Sleek and Chic Hair
By The Line
“Hair style is the final tip-off whether or not a woman really knows herself,” fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy once observed. However, back when he was attending to clients such as Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Greta Garbo, hair care amounted to a three-step process: wash, set, and shellac. Even the most self-aware styles were frozen in place—and time.
The impeccable yet crunchy looks and streamlined processes of decades past have been replaced by infinite variety, made possible by a profusion of products that promise to cleanse, condition, straighten, smooth, gloss, hold, protect, and tame, sometimes all at once. Is it possible to harness all of that hair-care innovation in a refined, modern way?
“When doing something very sleek and minimal, it’s all about creating an interesting detail or focal point to the look,” says hairstylist Tamara McNaughton, whose work has appeared in the editorial pages of publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and W. This less-is-more approach is echoed in the timeless tools of Mason Pearson and the powerful formulas of Sachajuan, which combines a Swedish take on simplicity with results fueled by hearty sea plants. McNaughton pared down her vast pro toolkit to create these four looks for a chic, modern woman.
The trick to making an undone look appear effortless, not messy? Texture. “Spray Sachajuan Ocean Mist into the hair and let the hair dry naturally, for a dry, lived-in texture,” advises McNaughton. “Next, powder hair with a dry shampoo such as Sachajuan Volume Powder.” The last step is to tuck hair into a refined turtleneck and then give it a quick massage, to keep the “life and volume.”
An imaginative hairstyle complements a deconstructed turtleneck. Starting with the textured hair of the half-up look, McNaughton tied two pony tails: one low at the nape of the neck, containing the hair behind the ears, and the other, containing just the hair from the top of the head to the ears, to sit higher on the head. “The second ponytail is then knotted in on itself and gently pulled apart with your hands for a softer, more romantic feel,” says McNaughton. “I basket-wove these two tails into the detail of the model’s top, using the neckline as an embellishment to the hair.”
“This look is all about perfection,” says McNaughton, “the simplicity of a perfect extreme side parting, and a sleek, straight, smooth-as-glass texture.” She began by parting the hair with from the corner of the eyebrow and doing a quick blow dry before flat-ironing from roots to ends. Suggests McNaughton, “Finish by rubbing a few drops of Sachajuan Shine Serum throughout the hair and brushing with a Mason Pearson brush for a flawless texture.”
For a striking ponytail that can go from day to night, start with sleek, straight hair. After a quick pass with a flat iron, McNaughton tied a tight ponytail and pulled the elastic out about three inches from the scalp. Then she pulled the pony through on itself, creating a simple, knot-like style. “I braided the pony about three inches down for detail and then brushed with the Mason Pearson,” says McNaughton. “Use hairspray to finish the look.”
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