On my recent trip to LA I had the great honor to meet celebrity colorist Denis De Souza at Andy Lecompte Salon. At the beginning of this year I did a post about Rachel Bilson and her new hair color created by De Souza which attracted a huge following from Talking Makeup’s readers. As a very inquisitive beauty editor with a good eye for spotting legendary talent this very handsome Brazilian born artist caught my attention.

L to R: Celebrity colorist Denis De Souza, actress Rachel Bilson sporting the Brazilan Beach Hair Color done by talented Denis De Souza at Andy Lecompte Salon in LA

And of course my new discovery made me all ‘fired up’ for an interview. See, characters like De Souza inspire be because they take their art into a new level, they are innovators, or as I call it: they are a ‘Style Genius’. I’m a sucker to new ideas and inventions and De Souza did just that. He invented a hair coloring method called: The Brazilian Beach Hair Color as seen on Rachel Bilson. Nylon Magazine has recently made an article titled: “who’s your hair icon?”, and miss Bilson was one of the mentions. Now, Denis De Souza is a new star born.

I met Denis De Souza on a beautiful sunny morning in LA at Andy Lecompte Salon which is strategically located in the heart of West Hollywood. I could just imagine tracing the steps of celebrities flocking to the salon (Rachel Bilson perhaps?:) “What do you think about my hair” I asked Denis. He thought it was good but could be better. “Let’s make you a Brazilian Beach Blond” he insisted with a very charming smile and Marta Walsh was in heaven. I was trying to get that effortless sun-kissed blond yet not too harsh look for a long time now. It was nice to finally find a colorist that understands what I want.

I’m a natural brunette who over the years got very addicted to blond highlights. After meeting Denis De Souza I’ve learned that I don’t ever want to cross the line from being a ‘Brazilian Beach Blond’ (now my newly found term) to a bleached blond. Denis managed to lighten my ends intensely and get the top of my hair darker and perfectly infused into my blond highlights so the ‘where the roots start from line’ completely blurs. The Brazilian Blond Hair Color is a much more natural look for me and also saves money from constantly visiting the salon for a root touch up.

As I sit here and blog today, I’m one happy girl with the perfect hair color. I’m a Leo and that means a lot to me. Thank you Denis!!! And now let’s go back to my interview.

From Denis De Souza’s portfolio a LANVIN ad

In this interview Denis De Souza talks to Marta Walsh about his first memories of loving hair styling. Memorable breaks in his career such as coloring Olga Sherer for a Lanvin ad campaign. His favorite celebrity hair color past and present. Why he would love to work on Mischa Barton’s hair. Personal style. And, future plans.

Marta Walsh: Where do you call home?
Denis De Souza: I’m from Sao Paulo, Brazil, but I’ve been in LA for about 10 years and I absolutely love it here and that’s why LA is where I call home!

MW: What was your first memory of you interested in hair styling?
DDS: Funny enough when I was a kid I used to love playing with my friends dolls’ hair and from then on I always love to touch people’s hair. It was totally meant to be when I look at the signs from the past.

MW: What were some of your biggest breaks as a top hair colorist? At what point did you begin to feel you’re up to something?
DDS: WOW, what an interesting question because I’ve never thought of me this way, but I think my first big brake was when I was chosen to color the hair of Olga Sherer for a gorgeous Lanvin Ad campaign. After that I was invited to do the color for big hair product campaigns like John Frieda, Aveeno , Tresemme ( where I met my beloved client Rachel Bilson ) just to name a few.

MW: You are well known for doing Brazilian Beach Hair Color. What is it and where did you come up with it?
DDS: Well, whenever I’m in Brazil I look at woman’s hair color and a lot of them have gorgeous hair that is just naturally hi-lighted from the sun and the beach. I decided years ago I wanted to recreate that look here and I can totally say that I’ve mastered it. Most of my clients want this look because it’s more natural , the hair is lighter on the bottom and it blends in really well on the top which makes the re-growth a lot easier to handle since you can barely see a line of demarcation. It works for all hair colors and my clients go without seeing me for up to 3 months and they love the fact their hair color is way less maintenance.

Andy Lecompte Salon in West Hollywood (…and Marta Walsh in the reflection:)

MW: You did Rachel Bilson’s hair color at the Andy LeCompte Salon in West Hollywood recently. What hair color shades and technique did you use?
DDS: She is the perfect example of what the ” Brazilian Beach Hair Color ” is like. She’s still a beautiful brunette but with hi-lights that doesn’t look offensive and too done. The brighter tips make her whole complexion pop.

