In the event you haven’t noticed already, Victoria Monét is the moment. The ESSENCE Digital Cover Star has been nominated for six Soul Train awards, a latest brand ambassador for Camille Rose, and was featured on Rolling Stone with Kelly Rowland. And now, she’s winding down her Jaguar II tour which has been full of energetic dancing and confirmation that the mic is “on,” because of angelic vocals. Not only that, Ms. Monét has been pulling some stunning hair looks– from dark lowlights in Los Angeles to a brown middle-part for Halloween– courtesy of celebrity hairstylist, Joel James. 

“Immediately, Miss Monét is in her blonde era,” James says. This go-to includes every thing from layered and long, to wavy and straight. Re-styling her wigs from show to indicate also means caring for the artist’s hair on the road. Using one of the best products to lock in moisture and protect her natural hair is a must.

Below, James gives us the within scoop on Monét’s signature tour look– and the way all of it comes together.

The “Victoria Monét Blond” 

#613 is the shade Monét uses. The sunshine blonde hair color can now be called “Victoria Monét blonde”– but not with out a small, brown root to enrich. Joel knows what works best for Monét, from coloring to toning, cutting to curling, he often reinvents her favorite look to “keep things fresh and latest without getting boring,” he says. 

The go-to products

In between Monét’s booked schedule is hair care. Whether on-stage or off-stage, caring for the artist’s natural hair is a must– especially when on tour. Joel uses these two key products for her wig: Daring Hold’s Lace Gelly and Wig Glue. These products “prevent any breakouts on her skin or scalp dryness when installing wigs every other day,” he says. Along with the wig products, he uses wig caps for her performances, with no heat applied on her natural hair. 

The wig prep 

“Before each show, I prep the wigs the night before. While Victoria is prepping for the day’s performance, I apply her wig cap to guard her natural hair and curl pattern,” Joel says. Prepping her hair in under 20 minutes, Joel maximizes his time by styling her wigs on the mannequin head fairly than on Monét’s actual head. “That is for shielding the clients’ head and the important thing to a successful application.” 

The technique

And for his special technique? Joel sews down the artist’s wigs across the perimeter of her head. “That way she is capable of flip her hair across the stage and produce her energy and have a blast while performing,” he says.