Jennifer Aniston's long time friend and hairstylist, Chris McMillan was right by her side during the shoot for W magazine in Canyon Country, California. Jennifer Aniston together with Gerald Butler posed for the 2010 spring/summer issue of W Magazine.
Behind the scene, Chris McMillan talked about Jennifer's hairstyle for the shoot.
What was the initial idea for the photo shoot?
I talked to Alex White [W's Fashion Director], and she said 2010 spring/summer Stella McCartney. So I was like, "Great! Jennifer looking like Jennifer."
But this is not exactly Jennifer as we know her.
We got there and the storyboards were kind of Kim Basinger in 9 1/2 Weeks. Which is even better, because then it started getting good.How did you arrive at this particular look for Jennifer's hair? Well, Steven [Klein] was talking to Jennifer for about an hour and a half while she was doing fittings and her hair dried into this naturally curly head of hair. So we just refined it from there. But it's not her typical blown-out hairstyle. It's a little rougher, we liked seeing the flyaways.
What about day two of the shoot?
At the end of the first day Steven came up to me and goes, "Could you please ask her if she could not wash her hair tonight and just show up tomorrow?" I mean, she was rolling in the dirt, it was windy and she had hairspray in her hair.
She said yes to that? Dirty hair?
Yeah, we left her hair dirty. It just created a nice chunky texture. The key to Jennifer's hair is no matter what you do with it -- straight, frizzy, dirty -- it looks like it actually grows out of her head. She's someone for whom her hair doesn't wear her, she wears it.
Did she enjoy herself on set?
Jen's always really super game. Steven's so cinematic about his photographs, and she's an actress. It's all reminiscent of an old movie.
Grab a copy of W Magazine to see the full portfolio.
Chris McMillan, longtime friend and hair stylist to Jennifer Aniston, discusses his professional secrets in working on Jennifer's gorgeous hair. In an exclusive interview on Elle.com, McMillan reveals where his inspiration for "The Rachel" came from, what hair products he uses on Aniston and his tricks for styling her hair.
McMillan, who owns a salon in Beverly Hills, has been working on Jennifer Aniston's hair ever since he created "The Rachel" hairstyle for her which became popular while she was on Friends. McMillan says the Rachel hairstyle was inspired by a model named Beri Smither who was wearing a shag haircut at the time.
McMillan explains that the Rachel evolved after McMillan urged Aniston to grow her bangs out. "The next thing you know," McMillan says, "her bangs were down to her chin, and the rest of her hair was at her shoulders in these long, loose layers that sort of flipped out—and that’s what we called the Rachel."
Aniston currently uses McMillan's own brand of shampoo and conditioner which contains natural ingredients like avocado, coconut and walnut oils. For deep conditioning and styling, McMillan uses Shu Uemura products on Aniston's naturally wavy, medium-textured hair.
When styling Aniston's hair, McMillan says he never uses curling irons or flatirons. For the Elle September magazine cover shoot, McMillan did what he calls a “bad blow-dry.” He uses a variety of different-sized round brushes "twisting the hair around them—so that I leave the hair halfway dry, halfway wet. This way, I pull the curl out but allow the hair to go into its natural form."
McMillan describes Jennifer Aniston's hair as pretty and sexy: “Pretty” to me is adding texture, and “sexy” is undone-looking hair," McMillan explains. "If you look at her hair, it looks like it grew out of her head like that—it doesn’t look like a curling iron touched it."
See for yourself how Aniston's hair has changed texture and length over the years, while keeping that sleek and sexy look. You can vote on which of Jen's different hairstyles you like best at Elle's Timeline of Jennifer Aniston Hairstyles.
Source: Examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-16808-Jennifer-Aniston-Examiner~y2009m9d1-Hair-stylist-Chris-McMillan-dishes-about-Jennifer-Anistons-hair-secrets) Author: Trina Yannicos Date: September 1, 2009
What was Jennifer’s hair like when she first came to your salon?
