Last night the 2024 BAFTAs were held and, as ever, here at HJ we are interested in one thing and one thing only - Paul Mescal. Only kidding! Obviously we're all about the hair looks from the night...
The following experts shared their favourite hair looks and how they'd recreate the look on their own clients. Time to be inspired and take notes. And keep scrolling for a bonus step-by-step.
Lead image copyright: 2024 BAFTA
BAFTA Hair Look 1: Margot Robbie
"Margot looked as stunning as ever at this year's Bafta Awards. She wore her hair swept up in a sophisticated updo with just one section of hair left out at the front of her face styled in a beautiful loose wave to give the look softness whilst also framing her face. Buns like this, which are full and look effortless are so on trend for 2024, but to achieve the volume and fullness, prepping the hair is key. I love to use a product like ALTERNA’s Caviar Anti Aging Multiplying Volume Styling Mist to prep the hair before heated styling and provide it with moisture and volume before creating my bun. One of my favourite ways to create this kind of look is by then creating a high ponytail before twisting the hair up towards the head, leaving out the end of the ponytail and pinning the twisted sections into place on the head. You can then bring the left out section back down beside your twisted section and play around with this, pinning it into place to create your desired shape. Finish by misting through a lightweight hairspray through the hair for added shine and hold. One of my favourites is the My Hair. My Canvas. City Slay Shielding Hairspray. Both Emily Blunt and Emma Stone also wore hairstyles like this, proving just how popular the style is going to be as we come further into 2024, particularly for clients attending special events/occasions."
Sabrina Dijkman, ALTERNA Ambassador
BAFTA Hair Look 2: Lily Collins
"Lily Collins looked the epitome of glamour. Her hair was draped down her back and styled into gorgeous soft waves, paired with a deep side parting with volume to give the look a further statement finish. When creating this look, I would always start by creating a deep side parting in damp hair, misting through a volume spray like KMS Add Volume Root and Body Lift and paying particular focus to the front section where you want to achieve a more ‘elevated’ look before going in with the hair dryer and drying this into the hair in the direction you want the hair to be situated. You can then go in with your heated styling iron/curling tong to create those beautiful, soft, luxe waves before finishing the look with a product like KMS HairPlay Dry Wax that will give the hair a further glossy finish but also hold to the front section of the hair that you want to keep in place all day/night long."
Tina Farey, Editorial Director at RUSH Hair
BAFTA Hair Look 3: Phoebe Dynevor
"I loved the simplicity of Phoebe’s look at this year’s Bafta Awards. Her hair was styled into a sleek slicked back bun that looked perfect teamed with her plunging neckline white silk dress. This is such an elegant and classic look and it's perfect for clients who are looking for an updo that will take their hair back off their face but that looks super polished and sophisticated. The devil is in the detail and using the correct styling products to ensure the hair looks as glossy as ever, with little to no flyaways in sight for the perfect clean looking ballet core like bun. Start by creating a low ponytail at the neck's nape and using a comb or narrow dressing/back combing brush, bring all the hair back off the face before securing a hair tie. Then, apply a product like Schwarzkopf OSiS Glow Shine Serum through your ponytail for radiance before twisting into your bun and pinning it into place. Take the same serum and mix this with a gel product such as Schwarzkopf OSiS G Force Extra Strong Gel and smooth through the front section of your hair for the ultimate sleek finish before misting through a strong hold hairspray like OSiS Session Extra Strong Hold Hairspray to finish the look."
Suzie McGill, Artistic Director at Rainbow Room International
BAFTA Hair Look Step by Step: Anastasia Stylianou x Marisa Abela
Starring in the upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black, actress Marisa Abela is one to watch. Stylist Anastasia Syluianou was on hand to craft this elegantly tousled updo for the star who attended this year's BAFTAs.
1. Beginning with dry hair, spray ghd pick me up - root lift spray into the roots and dry in using the ghd helios professional hairdryer.
2. Next customise the parting working to the face shape. I opted for a slightly diagonal side part for a softer, more natural look. Then, gently pull out two sections of hair to frame the face - we will build on this at a later stage in the look.
3. Now that you've selected the front parting, divide the hair into two sections from ear to ear, ensuring clean and even parting. Repeat the sectioning process, creating another horizontal parting at the crown of the head and one at the nape. Use a hairspray and a small brush, I used ghd Final Touch - Narrow Dressing Brush, to tame any flyaways. Secure each section with hair bands, creating three distinct and manageable sections.
4. Take a small amount of your favourite serum and apply it to the ends of the first section of hair. This will help to hydrate and nourish the ends while providing a sleek finish. Twist the section of hair and then pin it into a textured knot. Repeat this step for the remaining two sections. As you twist and pin each section, remember to leave the ends slightly out. This technique adds texture and dimension to the hairstyle, keeping it cool and relaxed rather than overly polished.
5. Spray the swooping section generously with hairspray to provide hold and control - I used ghd perfect ending hairspray. Grab your cover clips and gently pinch them along the grooves of the hair in the swooping section. Set your hairdryer to a low speed and cool setting. Use it to dry the section, allowing the hairspray to set the style into place. This step ensures that the hair maintains its defined shape and stays put for hours.
6. I used the ghd chronos styler to gently glide it over the tails of the hair at the back to bring them out slightly. Lightly mist with a little hairspray for hold. Be careful not to apply too much as we want to avoid a spikey appearance. The goal is to maintain a soft and natural finish.
7. Take the two pieces of hair framing the front of the face. Spray them lightly with hairspray to add hold and control. Add a small amount of serum to your fingertips and gently smooth it over the front sections of hair to tame any flyaways and add shine. Using the ghd chronos styler, delicately create a subtle "S" shape in each front section of hair - this adds softness and movement. Once you've shaped the sections, gently pin them into the knots at the back of the head.
BAFTA Hair Look Step by Step: Carey Mulligan’s Elegant Side-swept Look
Jenny Cho, the super stylist behind Carey’s look, used BaByliss PRO.
- Apply a smoothing product on towel-dried hair and draw a side parting before sectioning off the hair from the nape.
- Blowdry with BaByliss PRO FALCO ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL HIGH-SPEED DIGITAL HAIR DRYER using the nozzle attachment to smooth the airflow and a medium-sized round brush.
- Once the hair is completely dry, start from the front on the heavy side and curl the hair backwards to create a wave with the BaByliss Pro Titanium Expression 38 mm curling tong. It’s a perfect size iron for a very loose curl, so it feels relaxed.
- Once the hair is waved, let it cool down and break up the wave so it feels less done with a little styling cream.
- Add the final polished finish and lock it in with a hairspray.
