Kristen Wiig hit the Oscars stage wearing a Valentino haute couture gown that reminded some of us of lasagna in the best way possible, but it was her hair that actually had a specific inspiration behind the look. Celebrity stylist Erick Orellana tells InStyle that he and Wiig exchanged photos before the event, and the hair look they landed on was inspired by none other than Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct.
“Kristen was ready for a change, so we dug into some old pictures of some ‘60s-inspired pixie cuts and blonder color ideas,” says Orellana, who over the years, has worked with numerous celebrities, including Emma Roberts, Chris Pine, and Gal Gadot. “We agreed that going shorter to a very soft yet chic pixie was a must, since it suits her smaller features,” he says. The duo found an old picture of Stone’s “true blonde” in the ‘90s, which they both loved. (As did...most people who were alive in the '90s.)
“What I loved about Sharon Stone’s look at that time was the fact that she took a shorter hairstyle that was mainly known for being cute to the sexy status. It was a game changer, and iconic and badass because it was so unique — just as daring as her role in Basic Instinct,” Orellana quipped. To achieve the look, he lost some of Wiig’s length, and took her muted sandy blonde up a few shades to the bright tone we saw onstage as she reminded the world why she and Maya Rudolph should probably just host this thing next year.
“We wanted to still keep it looking hip, so I think combining both looks gave us a great updated style and color for her,” Orellana says. “The true blonde is a classic blonde, unlike the smokey or platinums out there, as seen on Charlize [Theron], Olivia Coleman, etc., which suits their skin wonderfully. Kristen needed a little warmth and vibrancy to keep her skin tone looking fresh.”
He added: “It’s all about finding what works best for you and having that discussion with your stylist. We came to a nice agreement — Kristen has never had hair this short and this blonde, so change was nerve inducing. But with the right choice of photos, we created this fantastic red carpet look.”
As for the makeup she wore Sunday night, that was the handiwork of celebrity makeup artist Liz Lash.
“Twiggy is definitely always a major inspiration behind every look we do for Kristen,” Lash noted. “She embodies that ‘60s mode vibe, from hair to style, and it’s so fun to play up her big eyes. That is what we focused on with her Oscars look.”
Lash wanted to do a soft glam look (our biggest beauty trend of the night, by the way), that didn’t distract from her dress.
“We did lots of mascara and big lashes, and a modern twist on a cat eye. I filled in her lash line with a light pencil, and matched her lips to her cheeks with a nude peachy cream blush from Tower28. Her skin is already perfect, but we added a little Epicuren Glow Cream to her cheek bones to add a subtle highlight.”
2020 is shaping up to be a busy year for Wiig, who has two movies coming out later this year — Wonder Woman 1984 and Barb and Star Goes to Vista Del Mar, in addition to starring on the popular FOX animated series Bless the Harts. Orellana had all of these big moments in mind when creating her new (nostalgic) hairstyle.
“I wanted her to look sexy and glamorous for all the red carpets she has coming up,” Orellana says. “I love the versatility of this look; whether it’s sleek and textured or roughly tousled, it’s super attractive.”
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