business: Zoey Deutch, Ellen Pompeo, Serge Normant, hairstylist Bridget Brager, Jenny Cho, Nina Park, Patrick Ta, Melissa Hernandez, Kadi Lee, Sir John and so many more of the artists and friends who make this industry feel like one big, glamorous family reunion. Lisa Bobroff from OLAPLEX was there, too, and gave a great speech!
Hit play to step into the room with Tracey—here’s the BTS she captured from the dinner.
Then, at 9:15 P.M., I called an Uber to take me to the airport for my 11:15 P.M. red-eye—because of course the day wasn’t over yet. It was one of those nights where you go straight from glam to gate, still carrying the buzz of a beautifully wild, wonderfully full day.
November 20: Land at 7 A.M., Confidential House Call, Then Tulsa for Lana Del Rey
Q: When you hit New York, what time did you land—and how fast were you back to your first client?
Tracey: I landed in New York at 7 A.M., still wearing the soft, lived-in makeup from the dinner the night before. Somehow it held up—the kind of effortless, slightly smudged glamour you couldn’t recreate if you tried.
By 9 A.M., I was at my first appointment with two of the kindest clients. They always start the morning in the sweetest way—breakfast waiting, coffee ready, everything warm and thoughtful. I finished around 12:30, and Burke and I slipped into a tiny Greek restaurant nearby, the kind where the olive oil tastes like a family secret, and the waiter insists you try the feta.
At 1:30 P.M., I headed to my next house call. I can’t say his name.
Right after I wrapped, I went straight to LaGuardia for my 6 P.M. flight to Tulsa, where I was going to do Lana Del Rey’s hair. I landed around 9:45 P.M. and checked into the Mayo Hotel, which feels more like a chic little apartment: kitchen, living room, the works.
By 10:30 P.M., I was doing Lana’s color, the perfect ending to a day stretched across cities, clients and time zones. I packed up and finally fell into bed around 1 a.m. Another full day that was busy, beautiful and very much mine.
November 22: Gloss Kit Drop for Emma Stone, Michelle Williams Service, Platinum Touch-Up for Samantha Ronson
Q: How did your New York morning begin? What did you prep before heading out?
Tracey: I woke up at 6:30 A.M. with a beautiful view of New York—there’s nothing I love more than having my morning coffee with a skyline.
Before heading out, I put together an IGORA VIBRANCE® gloss kit with gloves and OLAPLEX Nº products for Emma Stone. I made her hair a little deeper a few weeks ago in Los Angeles, and I thought it would be nice to drop off a gloss at her doorman in case she wanted to richen it up herself.
Pro Packing Tip: Tracey loves to bring the OLAPLEX Holiday Kits because they include her must-have products in a smaller size. Sound up!
Q: Take us inside that day: what did your first service look like, and how did the rest of your client lineup unfold?
Tracey: At 8 A.M., we started with Michelle Williams: a quick five-minute IGORA ROYAL® smudge, soft highlights and an OLAPLEX Nº4 and Nº5 treatment for fine hair.
After that, we went to Sharon Dorram at Sally Hershberger to touch up actress Samantha Ronson—her fairly new platinum, kept healthy with lots of OLAPLEX in between. I even made a full tutorial for her hair that will be on my Instagram soon.
Burke and I wrapped just in time and made it to our United flight out of Newark. Until next time, New York.
Bleach & Tone BTS: Press play to see part of Tracey’s process, along with a real-life moment where she acknowledges a mistake.
