Stylist shares celebrity hair tips
Quality products, proper care and the right style can have you looking runway-ready
It’s no secret that there’s often an army of beauty pros behind a celebrity look.
From makeup artists to hair pros, and clothing stylists to manicurists — and virtually everything else in between — getting red-carpet glam as an A-list star typically requires a full-team effort to accomplish.
But, according to Bridget Brager, a celebrity stylist and Herbal Essences ambassador, achieving a comparable level of glam, at home, doesn’t have to feel completely unattainable.
So, with the upcoming Oscars red-carpet extravaganza in mind, we asked Brager (who has worked with Chris Pratt, Diane Kruger, Kristen Stewart and more) to dish a few details on how we can get celebrity-approved tresses at home, to pinpoint the hottest new hairstyle — and explain why she wanted to partner with an accessible brand in the first place:
Q What made you want to team up with Herbal Essences rather than a more prestigious hair care offering?
A I love that you asked that because, I had another option. And, as far as hairstylists go, it’s very well-known. But, I chose Herbal Essences because it’s where I started as a 14-year-old girl who was finally allowed to buy shampoo and conditioner that my brothers didn’t use.
Now, what they do as far as research goes as far as ingredients and what the brand says to our young girls, is really important. They really dive deep. And I wanted to be on that level.
Yes, there are other brands out there that are more credible from a hairstylist’s point of view, or are maybe more fancy, but, that’s not where we are starting. And that’s not where most people can get to. And, I want everybody to have the option of great hair, beautiful hair, healthy hair.
It’s important to have quality products out there for everybody.
Why is it important to you to not only show people there are accessibly priced brands that allow them to get that level of celebrity self-care — but also show how much work, realistically, goes into making stars look so good?
I have friends who work with the Kardashians, and — you guys — it’s incredible. It’s not really real. It’s real for them, but for our brothers and sisters and cousins, nobody gets that treatment. It’s a great goal, but it’s not always real.
And, I really want girls to feel like they can have whatever they want, and do it for themselves. Because, guess what, we can.
Celebrity hairstyles always look so sleek on the red carpet. What’s the secret?
A lot of the time, what I’m doing for red-carpet looks, is I’m adding hair extensions. Any time you take a photo, if your hair isn’t voluminous or beefed-up — whether it be products or extensions — it photographs skinny. It’s just something that happens within the lens of the camera. So, I have to be able to add in and cut to their current hair situation.
And, it’s more than just a onetime appointment, right?
Yes, I’m also giving them the products I want them to use. I’m working with them, but they’re also working with me, so that the outcome is fantastic.
Is there a trick to prepping strands before heat stylings?
A lot of it has to do with what our clients are doing at home, or on the set of a film, how their hair is being cared for. It comes down, just like everything in life, to the foundation. If that is strong and stable, then we ... are working with a great foundation. So, for me in particular, it’s what you do at home in the shower.
So, what should we be doing in the shower?
It’s funny because, a lot of what I’m correcting is what my clients, and even my friends, are doing in the shower. It starts with shampoo and conditioner. And, are you using an oil or cream when you get out of the shower to protect it from heat and the elements.
What should we look for in our shampoo and conditioner?
I always say start with a fantastic shampoo and conditioner — one that’s going to cleanse your hair while giving it all the things it needs including vitamins. What I love about Herbal Essences, which is why I’m so passionate about them too, is that the new formula with the Bio Renewal is just so incredible. It has aloe and sea kelp and antioxidants. So, each time you’re washing your hair, you’re washing it clean. There’s no buildup. And that’s so important. And you want a conditioner that’s super-moisturizing, like the new Bourbon and Manuka Honey.
What’s an easy style that always looks chic that we can all do ourselves — everyone from the teenage girl, to the tired new mom, to the recent retiree?
It’s funny you say tired young mom because, my son just turned four, and I remember when the only thing I could do to get myself looking right was a low, tight chignon. It’s so easy, and people still question, like, ‘How did you do that?’
So, how do you do it?
It’s so easy. You just put your hair in a ponytail and back comb the ponytail. Then, you brush it smooth so it looks voluminous, and you wrap the tail around the base of the ponytail. Finally, you secure it with pins. It’s a million-dollar look that never goes out of style.
The styles you’ve done on celebrities recently seem a bit undone and romantic. Is this a theme we can expect to see on repeat this awards season?
What I’ve been doing lately has been really fun and easy. Especially with Diane Kruger for all of the awards season that we’ve been together. She just wanted her hair to have natural texture and to be touched up with a curling iron. So, I’ve been putting mousse in the hair and defusing the hair — really bringing out the natural texture of the hair right now. It’s good because it’s going against everything that we once thought we had to do such as stick-straight hair or lots of waves. There’s this really fun middle ground we’re treading upon where you can use your natural texture ... it’s a different vibe.
What other trends besides natural texture can we expect to see?
I have friends who are getting perms. So, I think perms are going to be huge this summer. And, a blunt shag, where the perimeter of your haircut is one length, but throughout has detached layers, which is where the shag comes in. So, you’re kind of dealing with two different haircuts, but you’re still getting this really amazing style. Especially if you can leave your natural texture in there, it just adds to the natural coolness of a shag. I think a shag is going to be huge for summer and on into fall.