MW: What are some of your favorite celebrity hair colors past and present? And what are some the hottest hair color trends?
DDS: like many other colorists I believe Marilyn Monroe was the jump start of the hair coloring business. Marilyn’s hair and looks are just timeless and I appreciate that. Madonna has always been an inspiration to me not only for her music that I LOVE but also because she understands the art to transform herself and she has been every single color of the spectrum. Now, I’m not very into hair trends because when it comes to hair color ” the trend ” doesn’t work for most people and I believe in enhancing peoples hair color, making them feel great about themselves at all seasons rather then following a trend.

MW: Which celebrity do you imagine or dream to color their hair the most?
DDS: I would be lying if i didn’t say Madonna. She is my ultimate favorite of all times. But funny enough I’d love to put my hands on people that lately their color just doesn’t look right on them for example Mischa Barton. I believe she has so much potential to look great but her hair coloring options lately just doesn’t work for her at all!!

MW: What is your philosophy about hair and what do you think beauty is all about?
DDS: My ultimate philosophy is to enhance people’s hair color making it look better rather then changing it drastically. I also treat peoples hair with what I call ” Keratin Rejuvenation Treatment ” that makes your hair feel and look like virgin hair again (especially over processed hair types ). Basically my philosophy is to make the hair look its best but feel its best as well. Beauty to me comes from loving and respecting yourself and when you treat yourself that way it shows in a positive attitude and the whole world sees it!

More from Denis De Souza’s Portfolio. L to R: Rachel Bilson on the cover of Lucky November 2009 and True Blood poster

MW: What inspires you?
DDS: Many things inspire me. Anything artistic inspires me. I love fashion and a lot of my inspiration comes from seeing fashion shows, ad campaigns and editorials flipping through fashion magazines from all over the world and so many other things, even horrible hair color inspires me because I want to correct it and make it look its best again.

MW: What was the first movie you’ve watched on a date?
DDS: I can’t remember the first one but I do remember one from many years ago which I believe it was one of the very first ones since I was so young. It was a total chick flix ” She’s All That” and I remember because I love the song kiss me! it was in London and the guy happens to be one of my best friends now and every time I hear that song I remember meeting a real true friend!

MW: How would you describe your personal style?
DDS: I’m usually more casual but I love to spice things up with accessories, and cool shoes. Sunglasses in LA are very important and I own a great collection, and jackets specially when I’m in NY, hats, necklaces, and my hair style keeps changing too.

MW: What’s next for Denis De Souza?
DDS: Good question, I’ve been working as a colorist in LA for about 7 years now, absolutely love LA and where I currently work ( Andy Lecompte salon) everybody there is so talented and inspirational. But I was recently invited to work in NY as well. Laurent the owner of Prive Salon at the Soho Grand Hotel asked me to be part of his team and I’m taking the challenge. I’m based in LA but I will be in NYC for a week every 5-6 weeks because being bi-coastal is my ultimate dream and I want to conciliate the movie/TV industry I work with in LA with the fashion industry in NY. I would like to mix the best of both worlds!!! I’ll be in NYC for the first time to work August 24-30, 2010, and my schedule in both salons along with my portfolio and bio can be found at www.denisdesouza.com

Denis De Souza to Marta Walsh: “Thank you so so so much!!! I had the best time answering your questions…” Marta Walsh to Denis De Souza: “I’m honored”.

Katharine McPhee is definitely looking different these days. I call it “The Hollywood Transformation”. First thing you do is dye your hair blonde! Think Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani, even Lindsay Lohan. Blonde seems to be the ultimate Old Hollywood glamour symbol. And I love how Katharine McPhee waves her hand to fans, very regal or very Hollywood. Even the hairdo is similar to Marilyn Monroe’s: short wavy bob parted to the side. To finish the look: add red lipstick. I approve Katharine McPhee’s new hair color. The questions is: Do you?

Do you see any similarities between Katharine McPhee and Marilyn Monroe’s hair and makeup?

From left: Katharine McPhee in brown hair, then blond hair, and Marilyn Monroe

Celebrity Makeup Artist Amy Oresman created NEUTROGENA brand ambassador Hayden Panettiere’s look for the 2009 Teen Choice Awards and now she shares how you can achieve Hayden’s gorgeous look at home:

Amy’s Inspiration: “It’s a sensational, wearable summer style that delivers a polished, unfussy look that’s still Hollywood glamorous. I call it Marilyn Monroe at the beach.”

Image via www.celebrity-gossip.net

Prep: Since the entire show was outside this year I choose a lightweight moisturizer with SPF protection. I prepped Hayden’s skin for makeup with the NEUTROGENA Healthy Defense SPF 45 Daily Moisturizer.

