Halle Berry Chopped Off 5 Inches of Her Hair for the Oscars—Exclusive Details
Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
In preparation for the 2017 Oscars, just about every star in attendance had a pre-show hair session with their stylist of choice--nothing too out of the ordinary when living that glamorous life. Halle Berry and her hairstylist Castillo, on the other hand, decided to cut off 5 inches from her strands prior to the event in order to get the look exact. "I would say I cut off at least 5 inches. It created a whole new shape," Castillo tells InStyle. "It's definitely a new look for her--we went for a very natural, curly, powerful asymetrical 'fro. This is something she'e never done before and it's just ridiculous how good she looks." Although we're getting some serious Studio 54 vibes, Castillo didn't use a reference point in creating her voluminous curls. According to the pro, Berry prefers that imperfect, undone effect, so he started with her natural texture as a base, and used his product arsenal to bring out even more movement. The style was almost two weeks in the making, as the duo had a few test-runs leading up to the big night. "As much as it's unlike anything she's ever worn--because we all know her short pixie or long wavy hair--it just broguht this glow and happiness to her. I was like, I love this hair on you," he adds. "I deconstructed it in a way that was whimsical and organic, but also balanced the graphic nature of the dress."
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Castillo began by lathering up, using the MOP Mixed Greens shampoo and conditioner ($20 and $22; mopproducts.com) to ensure her curls were well-hydrated. He followed by adding a dollop of the C-Curl Defining Cream ($22; mopproducts.com) and the Lemongrass Volume Whip ($22; mopproducts.com), then picked up the T3 Featherweight Dryer ($250; sephora.com) with the diffuser attachment to help bring out the curves in her layers. Once her strands were completely dry, the T3 Twirl Curling Iron ($185; sephora.com) helped to further pump up volume and add drama. A generous veil of the MOP C-System Firm Finish Hairspray ($24; mopproducts.com) locked in the style. No surprise here, the vibe backstage was pretty chill as Berry prepped for the awards show, with good music playing, and even better food in abundance. "I mean, all I can say is Bruno Mars--she loves the album and we've been listening to it nonstop all week," Castillo tells us. "It's always such a cool, mellow vibe with her, almost like getting ready with family. I'm a big eater, especially when I work, and there was definitely fried chicken and dumplings we were all eating." Now that's a pregame session we'd want to be in on.
