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Before there were 5 a.m. call times with the Kardashians and clipping in extensions at 35,000 feet, there was a pack of plastic razors. “In high school, I cut my hair and my friends’ hair with shaving razors. It would take hours,” says hairstylist Jen Atkin, who is known for the beautiful waves she does for Jessica Alba, Chrissy Teigen, Lorde, and the Kardashians (she also has some awesome tricks for creating waves at home, too). “I grew up in Hawaii, so I’ve always loved that beachy look. It makes everyone look younger, which no one ever argues with.” No kidding. Atkin’s styles have inspired millions of loose waves, including our own. We probably would have trusted her with a Lady Bic, too.
On the cool-girl cut of the moment: “I’m all about a really good modern lob that’s A-line or straight across the bottom, with texture — I love cutting up into the hair so it has movement but is still thick and healthy. I just cut lobs for Lorde, Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber — I’ve been on a cutting spree.”
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On going MacGyver: “I wanted a really sleek, wet look, and by accident I grabbed St. Tropez Gradual Tan Plus Sculpt and Glow. It worked amazingly. So that’s my new trick for really glossy hair that keeps a nice sheen all day. But the weirdest thing in my kit would actually be lube for slicking back wigs. And dryer sheets to help fight frizz.”
On marital struggles: “Day four, I do my hot center-part bun — that’s when everyone knows my hair is dirty. I use my Ouai Hair Oil to get a nice sleek look and an eyebrow brush to get any flyaways and baby hairs. By day five, my husband is begging me to wash my hair.”
On working the massage table: “When I go for a massage, I bring masks with me. I put on Charlotte Tilbury’s Goddess Skin Clay mask, which I use once a week; the Ouai Treatment Masque; and a shower cap. I go get my massage, and then I wash everything off.”
On her skin savior: “I have really crazy melasma — just from getting older — and [makeup artist] Joyce Bonelli taught me to use Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer foundation to really cover that up. I put it on first with a concealer brush and then blend it with a damp
.”
On Sesame Street beauty: “[Makeup artist] Sir John showed me the right way to put highlighter along just the very tops of my brow bones. And Jessica Alba taught me to use a brow pencil that’s a shade lighter than my actual brows so I don’t look like Oscar the Grouch. I’m name-dropping like crazy.”
Sir John's Bright Beauty Look Tutorial
On the upside of spending time on the road: “I do my makeup in my car, and [makeup artist] Mary Phillips taught me to put my eyelash curler on the heater for a minute to warm it before I curl my lashes.”
And on the downside of spending time on the road: “My makeup bag got stolen out of my car twice last month. Going to Sephora to replace everything was a thousand dollars.”
On date-night makeup: “Huda’s Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette is so pretty for nights when I’m getting dolled up. The colors I use most are Coco for my lids and Moon Dust at the inner corners and the brow bone. I use Surratt Beauty’s liquid liner on the ends, and YSL’s kohl eyeliner on the rest of my lash line — I feel pressure to get a really even line with liquid, so it’s a lot easier for me.”
On what she’s asked most frequently: “ ‘Are we done yet?’ ”
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