Wendy Iles: I just Love Hair!

She is the hairdresser to celebrities like Heidi Klum, Keira Knightley und Cate Blanchett. With C&C she is sharing her secrets of success, her tips, tricks and how-to-do guides.

C&C: You received the Hollywood Beauty Oscar for hair in 2016.

Wendy Iles: That is nice that you remember that. I always forget about all the time. But it was one of the magic memorable moments other than my marriage to my husband.

You obviously must do something special compared to other stylists?

It is in my DNA as a hairdresser to care for hair. I love luscious sumptuous hair. If I have someone in my chair, I am always thinking of care first. So I do believe that this was a breath of fresh air when it came to A-listers in my chair and I do believe that it opened up Hollywood for me very quickly. Because all of a sudden there was this hairdresser that was not using hairspray, that was not using mousses. The hair was not sticky. It was not weight down. They would go from a 12 hour shoot to a cocktail to a party, and still at midnight the hair is feeling luscious, clean and beautiful. I honestly think really that is the reason that I care about the hair and I love hair that is touchable and luscious.

Which is the absolute must have from your own hair care „Iles Formula“?

On a job like mine I don’t have always access to running water. So you get the A-lister in your chair and you have to make whatever you got to happen with what is in your chair. A lot of the time it is tortured hair. I have a serum that has the capability of turning straw to sumptuous silk just by blow drying it in.

How do you use this serum?

The hair must be at least moistened. In fact my two tools are the Dyson and that „Finishing Serum“. The Dyson because it is really quick, it is ionic, I am not gonna get static, and the serum needs the heat of the hair dryer. You just blow dry it in, never on the roots – always mid length and ends and you dry small piece size on every single section. As you go the serum has the power of turning straw to sumptuous silk. It has the power of making thin, broken fine hair appear and feel thicker. At the same time it takes this thick bushy horse hair and turns it to silk. It is incredible. And because the serum is made from silk, on the red carpet it gives this most expensive looking lustre.

How do I make the perfect blow dry for big volume?

The base is everything. If I am working with a junior I will never – no matter how busy I am – ever hand the base to a junior to do. When you are using your brush or your blow dryer always be thinking what you want that hair to do when you have taken it down. You want volume on the crown? The idea is to really hold it up in the air and then blow dry. And then sit it on its base, so you are creating volume. I place the heat on the strand and clip it immediately until it is cold. The new Dyson Airwrap is very good. It has a tongue. You form the curl with the heat, you hold the curl, you zap it cold and then you take out your Dyson tool. In the case of a lot of volume I will then pick it up with my two fingers and pin it until it is really cold. Don’t touch it til it is cold. That is your setting power and you have beautiful volume. But it won’t be like a Dallas volume, it never will be stiff. It will be an organic type of volume which everybody wants.

What are the latest hair trends in Hollywood?

Last year it was the shattered bob, and I am so glad that it is over. I believe those shattered bobs will become sharp bobs. I love that. I think it is extremely classic and chic on any age group. One length bobs are fantastic. At certain length you can tie it back, on other length you can tie it up. Even it is a short bob it always looks very clean and professional. I just adore. That is coming in a big way. Grey hair is expected to see. More and more aged women accepting grey hair, even when it is just on the temples where it usually greys first. They will pushing that and bringing in white areas to the hair. Even the young ones opting for white and grey hair, but that is a different thing. Grey hair always looks spectacular on a young skin. But there is a big movement. I love that. Infact I am at the age where I am about to accept my greys too. I will do it gradually. I am going to push my grey because I don’t have enough. So if I do go down that road I am gonna grab it on the temples and then accentuate it. Put it in like a Daphne Guinness type thing.

Your ultimate tip for a good hair day?

You have to try the Dyson Airwrap? It is pretty phenomenal. That thing does itself. You just gotta hold it on the hair and then it just will give you a very soft organic movement. You don’t even have to be precise where you put it. It will add a little bit of volume, a little bit of movement, spontaneity to the hair. Probably a very good clue for anybody. I love to have length, because if it is a really bad hair day I can always tie it up.

How did you achieve what you are today?

That was never my objective. I just love hair. I dream about hair. I am obsessed with beautiful hair. Everyday I work with hair it is a joy to me. I think that sort of weighs off. People know I love my job so much. They just rehire me because they know I am gonna do my best because I am obsessed with hair. So my successes come from loving what I do I suppose.

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