Table Of Content
With summer around the corner, and thanks to last year's premiere of "The Little Mermaid" movie, it seems everyone is trying to achieve that coveted mermaidcore aesthetic. If you're also capturing every aquatic-themed beauty trend like they're Poké Balls, read ahead for everything you should know about mermaid haircuts. But, as it turns out, it wasn't cheap. In fact, it reportedly set Disney back a deposit for a house.
Be Tough on Dirt But Gentle on Your Body With the Best Soaps for Sensitive Skin
Halle Bailey's Little Mermaid Hair Transformation, Red Locs - BuzzFeed
Halle Bailey's Little Mermaid Hair Transformation, Red Locs.
Posted: Thu, 25 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
We wanted to keep all those fun elements because she’s a girl. Oscar-nominated celebrity hairstylist Camille Friend was responsible for creating Bailey's hairstyle to play Ariel while Peter Swords King was the lead hair and makeup designer for the rest of the cast. Having previously worked on film projects such as "Black Panther," "Captain Marvel," and many, many more, it's safe to say Friend was up for the challenge of reimagining cartoon Ariel's look for the 2023 movie. Remember the micro-braids era of the late '90s and early '00s when stars like Brandy and Beyoncé had those incredibly defined, piecey ends? Yeah, those were the braided version of mermaid cuts. While it's trending all over social media today, as most things in fashion and beauty, the look has been popular before.
Halle Bailey Says It Was 'Super Important' to Show Her Natural Hair in 'The Little Mermaid'
At one point, Friend said Bailey sat for 12 to 14 hours during the wrapping process. The hair that was added was Keratin-infused, three different shades of red, and 30 inches long — which meant the price tag was high. Yes, but it goes in and out, so we’d have a scene where part of it was shot that way, and part was with Halle’s hair, so I worked with the effects department before we even started shooting. I built the effects team a wig, a replica of her hair, so they had something tactile. That way, they could see the color, put it in water, or do whatever they needed with it.
Transforming Halle Bailey's Locs Into Ariel's Hair
But no diving is required to get these waves. “Fill a spray bottle with a mixture that's one part conditioner and four parts water,” says hairstylist David Babaii. “Spritz your hair from roots to ends, and work it through with a wide-tooth comb.” You can also comb through gel or mousse to help shape your hair. Halle's incredible locs for the film were reportedly 24 inches long – almost putting even Rapunzel to shame – so it's not a surprise the hair pros racked up an eye-watering bill. While many of us were simply looking forward to Halle sporting some red hair, hairstylist, Camille Friend, recently revealed that the mermaid-worthy hair cost a jaw-dropping $150,000 to create.
We weren’t sure if we were going to wig her or what. After that, I went to meet Halle and her family and really got a sense of who she is. She said, “Camille, I really want to wear my natural hair. ” And I said, “Yeah, we can figure it out.” So then I went to London, and we just started really playing with color and texture. I want to give so much credit to Rob Marshall and Disney.
On top of that, maintaining Bailey’s natural hair was an important requirement she needed to meet. “Locs don’t float,” Friend said, which meant she would add loose pieces of hair to add to that signature bouncy look that Ariel is known for underwater. Bailey is the first Black woman to play a Disney princess in a live-action film, and maintaining her natural hair was important to the actor. "I am so excited to be playing young Nettie in The Color Purple," she told Ebony.
Halle Bailey’s ‘Little Mermaid’ Extensions Cost $150,000, According To Head Hair Stylist
"Once we doubled [the loose hair] and we put her in the water and all that hair was dancing, we were there." When the topic of hair color came up, Friend knew she had to find a solution that worked best for Bailey. She was concerned about dyeing her entire head red and the damage that would cause, so Friend came up with a workaround. In partnership with a company called Extensions Plus based out of California, Friend got three custom shades of red, 30-inch hair extensions made to encase Bailey's locs. In real life, Bailey wears her hair in locs, and it was important to her to keep them in the film — no wig. "After speaking to Halle, she really wanted to keep her natural hair," says Friend.
‘The Little Mermaid’: How Halle Bailey’s Locs and Extensions Were Created For Live-Action Film
And putting her in a wig was going to look crazy,” she explained to Variety. The full transformation took hours and cost “at least” $150,000. Halle Bailey’s portrayal as Ariel—and the film's decision to make the mermaid’s hair to work with all types and textures, like locs—is undoubtedly a historic one. Hairstylist Camille Friend was tasked with the transformation that entailed dyeing Bailey’s roots red and wrapping her locs with hair the same shade. The next hurdle was figuring out how to create movement with Bailey's hair while she was underwater. "Locs don't float," Friend said, but she needed the hair to "dance." Friend incorporated loose strands of hair throughout the locs look to provide volume and movement.
'Mufasa: The Lion King' Trailer: Disney Prequel Follows Young Mufasa and Scar as Blue Ivy Carter Joins Voice Cast
I do movies because I love making movies, but when you have the added bonus that you touch people’s hearts? The color was still only half of it. "Rob really wanted to make sure that the hair had that dance and that movement he envisioned," says Friend. In water, hair takes on a life of its own, and they wanted to make sure that came across as she swam around. Friend added loose hair in with Bailey's locs to create even more fluidity and give her that mermaid-like look.
She and the girls in her place are artisans. We probably spent $100,000 or $150,000 on hair. We had to take the extensions out every 6 to 8 weeks and start again with all-new hair.
CGI, visual effects, and the hair department worked hand in hand throughout the entire film. "I knew where we were gonna be doing live-action, if we were gonna switch into CGI, and then if we were gonna go back into live-action," says Friend. "I knew what the cuts were gonna be, and that was a game changer for me." The end result, as Friend describes it, was magical. Intertwining the three different shades of red allowed them to completely transform Bailey's brown hair into Ariel's red hue. The result wasn't the same as the cartoon Ariel had in the 1989 movie, but that was very intentional. "They're all golden-orange reds because we wanted to bring that golden-sunshiny color out of Halle's skin," says Friend.
She worked with the visual development and visual effects teams to create the style, and utilized the best hair dye and treatments to bring it to life. Sure, there's some Disney movie magic involved. But that magic is nothing without Friend's artistry. While the live-action Mermaid pulls heavily from the original's plot, there are some key changes, the most apparent of which are visual.
"I went to meet with Halle's family. Her mother is spiritual and they're a kind family," she shared. "I started to understand who she was and why the natural hair element was important to keep." Friend began experimenting with different shades of red to figure out the best hue that would prevent Bailey’s natural hair from being cut or colored. “We can change her color without changing her internal hair structure.
Or, if you want to blow it out for a more polished look, Akaneya recommends using a volumizing spray on damp hair before blow-drying. We also love the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray ($26) for a soft, textured finish. The aquatic look goes well beyond expected beach waves (though they are as relevant as ever) — boho braids, wet waves, and Ariel–red hair all fall into the mermaidcore category.
No comments:
Post a Comment