Bollywood’s Go-To Hairstylist Shares His Favourite Celebrity Looks of All Time

When in dire need of beauty inspiration, we often find ourselves turning to celebrities for direction. If you’re looking for a fuss-free, albeit striking hairdo—perhaps, one that goes from day to night and gets heads turning—scrolling through an A-lister’s Instagram handle for some guidance is a no-brainer. To make the stars’ a bit more accessible, we’ve got expert insights straight from the horse’s mouth! Celebrity hairstylist Amit Thakur, whose roster of clients includes the likes of Katrina Kaif, Janhvi Kapoor, and Alia Bhatt, elucidates his *favourite* celeb hairdos and shares a step-by-step guide to cop them, too. 

Sleek, Centre-Parted Open Hair

A versatile, easy-to-pair-with-everything look, sleek, centre-parted open hair arrests just enough attention, without being too overpowering.

How To: Begin by applying a heat protectant spray or serum to the hair, before using a hot tool. Blow dry your hair, and if you desire a poker straight, shiny look, use an iron. Start from the nape region, moving upward towards the crown. Once you’ve straightened your hair, use an anti-humidity serum, warm it up in your palms, and apply it to your mane to lock in the texture and repel humidity. Pick between a centre parting, a side parting, keep the strands loose on both sides in the front, or pull them back behind your ears. 

Read More : Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck *Finally* Tie the Knot in Las Vegas

Undone, Textured Waves

Another stand-out look that goes from day to night and from cazh to fab, in an instant. 

How To: Begin by using a heat protectant, and dry your hair completely. Apply a one and a half inch curling iron for a combination of tight and loose waves. Curl your hair starting from the nape region, moving upward to the crown area—curling in each direction; one curl must be on the right and one on the left. Once you’re done curling the hair, make sure you curl the hairline away from the face so it doesn’t come in your way. Turn your hair upside down and spritz a texture spray while running your fingers through the curls to open them up. Adorn a centre or side parting, as desired. 

A Textured Knot

The perfect pick for an unwashed, greasy mane, a textured knot doesn’t require you to curl your strands, and is super easy to do as well. 

How To: Pick the spot you want the knot to be—ideally towards the top of the head, so it is apparent. This knot location also gives an illusion of a facelift. If your hair is even slightly textured, you need not use a curling iron. However, if your mane is frizzy, you could opt for a curling or drying iron. After doing so, take all the hair and tie and twist it up into a ponytail that’ll assume the shape of a knot.  Pin it up with U-pins and you’re good to go!

A Textured, Messy Ponytail

If you’re a sucker for keeping your hair tied at all times—this one’s for you! 

How To: Once you’ve curled your strands, take the hair and tie it up into a high, low, or mid-positioned ponytail. For an undone texture, avoid using a comb or a brush when prepping your ponytail. You take all the hair just roughly with your hands, there’s no need to use a comb or a brush for this, you can roughly take all the hair in your hand because we want that kinda undone texture in the front and take out all the baby hair from your hairline for now. Spray your baby hair for a natural wispy feel. To up the glam quotient, backcomb your ponytail and brush the top layer for a voluminous appeal. 

A Sleek Knot or Bun

A sleek knot or bun is the bridal hairstyle you never knew you needed. It’ll pair perfectly with almost everything in your closet—ranging from western wear to ethnic pieces—and is simple to do. The best part? A rubber band and a few pins are all you need.

How To: If you don’t own a hair spray, rely on water. Slightly dampen your mane from the front, take a sharp centre or side parting, brush the hair behind, and assume a low or mid knot. Brush the hair back for a clean, sleek ponytail. Tightly twist the ponytail into the shape of a bun. Once you like the way it looks, start pinning!