Grand slam.
Lately, Zendaya has been serving up looks harder than the volley shot she's seen launching across the net in her new tennis-inspired film, Challengers. But rather than a racket, Ursula Stephen, the star's visionary hair stylist, has been Z's secret weapon while on her press tour. So obviously, we had to grab her for a full debrief about her latest look.
From the get-go, Ursula helped Zendaya set the tone by switching up her previously dark brunette hair colour with an impeccable shade of penny blonde for the first premiere in Sydney. “Zendaya has had blonde on her mind for quite some time, but wanted to wait until the right moment to do it,” Ursula told GLAMOUR. “This is her first time doing press runs so close together, so she thought it made sense to do it now to change the visual story from the one she told with Dune,” she explains.
68 dreamy braids and braid hairstyles, from modern twists to butterfly locsGallery35 PhotosView Gallery
Since that first look, neither Zendaya or Ursula have missed, giving us tumbling blonde Disney princess waves in Paris and an effortless voluminous chignon for Rome. But, her look at last night's London premiere – an endless, immaculate braided plait, complete with a jumbo white silk bow – has to be our favourite, and it's Ursie's, too. “So far, the London look has been my favourite,” she confided. “But we have at least 4 or 5 more to go so that could change.”
The concept behind the latest style was “sporty, chic and rich,” Ursula told us. But, to ensure Z's hair continues to look luxe and expensive throughout a press tour that requires lots of styling and heat, there are a couple of products Ursula swears by. “My holy grails for creating these looks have been SexyHair Prep Me Heat Protectant Primer and SexyHair Protect Me Hot Tool Protection Spray,” she says.
We asked Ursula to break down exactly how she created the Zendaya's London braid below…
Prep
“First, we started with clean, damp hair, and took a quarter-sized dollop of the SexyHair Style Hard Up Hard Holding Gel. We added that through the hair, hairline, and nape area to make sure the hair lasts all night,” says Ursula.
Initial shape
“We then combed the hair into a ponytail, securing it with a hair tie,” she says."
Length
“Next, we attached The Hair Shop Wrap Ponytail extension and wrapped the 26” clip-in extensions around the hair to customise and lengthen the look,” she explains.
Hold
“To hold everything in place, we used hairspray,” says Ursula.
Braid
“Lastly, we braided the ponytail, securing it with a tiny invisible elastic.”
So, even if you don't have Ursula Stephen on hand for your glam, she's here to help our hair look just as elite as Zendaya's.
For more from GLAMOUR's Senior Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk
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