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Rihanna Looked Amazing on American Idol

Last night was very special for me. I had just wrapped up an interview with Lynn Tully, the lead hairdresser at American Idol (for the May 2 episode of Modernsalontv) and was invited to sit in the audience to watch the show. One of the highlights of the hour was the Rihanna performance. Wow...that chic chick can sing. But even more impressive was her HAIR!! "Wasn't her head shaved on one side last month?" asked the fan sitting next to me. Sure was...which is why I did some digging to find out what Rihanna's BFF, hairdresser and FHI Heat VisionMaker Ursula Stephen did to get the length, volume and gorgeous finish.

Maggie Mulhern
Maggie MulhernBeauty and Fashion Director, MODERN SALON
Read Maggie's Posts
July 11, 2011
Rihanna Looked Amazing on American Idol

 

2 min to read


Last night was very special for me. I had just wrapped up an interview with Lynn Tully, the lead hairdresser at American Idol and was invited to sit in the audience to watch the show. One of the highlights of the hour was the Rihanna performance. Wow...that chic chick can sing.

But even more impressive was her HAIR!! "Wasn't her head shaved on one side last month?" asked the fan sitting next to me. Sure was...which is why I did some digging to find out what Rihanna's BFF, hairdresser and FHI Heat VisionMaker Ursula Stephen did to get the length, volume and gorgeous finish.

Obviously it was a wig, but Ursula would only spill the following beans: "The look was influenced by Diana Ross, really big and sexy, with lots of body, texture and just the right amount of movement."

Most interesting, I learned, is the collaboration between artist and artist. "At first, we weren't sure what to do, and we started throwing ideas back and forth. Ri said she wanted something sexy, and we almost went with a sleek, straight look. But I wasn't feeling passionate about that, so we switched to texture at the last minute, but decided to soften the curls from the look she's been wearing."

When asked how to get the look, Ursula offered: "All you need is the FHI Heat Curling Iron, spritz, tail comb and a pick. Take small sections of hair, spritz and then wrap around the outside of the curling iron to reinforce the curls. When you have completed the entire head, pull out curls with your pick."

Bottom line, the song AND her hair were total hits.

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