From DIY To Olympic-Ready: Breaking Down Alysa Liu’s Halo Transformation
Alysa Liu’s “Angel Halo” hair is breaking the internet—but the real story is in the technique. After two at-home bleach sessions in one week, the Olympic figure skater turned to St. Louis-based colorist and Great Lengths extension artist Kelsey Miller (@kelsey.styles.hair) to refine the viral horizontal highlights into a clean, high-contrast halo.
In an exclusive interview with Behindthechair.com, the top trusted educational resource for professional hairstylists worldwide, Kelsey shares the pro strategy behind the look, including tips for clean lift, balanced beige toning formulas and maintenance must-dos for a graphic halo look.
The Starting Canvas: DIY Bleach & At-Home Toner
When Alysa first came to Kelsey, she had just bleached the top halo at home twice. “Then, she tried to tone it to pull out the brass, but wasn’t toning it correctly,” Kelsey shares.
Despite the DIY bleaching, Kelsey reveals that Alysa’s hair was in good health: “To my surprise, her hair was in good health. I was shocked, and I told her, ‘I don’t know if I should tell you this, but you actually did a pretty good job!’ Her top halo was pretty brassy but still in good health.”
Precision Lighting: How-To Lift the Halos With Hair Health in Mind
When working with bold, horizontal color blocking, precision is everything. “The key to getting a successful lift is saturation and taking smaller sections to make sure I get a clean lift all the way through.” Here’s how she approached lifting the virgin hair:
Halo Sectioning + Placement:
- Start in the back and at the bottom to control lift progression
- Focus first on the lower two halos, which were painted only on the top layer of hair
- Use Alysa’s existing halos as a visual guide
- Mapp the placement upward, visualizing the band all the way to the apex
How To Approach This Technique on Virgin Hair:
- Schwarzkopf Professional® BLONDME® Lightener
- 20-volume developer for virgin sections
- Added OLAPLEX to the formula to protect bond integrity
How To Adjust for Previously Colored Hair
- Alysa had just bleached her halo twice in less than a week, so Kelsey set realistic expectations from the start. “I told her that I will get you as close as possible to your desired look, but I will not compromise the integrity of your hair since it has been through a lot in such a short period of time.”
- For the top halo, Kelsey used BLONDME® with 7-volume developer and OLAPLEX to lift the rest of the brass out
Tone Control: Creating A Beige-Cool Halo Without Brass
Once the lift was complete, Kelsey began the toning process: “Alysa’s goal for the tone was more of a beige/cool tone, so I lifted it as light as I could without compromising her integrity.” Because the hair had been lightened multiple times in less than 10 days, Kelsey prioritized porosity management before even thinking about her toner formula.
Step 1: Repair Before Refining Tone
After rinsing out the lightener, towel-dry the hair thoroughly and apply OLAPLEX No.2 throughout the hair to repair bonds and even out porosity. “This ensures her toner didn’t grab in certain areas and to even out the porosity of the hair,” Kelsey explains.
Step 2: The Toner Formula for a Balanced Beige Finish
Once the hair was prepped and balanced, Kelsey reached for Wella Color Touch 10/6 + 9/16. The result? A beige-cool finish that neutralized brass while keeping the halo soft and wearable—not flat, not overly icy and not muddy against her dark base.
Athlete-Proof Aftercare: Maintaining A High-Contrast Halo On The Road
For Alysa, maintaining her halos is about surviving constant travel, climate shifts and daily training. “During our consultation, I talked to her about the importance of at-home care. Especially because she travels a lot, stays in hotels and is in different weather climates. Being on airplanes is hard on the hair, especially after being bleached three times in less than 10 days.”
The At-Home Maintenance Plan for Alysa Liu’s Halos
To protect the integrity of the halos, she sent Alysa home with:
- Deep conditioning masks: Use 1x per week (or 2x depending on how the hair feels)
- Hair oil for the ends: Apply on wet hair. Reapply on dry hair. Use morning and night
“It’s a team effort to keep your hair healthy. It doesn’t just end because you left the salon.” For clients who travel frequently, this level of consistency is non-negotiable.
The Reality Check: Maintenance Cuts Matter
There’s one unavoidable factor with graphic blonding on dark hair: long-term trimming.
“The unfortunate part of Alysa’s look is that she will need a haircut about every three months to keep it healthy.” Because the halos sit within the haircut structure:
- Regular trims are essential to prevent breakage
- Eventually, the bottom ring will need to be slowly cut into
- Integrity must stay the priority if she plans to continue adding halos over time
As long as she stays consistent with at-home care and scheduled trims, Kelsey is confident the look can evolve safely year after year. And if another halo gets added? “I can only hope I’m the number she calls!”
