Dakota Johnson's Oscar Worthy Pony Details

Dakota Johnson's pony was everything on the Oscar red carpet.  Why can't ours look like that every day?  Inspired by her bangs, Mark Townsend, created a fresh, youthful ponytail.  Here's the scoop on how to get her look.

“For the Oscars I wanted her hair to reflect her personality and style, and the Saint Laurent gown she chose to wear was very vibrant," comments Mark Townsend.  "We decided her hair should be off the dress, but not necessarily up, so I went for a young, cool ponytail. She has the most amazing fringe so we kept them down with some face framing layers to keep the style modern and perfectly imperfect."

To create the look, I started by adding a few drops of Dove Youthful Vitality Silk Crème to her damp hair and blow dried with a Mason Pearson brush.

For texture and grip, I liberally sprayed Dove Refresh+Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo throughout her hair, then gathered it just above the occipital bone, securing with a tight elastic.

The key to dressing up a ponytail is in the details, so I pulled a small amount of hair from the ponytail, wrapped it around the base to hide the elastic, and secured with bobby pins.

To create additional texture I sprayed Sally Hershberger Glam Waves Spray in my hands and raked it through the ponytail.

I finished by spraying Dove Style+Care Extra Hold Hairspray to add shine and keep her hair in place all night.

Get the Look: Kate Hudson's Waves

Kate Hudson looked stunning at the People magazine awards with her signature beach waves. Hairstylist David Babaii, created what he calls, the “classic Kate."  Want to get the look? You’re in luck, because we got the how to.

To start off, tousle your hair upside until dry to add volume. Once dry, mist a heat protectant spray evenly throughout. Then, grab a two inch section of hair and using the ghd Curve Classic Curling Iron, wind the hair around the iron while keeping the iron open. This technique creates a soft, bouncy wave. After you’ve curled your hair to that Kate Hudson effortless perfection, separate a few strands with your fingers and gently tousle your hair at the roots with your fingertips.

Stubborn flyaways ruining your look? Babaii says to use the iron to smooth at the root. Start at the root of the two inch section, run your iron through the first four inches of your hair two times. If you have thick hair, try doing smaller sections.

Get Inspired: Jenna Dewan-Tatum's New Cut

Looks like Khloe Kardashian gave her favorite hairstylist, Jen Atkin, a break this week. Jen instagramed a pic of Jenna Dewan-Tatum debuting a shorter style (pic above) with the caption, a "blunt ends long layered-straight out the salon" cut earlier this week.  Have a similar length?  Here's a step-by-step on how to style it from stylist, Derek-Peter Williams, who experimented with the fresh cut this weekend at the Hollywood Film Awards.  It may even inspire you to make the chop.

"Jenna had just cut her hair short and we were so excited to style it for The Hollywood Film Awards. We wanted it to be sophisticated, but still a little edgy and undone, " says Williams.

1. Apply volumizing products like Oscar Blandi's Volumizing Spray and Hair Lift Mousse to your roots and blow out your hair with a round brush for lots of fullness and body. Once dry, use a large curling iron and wave your hair, leaving the ends straight.

2. Go over random pieces with a flat iron to keep the waves undone and not so uniform. Set a side part and rubbed a dime-sized amount of texturizing paste in between your hands and run it through your hair to break up the waves and keep one side sleek behind your ear.

3. Finished with a texturizing spray like Pronto Texture and Volume Spray from Oscar Blandi to add lots of long lasting texture.

Wigs by Number with Ted Gibson Beauty for Carmen Marc Valvo

Picture this: it's 8:30 am on Thursday, September 6th, the first day of fashion week and the Ted Gibson team is searching wig stores all over the city to find wigs and wig caps for the Carmen Marc Valvo show the next day.  At 2pm I walked into the salon to check out Ted's new cosmetic line and get a blowout and right into a prime moment the real hair prep before the big show.  The wigs were found and the team was busy.  Think all of the work goes on backstage?  Think again.

