Reese Witherspoon | Red Carpet Beauty
RED CARPET BEAUTY:
REESE WITHERSPOON
VIOLET GREY spotlights the nominees of awards season and their biggest red-carpet hits.
- Written By
- VIOLET GREY EDITORS
REESE WITHERSPOON ATTENDS THE L.A. PREMIERE OF WILD / PHOTOGRABY BY FRAZER HARRISON / GETTY IMAGES
Throughout awards season, VIOLET GREY will be deconstructing the nominees’ most memorable red-carpet beauty moments of the year. On hand for commentary (and the occasional insider tip) will be the actresses’ makeup artist, hairstylist or both.
As the soul-searching writer Cheryl Strayed in Wild, Oscar-nominated actress Reese Witherspoon spent much of her time in the great (and not-so-great) outdoors, recreating her character’s 1,100-mile trek along the Pacific Coast Trail. The journey was as hard on her pedicure as it was on her hair, which was battered with Mojave Desert dust and soaked with Cascade Mountain rain. The role was a departure for the actress, emotionally and aesthetically. It was a long way from Elle Woods’ bouncy Legally Blonde blowout, or even her dyed-black waves to play June Carter Cash in Walk the Line, the part that earned Witherspoon her first and only Oscar. Since production on Wild wrapped and awards season began, Witherspoon has been back to her bright and shiny blonde ways on the red carpet, working with her longtime stylist, Adir Abergel, to demonstrate the surprising versatility of simple, straight, shoulder-length hair and heavy bangs.
“I think the first time we met was for a Marie Claire cover,” remembers Abergel. “She has such a beautiful heart, and I immediately connected with her.” As for her beauty looks, Abergel notes that the seasoned actress, who has worked steadily since her 1991 debut The Man in the Moon, “is completely trusting of her team.”
Abergel believes that the collaboration between the star, stylist and makeup artist is the key to creating a cohesive look where no one element dominates the others. Ultimately, he wants his client to be the focus, and “never wants hair to wear the woman.” See his favorite awards-season looks for Witherspoon below, along with the products he used to create them.
RED CARPET BEAUTY DOSSIER
The actress’s hairstylist, Adir Abergel, shares his favorite looks and the products necessary to achieve them.
NAME
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon
HOMETOWN
Nashville, Tennessee
NOMINATIONS
2015 Oscar Award for Best Actress, Wild
2015 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, Wild
2015 BAFTA Award for Leading Actress in a Film, Wild
2015 SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, Wild
2015 Critic’s Choice Award for Best Actress, Wild
HAIR ESSENTIALS
To create Witherspoon’s natural, classic look, Abergel often begins with Leonor Greyl’s Masque Fleurs de Jasmin to prep hair for a smooth blowout, a few spritzes of Phyto Volumactif to lift her roots for added oomph, and a tiny dollop of Shu Uemura oil (“super hydrating and delivers shine”) to finish the style.
GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS, 2015 / PHOTO BY STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE
HAIRSTYLE PHILOSOPHY: DECONSTRUCTED GLAMOUR
“This has been a very explorative year for Reese,” explains Abergel. “She’s gone from a more classic Hollywood look to one of lived-in effortlessness. At the Golden Globes her hair look was glamorous and a little more deconstructed.”
INHERENT VICE PREMIERE IN LOS ANGELES / PHOTO BY JEFFREY MEYER/WIREIMAGE
BIGGEST RISK OF THE YEAR: A BUMPED-UP PONY
“Initially, I was thinking that I would do a full Barbarella-style blowout,” remembers Abergel. “However, the moment I saw her dress I knew the hair had to be up.” His vision translated into a ’60s-inspired ponytail located just above the nape of her neck. To keep the look from appearing too dated, Abergel created a hint of volume at the crown of the head.
Expert Advice: To create the perfect side part, find the highest arch of the brow; using the handle of a teasing comb, gently drag it across your forehead and into the hairline for an exaggerated but elegant part.
TORONTO PREMIERE OF WILD / PHOTO BY JASON MERRITT/GETTY IMAGES
BEST LOOK OF 2014: SLEEK SIDE BANG
For the premiere of Wild in Toronto, Abergel created a Witherspoon signature, the deep side part. However, instead of loose and tousled, he opted for a sleek texture and heavy side bangs. “It felt very modern and clean with just a bit of an edge,” he notes, though for the future and perhaps even for the Oscars, Abergel dreams of whipping up a more architectural look for the nominated actress. “I would love to see some more up styles, off of her face,” he says. “Modern, chic and structural.”