Stephanie Hsu’s Hair Was a Masterclass in the Modern Wave

Old Hollywood glamour — the polished hair waves, pinned up hair, red lip, long lashes, etc. — has been synonymous with red carpet beauty since its inception. So how does one give such a classic beauty look a bit of an update? For Stephanie Hsu and her hairstylist Brian Fisher, it was about “reclaiming the Hollywood starlet.”

“Stephanie knows a lot about hair and makeup from getting herself ready is very collaborative; I feel honored to be part of an outstanding team on an outstanding client,” Fisher tells InStyle. “We wanted classic old Hollywood moment with a modern finish, keeping the ends of hair showing instead of curling them under is subtle but it reads as young and fresh.”

Fisher goes on to explain that because Hsu’s bright pink Valentino gown was so formal, they wanted to keep her hair down to keep her youthful energy. He started with the FEKKAI Clean Stylers Root Lift Volume Spray to add some lift and combed hair with the Tangle Teezer’s  Wide Tooth Comb to help spread product evenly throughout. He then used a hair dryer to blow dry the top of her hair with a round brush. To get those modern waves, he twisted and wrapped hair before pinning each section to softly shape the bends while still keeping Hsu’s long length. Once cooled, he then gently brushed out hair with the Tangle Teezer’s The Ultimate Styler to get that shiny finish, smooth hair with the  FEKKAI Clean Stylers Glossing Cream+, and spritzed on the FEKKAI Clean Stylers Flexi-Hold Hairspray to set. Makeup artist Hinako Murashige used NARS Orgasm Liquid and Powder Blush to give Hsu a subtle pink flush along her cheeks and the NARS Powermatte lipstick in American Woman and Thunderkiss for a dusty pink nude lip.

Though the hair may be modern, the glam playlist was old school at heart. ” Our most played song was Heart of Glass by Blondie,” he says. “But Erykah Badu and Sade are [also] in the good vibes playlist.”