Chris Appleton is Hollywood's hottest stylist, with clients including J-Lo, Rita Ora, Katy Perry and Ariana Grande. We got him to share his A-list tips and tricks
He’s originally from Leicester but today Chris Appleton is LA’s hottest stylist. He's the man who gave Kim Kardashian her famous platinum makeover, turned Jennifer Lopez into the queen of the statement updo and chopped Rita Ora for the Oscars.
'Everyone thinks I'm this overnight sensation in LA but I’ve been doing hair in a salon since I was 13,’ he says. ‘I’ve done everything from catwalk to TV to celebrity and salons. I live and breathe it.'
He now works with some of the most famous faces in the world, but he reckons his celebs don’t get special treatment.
'People say, “What's it like doing Kim?” and I honestly say it’s the same as with any woman I work with it. I just want to make them feel and look great, and hopefully that’s why they like me.'
He’s so popular with the Kardashian clan he’s worked his magic on Kourtney and Kendall too.
'Oh I don’t know who calls dibs!' he laughs. 'I’ll let them fight it out. I get my agent to deal with that...'
How he nails Kim's supersleek finish
'Kim’s said if she had to have one look forever, it would be this long, sleek, superluxe hair,' says Chris. 'The inspiration was Cher in the 60s, and it’s all about that shine and condition. Kim's really great at looking after her hair.'
Steal the style: ‘Long, centre-parted hair can look hard unless it’s glossy,' says Chris 'That luxe finish is all about the blow-dry. I’ll prep with ColorWow Dream Coat, £24, which seals the hair – if you put water on it afterwards, it literally rolls off. It's my red carpet essential because it just locks in the style. For the blow-dry, I love the Dyson Dryer, £299.99. It’s light, powerful, and you can use the nozzle to blast shine onto the hair. I also use the Wet Brush, £10.99, which holds hair taut, but doesn’t drag and break the hair.’
How he gave Kim her platinum makeover
'Kim going blonde was my idea,' says Chris. 'We talked about it for ages and then she was like, "I'm ready!" I wasn’t nervous because we did it in the right way. I was like, "We’re not going to try to do this in one go, we’re going to do it properly." It took over a week to get to the right shade. I gave her a dark wig to wear in between, so nobody would realise. Going blonde felt fresh and she’s loving it. She’ll go back to dark at some point, but expect a few more surprises first.’
Steal the style: ‘Be prepared to spend time and money getting and maintaining platinum hair,' says Chris. 'Kim’s looks great because it’s in such good condition. Have a consultation with a stylist you trust, find out the cost and upkeep. I recommend using Olaplex (a salon strengthening treatment) when you colour as this lets you push hair lighter without damaging it. Think about your whole look – your make-up and clothes might need to change. If you want to be in the background, platinum isn’t for you, but every woman should try blonde at least once.’
How he bigged up Jennifer Lopez
‘Big hair is back for 2018!' says Chris. 'We had so much fun with this wild look. I think it’s going to be a year when women are going to want to embrace natural texture and free up their hair.’
Steal the style: ‘Most people have a natural wave in their hair, but they’ve never embraced it,' says Chris. 'Everyone just puts their hairdryer diffuser in the drawer, but I say dig it out, scrunch-dry your hair and then use a half-inch curling iron to enhance your natural texture. You’ll get so much more volume. We’re so used to ironing our hair flat, we forget what it can actually do.’
How he reinvented the updo
‘Everyone went crazy for this updo,' says Chris. 'J-Lo looks great with her hair up – she has such a beautiful face, I always want to show it off. I created this look by smoothing her hair into a nice, clean ponytail, then I made three braids and pinned them into a sculpture at the back.’
Steal the style: ‘It’s a directional look, but it’s like the catwalk – you see a trend and then it filters down to a more consumer-friendly version. This shows how you can balance an updo by having hair sleek at the front, then positioning the detail in the right place, so it’s not too high or low. You could use this for a braided bun, for instance.‘
TIP: ‘When I’m securing hair, I use pins (not kirby grips) and bend one of the arms back, so when I push it into the hair it locks into place and can’t slide back out.’
How Adele made him emotional
Adele at the 2017 Grammys(Image: Splash)
Chris says, ‘I don’t generally get lost in what I'm doing, but when I saw Adele on the red carpet at the Grammys I got a bit emotional, she looked so beautiful. And it was great working with a fellow Brit. That evening I got to do lots of things with her hair – it went from chignon to messy topknot button to waves.’
Steal the style: ‘Adele is known for her volume, and to get that look I use old-school velcro or heated rollers,' says Chris. 'You don’t get the same bounce with anything else. Roll up bigger sections if you don’t want it to look too “set”. A good texturising spray is key if you want volume. My favourite is Color Wow Style On Steroids, £20 – it’s not sticky or matte, and it gets better with heat. It makes it so easy to build and shape hair.’
How he gave Rita Ora the chop
Rita at the Oscars(Image: Getty)
‘Rita is so fearless – we’ve done every look, colour and length under the sun,' says Chris. 'One of my favourites was when we cut her hair short for the Oscars. It was so simple and chic, and I loved she had the confidence to pull it off.’
Steal the style: ‘People often cut their hair short thinking it’s going to be easy, but while it’s quicker to dry, it takes more time to style. You can’t just chuck it into a ponytail. But I do think going shorter is a great way to spice up your hair, and with the right cut, it’s very feminine and sexy. Condition is so important with short hair. It has to look glossy when you’re going for that chic pixie-style cut, so don’t cut back on nourishing masks.’
How he preps for the red carpet
'Katy is so much fun to work with, she always loves trying something different,’ says Chris. 'Everyone thought I’d made her Met Ball beehive in advance and just put it on, but I actually sculpted it on her head, hair by hair. There were actually six other looks ready to go for that night, my hotel room was full of wigs. You never know if the outfit is going to change at the last minute.
Steal the style: 'Wigs are amazing,' says Chris. 'They’re so realistic now, and they’re a great way of transforming your hair without damaging it. The key thing is to get the right fit and make sure you own hair is flat underneath. Watch online videos to see how to do it. Or if you don’t a full wig, just using clip-in pieces makes such a difference.'
The rules Chris tells his clients…
* Use a sulphate-free shampoo, like ColorWow Colour Security, from £9, to keep your scalp clean and let your hair grow through strong and healthy. The link between chemical build-up and thinning hair is horrifying.
* Everyone should condition their hair as much as possible. The more you put back in, the more you get out. I like the Olaplex at-home Hair Perfector, £30.
* When you can, leave your hair alone, tie it back and don’t wash it more than you have to.
* Try styling with treatment oils and conditioners. Just apply them and smooth the hair back.
* Go easy on the heat. If you have colour-treated or fine hair, you don’t need maximum setting.
Chris Appleton is the Global Creative Director of Color Wow, Colorwowhair.com
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