We accept 
A sought-after red carpet hairstylist's guide to achieving perfectly tousled hair.
Hair By ALEX POLILLO
Photography By DIEGO UCHITEL
Written By LEXY LEBSACK
Makeup By GEORGIE EISDELL
– ACTRESS ALICE EVE / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DIEGO UCHITEL
Mastering the art of effortlessly undone hair is, admittedly,
anything but effortless. (Like "no-makeup makeup" or a "natural sunless glow," multiple
steps are required.) However, with the correct cocktail of volumizing and
texturizing products, along with a clever styling technique, anyone can create perfectly
tousled locks. For instruction, we turned to in-demand hairstylist Alex
Polillo (see his work here), whose skilled artistry has
made him the go-to for stars like Kate Mara, Erin Wasson and Olivia Wilde. As
it happens, he is also among the handful of top stylists who contributed to
the VIOLET GREY hair curation (read more about the curation in the Letter From
The Editor).
The artist put his skills into practice on actress Alice Eve,
giving the British starlet big, touchable, not-too-precious hair. Polillo’s
foolproof method includes massaging mousse directly into the roots, using a
diffuser attachment when blow-drying, and finishing with a texturizing spray.
Polillo’s secrets to mastering the art of undone hair, as well as The Violet Code–approved products he used, outlined below.
Polillo’s secrets to mastering the art of undone hair, as well as The Violet Code–approved products he used, outlined below.
the
off-duty
HAIR
Tutorial
The hairstylist’s step-by-step guide to achieving Alice Eve’s perfectly tousled hair.
1
/5
To
begin, lightly mist freshly washed, damp hair with Sachajuan’s Ocean Mist from roots to tips, and comb through to
ensure even distribution. This creates a desirable base for styling and
activates any natural waves in the hair.
2
/5
Next,
apply a golf-ball-sized dollop of
Leonor Greyl’s Mousse Au Lotus Volumatrice. Massage the product directly into
the roots of hair right before blow-drying. This creates volume without
stickiness.
3
/5
Flip
hair upside down,
and blow-dry using a diffuser
attachment, a technique that promotes natural texture in the hair and creates
long-lasting lift at the roots.
4
/5
Once
hair is dry, use a flat iron to add subtle waves and smooth any frizzy
sections. Glide a one-inch iron over a one-inch horizontal section of hair to get it hot and ready to accept
the texture, then quickly go over the section once more, rotating your hand
like you are drawing the letter S. Repeat over random sections to ensure the hair
has a non-uniform, natural look.
5
/5
Warm
a pea-sized amount of Oribe’s Rough Luxury between your hands, and comb through the
bottom half of the hair. This breaks up the waves and adds definition. Flip
hair upside down,
and spray Oribe’s Dry Texture Spray throughout hair for extra oomph. Then finish by lightly
misting the hair with Leonor Greyl’s Laque Souple Hairspray for all-day hold.
ARTIST
PROFILE
Seattle
transplant Alex Polillo got his start working for legendary Hollywood stylists
like Cervando Maldonado, Neil Weisberg, and Tracey Cunningham. “Cervando taught
me how to cut hair, which is the best gift he could have given me,” Polillo told VIOLET GREY.
Now he calls Rooney and Kate Mara, Erin Wasson, Rashida Jones, and Olivia Wilde
his clients. For Polillo, hair is also a family affair. He married hairstylist
Mara Roszak in 2010 (she is the hairstylist of choice for Emma Stone, Lily
Collins, and Zoe Saldana), a match that mutual friends predicted long before
the two had their first date. “Four people tried to set us up before it finally
happened,” he says. “Now we’re inseparable.”
“
”
Tweet ThisI never want
my clients
to look overdone,
I want everyone to look CHIC
and sophisticated.
in the makeup
chair with
alice eve
See the full shoot with the British actress, including the rest of the transformative looks created by Alex Polillo.
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