I’ve been doing Jennifer’s hair forever. When I first met her, she had long, one-length hair with bangs, and she was like, “Don’t cut my hair—I want my hair long.” But I’m a hairdresser, so I obviously cut her hair and told her she needed to grow her bangs out. I cut a couple inches off and layered it from her bangs down to the ends. Then I taught her how to pin the bangs over with a bobby pin and make them flat—remember how everyone was doing that on the first year of Friends? Six weeks later, she came back to the salon for another haircut—her bangs were longer, and we just cut a little bit more off her length. The next thing you know, her bangs were down to her chin, and the rest of her hair was at her shoulders in these long, loose layers that sort of flipped out—and that’s what we called the Rachel.
What was the Friends hairstyle inspired by?
I’m always inspired by other hairdressers, models, fashion, and magazines like ELLE. For the Rachel, I was inspired by a model named Beri Smither—Ward Stegerhoek did her hair at the time. She was wearing this really great shag haircut—it wasn’t the Rachel, but it inspired me. These days, though, Jen likes her hair on the longer side with her layers grown out.
What’s Jennifer’s natural hair texture?
She has naturally wavy, medium-texture hair, and she has what you would call good hair—it goes curly really easily if you scrunch it, and if you blow-dry it straight, it stays straight but with body.
What shampoo and conditioner does she use?
She loves having her hair shampooed fresh and clean. She shampoos and conditions pretty much every day—if she’s going for the day-old-hair look, she prefers to create it using products. The shampoo and conditioner she’s using right now are my shampoo and conditioner. I used her and Courteney Cox as my guinea pigs. Jennifer uses the products every day. She also loves deep conditioners—I’ll do professional treatments at my salon using Shu Uemura products.
What hair products did she use before she came to you?
Oh, God, we used to laugh—she loved Aussie 3 Minute Miracle back in the day. We would use that stuff. We loved the smell of it. They also have that Aussie Sprunch Hairspray—we’d use that, too. How does Jennifer keep her hair looking great between salon visits? I cut her hair religiously every six weeks, but between visits, she takes care of her hair, she really does—she doesn’t rip through it when she brushes it after a shower. And she lets her hair dry on its own when she’s not working. She likes to wear her hair natural, and she’s good at styling it on her own.
So how would you describe her hair personality?
She’s not one to say, “Oh, I want something really funky.” She likes pretty, sexy hair. “Pretty” to me is adding texture, and “sexy” is undone-looking hair. If you look at her hair, it looks like it grew out of her head like that—it doesn’t look like a curling iron touched it. We never use curling irons or flatirons on her hair. We always try to work with her natural texture and use round brushes to give a soft curl. The modern sleek look can be good for photo shoots, but when Jen’s walking the red carpet or doing press, she feels more comfortable with natural-looking hair.
When it comes to red carpet updos, what sorts of hairstyles does Jennifer like?
She likes ponytails or really quick natural-looking buns—ones that look like she did them herself. And, you never see this, but off the red carpet she really likes wearing low, loose braids on both sides of her head. She’s a real down-to-earth girl—she loves the beach, loves nature, and loves animals.
How do you style Jennifer’s hair curly?
For the ELLE September cover shoot, I used Shu Uemura Depsea Repair Foundation Essential Hair Prep at the crown of her hair and Bumble and bumble Surf Spray at the ends. Then I do what I call a “bad blow-dry.” I vary the sizes of the round brushes—twisting the hair around them—so that I leave the hair halfway dry, halfway wet. This way, I pull the curl out but allow the hair to go into its natural form. The Surf Spray really helps to add texture to the hair—it gives it that day-old-hair look on the same day.
Why do you use different-size round brushes?
