4 Hair Secrets I Learned from Olivia Rodrigo’s Hair Stylist, Clayton Hawkins
🎶 I’m so obsessed with my hair 🎶
Welcome to Pearl, a newsletter dedicated to Filipinas and their beauty journeys. Read more about its mission here.
When I think of hair goals, I think of Olivia Rodrigo. From waist-length rockstar waves on her GUTS tour, to elegant, silky curls at the recent Grammy Awards, to a sleek braid in a Lancôme campaign, our Filipina pop star always serves looks you want to save for inspo. That’s why I was SO excited when, last week, I had the opportunity not only to meet but also get my hair done by Olivia’s go-to hairstylist, Clayton Hawkins.
We met in Sedona, Arizona, during the Unilever press trip, an annual event where beauty editors test the company’s latest launches (brands include Dove, TRESemmé, Shea Moisture, Nexxus, and more). As part of the programming, we get paired with a celebrity hairstylist to test new products on our hair. When I found out I was paired with Clay, I immediately started thinking about which Olivia hairstyle we could recreate…
Behold: This absolutely perfect, bouncy blowout OF MY DREAMS. I audibly gasped when I scrolled onto these photos on Clay’s IG feed. If I could choose one hairstyle to wake up with forever, this is it: Classic, ‘90s, Cindy Crawford-esque va-va-volume.
“I call that the ‘Charlotte York,’” Clay told me, referencing the Sex and the City character as I showed him the photo. The hairstylist, who also works with Emmy Rossum, Rachel Zegler, Ashley Park, and Kaia Gerber, then started taking me step-by-step on achieving what he calls a “Park Avenue Princess” look. Keep reading for the best tips I learned:
1. Less is more with styling products.
It surprised me that Clay didn’t add any styling product to prep my hair while he rough-dried it to start. “I’ve found, especially since I work with a lot of Asian hair, less is more at the root for your hair type,” Clay explained. “When people want volume, they put a lot of mousses, but they’re actually over-volumizing and adding too much product. It weighs hair down.” He also suggested not applying products to sopping wet hair but instead, rough drying until hair is 70% dry. “Then, I’ll add the products, I’ll blow it out, and really rough it up,” he said. (PS: His choice of blow dryer is the L’Oreal AirLight Pro).
2. Don’t be afraid of hair oil.
Hairstylists have always told me that Filipinos–and Asians, generally–are more prone to oily scalps (this is a common woe shared across TikTok from Asian creators). I definitely get greasy hair starting day two and go through dry shampoo like water. Because of this, I’ve always used hair oil sparingly–why add more grease? Clay proved me wrong when he introduced me to the 1Dove Intensive Repair 10-in-1 Serum. A key part of Olivia’s blowout is shine, and this product helps you replicate that. “It’s going to tame frizz, create crazy shine, it’s a heat protectant, and it’ll seal the cuticle,” Clay explained. “It’s basically your go-to for shiny, healthy hair, and I love that this is a hair oil that’s buildable.” As promised, the hair oil left my strands super silky and not stringy or greasy. A big key is avoiding your roots when applying!
3. If you want more volume, use dry shampoo.
You’re probably familiar with using dry shampoo to cover up sweaty post-gym strands or extend the life of a blowout. But, did you know it works brilliantly as a styling product on clean hair? After Clay curled my hair, he sprayed a generous amount of the Dove Volume & Fullness Advanced Dry Shampoo, formulated with cassava (yes, like the cake) starch. “It’s better than all the $60 texturizing sprays,” he said, lifting up layers of my fresh blowout and vigorously rubbing the product throughout. That’s another pro tip for applying both dry shampoo and hair spray: “When people are spraying, they always just get the top layer,” Clay said, “You really want to open the hair up!”
4. A jumbo curling iron is your new BFF.
Most curling irons you’ll find come in 1-inch or 1.25-inch size barrels. But, if you want that big, bouncy finish, you don’t want curls too tight. Clay opted for a 1.5-inch curling iron from BabylissPRO. “Use the curling iron like a wand, wrap it all very uniform away from the face–almost like ‘Stepford’ perfect,” he instructed. I noticed when he curled a piece, he’d hold it in his palm for a couple of seconds. “It gives me a chance to cool,” he said, waiting for multiple pieces to set before spraying the Dove Flexible Hold Hairspray Frizz Protect. “When we’re done, we’re gonna fuck it all up,” Clay said, and proceeded to shake out the curls from the roots so they could loosen up. Voila: The Olivia Blowout!
🎶 I’m so obsessed with your ex my hair 🎶
BRB, going to belt out “Vampire” at a karaoke bar somewhere!
Links I’m Loving
Vogue Philippines published a feature on the culture of tattooing–particularly of batok, or hand-tapped tattoos. I appreciate the deep dive into the history, and the photographs are stunning. This quote stuck with me: “There are not many things you can do in this life where you have the same experience as your ancestors hundreds or even thousands of years ago.”
Happy Skin, one of the biggest skincare brands based in the Philippines, now has a hair care line. As the newsletter The Beauty Edit reports, scalp care is a significant area of focus. When explaining the products, CEO and Founder Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez said, “In the Philippines, people’s top priority is softer hair. Whether they want volume or straight hair, they want it to be softer and more manageable–that’s number one.” Adding it to my long list of products to try when I visit the Philippines in April/May!
How cool are these custom Filipino flag-inspired cleats? They were worn by Nikko Remigio, a Wide Receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs, and designed by Ant Kai, a Filipino American artist specializing in custom sneakers.
I will never skip a Bretman Rock interview – especially when he says things like, “I love pissing off straight men. Like, that has been the highlight of my career.” Period! Read his full profile in The Hollywood Reporter.
I got a press release from Netflix announcing that legendary–albeit highly problematic–boxer Manny Pacquiao will join the new iteration of the reality game show Physical: 100 called Physical: Asia. Debuting in Q4 of this year, participants will compete for their countries, Olympics-style. “Pacquiao, revered worldwide as the only boxer in history to acquire titles in eight weight divisions, brings his formidable talent and indomitable spirit to this team-based clash of champions,” the release read. Does this mean the Pacquiao watch parties of the ‘90s & early ‘00s will have a comeback? I could see the Titos/Titas getting the buffet ready now.
Keep reading…
Clayton Hawkins is a partner of Dove, which is why all the products he suggested are from the brand, but this post isn’t sponsored.