Taylor Swift wasn’t the only surprise on the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet. Olympic gold medalist, and hair god, Alysa Liu made an appearance — to give Swift an award no less — looking like a slightly more grown-up, glam-er version of herself thanks to makeup artist Allan Avendaño, nail artist Betina Goldstein and hairstylist Rena Calhoun.
Calhoun, who’s known for working with young Hollywood’s A-list, shares with The Tease, “Doing red carpet work, at times, it’s important to consider both the person and the event, and since Alysa is an Olympian attending and presenting at a music event, I wanted to keep the hair simple, true to her, and let that incredible color work be the moment, making her instantly recognizable!”
She adds, “For this look, I really wanted to let Alysa’s personal style shine through. It’s her trademark, both on and off the ice, and I think it’s part of why we all fell in love with her story. She’s completely unafraid to do things her own way, 100% of the time.”
Read on for a detailed breakdown of the look directly from Calhoun, including the exact Hair Ritual by Sisley styling products she used and more.
Get the Look:
- “To start, on clean damp hair I applied Hair Rituel by Sisley La Crème 320 through the mid lengths and ends, followed by a small pump of The Precious Hair Oil on the bleached sections of her hair.
- When a fringe is involved, I always start in the front while the hair is still damp to ensure I flatten and get control of any cowlicks in the hairline.
- Then, I did a simple blow dry through the hair, smoothing section by section using a classic Mason Pearson brush.
- Using a 1.25 inch curling iron, I just passed through lightly creating very soft bends that didn’t feel too defined but just made the overall look feel a bit more lived in.
- To finish, one last pump of the Precious Hair Oil and a light mist of The Invisible Hair Spray through the fringe and mid lengths to break it up.”
If you recreate this red carpet look, we want to see it. Tag @readthetease on Instagram and TikTok.
