Hollywood hair stylist Camille Friend on curl care and her fave onscreen styles

Beauty moments are a massive part of any movie. And so in our book, Hollywood hair stylists are just as crucial as the directors, producers, costumers, etc. Maybe even more; we may be a little beauty-biased, but Sandy's hair in Grease is at least equally as iconic as any of her lines.

However you slice it, Hollywood hair gurus are an incredibly important part of the movie biz, and it's hard to name one more on top of her game than Camille Friend.

Having created next-level looks for everything from Black Panther and Captain Marvel to Charlie's Angels, The Help and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Parts 1 and 2), she's no doubt one of the industry's most in-demand hair stylists.

And so, the chance to chat to Friend herself was quite the treat. Here, she shares everything from her top tips for curl care to how to choose a hairstyle to suit your outfit (or as we're calling it from now on, our costume), plus her favourite onscreen mane moments past and present...

Camille Friend's favourite onscreen hair looks

We're sure it can't be easy picking a specific look when your film and TV portfolio is as extensive as Friend's, but she did single out one that was particularly thrilling to dream up: “It was fun creating the Sovereign characters in Guardian of the Galaxy Vol 2," she explained. "It was exciting to develop this look of people with gold hair and “Vidal Sassoon” haircuts." It's easy to see why, too; said gilded look is pretty memorable.

There's more ahead, too: “I have a few projects coming out in 2022," Friend teased. "I designed the look for Halle Bailey for Disney’s upcoming live action The Little Mermaid, Sam Jackson in The Life and Times of Ptolemy Grey for Apple, and Marvel Studios' Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever.

We're extremely excited for all three, but we must admit, we're on the edge of our seats to see the mermaid-esque magic Friend has dreamed up for Bailey's take on Ariel.

How to choose your hairstyle to suit your outfit

Of course, hair isn't the only aspect of a character's look. Costuming is a massive part of any character, and so it's one of the first things Friend considers when coming up with onscreen styles.

She has a few tips for incorporating said strategy into your own life, too: “I like to consider the neckline of the outfit," she shares.

"If you are wearing a high-collared neckline, consider wearing your hair up in a bun, ponytail, or chignon. [For a] V-shaped neckline, think about wearing a half-up and half-down style. [For a] round or square neckline, wear hair down or incorporate a braid, twist or [some] accessories.”

Camille Friend's top curl care tips

One of the areas Friend knows a lot about? Curl care. And there's one curl-specific myth she wants to set straight: “I think a lot of people think that curly hair with a lot of texture is difficult,” she explains. “If you use the right products with great ingredients [though], curly hair is very manageable."

"Curly hair needs a lot of moisture and hold,” says Friend. “I look for natural, moisturising and hydrating ingredients.” As for the products she recommends and relies on, Friend names HASK's Curl Care collection as a range that gets it right. But of course, each individual curl will warrant its own routine; luckily, she has some stellar tips around what to look for...

“Here are a few hair cocktails for different types of curls: If you have a loose curl (2abc) or loose corkscrew curl (3ab), try a 2 to 1 formula of HASK Curl Care Curl Defining Cream ($14.99 at Priceline) (2 parts) and Curl Care Curl Shaping Jelly ($14.99 at Priceline) (1 part),” she advises.

“For the thicker textures of hair (3c or 4abc), use equal parts of Curl Care Curl Defining Cream and Curl Care Curl Shaping Jelly. If you have fine hair use the HASK Curl Care Curl Enhancing Mousse ($14.99 at Priceline) for more volume.”

Does the 'plopping' technique work?

Another curl care method she's a fan of? Hair plopping. “Plopping is the technique where you add product to the hair, scrunch hair into the head (to form curls) and wrap the hair with a towel or T-shirt for 20-30 mins. Then you dry with a diffuser or air dry," Friend explains.

"I think plopping works. I am a huge fan of microfibre towels and scrunching the hair to enhance the curls.” That's all the approval we need; if Friend says it's a go, it's a go for us.

Main image credit: @camille_friend

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