Natasha Lyonne’s hair is one of the stars of Russian Doll. As the second season of the Netflix show hits screens, hairstylist Lauren Gunn pays homage to the actor’s curly red mane, and shares some tips and tricks.
For many of us, our first intro into the world of Natasha Lyonne’s hair was Netflix cult classic Orange is the New Black. We were falling hard for streaming services, coming off the back of bulky box sets, and sniggering behind our manicures at the mention of ‘Netflix and chill’. It was 2013 which, honestly, might as well be another century now that we can relegate that era of pop culture to ‘pre-pandemic’.
OITNB Natasha hair was a hot mess. Frizzy and dry and badly coloured, with no discernible curl pattern in sight. We all swiped left on that hair until the fateful episode in season five when Natasha’s character Nicky Nichols shows up with bangs, that made us sit up straight in bed and almost knock our laptops to the floor.
It’s fair to say that at this point in time, most curly haired people were of the mind that bangs were beyond their pay grade. Who did this sassy redhead think she was, defying the rules of nature and rocking up on their favourite TV show with bangs?
That was 2017 but it wasn’t until Lyonne’s creation Russian Doll landed on Netflix in 2019 that curly bangs really blew up in our faces. Suddenly we were staring down the barrel of lusciously moisturised, exquisitely auburn, fully-formed, curly bangs. A new curly girl muse was born.
It helped that Lyonne’s Russian Doll character Nadia is cool; smoking, drinking, sexing and swearing her way through the streets of New York City like a loveable modern day Irish American pirate with no ship.
The contrast between the frazzled locks of Nicky Nichols and the perfectly formed curls of Nadia is something to behold - and a testament to a darn good hair care regimen. Plus, a really great haircut.
If you haven’t already, it’s time to save a screenshot of that hair to your phone so that it’s at the ready next time you visit your hairdresser. While you’re there, stock up on a co-wash and a leave-in moisturiser for the curly bangs of your dreams.
How to: The curly girl method
Step one:
Deep cleanse your hair with a clarifying shampoo to remove any silicone or product build up from your hair.
Step two:
Wash your hair with a co-wash to balance your hair and scalp
Step three:
Saturate your hair with a moisturising conditioner until it feels slimy and comb out any knots, tangles and loose strands with a wide tooth comb or use your fingers. Gently rinse out the conditioner.
Step four:
Hop out of the shower and before you pick up a towel, apply your favourite product from roots to tips of your very wet hair. This can be a gel or a cream or a lotion, but avoid products that contain alcohol or silicone.
Step five:
Blot your hair dry by cupping it into a towel or an old cotton T-shirt, to remove the water and encourage your curl to form then air dry.
Step six:
When your hair is dry give it a shake from the roots to create some natural volume and scrunch the ends to break up any stiffness from your styling product.
Handy products for curly hair
Clarifying: R+Co Oblivion Clarifying Shampoo, $48
Co-wash: Evo Heads Will Roll Co-Wash, $50
Conditioner: O&M Hydrate and Conquer Conditioner, $41
Style: Oribe Curl Gloss Hydration and Hold, $64
