With Breaking Bad and Dexter both wrapping up in recent days, we want to honor actresses who brought pretty brunette looks to the small screen in shows we won’t be seeing anymore except in reruns—and, in the cases of Breaking Bad and Dexter, in our nightmares.
Betsy Brandt
Breaking Bad
Compared to Walter White, Betsy Brandt’s character, Marie Schrader, wasn’t so bad. Celeb stylist Sean James had the privilege of styling Betsy for the series. Luckily, Betsy is still on TV as Mike Henry's wife on the Michael J. Fox Show. Sean’s styling how-to:
STEP 1: Distribute a tennis-ball size of Rene Furterer Volumea Mousse throughout the roots and mid-lengths.
STEP 2: Dry the hair thoroughly using the Rusk CTC blow dryer and a large-barrel Spornette Porcupine brush until you begin to form the desired lift and shape.
STEP 3: Taking vertical sections, wrap hair around a 1'' barrel BaBylissPro Nano Titanium curling iron, winding away from the head to form sausage barrels. Let the hair sit and cool.
STEP 4: When hair has cooled, loosen with fingertips and spray into shape with Rene Ferterer Vegetal Finishing Spray for a light hold.
Jennifer Carpenter
Dexter
and
Tina Fey
30 Rock
As Dexter’s sister Debra, a police officer, Jennifer Carpenter eventually had to cope with conflicting loyalties. Perhaps that dual affection was reflected in her ombre waves.
Liz Lemon brought a sexy vibe to glasses, wit and awkwardness—which Tina Fey, who wrote and played Liz, does as well. We didn’t have to wait to see Fey for too long; she just hosted Saturday Night Live’s 2013-2014 season opener, and her chocolate locks looked great.
Check here for Goldwell Lead Artistic Director John Simpson’s tips on creating a classic ombre look.
Jenna Fischer
The Office
Jenna Fischer’s Pam is another comedy favorite who combined cute with smart. Here she is at a SAG Awards ceremony toward the end of the sitcom’s run. The side bun, still a red carpet fave, was designed by Bertrand W. of Tracey Mattingly. Here’s the how-to:
STEP 1: After blowing the hair out straight, angle a part from the forehead to the back.
STEP 2: Sweep hair sideways, and spritz it with a glossing spray while making sure the stays just a little loose.
STEP 3: Brush the hair from left to right, form a low, side ponytail and tease it to create a strong base.
STEP 4: Brush along the part of the ponytail to smooth the hair and give it shape. Secure with bobby pins, and repeat the glossing spray spritz to tame flyaways.
Katherine McPhee
Smash
The musical show didn’t run long for the American Idol runner-up, but she wore some great hair while it lasted. To create one of Katherine’s signature topknot looks, check out the How-To from a similar look crafted by celebrity stylist Ryan Trygstad.
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