My hair has been pretty much the same my whole life. I’ve never even colored it. It’s super straight and fine, but there’s a lot of it, which means bad things can happen. When I was younger, it was always tangled, probably because I was always moving around and getting rambunctious. My mom and I would get into these hair wars; that’s what we’d call it. I’d have these crazy little knots and she’d spray them with detangler to try and brush them out. I remember the bottle having little sea creatures on it.
Her hair was the opposite, really thick and curly. I wanted what she had, and she wanted what I had. She had been into the Beatles and would iron her hair straight, but I thought her curls were always so chic and cool. One time, when I was about 14, I tried to give myself layers. My dad had haircutting scissors—he cuts his own hair—and I went into the bathroom, took the scissors, and just went for it. It was bad. So bad.
Soon after that, I started modeling, which was how I learned to care for my hair. I’d watch the experts and pick up things. I’m really good with makeup now, but styling my own hair? It’s been a journey. I can’t see the back of my own head! I don’t know what I’m doing! I recently gave my best friend a bob. After the first chop, I was like, “Oh my God, what have I done?” But luckily she wasn’t in front of a mirror, so I just kept going and it looked really good in the end.
And there’s always wigs if things don’t work out. One of the hairstylists I work with, Jennifer Yepez, gave me the best advice: Take care of what you’ve got and use wigs when you need to experiment and get that urge to do something different. I wear them all the time and people don’t realize it. I wore one to the Tony Awards this spring. Every time I do it, people are like, “Oh my God, you cut your hair!” I’m like, “Nope.”
But I still have this deep want—need—to go crazy and get the teenage years out at some point, since I never got to dye my hair green or anything. And I’m always up for a dare. Well, I would be if I didn’t have a hair contract with Kérastase! So, it’s going to look like this for a while.
Shop Emily's Favorite Products
“This serum makes your hair grow, and it really works. It doesn’t make your hair greasy, so you can use it in the morning and it’s not like you put a bunch of oil on your scalp.”
“This exfoliates without drying you out, which I really like.”
“I don’t let my face get sun. I’ll wear a hat, and I tend to use this foundation, which has SPF in it.”
“Some days I put a little hairspray on an eyebrow brush and just brush my brows up. But if I pencil them in, I use this. It’s also great for drawing on faux freckles. If you’re not going in the sun, how else are you going to get them?”
This story appears in the November 2019 issue of Marie Claire
RELATED STORY
-
Celebrity Makeup Artists Told Me Exactly How to Nail a Smokey Eye—And It Only Takes Five StepsEasy-to-follow-steps and must-have products, brought to you by the pros.
-
My Bags Are Packed to Go OOO—These Are the Pieces I’m Bringing to Italy
“Sing to me, Paolo.”
-
I Spoke to a Jewelry Expert—Here's How to Make Your Silvery Jewelry Look Like New in Four Steps
Five minutes is all you need to bring the sparkle back to your favorite piece.
-
The 20 Best Hair Masks for Damaged Hair, According to Experts and Editors
Healthy strands, here we come!
-
How Often You Should Wash Your Hair, According To Experts
Keep it fresh, my friends.
-
The 11 Best Magnetic Lashes of 2023
Go ahead and kiss your messy lash glue goodbye.
-
The 30 Best Hair Growth Shampoos of 2023, According to Experts
Rapunzel hair, coming right up.
-
The 23 Best Beauty Advent Calendars of 2023
The gift that keeps on giving—literally.
-
The 18 Best Natural Hair Products in 2023
Remember: Your curls are your crown.
-
The 9 Best Hot Rollers for the Curls of Your Dreams
This is how we roll.
-
The 12 Best Cream Eyeshadows, According to Makeup Artists
The best part? They’re so easy to apply.
