This Is Exactly How Sandra Oh Gets Her Hair So Good
Killing Eve is officially back for its second season and with it, comes more opportunities to gawk at Sandra Oh's incredible hair. We've loved her natural curls ever since we first laid eyes on them in Grey's Anatomy, but the admiration reached new heights when she got her instantly-iconic curly bangs in January. However, her hair stylist since awards season Ted Gibson says she almost didn't get them. In fact, the cut was a happy accident—he was sectioning off her hair while curling it and when a piece fell in the center of her forehead, a lightbulb went on.
"We had this moment of, 'Oh, ooh,' and she says 'What are you thinking?' and I said, 'I'm thinking bangs,' and she goes, 'No!'" Gibson recalls, laughing over our phonecall. "Next thing I knew, I was cutting the bangs on her. To think about how a woman can trust her hairdresser—I was really excited to be able to work with her and to give her something different."
Ahead, read more from Gibson on exactly how he turns Oh's hair into the bouncy, shiny mane it is.
The Cut
"I loved when I cut her bangs, I think that was a major moment for her. I feel like my job as a hairdresser is to be able to look at a woman and see something in them, maybe they didn't see in themselves," Gibson says. "Sandra's beautiful. She has great eyes and a long neck, and I wanted to give her a different kind of feeling." To make the curly bangs most flattering, Gibson made sure there weren't any blunt lines when he cut them.
If you’re feeling a little apprehensive about getting your own bangs, the first step is to abandon any apprehension you may have from previous mishaps. "I think a lot of women who had bangs in the past are a little afraid of them because they think about to when their mom cut their bangs and they were traumatized," Gibson shares. "I always say, I'm not your mother!"
Another thing to consider is the shape of your face. If you have a wider face, Gibson suggests having bangs cut a little more narrow to lengthen it. If you have a narrower face, cut the bangs a little wider to balance your shape.
Oh wearing curly bangs and a top knot at the SAG Awards.
Getty Images
The Tool
While Oh is blessed with god-given ringlets, she does get more definition from using a curling iron. "A tong is my best friend. You're only as good as the tools that you use. If you want great hair you have to have great tools," Gibson advises, recommending Hot Tools. To create her bouncy curls, he alternates between an inch and an inch and a half iron all around her head.
Online Only Professional Marcel Iron
Hot Tools ulta.com
$39.99
The Styling Product
Oh gets that next-level shine thanks to Gibson's own multi-tasking creation: Shooting Star Texture Meringue. "Straight hair reflects light easily, but curly hair absorbs it," he adds, hence the styling product. "You can use it as a blow drying agent to blow dry really voluminous," Gibson says. "If you use it on dry hair, it gives this kind of matte, shiny texture that helps to control frizz, it helps to get that bounce." He says this product works universally multiple hair types too—Gibson has used it on Oh, Lupita Nyong'o, and Priyanka Chopra.
Oh usually sees Gibson with already dried hair, so he'll apply it throughout after doing a light blow dry to get moisture out. He'll use the curling iron all around, then use Shooting Star "to give it that softness, and that shine, and that control that I really love."
Shooting Star Texture Meringue
STARRING by Ted Gibson violetgrey.com
$52.00
The Wash
Gibson advises curly-haired folks to not shampoo their hair often. "If you still feel like you need to shampoo, maybe use just a little bit of shampoo at the scalp just to remove any build up or residue from the scalp—but don't shampoo the hair, essentially," he explains. Just work through the temples, nape of the neck, and top of the head and rinse it off without lathering over the ends.
As for conditioner, make sure to only apply it to the bottoms and mid-lengths of the hair. "You want to keep it off the scalp because the scalp generally doesn't need it," he says. Stick to cool water for rinsing out conditioner to help seal the cuticle. "It'll also give you some more added shine from the beginning," he says.
Oh at the 2019 AMC Network Summit.
Getty Images
The Maintenance
Truth be told, there isn't much maintenance at all. Oh's length is currently a little longer than her shoulders and she hasn't cut it in months. "I think she was really inspired when I cut the bangs, because the bangs gave her a new attitude. I like to think hairstyle changes everything," Gibson says. "I always say women should change their hair at least a couple of times a year. It gives a little freshness and a little bounce in your step. Anytime I see a woman—like I'm at the Starbucks now—and I see a woman walking down street in New York City and I'm like, girl you should have bangs!"
Kristina Rodulfo Senior Beauty Editor Kristina Rodulfo is the Senior Beauty Editor of ELLE.com—she oversees beauty across ELLE's digital media platforms and is an expert in product testing, identifying trends, and exploring the intersections of beauty, culture, and identity.
