thePULSEBy Elise French
David Lopez, celebrity hair stylist and founder of David Lopez Hair, can count among his many celebrity clients Heather Morris, Lea Michelle, Diana Agron and the rest of the “Glee” cast. The ladies of the show each have a signature look, and we talked to David about how we can recreate their styles at home.
DIANA AGRON’S SLICKED-BACK PONY TAIL
“The pony tail is often misrepresented as an ‘easier’ style to replicate ~ however time and time again my clients ask how to make a simple style look modern and fun. Working the “Glee” cast on their first national tour I learned a couple things on recreating the classic pony. Diana’s pony tail is always super clean. I first prep damp hair with a light hold mousse or styling spray (try Amika’s 2 in 1 Rice Spray, $24.95 @ www.loveamika.com) to give the hair some grip. Using a Mason Pearson style brush and blow dryer, gently smooth your hair back, directing [it] into the shape of a pony tail.”
Tip: Hair around the nape always seems to fall and can make a clean pony look messy. To get the most out of the style blow dry your hair upside down smooth the hair of the nape upwards with your brush. This will secure a smooth and slick finish in the back.
David continued, “After getting your hairline nice and sleek gently start smoothing the rest of your hair upwards with your brush and blow dryer, directing all the hair towards the crown. Once dry, spray your brush with a brushable hold hairspray and start smoothing your hair into a pony tail securing with a small snagless ponytail holder. Once your pony tail is secure, start wrapping one inch sections of your pony around a curling rod or use your flat iron to give the pony tail some bounce. Give the style an all over spray of Amika Obliphica Finishing Shine Spray ($24 @ www.loveamika.com) to keep the look shiny and sleek all day and night.”
HEATHER MORRIS’S HIGH CURLY PONY
According to David, “Heather’s pony tail is always fun and playful and the side bangs add a youthful and flattering effect to this style. Follow the same preparation steps as for Diana’s pony tail leaving your bangs out. After securing the pony tail, help give the bangs some body by wrapping around a large barrel curling iron or curling rod. Always remember to protect the fragile hair around the hairline, so I always recommend a heat defense like the Amika Obliphica Heat Defense Serum ($30 @ www.loveamika.com) before heat styling bangs. Gently smooth with your brush ~ I love the Mason Pearson Mixture Brush ($151; C.O. Bigelow & www.bigelowchemists.com) and tuck behind the ear securing with a bobby pin if necessary. After curling your pony instead of brushing out gently rake through with your fingers to keep the texture and volume. You can add a fun twist by adding a stretchy colorful pony tail holder on top of your snagless for a ‘retro’ or extra playful look. Always remember to place these pony tails on the crown, this follows the line of your cheek bone and is flattering on everyone!
LEA MICHELLE’S SOFT WAVES
“Lea Michelle’s soft waves are super easy to recreate. The main key with this look is making it look ‘effortless’ yet polished. This style is most easily achieved on all density hair types (fine, medium, thick) and best with naturally straight to wavy hair. First prep damp hair with a light styling mouse or blow dry spray (again, Amika’s 2 in 1 Rice Spray), it creates volume and texture and also helps protect the hair from heat styling. Make sure to distribute the product evenly applying mid-length to ends first working your way up to the roots. With your paddle brush or wide tooth comb, help distribute the product. Gently start rough drying your hair directing the roots upwards and the opposite way of the natural growth pattern. This gives natural looking height and body. Once hair is 80-90% dry use a large round brush to smooth the ends of your hair. Don’t forget to give your hair a cold shot of air from your blow dryer to help keep preserve the smoothness!”
David says that the final step for this look is “…to create the bounce and polish. Using a 1 and a quarter inch barrel size curing iron, take two inch sections of hair and roll from the ends of the hair up. You don’t have to worry about creating curl, this is more about creating wave and giving the ends shape and bounce. Once you’ve completed your entire head, rake your fingers through the completed style with a small amount of styling serum to amp up the shine!
