Whose Hair Was Haute & Whose Was A Hot Mess

Crap.

Need more mousse. Flip head and blowdry.

Damnit.

Add gel. Tease.

Aaaargh!

Fine, where's a headband? 

There's nothing like a bad hair day to ruin your entire morning.

Just imagine the stress if you were getting ready to walk the red carpet instead of navigating the gauntlet of criticism at the office from the Banana Republic-wearing mean girls and the bitchy gay guy in the cubicle across from you.

Remember Jessica Biel's "just back from the gym" straggly, greasy locks at the Oscars last year? Or Cameron Diaz's uncombed hair at the Golden Globes?  And who could forget the "Bjork swan dress" of bad hair dos, er, don'ts: Juliette Lewis' cornrows at the 1992 Oscars. We die. But not in a good way.

Now that the Spanx are off and the dress-bag dust has settled, we look back at the hairstyles that adorned Hollywood's leading ladies on the red carpet from Roy Thompson Hall to the Hazelton Hotel at the just wrapped Toronto International Film Festival.

For A-list expertise, Woman.ca went to "Master-of-the-Blow-out," Beni Sicilia, owner and creative director of the Blowdry Lounge. With more than 15 years of tress experience, Sicilia has styled such bold-face names as Julie Christy (icon!), Laura Linney and Ellen Page. 

His hair philosophy: it's all about that little something extra.

Jennifer Connelly: Kicking off TIFF in Creation, Sicilia's take on Connelly's hair is at least better than the reviews for her film.  "It's safe hair. She has very strong features so I would have gone for something with some height in the front or some loose waves and a low ponytail to frame her face."

Mariah Carey:  Mariah’s role in Precious almost absolves her of the running joke known as Glitter. She went on a beauty detox and disassociated from her diva alter ego.  But at the premiere, she returned to her signature over-the-top style. "I love her 'Vision of Love' curls!," says Sicilia. "Sure, it's a bit of an outdated look, but it's Mariah. She looks great."

Amanda Seyfried: Let's face it--Jennifer's Body was all about Megan Fox. But Amanda owned the red carpet at the Chloe (her second TIFF movie) after-party hosted by ET Canada. Sicilia says: "Perfect! Classic old Hollywood. Very Jessica Rabbit." It’s like her way of saying, “Seriously, I look like the real star, right?”

Drew Barrymore: Everyone loves Drew and her quirky style but her two-tone Debbie Harry-esque hair had opinions divided like bad split ends. "I hate it," says Sicilia. "It looks like she dipped the ends of her hair in dye; it's too harsh."  Just because you can pull it off and we still find you adorable, it doesn't mean you should.

Megan Fox: The underexposed "Jennifer's Body" star had one of the buzziest films at TIFF that didn't star George Clooney. And according to Sicilia, one of the best coiffed heads of hair, "For me, she had the best hair of the festival." He adds, "It's very pinup girl, that whole thing. It's 'done' hair. Very polished."

Julianne Moore: "She's a beautiful woman, but her hair ..." says Sicilia. "Technically, I hate it. It looks like a football on the back of her head. Her hair does nothing for her."

The fix?

"Having the bun either higher or lower would have been better or even slightly off-center. I hate hair that looks like there was no effort put into it."

Lazy hair-itis (we're looking at you, Kate Hudson) is one of Sicilia's biggest pet peeves.  And as every red carpet watcher knows, not trying hard enough is just as bad as trying too hard. "Take the time and effort to look good for your fans," Sicilia advises.

So, as awards season officially gets in gear, will TIFF's unfussy dos, shiny waves and undone chignons reign supreme? "I think we're going to see a return to 'Breck girl' hair -- big, full hair but not Marge Simpson beehives -- and the Heidi braid will still be a popular red carpet look," Sicilia predicts.

That's all well and good, but what the heck are we going to do with our hair in the meantime?!

By Paige Muller

Blowdry Lounge

1343 Yonge Street  

416.847.BLOW(2569) 

Paige Muller, Gossip & Hollywood Hijinx
		About the author:
		Paige Muller is a gossip gal with an appreciation – some would say obsession – for Hollywood hijinx, celebrity style and the latest fashion trends.  From who hooked up, who's knocked up and "WTF are they wearing?", Paige offers all the dish, with a side of snark. When not pondering Jennifer Aniston's perplexing post-breakup PR strategy, Paige is a published writer and communications professional who has worked with brands like Dove, L'Oreal, More magazine, Gap and WE: Woman's Entertainment.
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