Craig has known Anna since her career skyrocketed after the release of the film Up in the Air. He knows her hair and knows what works. “Anna’s hair is naturally curly and fine, but she has a lot of it,” Craig says. “Curly hair tends to be dry so one of my favorite products for her is the Leonor Greyl L’Huile de Leonor Greyl.” Anna wore the oil overnight and shampooed it out on the day of the premiere. The cult-classic product “softened Anna's hair and gave it instant shine.”
There are some days when Anna’s happy to sit back and let Craig’s expertise guide the creative process. But for a big event like this, the hair is a product of teamwork. “It’s a group effort among Anna, the stylist and me. We all give input. It’s a big premiere, and we want her to feel her best so we work together to achieve that.”
Anna’s short Calvin Klein dress had what Craig calls a “futuristic, metallic” finish. “It almost looked leather.” The dress made a very modern statement, so Craig says he wanted to counter that with a beautiful, simple blowout. “It’s the kind of blowout every woman dreams of.”
To prep, Craig applied the Leonor Greyl leave-in styling cream Leonor Greyl Eclat Naturel. “It nourishes dry hair and adds a bit of texture and separation. You know how hair can sometimes look like a helmet? This breaks it up and adds movement. It's almost like next day texture, which looks great in photographs.” Craig finished his prep with a bit of Leonor Greyl Mousse au Lotus Volumatrice on the roots to add a little lift.
Using a round boar hair brush, he blew the hair out smooth, lifting at the root. As he dried each two-inch section, he’d pin it up. “I let the set cool off for five minutes, and when you remove the pin curls it creates volume but not curl.” He brushed out each section and sprayed with Leonor Greyl Voluforme, which “locked in the set without being stiff or sticky.”
"After brushing it all out I gave her a side part and pushed her hair behind her ears to show off her beautiful shoulders and the gorgeous strapless dress." The end result: “Imagine a Parisian woman leaving a salon after getting a great blowout.”
Craig’s tip for getting a perfect blowout every time: “Don’t use too much product. A lot goes a long way, especially with high-end products like these. Too much product weighs the hair down. Also, less product means hair is touchable, soft and effortlessly beautiful.”
Leonor Greyl products can be purchased at www.leonorgreyl-usa.com, shop.nordstrom.com and www.saksfifthavenue.com.