Because around the bottom of the hair, we like it to be longer—so I use a large round brush there. Around the front, I use a longer one, and at the crown area I use a smaller one because it creates fullness. I always blow-dry the roots straight—about two inches—and let the ends be a little curlier. I also like to blow-dry the hair around her face with a few strands tucked behind her ears. When you untuck the hair, a nice frame is created around the face.
How do you style Jennifer’s hair straight?
When I blow-dry her hair straight, I like to use Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Oil—it’s brand-new, and unfortunately it’s only available in the UK, but it’s awesome. Shu Uemura sent me some of the product six months ago, and I’ve been using it on Jen’s hair ever since. I just pump a pea-size drop into my hand, rub it through the ends of her hair while it’s damp, and blow-dry it straight using a round brush. I don’t use any of the Essence Absolue Oil in the root, though, because we like the roots full—she’s not liking her hair really bone-straight anymore; she likes it with some wave. Sometimes we’ll bend the brush a bit and add straight waves so that it’s smooth and straight but not flatiron-straight. Once I’m done blow-drying, I use a tiny bit of the Essence Absolue Oil to add gloss and texture at the ends.
What inspired you to give Jennifer the bob haircut that she had between 2000 and 2001?
I’m always inspired by iconic women—anyone from Mia Farrow and Julie Christie to Brigitte Bardot and Peggy Moffitt. Faye Dunaway’s hairstyle in Bonnie and Clyde was the inspiration for Jen’s bob. It was fun—you know she likes to chop her hair off about every five years. We’ll even her hair up and lop off a few inches. She’s actually overdue for a short cut—we’ll probably be doing that soon. But it won’t be because of trends; it’s because she finished three movies, she has a lot of press to do, and it just makes the hair really nice, thick, and full. We wouldn’t do the same bob as before; we’d do something a little different.
How have Jennifer’s hairstyles evolved through the years?
They’ve changed slowly, via texture and length. I know that it appears as though her hair hasn’t changed much over the years, but if you look at a timeline of her hair, you’ll notice that she’s always on trend—for example, we’ll change her part to the side or down the middle or we’ll pull it back in ponytails. That’s her thing—she likes to be comfortable but trendy. Even if she’s wearing a simple black dress, it’s going to be thenewest black dress.
She doesn’t feel the pressure to take fashion and beauty risks because she’s more concerned about other things. She loves her house—she just built this amazing house. She loves her dog, she loves her friends. She’s always like, “I’m having a pizza party tonight—come over,” you know what I mean? Those are the things she has fun with. Not only is she a great client and fun to work with, but she’s also one of the greatest friends I have. She seriously is—she knows how to be a friend, and she has taught me how to be friend. I’m the luckiest person in the world.
Jennifer Aniston's ponytail looks as perfect with a tank as it does with a tux. The secret to its versatility? "We keep the sides super-sleek and add piecey volume to the crown," explains her hairstylist, Chris McMillan. To get the look, gather hair into a low pony and secure with thick elastic. Then split the tail in two and pull both ends to tighten the sides and loosen the roots.
Jennifer on the cover of "In Style" September 2002 in yet another GREAT NEW Photo shoot! The shoot took place at Smashbox Studios, Culver City, Calif. June 11, 2002. Hair by stylist Chris McMillan used only a few products to create Aniston's sexy hair for the cover. He began by spraying Rene Furterer Okara 2 Phase No Rinse conditioner on her damp hair. He used Phyto Volume Actif spray on the roots to give them lift before blowing hair dry. Chris then applied Kérastase Serum Nutri-Instant for shine and to protect her hair from the flatiron he then used to straighten it. "Jennifer was really sweet and willing to try anything": says makeup artist Genevieve, who was inspired by Aniston's "low-key" style. To achieve the subtle pink lips and soft, smoky eyes shown here, Genevieve began by applying Laura Mercier concealer under the eyes and on the brow bones. Chanel Cream Colour Wash in Rose, part of the Les Gouaches Artist Palette kit, was then added to the cheeks. Laura Mercier Setting powder in Translucent was dusted lightly all over the face. She then lined Jennifer's eyes with Laura Mercier eye pencil in Special Brown and added Calvin Klein Eye Color Wash in Peach Pearl to the eyelids. The cover look was complete when she lined the lips with Laura Mercier lip pencil in Potpourri and added Lip Colour in Bare Lips. Jennifer was ready to trade in her cargo pants, tank top and flip-flops for something more glamorous, but stylist Freddie Leiba had other ideas. He liked her look so much, he asked that she pose not only in the dramatic leather gown by Jean Paul Gaultier (seen on the cover), but also in the green cargo pants she wore to the shoot. That our Jennifer even In Style Loves her LOOK! Freddie simply had her change tank tops to the gold one by Marc Jacobs. "When we saw her we wanted a shot to reflect who she really is," he says.
