Hair legend Cristophe visits Las Vegas salon, predicts natural look for hair
Two blondes walk into an upscale Las Vegas hair salon. For a minute you think that hair legend Cristophe is about to tell a beauty joke.
But follicles are no laughing matter for the master.
“A few years ago when I opened my salon in Vegas, I looked out into the waiting room. There was one blond woman dressed in Chanel from head to toe.
“Right next to her was a girl who wasn’t wearing anything,” he said.
Wait, naked hairstyling? This is Vegas.
“Well, she wasn’t naked-naked,” he said with a laugh. “She was wearing a tiny, little bathing suit and had a big tattoo on her back. “
Only one thing mattered: Who had the most luscious locks?
Actually, by the time Cristophe was done with them, the answer was both.
“I don’t think there is bad hair,” the man who has touched Brad Pitt’s hair and made pink Pink insisted. “There are only bad hairdressers.”
Cristophe is known for styling the rich and infamous. He gave former President Bill Clinton that CNN crawl-worthy $200 haircut and has styled presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Some of his other clients include Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger, Paris Hilton and Heidi Klum.
He was at his Cristophe Salon inside the MGM Grand recently creating new fall looks for those lucky enough to get an appointment.
“I love coming to Vegas,” he said. “Each time I go there, I’m reminded that Vegas is a playground, although I don’t play that much when I’m there.
“I’m not lounging all day by the pool,” he said. Instead, he has his scissors in hand and willing bodies in his chair. “What I also love about Vegas is that when it comes to hair, anything goes.”
Cristophe said that those in the know are going natural this fall. “Hair fashion is changing drastically for the fall and the winter. We’re working with a lot of natural textures. In the past, we’ve had a lot of flat ironing to get the hair straight or endless work with large curling irons. Those days are over.”
“It’s all about the deconstructed hairstyle now,” he said. “I’m not going to say it’s ‘wash and wear’ hair where you jump out of the shower and just go.
“The key is to work with your natural hair,” Cristophe added. “Resolve to stop fighting nature. It’s time to stop and embrace your unique hair.”
He said the dry air of Las Vegas provides even more options for locals and tourists. “Natural curls are back and in a low-humidity climate like Vegas, you’ll avoid the frizz,” he said.
Fall 2016 also means the haircut is king. One of the most popular cuts will remain a long bob, nicknamed in Hollywood “The Lob.” “The key to a new look is to give your bob some texture,” he advised. “You want to opt for an unstructured feeling that doesn’t look like the generic one-length bob that’s just turned under.”
How do people without Cristophe on speed dial achieve the look? “Give your bob a little more movement by texturizing the ends a bit with product. It gives it an unfinished, casual and very sexy look that doesn’t scream rock and roll. It just says … relaxed.”
For those who don’t know how to work a hair serum bottle, he suggests a new type of perm offered at his salon. “They’re not the perms of the past,” he cautioned. “We’re doing a more relaxed technique that adds very soft waves.”
Of course, there are those who remain hair challenged.
Biggest hair mistake? “We’re overworking our hair and trying so hard. You’re killing your hair!” Cristophe said. “This fall is all about blow drying gently and that’s it. Even if it’s not totally dry, leave it a little wet at the end and leave the house.”
As for color, he said that brown is never wrong.
“Fall is about rich browns, very warm colors,” he said. “We’re going away from those fading colors where the roots are dark and the ends are pale. Again, it’s more about a natural color in a warm, dark caramel or a chocolate blond, meaning there is some brown in it. Blond should look more natural.”
What about Vegas platinum blondes who can be found … everywhere? “Try to make your blond look more natural. You don’t want to look like you’re trying that hard.”
Take the case of some of his famous clients who look effortlessly chic. There’s Kidman, who always looks like she could either walk a runway or be the mom with perfect ringlets at Target.
“She has a lot of hair. It’s wavy, curly and you can do amazing things with it,” Cristophe said. Another favorite client is Goldie Hawn. “Goldie fits into fashion right now. She has that hippyish, shaggy, just woke up kind of look that’s beautiful.”
As for the flack Bill Clinton took over his $200 cut, Cristophe opined, “A president has to look like a president.”
He also worked on hair icon Farrah Fawcett. “What can I say about Farrah? She had surreal hair.”
What if someone wants to co-opt a star’s lock look? “People come in and say, ‘I want to look like Kate Moss.’ I’ll say, ‘OK, we can do this, but how much time do you want to spend on your hair in the morning? Kate Moss takes four hours with three people working on her to look like Kate Moss.”
“The moral of the story is that Kate Moss doesn’t even look like Kate Moss when she wakes up in the morning.”
1-2-3 GET THE LOOK
Sick of your pool and heat weary Vegas summer hair? We asked hair guru Cristophe to check us into hair rehab. A few simple steps:
One: "Get a trim," Cristophe advised. "Your first step is to get rid of the split ends."
Two: "Try an argan oil shampoo or an argan oil you use after you blow-dry," he said. "You can also use a dime-size portion of natural, organic coconut oil to bring the shine and moisture back to your hair."
Three: "If your color is dull and faded, recolor, but watch out for your pool," he said. "Each time you swim, the first thing to do afterwards is to shampoo your hair. Not just rinse it, but shampoo it. Chlorine is basically bleach and destroys your color. If you go swimming, air dry and don't shampoo then the chlorine not only makes your color fade, but eats away at your hair all day. You might end up with some serious damage."
