There's a reason why Vanessa Hudgens can't stick to one hairstyle

Vanessa Hudgens tells Allure her favorite hair, makeup, and skin-care products, as well as why she can't stick to one hairstyle.

It’s highly possible you know her from her starring turn as a musically-gifted scholastic decathlete in High School Musical. Or, perhaps, you know her from the polar opposite role as a bikini-clad crime teen in Spring Breakers. Maybe you don’t know her at all, because you are an alien newly arrived on Earth; otherwise, it would be impossible to not recognize Vanessa Hudgens. Unless you were trying to identify her by her hair, which at this point has gone through so many iterations, it is hard to keep up. According to Hudgens, hair is a mood. (Same!) She revealed this and more when she called Allure earlier this year to talk all things hair, skin care, and staying sane in 2018.

"It wasn’t until recently that I learned I’m low maintenance. I used to think I would need a lot of [beauty] things to make me feel good, but I know I’m a confident person, and I don’t need anything else to validate that, as long as I feel good about myself. With makeup, for example, I take whatever concealer I have around and use it on the spots I don’t want the world to see. [Laughs] Maybe some mascara or highlighter. I’ve also been using this Tata Harper Illuminating Moisturizer and Eye Cream, it gives you an instant glow. I love Tata Harper right now — the products are so beautiful. At night I use this oil… I don’t know what it’s called, it’s blue. Sunday Riley maybe? Oh, it’s the Luna Oil! I use it every night. That’s it. And I drink a lot of water.

Hair, though, is my thing. I change it, I feel like, every few weeks, drastically. It’s at a short bob and bangs right now. My hairstylist on the film I just did, Mandy Lyons, did it — she did the hair for Sex and the City, so she’s good. I like the idea of the little French bob, it’s very Parisian and chic. And I thought since I’m in the last year of my 20s, now would be the time to do it. You can look at me and tell what kind of mood I’m in based on my hair. The bob was on the top of the list — I wanted to do it for awhile and hadn’t gotten around to it. I’ve done the mermaid hair multiple times. I’ve gone blonde, but not root to ends. It’s been ombré, balayage… and I wore the Spring Breakers wig, but I’ve never dyed it. Maybe going full blonde is my next thing?

For my hair, the thing I normally start with is this new Joico product, the Beach Shake. It’s like a finisher, but it gets my hair soft and shiny, and easy to deal with, and gives it a little bit of grip — you know how when you wash your hair and its squeaky clean, you can’t do anything to it? This is great for styling. I spray that in, and then I blow out my bangs, and I use their Flip Turn Volumizing Finishing Spray underneath my hair to give it a little more volume from the bottom up, and I call it a day. I’m pretty easy. Because of work I’m under so much heat, teasing, styling, so I like to keep it simple. They also have this Luster Lock, which is an instant shine and repair treatment. That’s what I use I need my hair back in health mode, to undo all of the damage that’s been done.

When I need to put my mind back in health mode, I work out — it’s like a moving meditation. It’s important for me to stay connected with my body, and feel strong, and lean, and feminine, still. If I’m wilding out, I’ll take a Soul Cycle class. If I need to get centered, I’ll take a healing yoga class. If I need lengthening, I’ll go to Pilates. If I feel like doing something fun, I’ll take aerial silks. If I want to be outside, I’ll go for a hike. It helps to stay mindful: I think gratefulness is the number one thing that keeps me sane. I could have a very different life, but I’m very fortunate and blessed to be able to work as much as I do. As long as I keep myself in check, it’s easy to stay centered and grounded. A glass of wine always helps, too. I love a good Cabernet Sauvignon. [Laughs]"


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