Just the day before Ted and Devon Toth, the Director of Education at Ted Gibson, met with the designer and rest of the glam squad to nail down the inspiration behind the look – inspired by street syle, the vibe was techno tribal for his Spring/Summer 2014 collection.

The vibe at the salon was surprisingly cool, calm and collective.  "Our team found real, human hair wigs in dirty blonde that can be dyed and we're dying the tops platinum and the bottoms black,"  Jason Backe explained.

Check out this breakdown:

 2 # of given days to prepare the wigs

8 # of hours it took for Ted's team to find all of the wigs and wig caps in NYC

5 # of hours in the salon it takes to complete one wig

7 # of team members working on the wigs at all times in between clients

25 # of wigs created for the show

3 # of extra wigs made for just in case reasons

22 # of models

stylist michael forrey talks prepping for threeasfour

Have you been on Instagram or Twitter lately?  Of course you have, which means you're well aware that NY Fashion Week has begun.  I spoke with the mane man behind my bob, (which now looks more like a lob), Sassoon NYC's Creative Director, Michael Forrey, about how he preps for NYFW.  This Sunday, he'll be leading the Sassoon Salon Creative Team backstage at threeASFOUR.  His main 'tool' may surprise you.

What's one off-beat product that often comes in handy backstage and how do you use it?

A fabric needle and fishing wire - don’t worry, I'm not helping the designers sew last minute pieces! Actually, I often use these tools to attach braids or hairpieces as an alternative to a rubber band. The fishing wire gives a strong but flexible hold and makes the final look appear flawless.

How do you and your team prepare for NYFW? 

My team and I prepare for NYFW with workshops, where we test different looks and see how they translate on models. By working together as team, we get to utilize different people’s strengths and the final product is nothing short of amazing! 

Trend forecast!  What hair trends can we expect to see on the runways this season?

I think for Spring 2014 we will see very futuristic sleek, wet, geometric looks.

Describe backstage of NYFW in one word: Exhilarating! 

Oribe Dishes on J. Lo's W Magazine Shoot

In her hometown of the Bronx, J. Lo shot her latest W magazine cover at Castle Rock in just one day.  Inspired by Janice Dickenson's voluminous blowouts during the 70's, iconic stylist, Oribe, created a classic movie star 'do.  I chatted with him to get the how-to and some behind the scenes info.  What's your relationship like with J. Lo?  

I have been working with her for many years.  We’re very good friends.  I respect her very much, and every time I work with her I learn something new.  Each time we work together it’s an incredible collaboration.  It’s always fantastic.

Did J. Lo have any specific hair requests?

She's always very open-minded, and just wants to look beautiful.  That’s pretty much the only rule, to make her look gorgeous.  She's so fantastic to work with.

What are your 5 must have necessitates in your shoot kit?

All of the Oribe Hair Care products, especially Soft, Thick, Grandiose, Curl and Surfcomber.  I also always have my Dry Texturizing Spray, Supershine Light and Impermeable.   My Mason Pearson brush is also always with me.

Did J. Lo specifically like anything you used?

She loves the products and is a big supporter of the brand, and it works great on her hair.  Her hairdresser is amazing and uses the products on her as well.  He does a fantastic job and was on-set as well.  It was a great experience to have that kind of rapport with her personal hair dresser.

Step-by-step:

1. Apply mousse to damp hair and blowdry with a round brush
2. Curl your hair all the way around your head and let them cool
3. Brush through the curls to create waves
4. Lightly spritz a conditioner like Oribe's Soft Dry Conditioner Spray through the ends to add softness and shine
5. Finish with hair spray or anti-humidity spray like Oribe's Impermeable Anti-Humidity Spray

Celeb Stylist, Danilo, Wants to Tackle Your Mane

Gwen Stefani, Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway are just a few of the leading ladies Pantene Celebrity Stylist and Global Ambassador, Danilo, has his hands on on a regular basis.  Now it's your turn.  He'll be at the Walgreens Pop Up in NYC's Times Square this Saturday, July 20th offering free consultations!  Ladies, I've had my hair done by him before and it's a treat!

