Last year, Kim Kardashian uploaded a series of braid photos to Instagram — garnering an impressive 1.2 million likes on one post alone. That moment became the turning point for the hairstylist behind the plaits: Justine Marjan, protégé of renowned beauty mogul Jen Atkin. The shot quickly catapulted Marjan's Instagram — and celebrity — following by the thousands. And since then, she's had the likes of Olivia Culpo, Khloé Kardashian, and Kerry Washington (to name a few) perched comfortably in her styling chair.
This was all during the time "Instagram hair" (and makeup) was picking up serious speed — and Marjan was of the artists leading the movement. Aside from being a great hairstylist in her own right, she's uses her social media prowess to continually debut intricate updos, knots, and twists that look fresh, innovative, and completely different from anything you've seen. (We even dubbed her the queen of braids earlier this year.)
And the sentiment still stands true today — only it's not just the general public getting in on the action; major beauty brands are, too. Today, TRESemmé announced Marjan as its new global celebrity stylist to launch the drugstore hair brand's Repair & Protect 7 line and lead the female-only team during NYFW. It's a win-win for the up-and-comer, so to celebrate the announcement, we asked the hairstylist to walk us through some of her favorite social media moments. (So you, too, can up your hair selfie game!) Check it all out, ahead.
The Mohawk Ponytail
The coolest detail of this style: The cornrowed centre parting. “Chrissy [Teigen] was just going to a meeting and dinner, so she was open to doing something fun and different," Marjan says. "She loves braids, so we decided to do a really big voluminous ponytail with a [cornrowed] mohawk braid." Pro tip: To give it a little extra volume, "stick two tiny bobby pins underneath the base for added lift and support."
Photo via Instagram/@justinemarjan
Bubble Braids
The bubble ponytail had a major moment a few years back, but Marjan amped it up by adding in a plaited element — with Olivia Culpo's blessing, of course. "We thought it could be cool to do a braid instead and wrap it with wire for something different," she says. "Olivia is so fun and loves to try new things with her hair, so she was excited about the idea." To DIY, start by weaving a classic fishtail to the side of the head, then use gold wire from a craft store to wrap,a nd secure, around every few inches.
Photo via Instagram/@justinemarjan
Sleek Updo
The key to keeping a slick style from looking greasy is the brushing technique. Here, she crafted the perfect example on Kerry Washington. "If the hair isn’t combed and brushed to perfection, the style can easily look dishevelled. I like to use a smoothing brush, spray it with hairspray [she likes the TRESemmé TRES Two Extra Firm Control Hairspray] as I gather the hair, then I add a gel and comb through with a fine-toothed comb," she says. "Then I use a toothbrush sprayed with more hairspray to brush down any stray hairs."
Photo via Instagram/@justinemarjan
Twisted Topknot
Believe it or not, this style took less than five minutes to create. "[The model here] is a good friend of mine and this was on a press day where we literally had zero time between looks," Marjan says. "We knew we had to get her hair up in a chic topknot to go with the rest of her outfit. It's crazy easy: "We brushed the hair up into a high pony with a smoothing brush, applied gel throughout the length, then twisted the hair into a knot and secured with French pins."
Photo via Instagram/@justinemarjan
Soft, Beachy Waves
Shay Mitchell is the queen of voluminous curls. Marjan's trick to recreating it? Using alternating directions with the curling iron for each section. "That way the hair in the front frames the face and the hair in the back is bouncy and voluminous," she says.
Photo via Instagram/@justinemarjan
Sleek-Yet-Textured Pony
She also loves a high pony on Washington — but swaps out hairspray with dry shampoo to keep the look soft. "Not only does it absorb oil, but it creates a lot of volume, texture, and a great matte finish to the hair." Her fave? The TRESemmé Fresh Start Basic Care Dry Shampoo.
Photo via Instagram/@justinemarjan
Choppy Texture
Modern shags are the haircut to have right now. "It works when it has lots of layers and movement on mid-lengths like this," she says. "I used the ghd Platinum Flat Iron to create varying undulations in the hair. I love to alternate the angle I hold the iron when creating an S-wave, and then leave the ends straight and natural. For short to medium lengths, it's nice to see just a little movement in the hair, so a little bend and bevel here does wonders."
Photo via Instagram/@justinemarjanLike what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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