Owner of the most-wanted 'do of the '90s and still flaunting some fabulous tresses in the 'noughties', Jennifer Aniston is this month's handbag hair icon. Hairdressing hotshot Ben White of über-cool Fordham White salon shows how you can recreate the soft, sexy and seriously stylish A-list locks of everyone's favourite Friend.
Jennifer by day...
Jen's daytime look is all about a carefree and understated approach to glamour. A longer version of the infamous 'Rachel', this laidback, casual look suits Jennifer's natural fresh face and is perfect for daytime looks. Most face shapes can pull off this 'do so if you're looking to steal Jen's style for summer, Ben White, of Fordham White salon, suggests asking your stylist for 'layers to be left long but textured through to soften up the whole look, and be sure to avoid any harsh lines.' Jennifer's colour is certainly something to covet for our favourite season – sunkissed and super-glossy, as Ben says 'this colour is a beautiful cinnamon shade with cleverly placed slices of golden blonde peeking through. These colours are very flattering to an enormous number of different complexions and can be achieved in a variety of ways. As long as your own colour is not too dark, even a semi-permanent colour can be used, but don't despair if you are a little darker, it's equally easy to achieve by using permanent colours too.' Speak to your colourist to ensure you achieve the perfect shade, and to make sure you wind up with blonde slices that are more sunkissed than brassy.
Anyone who's seen shots of Jennifer pre-'Friends' will know she has naturally thick, curly hair that's not particularly becoming to such a stylish Hollywood star. This hair type needs a good deal of taming to look as sleek and shiny as Jen's does now. 'There's no shortcut to a great blow-dry,' warns Ben. 'Take the time to section the hair off properly and use a large round bristle brush to stroke the hair into submission, as well as a nozzle on your hairdryer to concentrate the air flow and flatten unruly cuticles. The brand new blow-dry crème in the L'Oréal Hair Mix range, Supreme Smooth (£11.50. 0800 072 6699) would be a perfect choice.' Developed to tame even the wildest and thirstiest of hair, it moisturises, controls frizz and protects against heat damage. And we all know the damage that our trusty straightening irons can do to our tresses, so for extra protection Ben advises a smidge of L'Oréal's Hot Style Iron Finish (£11.50). 'Applied to dry hair prior to straightening, it helps the irons to glide effortlessly along the hair, sealing in moisture as they go.'
For the final flourish, be sure to treat your tresses to a generous spritz of a good gloss spray to achieve Jennifer-style sheen. Ben recommends the Hemp Seed Spray Shine by Alterna (£16, 0845 458 2825) to complete the look – 'this fabulously fragrant lightweight spray adds a mirror finish to the dullest of hair and guarantees you will look and smell your best all day!'
Jennifer by night...
The kind of tousled, loose curls and waves Jennifer adopted as her evening do at the world premier of latest movie 'The Break-Up' are huge this season. 'This is a sexier, more glamorous look for Jennifer. It's still very soft, the parting's not so definite yet it's somehow dressier than the straighter, sleeker look we're more used to seeing her sporting,' says Ben. 'The condition looks fabulous. It's a well-documented fact that Jennifer uses White Truffle Shampoo and Conditioner by Alterna (from £27) - without doubt the most luxurious (not to mention the most expensive) way to bathe your locks! If your budget doesn't run to this, check out the new Tanagra treatment being offered in selected salons. It's a revolutionary way to rebuild damaged hair by firing nano-molecules of keratin into the hair shaft. The results are nothing short of astonishing, promising to transform hair damaged by chemicals, heat or wear and tear.'
This look is lighter than Jen's usual shade, and there's no denying this colour is absolutely stunning – and easily achievable without an A-list budget. As Ben says, 'the good news is that advances in technology mean that most of us now have access to hairdressing salons using such revolutionary products that formerly unachievable colours are now possible. "Bleach" need not be such a scary prospect any more. With new formulations designed to protect the hair's lipidic rate while gently lifting out the colour, even those with naturally dark hair like Jennifer can achieve crystal clear, almost translucent blonde shimmer.'
As for those gorgeous, loose, tumbling curls, they're easier than you may think to achieve, even for those of us with naturally straight locks. Ben claims that 'a simple flick of the straightening irons can make these tousled waves appear as if by magic! For those of you who haven't quite worked out how to do this yet, a set of heated rollers are just as good (and probably easier to use). If your hair's not as thick as Jennifer's (and let's face it, most of us aren't that lucky) a few squirts of KMS Sea Salt Spray (£10.75, www.hqhair.com) really helps to add volume and texture. It's even great to just spray in and leave to give that been-strolling-by-the-sea sexiness that we all love.'
All quotes are from Ben White at Fordham White salon, 47 Greek St, Soho, London W1D 4EE. Appts: 020 7287 8484 or www.fordhamwhite.com
