After the world fell in love with chess and its red-headed prodigy last fall, the re-emergence of Anya Taylor-Joy on the awards circuit was a startling sight. Her hair, released from its Queen’s Gambit wig, shimmered like a fairy-tale plot point: impossibly long, impossibly blonde. Maintaining such splendor seemed to require more than the usual tips and tricks— maybe something more like supernatural spells from her 2015 debut, The Witch.
“She just has this very ethereal kind of energy to her, like a magical angel,” says hairstylist Gregory Russell, who has worked with Taylor-Joy for the past few years. Her cascading waves at this year’s Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards—Hollywood glamour by way of Jerry Hall and Veruschka—were Russell’s doing. He was also on set for Taylor-Joy’s Vanity Fair cover shoot, where the day’s key hair product turned out to be a steady rain. “I’m so lucky because she just has perfect hair that does not get frizzy. She’s very blessed in the hair department,” says Russell, who was recently named artistic global ambassador of Pureology. “Well, many departments—hair especially!”
The actor dressed for the Critics Choice Awards earlier this month.
By Pip/Camera Press.Taylor-Joy has a chameleonic way with color. In the noirish thriller Thoroughbreds, her hair is a wholesome chestnut brown; the shade of wheat seen on her God-fearing character in The Witch hews closer to the actor’s natural dark blonde. It’s the most visible representation of the inner work her roles require, but one senses that the 24-year-old relishes that physical transformation. In her profile of Taylor-Joy, Hermione Hoby recounts one early beauty impulse: “At 14, she went to New York on her own for a two-week directing program where the first thing she did was dye her hair pink in a Chipotle bathroom.” As the actor tells Hoby, “I literally came in from the airport and I saw Ricky’s and I was like, Yes, pink hair—that’s what I need.”
Right now, on the other hand, the Golden Globe winner requires an equally golden prescription: a creamy shade of platinum, with all the upkeep that long, color-treated hair requires. Here, Russell offers his principles for blonde maintenance, from purple shampoos (used sparingly) and treatment masks (applied weekly) to gentle styling aids.
Purple Shampoos and Strengthening Formulas
Pristine blonde hair—rich but not brassy, luminous without edging into silvery white—is a serious commitment. “It’s an every two week kind of thing,” suggests Russell. Because the color process weakens the hair fibers, “it’s important to use a fortifying shampoo and conditioner,” he says, pointing out that Pureology’s Strength Cure line makes a version for blondes as well as a regular formula, good for toggling back and forth. As he sees it, there’s a misconception that blondes must use purple-toned shampoo all the time, in order to counteract yellowing. “All that does is dull out your hair—what that looks like on camera is really flat,” he says. “You don’t get that bright movie-star blonde unless you’re only hitting it with purple shampoo once it gets a little brassy.” Edging toward gray has its place (Russell thinks of ’90s icon Kristin McMenamy; ditto Phoebe Bridgers), but the impression is that “they should always be in Steven Klein lighting,” he says, alluding to the fashion photographer’s stylized, cool-tone set-ups.
Treatment Masks and Nourishing Hair Oils
Stabilizing the perfect shade of blonde is one thing; maintaining serious length, as with Taylor-Joy’s waist-grazing hair, is quite another. “I think most people are like, ‘Oh, extensions. Her new look,’ or whatever,” says Russell. “I’m like, ‘No, no—that’s her!’” The hairstylist stresses to the platinum-curious that veering this light means “you really have to be a ritualistic person to be able to maintain healthy hair.” Regular at-home treatments are part of Russell’s prescription (and personal routine, with his own long, silky hair to maintain). “It’s really important once a week to do a moisture mask, which is just straight-up moisture being pumped into your cortex,” he says; every other week, he recommends a fortifying protein mask to seal the cuticle and strengthen the overall structure. Another lo-fi tip: “Use a heavy fatty oil—raw coconut oil is super healing, or avocado oil—in your hair the night before you’re going to wash.” (It will absorb remarkably well into a braid.) Always apply oil to dry hair, he cautions; otherwise, “it’s going to be super oily for eight washes!”
Protective Styling Aids and Gentle Accessories
“Listen, the less heat you can put on your hair when it’s lightened, the better,” says Russell, who adds that Taylor-Joy “100% is an air-dry girl” apart from awards season. If your natural texture or hairstyle demands a bit more control, seek out styling creams that deliver hydration, he says. “If you’re going to use heat tools, you have to understand that you’re pulling moisture out, so you’ve got to put it back in.” Built-in heat protection and environmental shields are key to look for in a formula. Russell swears by Pureology’s hair-taming serum, perfect for raking through hair when it’s wet and then topping off when dry—the heavier weight particularly suited to coarse or curly textures. He also recommends GHD’s hot brush as a low-impact means of smoothing out fine, air-dried hair. And don’t overdo it with the hair ties and top knots, he adds. “You really want to be conscious of wearing your hair low, and being as gentle with elastics on your hair as possible, especially when it’s wet,” he says. Silk scrunchies are a wise move; he also likes SILKE’s “gorgeous silk turbans—sleeping in a turban like that protects your hair.” Anything for glamour.
— Why Meghan and Harry’s Revelations About Racism Within the Royal Family Were So Devastating
— After the Year of No Bras, Things Are Looking Up
— The Hamptons Rids Itself of Donald Trump Jr. Ahead of High Season
— The New, Sad Irony of the Rift Between Prince William and Prince Harry
— Caroline Rose Giuliani’s Unicorn Tale: Three-Way Sex Has Made Me a Better Person
— A Brief History of Piers Morgan’s One-Sided TV Feud With Meghan Markle
— 20 Women-Owned Fashion Brands for Celebrating Women’s History Month
— From the Archive: Meghan Markle, an American Princess
— Not a subscriber? Join Vanity Fair to receive full access to VF.com and the complete online archive now.