Eyes: For Hayden’s sultry and smoky eyes I choose the NEUTROGENA  Nourishing Eye Quad in Butter Crème. I covered her entire the lid with the quad’s lightest shade and then swept the deeper shades into the crease of Hayden’s upper lid and just under the bottom lash line.

To accent the look I used the two deepest shades of the NEUTROGENA Nourishing Eye Quad in Moonlit Violet to accent the outer corners of her lash line. I finished the look with three coats of the NEUTROGENA Healthy Volume Mascara in Carbon Black.

Face: To create a flawless but still dewy complexion I started with the NEUTROGENA Mineral Sheers Liquid Makeup. The coverage is amazing and a tiny bit goes a long way. For the sheerest coverage try mixing it with equal parts moisturizer.

To highlight Hayden’s beautiful features I choose the NEUTROGENA Skin Soothing Eye Tint in Petal Shimmer. I brushed it in a half moon shape from Hayden’s brow to cheek to give her a glow.

I finished by dusting the apples of Hayden’s cheeks with NEUTROGENA Healthy Skin Blends Natural Radiance Bronzer in Sunkissed and NEUTROGENA Healthy Skin Blends Sheer Highlighting Blush. Both products are super sheer so you can layer them without over doing it.

Lips: To keep Hayden’s lips understated I skipped lip liner and applied one coat of NEUTROGENA Moistureshine Lip Sheers in Spring Blossom. Next I dabbed NEUTROGENA Moistureshine Gloss in Groove in the center of her bottom lip. To finish the look I had Hayden gently press her lips together to subtly accentuate the center of her lip, making them look super plump.

Scarlett Johansson’s Summer Red Carpet Looks by David Babaii.

Celebrity hairstylist David Babaii recently coiffed his client Scarlett Johansson for a few summer Red Carpet Events, creating some dramatic variations to her long strawberry blonde locks.

Scarlett Johansson at Comic-Con 2009: To achieve this curly, wavy, sexy look for Scarlett Johansson’s appearance at Comic-Con 2009, celebrity hairstylist David Babaii applied his Amplifying Whipped Mousse from roots to ends. This gives just the right amount of volume and hold to her strawberry blonde hair.

Next, he rough dried her tresses by using his hands, moving the hair in various directions. Once dry, he sectioned her hair into 3 different parts: top, sides and back leaving the nape area free. This is one of David’s most important styling tips, since you need to have constant control over the hair at all times. To create his famous wavy curls, he used a 1 ½” sized FHI Heat Ceramic Curling Iron.

To style, he took small “V” shaped strands and wrapped them around the inside of the barrel. Then, David allowed each curl to fall naturally. Through selected strands, he ran his fingers up the partially curled strand to achieve added volume. For additional lift at the scalp area, he sprayed Volcanic Ash Root Amplifier on his finger tips and applied to the root area by roughly massaging into the area. This adds added fullness and texture. To complete, he sprayed Mise en Plis Light Styling Spray.

Scarlett Johansson at LA Shorts Fest ’09

David Babaii’s inspiration for Scarlett Johansson’s style was a 40′s Marilyn Monroe look with the illusion of a chin length “bob” without cutting any hair!

After drying her locks with Hair Polish applied to damp hair, David divided her tresses into 3 sections: top with a side part, sides and back leaving the nape area free. To create these large barrel sized curls, he took alternating “V” shaped partings to avoid any part lines from showing through. David used a 1 ½ inch FHI Heat Ceramic Curling Iron throughout her entire head. The sides and back curls were pinned into various sized looped curls giving the illusion of a short “bob”. On the top, he gently brushed her hair to one side forming soft waves. For added glamour, David brushed back one side and secured with a decorative hair pin. For hold, David used his Mise en Plis Light Styling Spray for a soft long lasting hold.

 Please visit www.db4wildaid.com  for information on where to purchase the David Babaii for WildAid product line.

David Babaii interview with Marta Walsh

I’m sure like many of you, I am always intrigued by legendary Marilyn Monroe. Something about Marilyn was very mysterious.

In an effort of LIFE Magazine ongoing effort to digitize LIFE’s immense and storied photo archive, including outtakes and entire shoots that never saw the light of day. The negatives for Marilyn Monroe’s never-published photos were recently discovered.

Photo: Ed Clark/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

Marilyn Monroe was photographed in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park for LIFE by photographer Ed Clark.

Read the rest of story & see more of Marilyn Monroe’s never-published photos in LIFE.com