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Are you as hooked on HBO's Big Little Lies as I am? If so, you may have spotted the biggest lie of all in this addictive series: the big fat hair on actresses Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon.
As a grownup woman — one with fine, aging, chemically processed, hormonally challenged hair — I have to say the XL manes on these three stars leave me feeling "dis-tressed." Indeed, I was inconsolable until I talked to a few on-set stylists, who hinted darkly at wigs and hair extensions.
Though the stylists declined to speak on the record (and why would they?), their mere mention of trade secrets made me feel better right away. (As does the heartening notion that star power can be ours with just a snip, a spritz and a fluff.) So see if you, too, don't get a lift from these insider tips furnished by two celebrity hair pros and yours truly.
The right cut fattens and flatters
Thicker-looking hair at 50+ is not just about length. Glamsquad creative director Giovanni Vaccaro — whose hair-and-makeup teams make both celebrity and "civilian" house calls in Miami, Los Angeles, New York and Washington — urges us to opt for a chop: "Three basic cuts totally change thin hair," Vaccaro says, "adding texture and volume where it's needed most: around the face and scalp."
Vaccaro's three faves:
1. A modern pixie is très versatile, Vaccaro says. "It can be worn chic and sleek, or — for an edgier effect — spiky and tousled. Adding highlights will increase dimension and create the illusion of more hair, while using styling pomade or paste breaks up the top layers and suggests more movement." (For inspiration, just think about the badass crops we've seen lately on the likes of Robin Roberts and Kris Jenner.)
2. A chin-length bob provides a "blunt, solidly defined shape that manages to look lush, confident and sexy," he says. (And that's the case whether it's worn sleek or wavy.) "For a modern, youthful look, be sure to stick with a side part. Long, full bangs can provide extra hairline camouflage."
