From her role as the cool elder daughter of the feature-film version of the TV classic
“Lost in Space” to the “Belle on Wheels” Brandy in “Boogie Nights, Heather Graham has always been one of the best reasons to look at
a movie or television screen (She’s done numerous comedic TV roles – ‘Scrubs’ and ‘Arrested Development’ - and had an
unfortunately-failed sitcom of her own). Heather’s fresh-faced beauty has kept the camera trained on her whenever she’s out in
public and whether dressed up, or dressed-down she always looks stunning.
Heather’s honey-colored locks have always been her crowning glory, whether styled in
cascading coils or blown-out and ironed smooth. Her hair always looks real, and attainable. Fortunately it is.
The Cut:
In the photo above (taken at the 2006 Creative Coalition Gala hosted by Gotham Magazine)
Heather’s hair is cut into a classic long-layered cut reminiscent of the big screen starlets of the late sixties and seventies. The
top layers of the cut are kept exceptionally long and the lower layers are textured for smoothness.
The illustration shows a technique for achieving this look without having to hold the hair
directly over the head. The hair can be held out so that the top layer of the section is horizontal and parallel to the floor. The
hair beneath is then combed up to meet the horizontal layer and forms a triangular shape when viewed from the side. The sides are
pulled forward initially to create a matching length on each side and these lengths are used as a traveling guide as you work around the head.
The texturing of the finished layers can be achieved via use of a razor tool or by
careful slithering of the hair with the scissors to remove long slim sections and lighten any overly bulky areas.
The Style:
The look shown is achieved by blow drying the hair to maximize volume either by lifting
the hair away from the scalp and drying the scalp area of the hair first, or by simply drying the hair with the head inverted to
bypass the need to hold the hair out from the scalp. Once the hair is dry, use Velcro rollers (as large as you can acquire) to
roll the hair. Wrap the hair under the roller by turning it downward as the hair is laid over the top of the cylinder.
You can feel free to use as many or as few rollers as you wish, but be careful not to
overload the rollers since this will only result in failed curl. Once the rollers are in place, mist the hair lightly with hairspray
or styling spritz and use a diffused hair dryer to heat the rollers then allow the hair to cool fully.
By using only heat to set the curl (and gentler heat than is created when using a curling
iron) you can get a soft, voluminous wave effect that will be very pleasing to the eye. Take down the curls and comb through with
a wide tooth comb to arrange the finished style – or you can simply use your fingers.
