5 Times Elisabeth Moss Schooled Us On Great Hair

Elisabeth Moss is the toast of Hollywood right now... From her casual six-time Emmy nominations and Golden Globe nod for her role in Mad Men to her current lead in The Handmaid's Tale and reprising her 2013 BBC mini-series Top of the Lake's Detective Robin Griffin in the series' China Girl iteration, we're wondering, 'Does this woman sleep?' She's killing it, and it has little to do with her beauty. She's got gumption and an innate sense of what makes for a compelling character lead. But, we're Beauticate and her beauty has not gone unnoticed. Mostly, because her Instagram is full of some serious hair inspo. Rather than simply go on ogling her enviable mane choices, we thought we'd compile the highlights of when Ms Moss taught us a thing or two about how chic 'dos with an 'oh, this old thing? I just pulled it up and et voila!' vibe going on... Enjoy.

BOW PEEP PRETTY

This very Bow Peep slash Alice In Wonderland half up, half down could have been at risk of being too ‘I’m channeling grade 2’. But, Elisabeth gives it an adult update with that tousled lift at the crown (Bardot-esque) that adds just the right amount. The trick is to not make this look too perfect. Mess it up a bit, choose a subtle tie and give your hair body. We love the side part, too.

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @ELISABETHMOSSOFFICIAL

CHIC CHIGNON AT CANNES

This is probably our favourite. Everything about her look is perfect for the French setting. Chic, tousled and polished outfit, it doesn’t get more Francophile than that. Gather hair to the nape of the neck (like you would a low ponytail) and twist the hair while simultaneously pulling it up toward the crown, This will give it the ‘fold’, and pin as you go to hold it in place. Use a texturising spray to keep it from looking like a ’90s prom style. A wonderful added extra, she’s donning her planned parenthood pin…

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @ELISABETHMOSSOFFICIAL

PERFECT PONY

When we spoke with top hairstylist Barney Martin, he told us that the one hairstyle all women can pull off is the pony. Elisabeth just further proves his sentiment. Playful and, again, perfectly tousled, this is a super-versatile style. This style seamlessly takes you from meeting to coffee date to drinks with nothing but an outfit change. A cool trick for getting volume in your pony is to divide your hair in two horizontally (like you would a half up half down). Tie each section as close to the part line as possible (so the ties are sitting one on top of the other). Then, grab a piece of hair from underneath the lowest pony and wrap it around both to hide the ties, pin to secure. Instant volume.

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @ELISABETHMOSSOFFICIAL

HOLY HOLLYWOOD

The epitome of Hollywood Glam. Almost every female star has given this one a go, and it’s for good reason. It’s simple, yet so effective. All you need is a good smoothing serum, heat protector and to be a bit nifty with the hairdryer. The trick to making this more glam is the deep side part, go a little further than you naturally would to give some drama. If your hair has a penchant for going a bit limp after a polished blowout, spray some dry shampoo at the roots to add lift (just don’t forget to shake it through with your fingertips, and lightly brush over the tousled hair to get your smooth back). Also, keep oils and serums to the bottom half of the hair to avoid greasiness at the root.

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @ELISABETHMOSSOFFICIAL

THE HANDMAID’S HAIR

SPOILER: In the The Handmaid’s Tale‘s ep titled ‘Jezebel’ we saw Elisabeth has an, er, lengthy storyline. From the constricting bonnets, who knew she had these tumbling perfect locks hiding underneath? The OTT hair extensions are perfect for characters on TV, and she looks incredible in this BTS outtake. But, if you’re opting for extensions, though, don’t go crazy. Always take a minimalist approach – use them to add volume and a bit of length. They’re an expensive hair option, and the point is to make it look natural, so be realistic about how many you should put in, and how long they should be. Your greatest asset for achieving long, flowing hair is patience…