In the beginning ... She burst onto the scene as a dark-haired, bright-eyed girl next door. After winning the role of Rachel on Friends, Aniston caused a hair Frenzy in 1995 when her updated shag was copied by women everywhere! Her stylist at the time, Chris McMillan, now of Art Mix, says he simply "chopped off" Aniston's wavy hair to achieve the look. Moving beyond "the Rachel": tired of everyone talking about her hair, Aniston began to play around with the style. She lightened it to blond, put it up, left it down, tied it in knots ... it's all about changes. Last year she cut off very long locks for a shaggy bob, which she promptly grew out. Her current style is long, straight and very sophisticated. Not just the hair Jennifer's beauty is "about her face, not her makeup," says Cloutier makeup artist Collier Strong. Still, "Jennifer loves products"-such as Kiehl's Cleansing Milk, M.A.C foundation and Guerlain Les Violettes powder No. 4. For eyes, Strong uses Prescriptives Softlining Eye Pencils in Slate or Jet, adding Maybelline Volum' Express mascara in Very Black to "make them pop." Which goes for her admirers' eyes as well.
At present you'll find her starring as a frustrated housewife in the film "The Good Girl". Jennifer had this to say about her new movie "I've definitely got elements of the good girl running through my veins. I was 9 when my parents got divorced, and like most kids of divorce, I was constantly making sure everybody else was happy and feeling OK."
Jennifer say her idea of a relaxing evening is: "Staying home and watching sunsets, or kicking it after an evening out with my husband-having a big bottle of water, reading a good book, and taking off my shoes. Actually, I have a bit of a shoe fetish. Men don't really notice women's shoes, but women wear them for each other. I'm a bit of a shrimp, so anytime I can look a little taller in heels, I'm happy. I love the way the calves and legs look in heels. Even when I'm barefoot and trying on an outfit, I'm constantly standing on my toes."
This is a must have for the serious Jennifer fan, not a lot to read but some really nice photos to add to your collection.
Part of the article "A MUST DO Hit show 'Friends' inspires hair craze"
Chris McMillan, 30, is the California stylist who created Aniston's look, as well as the layered styles of fellow cast members Courteney Cox (Monica) and Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe).
''Jennifer had long hair, and she needed a long hairstyle so I just started layering it,'' he said. ''I kind of gave it an Ann-Margret-clued-into-that-mod-'60s look. It's such a cute hairstyle. It's so sexy.''
McMillan, who works at the fashionable Estilo salon in Los Angeles, had styled a few celebs including Christian Slater before getting a break on the Friends show last year. In 1994, McMillan was working with clients at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills when the publicist for Cox dropped by and asked him to do Cox's hair.
He quickly fixed her hair in the bathroom, and she liked it so much she asked him to do it for the show, which was about to start shooting. When Aniston saw Cox's new look, she asked McMillan for a revamp, too.
''I cut (Aniston's hair) for the character, but she has to look good in her life, too, so we did it for both,'' he said.
McMillan said he has since cut the hair of all the other major cast members, guys too, some as part of a story line this fall. Phoebe cuts her friends' hair and butchers Monica.
