The Pitt’s Katherine LaNasa hit the 2026 Emmys red carpet with a fresh take on her signature blonde, dubbed “Lemon Meringue” by celebrity colorist Kari Hill.
LaNasa was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, while The Pitt won the Outstanding Drama Series award.
LaNasa’s luminous shade skewed slightly warmer and more golden than the icy platinum blonde she’s worn previously, but the secret behind the shift wasn't a new formula. It all came down to timing.
Hill used the same Schwarzkopf Professional color formula she usually mixes for LaNasa, but adjusted when she rinsed the lightener to create a warmer result.
By allowing the lightener to process longer, Hill was able to bring out a soft, golden warmth while maintaining the bright, dimensional blonde LaNasa is known for.
“With Katherine’s blonde, timing is everything," Hill says. "I used the same formula I consistently use on her hair, but let the lightener process longer before rinsing to create a slightly warmer, more golden finish.
"It’s still bright and pearlescent, but instead of taking it to an icy platinum, we wanted that little touch of warmth,” she says.
Get the Look: "Lemon Meringue" Blonde
Hill began by creating ultra-fine, delicate highlights using Schwarzkopf Professional IGORA Vario Blond Super Plus, carefully weaving the hair to achieve soft, controlled brightness and dimension.
Rather than changing the formula she typically uses for LaNasa, Hill adjusted the lightener processing time, allowing it to develop longer before rinsing. That subtle shift in timing created a slightly warmer, more golden blonde versus LaNasa’s cooler, icier finish.
Throughout the process, Hill was careful not to overlap previously lightened hair, helping maintain the precision and consistency of LaNasa’s blonde while prioritizing the integrity of the hair.
To finish the color, Hill applied Schwarzkopf Professional IGORA VIBRANCE 9-0 + 9-1 as a subtle root gloss only, creating a seamless transition at the root.
The final result was a bright, pearlescent blonde with just enough golden warmth to soften the finish – a subtle example of how a colorist can shift the overall tone of a blonde through technique and timing without changing the core formula.