Brad Mondo loves a striking hair look, which he often uses to reflect—and also instigate—a dramatic personal evolution.
“Changing your hair gives you an entirely new outlook on life, I swear,” Mondo says. “It’s wild—that’s why I fell in love with this industry. It brings so much joy to my life to color my hair and cut my hair.”
Mondo’s current style has a Billy Idol–inspired punk rock aesthetic. “I’m definitely in an ’80s phase right now,” he says. “I actually stumbled across a picture of Billy Idol, like, a month or so ago, and I was like, ‘Oh, my god, that is literally the look I’ve been doing.’” He adds, “I vibe with that life so hard. … I just love that whole aesthetic.”
For Mondo, this aesthetic begins with fiery red hair, the process of which he walks us through seamlessly on the latest How I Do episode. “That’s the vibe we’re going for,” he adds. “It’s the era I’m going through: all punky, Billy Idol inspired. He always had that really stuck-up hair and I loved that so much, so we’re gonna re-create that.”
You can shop his products below and read on for a highlighted rundown of his ’80s punk rock red hair look.
As a first and vital step, Mondo washes with a color-maintenance set, XMONDO’s Polychrome Color-Extending Shampoo and Conditioner, for the fleeting, fresh bright-red hue so integral to the overall look. “Red is so annoying,” he shares. “If you’ve ever had red hair, you know what I’m talking about.” To cushion what is soon to be product-soaked hair, Mondo also likes to spray in leave-in conditioner mist, which keeps his hair “really shiny, really smooth, and really hydrated.”
Next, he goes in with XMONDO’s Electrified Volumizing Foam, which he adds directly to his comb for a clean and even application. “This stuff will make your hair so voluminous,” he says. “You could literally have the most fine, fragile hair and your hair will stick straight up if you wanted it to.” He then reaches for Dyson’s Supersonic Hair Dryer for the style blowout. For a spiky effect with “maximum volume and maximum stuck-upness,” he directs strands of hair toward opposite sides—and for a “gritty, cool, lived-in texture,” he additionally blows in XMONDO’s Salty Sea Salt Spray.
Then, it’s on to his favorite product: XMONDO’s BDSM Slick & Define Balm. As a final edgy touch, he runs the product through his hair while twisting up small sections. A versatile product for “shine, separation, hold, hydration,” he claims to have gone through about 25 containers within the last year and a half, adding, “No matter what you’re doing to your hairstyle, it’s really great for it.”
See the video above to watch his hairstyling process in full.
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