Event Details: Saturday, July, 20, 2013 12pm-4pm Walgreens, 1471 Broadway New York NY 10036

Appointments are on a first come, first serve basis.  If I were you I'd get there early and wait!  It's well worth it.  Especially if you have somewhere to go on Saturday night.

He'll be using Pantene products that help fight the elements like:

o Daily Moisture Renewal Silky Moisture Whip o Volume Root Lifter Spray Gel o Smooth with Argan Oil Shine Serum o Ultimate 10 BB Crème

Also, for those of you who can't make it, I'm giving away a Pantene Weather Prep Kit and will have an interview up on the site with Danilo next week so you, too can have all of the tools and tips to style your hair in all types of weather.  To enter, leave a comment below about how humidity affects your hair, register here so I know how to find you and RT the giveaway on Twitter.

*This is a sponsored post by Pantene, but all of my thoughts and actions are true.

Video: How to Create A Faux Bob

Often times on red carpets one of the most talked about hairstyles is the faux bob. Earlier this year we were all questioning whether or not Frieda Pinto, Sarah Hyland and Naomi Watts chopped their hair, but of course they were rocking faux bobs.  In this video, I partnered with Vidal Sassoon Pro Series to show you how to create the trendy style.  It's so easy!  This is the project that inspired me to really chop off my hair!  

Amanda Seyfried's Hair Stylist Hints at Her Oscars Red Carpet Look

I just got off the phone with Amanda Seyfried's hair stylist, Jenny Cho, who was busy running around "fine tuning her kit" for Oscar day.  Besides working with Amanda, she's also doing Jennifer Gardner's hair on Sunday.  Eagerly awaiting the red carpet, I got the scoop from Amanda's long time stylist about what we will be seeing on Sunday and her styling must-haves. After working with Amanda for about five years, Cho says, "When we get ready for an event like this it’s magical because everything comes together from the dress to the shoes to the makeup and the hair and there’s a moment where magic happens."

Being part of the Oscars this year is extra special as Les Miserables was nominated for Best Picture, so of course, eyes will be on her!  As a tease to her dress, Cho explained it has aspects to it that are new for Amanda, hinting at the shape.

"On each red carpet event I want my clients to look their best and in doing so, sometimes hair or makeup have to sit back," she explains.  However when I asked what would take center stage this Sunday, she simply stated, "Let's just say Amanda's wearing the whole look, it's not wearing her."

As for fine tuning her stylist kit, Cho's go-to products to create the Oscar-worthy style on Sunday will be Suave Professional Moroccan Infusion Aragan Styling Oil and their Lightweight Hairspray.  The oil is a complete must-have, because it will be used from start to finish.  First, on Amanda's damp hair to prep before a blow dry.  "It helps me glide through it and allows me to start her hairstyle in the right direction," Cho explains.  Then, as a finishing touch at the end to add shine and smooth fly aways.

Get the Look: Kate Hudson's Hair at the Venice Film Festival

I've always been a huge fan of Kate Hudson, her chick flicks and effortless style.  This week at the Venice Film Festival she donned two fab hair looks for the premiere of her new thriller, The Reluctant Fundamentalist.  Her long time stylist and friend, David Babaii filled me in on how to recreate the looks... you know you want to!

How to Get Kate's Loose Waves

For a daytime press conference she kept her hair down in loose, boho waves.  Babaii parted her hair down the center and applied IT&LY Pure Style Mousse from the center of her hairs shaft to the ends then blew it dry with  a larget paddle brush focusing on smoothing the top.  For the ends, he used a round brush and wrapped sections around it to create loose waves as he dried.

How To Get Kate's Chignon

For the nighttime premiere, Babaii's inspiration was drawn from the Venetian Goddesses of Italy.  Kate's hair is naturally wavy so he just used his fingers as a comb to create definition in the style without messing up her texture.  The back is simply swept off of her shoulders into a simple, unstructured twist held together with bobby pins.