Celebrity hairstylist Justine Marjan, known for working with the Kardashians, Ashley Graham and Kristin Cavallari, has been getting most of her recent inspiration not from existing clients, but from TikTok.
“I’m learning things from 12-year-old girls in their bedrooms, and it’s really fun,” she said over Zoom, in June. Marjan has 77,000 followers on TikTok and 416,000 on Instagram.
TikTok “exposes you to a much wider range [of users than Instagram],” she said. She noted that, on the latter, users primarily interact with their followers and those they follow.
Her sources for inspiration on the app span from other hairstylists to the same mega-influencers the rest of us have been tracking. “I get a ton of inspiration from all of the younger TikTok stars, like Addison [Rae], Bella Poarch and Avani. These young girls are really cute and willing to take risks with their style — a little more than the average celebrity, just because they’re so young. They can pull it off or get away with anything,” Marjan said. Luckily for fans, Marjan takes the inspiration and creates tutorials across her social platforms, making it easy for others to follow suit.
A common theme among current trends? Everything old is new again. “I remember everyone saying the 2000s will never come back,” Marjan said. “Like, ‘That’s so cringe-y, we’ll never see those trends again.’ Some of them were pretty crazy. But now, it’s funny to see the way that they’re being reinterpreted, where they’re not so cringe-y.”
“I don’t know if we’ll see people layering tank tops and wearing ties over spaghetti strap tanks on red carpets again,” Marjan said. But, like any former “Lizzie McGuire” fan, she doesn’t mind butterfly clips’ renaissance. Even hair crimping, she said, is making a bit of a return.
Marjan broke down the key Gen-Z hair trends of the moment, plus explained how to get the looks:
Voluminous ’90s blowouts
“I love seeing that healthy hair is back again,” said Marjan, who is a TRESemmé ambassador. In the past few years, people were “manipulating” the hair for more lived-in looks, whether that was with dye or bleach, she said. But now, “we’re seeing shiny, bouncy, volume.” The key lies in creating a good foundation. “If you’re using a good shampoo and conditioner, there’s not a ton more that you’re going to have to do to see results in your hair,” she said, noting that she recommends TRESemmé’s Scalp Detox Shampoo & Conditioner. “One of my favorite things to do is just a really great blowout.”
@justinemarjanthe perfect blowout 💁🏻♀️ #tiktokhairstylist #hairtutorial #blowdryer♬ Do It For Trust prod.amorphous – Spiceywater 💧
Hair accessories
From scarves and claw clips to the butterfly clips millennials swore they’d never wear again, hair accessories of all kinds are having a big moment, Marjan said. “I still have a whole box of them in every single color, so it’s fun to bust those out. Scarves in the hair are trending, too. And there are so many different ways to wrap a scarf in a bun or braid.”
Heatless waves
Waves and curls are trending, particularly those that hearken back to the ’70s. Heatless waves serve as an easy way to style your hair without damage, she said. In an Instagram video, Marjan demonstrates how to create the look using a pair of tights. First, she places the tights on top of her head, holding them in place with an alligator clip. Then, she creates two braids, using the legs of the tights as the third strand. She sleeps with the tights braided into her hair and takes them out the following morning, advising that they should be taken out slowly to avoid frizz.
@justinemarjanobsessed with these heatless waves 😍 #sockcurls #heatlesscurls♬ Aesthetic – Xilo
Pigtails
While they might seem a bit too reminiscent of childhood, pigtails can, in fact, be pulled off by anyone, according to Marjan — it just depends on the placement. “The best way to do it is to look in the mirror at your profile. Then place your hand at different places and see what that does to your profile,” she said. “Different placements will accentuate different features from the side, like your nose, your chin or your jawline.” Pigtails are also good options for second- or third-day hair, and don’t interfere when medical masks are still required, like on the subway, or in a plane. On TikTok, high, playful pigtails reign supreme. “For styling them high, a lot of people have trouble getting the hair smooth when you’re using so much hair. I suggest pulling the hair half-up first, so it’s less hair that you need to control,” Marjan said.
@justinemarjanquick half up pigtails #tiktokhairstylist #hairtutorial #BoseAllOut♬ drivers license – Olivia Rodrigo
