Chris Appleton hates sad ponytails,
which is unfortunate, considering I’m interviewing him over Zoom wearing the exact “founding father” hairstyle he’s referring to.
Thanks to YouTube, the curtain around celebrity make-up artists has been fully pulled back. We know all about the Kardashians’ elaborate contouring routines, which have the ability to change the structure of their faces completely – but less is known about the wizardry of hair, which can be just as transformative. Hence why
I find myself interviewing the stylist whose clients include Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande and Jennifer Lopez. If only I’d had time to fix my Gaston-esque ponytail first…
It’s not that these celebrity hairstylists are secretive – far from it, if my weeks of Zooms, FaceTimes and emails are anything to go by. We’ve all just been so transfixed by make-up artists, we haven’t always paid attention to the rest of the glam squad that make up a celebrity entourage. The ones pulling all-nighters to create Serena Williams’ braids for Meghan and Harry’s wedding, giving JLo bouncy waves that won’t drop during her epic 12-minute Super Bowl performance, and perfecting Hailey Bieber’s “cool girl” texture while she frolics on a beach with Bella Hadid.
To right this considerable wrong, I befriended the most talented hairstylists in the game, in the hope that they would spill all – and boy did they deliver. Thankfully, just like
Damian in Mean Girls, I’m a serious over-sharer, so here’s every secret these artists shared with me. You are welcome.
They always use protection
When I ask Andrew Fitzsimons (hairstylist to quite literally the entire Kardashian-Jenner family) what product is the most important, he doesn’t skip a beat. “Heat protection,” he tells me, in his Irish/LA accent. “I want to make sure that I’m using products that will improve the quality of my clients’ hair, rather than damage it,” he explains. Which makes sense when your livelihood depends on Khloé Kardashian’s scalp. Unfortunately for me, this is a step I always skip, but as Fitzsimons points out, if I’m so fastidious with my skincare routine, why do I not give my hair the same attention when “it’s just as delicate as the skin under your eyes”. Point well made, sir. Product recommendation: For all hair types: Andrew Fitzsimons x Primark Glam Styling Spray, £2.50
They stay hydrated
Stefan Bertin is my current Instagram obsession, thanks to the twists, knots and faux locs he’s created on Little Mix’s
Leigh-Anne Pinnock. His top tip for shaping Afro-textured hair is using plain old H2O. “Water is your best friend,” he tells me. “I think it’s quite an underused product. If I’m trying to remove frizz, I will always do a mist of water on my hands and scrunch it in. It resets the hair and allows you to have a bit more control without that heaviness.” If water isn’t enough, Bertin will then go in with a leave-in conditioner, which he recommends all hair types can benefit from. “They don’t get enough credit for their styling capabilities,” he says. Product recommendation:
They hate saggy topknots
While I’m a fan, apparently Miss Trunchbull is not Appleton’s style icon, and he has a whole host of tips and tricks to elevate your working-from-home bun
– something he actually credits JLo for teaching him. “A wellsnatched ponytail can actually change the shape of your face, depending on where you position it,” he tells me. That position being half an inch in front of your crown. And yes, that half an inch makes all the difference when gravity naturally occurs later in the day. Make sure you tilt your head forward when gathering your bun and really brush the back of your hair into position, to avoid the kind of sagginess that makes Appleton despair. “You can then pull a couple of bits down, dress some baby hairs and it instantly looks like you’ve got a hairstyle.” Don’t forget to finish with Appleton’s gamechanging tip: a dab of root powder, especially if, like me, your hairline resembles that of Steve McDonald from Coronation Street. Product recommendation: For all hair types:
If you think you don’t have much time to get ready in the morning, spare a thought for Lorraine Dublin, who had just 30 minutes to prepare Serena Williams for her Sports Illustrated cover. Dublin’s tip for making yourself look put together in record time? “Just concentrate on the front of your hair – no one’s going to see the back on Zoom.” Dublin’s musthave product for smoothing in a hurry is Africare’s Silk Spray. Ignoring the back of your head is a trick Syd Hayes also recommends (he’s the one hanging out on beaches with Hailey Bieber). Don’t have time to curl your full head? Just curl some face-framing waves at the front, he says. But remember to curl away from your features. Product recommendation:
They embrace natural hair textures
I don’t need to confirm it’s Patrick Wilson I’m talking to when I hear his cheery Scouse accent over the phone. It only takes five minutes with Wilson to understand why his client list includes Maya Jama and Jodie Comer, but when I ask him what product we should all add to our routines, I wonder if he’s a secret Regina George. “Everybody definitely needs a mousse,” he tells me, to which I respond, “Are you being serious?” Yes, despite giving me flashbacks to that picture of my mum in front of her red Ford Granada in
1987, Wilson says every hair type can seriously benefit from mousse. “If you’ve got curly hair it will enhance your natural curl pattern and if you’ve got dead-straight hair it will give you that body and texture you’re missing. Just
Recommended
finish by adding by three stylists,
a few bends with the so it’s one for
your beauty bag
GHD Platinum +.”
Product recommendation:
For all hair types: