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JUST
when you thought all ’80s fashion revivals had run their
course, big hair is back. Just look at Angelina Jolie on
the cover of this month’s Vanity Fair and Sarah Jessica
Parker in the Sex and the City movie poster to
see that the chic set is turning up the volume. We’re
not talking the teased, sprayed locks of the Bangles,
Bananarama and Dolly Parton. The modern version of big
hair crosses the soft pouf of Krystle Carrington’s
Dynasty coif with the cascading fullness of a
Victoria’s Secret model’s waves—sexy, but with a touch
of Aqua Net nostalgia. Tease too much and you’ll end up
looking as if you stuck your finger in a light socket,
but master the technique and treat your tresses with the
right product, and you’ll look like a Sophia Loren sex
kitten.
The man
who gives Jolie, Anne Hathaway and the Victoria’s Secret
models their big, beautiful hair is celebrity stylist
Ted Gibson. Last week he took a few moments at his New
York salon to show us how to go over-the-top sexpot or
just add a little Giselle to your summer look. His
step-by-step process is less complicated than it may
seem, but it requires a few key products: a blow-dryer,
some hairspray—and remember hot rollers?
Big hair
may be back on the radar, but Gibson says the look is
always in style—sans the ’80s stickiness, of course.
“This kind of hair takes a certain attitude, a lot of
personality,” he says. “It’s really about having the
confidence.”
To get
fullness, start at the root. First, cleanly divide your
hair into five even sections (hair can start wet or
dry). Then apply a volumizing product to the scalp where
each section is divided. Gibson favors his own product,
called Build It. “It’s about building volume without the
weight.”
Next,
apply a light, controlling gel all over the hair. Gibson
uses two or three pumps of Aveda’s Phomollient styling
foam, then combs through the hair with his trusty Mason
Pearson brush. “Brushing the hair after applying these
products will help distribute the product evenly.”
Blow-dry the hair until it’s about 80-percent dry, and
then finish by pulling the ends under using a round
brush. “This helps get volume from the scalp.” He uses a
medium-size round-barrel brush on Jolie, Hathaway and
anyone with hair that hits from the chin to the
clavicle. For shorter hair, use a small barrel. Once the
hair is completely dry, it’s time for the hot rollers,
which should be really hot. Wrap two-inch sections of
hair around each roller until you look like a ’50s
housewife. Leave rollers in for 10 to 15 minutes, or
until they are completely cool. After taking the rollers
out, the curls should be more like waves than ringlets.
Then spritz a light hairspray all over the head. It
should be a “working” hairspray, which means one that
doesn’t get sticky or stiff, allowing you to keep
working and building volume. Gibson recommends his
Beautiful Hold hairspray.
Throw
your head over and brush out. “Again, you want volume
from the scalp,” Gibson says. “Make sure you do some
back brushing. Just tease the hair a little at the
crown, smooth down the top, and spray again. If you’re
concerned about fly-aways because of humidity, use a
shine serum after brushing.”
The look
works for all ages, Gibson says. “Just look at the model
Carmen del Orifice. She’s been wearing her hair big
forever. Now in her 70s, she still does, and she’s
completely gray! But I’m from Texas, so this all makes
sense.” |
