No surprise, Ariana Madix stunned at the “Love Island USA” reunion, which streamed earlier this week via Peacock. Seated alongside Andy Cohen, Madix was fully regal. Her hairstylist, Carl Bembridge, tells us, that was by design.
“The vision for her hair for the reunion was that I wanted it to be more grand. It was the finale on top of the finale. She had a gorgeous look planned, and I felt like in that moment, when the Islanders were around her, she was like the queen, so I wanted to reflect that,” he says. “I wanted it to be glossy, shiny, with length. I just wanted it to look very expensive and polished, and give it that royal finish that the reunion deserved. The exclamation point at the end of the season.”
To secure the proper vibe at the reunion, Bembridge turned to Bellami extensions as he had throughout the season. He explains, “[Madix is] a chameleon. She was up for little, short bobs or a long look, and I loved that you could change a look just using extensions. It could be a super sleek Cher look, or I could even use the clip-ins in different shades to create highlights or darken the whole look. Extensions gave me versatility, and I did that the whole season. For the reunion, we vamped it up a bit and just made it a real hair moment. The Silk Seam Clip-Ins were a part of the moment, not just with the length, but with the color.”
Get the Look:
- “For her reunion look, I used the 26” Silk Seam Clip-Ins in Dark Honey Cocoa and Mochachino Chocolate/Dark Honey Rooted Highlight. I teased her hair at the root and clipped them in, section by section.
- Once all the lengths were in, I did a sleek over the hair with a wide plate straightener. I didn’t want it to be too flat. I wanted a bit of ’90s supermodel fullness.
- I used the Color Wow Dream Coat on Ariana’s hair and all the extensions, which protects the hair from heat, combats humidity, and gives a nice glass finish. Sleek hair and long hair look the best when they’re shiny. I gave it a gorgeous royal finish.”
Bembridge notes this look wouldn’t come together without the clip-ins, saying “I feel like extensions always add fullness. We’re in the era where too much hair is gone, and it’s all about making it look natural and seamless. If I didn’t have extensions, the hair wouldn’t look as elevated.”
If you recreate Ariana Madix’s Love Island USA reunion look for yourself or your next client (and why wouldn’t you?!), we need to know about it. Tag @readthetease on Instagram and TikTok with your take.
