Laini Reeves tends to the tresses of Hollywood's elite (think Emily Blunt, Michelle Williams, and Kate Bosworth). Reeves is also the creative force behind the stateside outpost of popular UK salon Essensuals London, opening on L.A.'s trendy Melrose Avenue this summer. Here, the stylist's current hair obsessions and red carpet predictions for the Oscars.
What sorts of hairstyles do you think we'll see at the Academy Awards this year?
With the recession, I think people are getting more creative—they're choosing more vintage dresses and jewelry. When vintage is introduced, it paves the way for hair to go a certain way. I'm really into antique hair accessories at the moment—I'll try to find bows or clips with diamond studs on them. I also love using hairnets. I'll wrap them around a chignon and use a couple of antique pins to hook into them. And I always pick nets that contrast with the person's hair color. For example, I'll use flesh-tone nets on darker hair so that it shows through. You'll definitely be seeing some hair accessories from me at the Oscars; if my girls go, they'll be wearing them.
Speaking of hair accessories, Emily Blunt wore beautiful peacock feathers in her hair for the L.A. Wolfman premiere. What inspired you to use them?
I bought them in Paris at this nice little boutique. Peacock feathers are great because they sit closer to the head and naturally wrap around; they're already curved. I attached the feathers to an elastic headband for a 1920s flapper feel and wove the hair into the headband, twisting it up and over on each side. To give gloss, I prepped Emily's hair with Shu Uemura Essence Absolue before blow-drying and styling. I've been using this product a lot with her.
Did you do Michelle Williams' hair knot for the Shutter Island premieres?
Yes—lately, she's been liking little knots that sit off to the side. She's very simple when it comes to her hair and doesn't like doing anything too difficult. For the Shutter Island premiere in New York she was wearing this Lanvin dress with a big ruffled shoulder so we went for a ballerina knot at the nape of her neck so that you could see more of the dress. I'm also loving high knots at the moment—ones that sit right on top of the head.
You're known for your natural, organic hairstyles—will you be recreating any of the stick-straight dos from the fall 2010 runways?
I do use flatirons on Emily, Michelle, and Kate but I never leave their hair down when I do. Instead, I might twist it, brush some strands away from the front, or pull into a ponytail—there's always something more to it. Dead-straight hair isn't flattering on most people and you have to make it work for the individual. That's why I like incorporating accessories; you can use a headband or elastic to help pull the hair back from the face.
