Hair Icon - Nicole Kidman

Every month we unveil our handbag hair icon, with top styling tips from the UK's finest hairdressers on how you can recreate her day and night looks yourself...

Who can forget the fuzzy-haired redhead that cycled on to our screens back in 1983's BMX Bandits? Well, we sure Nicole would love us to forget, but she's come a long way since then. Not only has the A-list Aussie become one of Hollywood's most bankable stars, with an Oscar and several other trophies under her belt, she's also at the top of her game when it comes to elegant style. Thanks to the discovery of serum, Nicole's tresses are more foxy than frizzy, and she looks fabulous with either her natural curls or a sleeker style.

If you fancy recreating the gorgeously defined, corkscrew curls of Nicole's day look, or transforming your tresses into a sleek straight style a'la Nic by night, we've got the low-down on how it's done thanks to top British stylist Anne Veck…

  Nicole by day Nicole's natural curls look fabulous went swept up in an 'undone' style with loose curly tendrils - a look that's very 'now' if this season's catwalks are anything to go by. As Anne Veck, Creative Director of Anne Veck Salons, points out, 'this style really frames Nic's perfect, oval shaped face, and is ideal for a glamorous-on-the-go day look.'

After washing, treat your tresses to a ball of a light or medium hold mousse, Anne suggests trying 'Wella's High Hair Curl Energy (£7.95) – it would be perfect for creating Nicole-style curls. The finishing touch would be to enhance the curls and fight frizz with a good serum'. Handbag loves John Freida Frizz Ease Hair Serum (£3.95) if you're prone to attacks of the frizzies. If your hair lacks volume at the roots, spritz them with a good volume boosting product, like Paul Mitchell Volumizing Spray (£9.99) before drying. Nicole's hair has been blow-dried using a diffuser to give extra definition and body to those famous curls. Once dry, 'she has gently pulled back her hair allowing the curls to drop naturally' Anne says, 'she hasn't used a brush or comb, using only her fingers to section her hair in order to avoid disturbing the curls. If your style is looking a little flat, softly comb back certain areas using a toothcomb.'

As Nicole is a natural redhead, Anne feels this blonde colour doesn't suit her best, 'she looks just a little too pale in the sun light! But the colour itself is beautiful. To achieve it, I'd ask your salon to use a high lift tint or lots of high lights combining bleach or gold strands, depending on the client's original natural hair colour and the degree of lift needed.' Those of you with natural red locks, like Nicole, should opt for darker shades of blonde or red.

  Nicole by night A sleek, straight style enhances the shine in Nicole's naturally curly locks. Those of you with naturally straight hair should find this style a breeze, whilst curly girlies might need a little more guidance… 'To create the style, Nicole has used a big barrel brush whilst blow-drying in sections, a lengthy process but the results are worth it.' Its worth investing a good barrelled brush if you want a salon-quality blow-dry at home, like the Large Thermoceramic Hot Curl brush (£9.95, www.denmanbrush.com) - it's perfect for straightening and smoothing longer locks. If you usually struggle to get your hair straight and sleek, Anne recommends applying 'Wella High Hair Sleek Wonder (£7.95) or something similar after washing. This serum combines with the heat of the dryer to really straighten the hair but retain moisture.'

Unlike her 'day' colour, Anne thinks this hue suits Nic's skintone perfectly. 'The colour is beautiful, a lovely rich glowing gold tone. She's enhanced her natural colour with a semi-permanent colour, so if you want a similar result, try Wella's Colour Touch (£12) in a very light golden beige or golden blonde to recreate the look.' The gloss is worthy of any A-lister, so to create similar starlet-style shine, lightly mist hair with a good gloss spray, like Bumble and bumble Bb Shine (£15).

'Remember, curly hair is usually dry hair' warns Annes, 'so it's important to keep it in great condition at all times with a good nourishing and moisturising shampoo, conditioner and regular treatment mask. Give the SP Hydro range from Wella a whirl (from £10), it provides hair with long lasting moisture and active protection against drying out - perfect for high maintenance styles!'

Top advice from a top stylist! Fancy an appointment with the lady herself? Call Anne's Oxford salon on 01865 727077 or 0870 0628927, or visit her website at www.anneveckhair.com