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Taking the stage at the 2023Critics Choice Awards,Chelsea Handlershowcased her signature wit and style.
As the host of Sunday night’s award show, the comedian and actress showed off three different looks, each complete with its own hairstyle courtesy of celebrity hairstylistAdir Abergel.
From Handler’s loose waves to her glamorously updo, the industry expert tells PEOPLE how he prepped and styled the star’s hair for one of Hollywood’s biggest nights.
Courtesy of Adir Abergel
Look 1: Sexy, Side-Parted Blowout
Kevin Winter/Getty
For the red carpet, Abergel gave Handler what he calls a “sexy side-parted bombshell blowout.”
He tells PEOPLE that he had a plan to take Handler’s hair through the night to match the three dresses she wore. “I wanted her to start glamourous and voluminous, then undone, sexy and middle parted and end with it up, playful and perky,” he shares.
“Before I started styling, I had Chelseashampooandconditionher hair using Virtue’s Flourish for Thinning Hair system,” Abergel says. This created a foundation for a strong and voluminous look and to give her hair the lift it would need to last the night.
The look was the perfect complement to herMaticevski gown and Stuart Weitzman pumps.
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Abergel had the most time to prepare Handler’s first look of the night in her hotel room — the rest were done backstage at the show. He says the vibes during the getting-ready process were upbeat and included drinking ginger ale and listening to Bob Marley tunes.
“I love this human so much and being a part of her day was so special for me,” Abergel says of working with Handler for Critics Choice. “In a time where we need less anger and more laughter, I’m honored to be part of this evening!”
Look 2 — Undone, Polished Waves
To finish, Abergel scrunched Handler’s hair in his hands using VirtueStyling Pasteto get a piece-y effect.
“I loved the healthy texture vibe in each of the three looks,” Abergel says. “In each style the hair was lustrous and shiny. My secret shine weapons were Healing Oil — along with having Chelsea prep her hair overnight with theFlourish Maskto hydrate, strengthen and thicken hair.”
Look 3 — Modern French Twist
To close out the night, Handler slipped into a Christian Siriano dress, and Abergel styled her hair à la Brigitte Bardot — in just 20 minutes.
“I transitioned the textured hair style to a Bardot-inspired updo and added more height to the crown,” he says of the modern French twist hairstyle. “I wanted this third look to feel more playful but also elegant and lifted to complement her outfit.”
“A great trick for adding height is to use VirtueTexture Sprayprior to backcombing to add grit and memory to the strands,” he adds. “Once I got the desired height at the crown, I deliberately left a few face framing pieces in the front of her hair out and pulled the rest of her hair into a high classic yet modern French twist. I secured it using a few pins and sprayed Style Guard hairspray to finish it up and a bit of Healing Oil for major shine.”
source: people.com
